J18 REPORT from Czech actions
Report from actions in relation to ICC and J 18th action from Prague and Czech Republic:
- 22nd of May - first streetparty outside the Prague took place in Brno...Solidarity with actions aroud the world, over 800 people meet on a hot saturday afternnon, soundsystem and live concert, lot of infoshops, at about 5 pm crowd went to the streets block trafic in town and march through Brno streets, streetparty ended withou any incident.
- 5th of June - 3rd Prague streetparty, - The streetparty began on a hot June 5th afternoon, Some 7000 gathered near metro station Florenc which is right in the center of Prague, with lot of trafic and polution.
We chosed this date becouse of Inter Continental Caravan who didnt arrived becouse of visas (but it was also solidarity action with J18). People meet to listen to about 7 mobil soundsystems and live concerts with ska and punk bands, a lot lot of infoshops of variety of organisation supporting a party, vegie food, DIY culture, drumers, tearoom, fireshow and much more.
After the "official" event ended people joined the protest march which was lively but proceded through the center without any incident (sure there was really big chaos in trafic), until we had crossed over to Old Town district. As the crowed was walking past the bottom of Petrin hill we realised that people probably head to the US embassy. We were right.
The police were badly organised inspite of 1000 policemens, 2 hellicopters, waterguns, horses...etc. at this point and the now angry crowed attacked the building withbottles and stones, breaking man windows. It was only a metter of time till police arrived...but at this moment they let us continued up the Prague castel where things seemed to end.
After a rest about 500 people walked from the castel back to the center but riot police were much in evidence at this time, crowed tried to attacked McDonalds, KFC, and one TV station...
Police arrested 114 peopl, 9 policemans were injured - 2 hardly, 1 McDonalds demolished, policestation and few cars with broken windows.
Actions continued till 1am over all Prague.- 12.6. - First solidarity action with PGA and actions around the world in Slovakia...dont have more at this time
- 18.6. - Demonstration about 350 people meet in the center of Prague and made lot of problems to banks and TNCs, police again give over 1000 policemans so they were really angry when they saw that we made a fun and didnt meet in such a numbers as on streetparty on 5th of june. After an about 30 minutes standing in really rainy and cold weather crowed went for a march through the center and becouse of shity weather action ended earlier than we planned...
There were also direct actions around all Czech, but dont have information how they ended at this time, also activists in different cities did infoshops and inform about J18th and actions around the world.
Two people erested but relesed latter that day. Police becouse of bad coordination complitly blocked trafic in the center when they followed the crowed expecting the rioting, but the were wrong at this time we wanted just make a fun from them and from all that fucking TNCs bastards and we did it...collectivs involved in preparing actinons
EF! Prague
Rainbow Keepers
Food not Bombs
Czechoslovak Anarchis federation
Konfrontace newspapers
Ladronka and Milada squatts collectivs
and other activistsBye
hubert"the collapse of the global marketplace would be a traumatic event with unimaginable consequences. Yet I find it easier to imagine than the continuation of the present regime." George Soros
Don't be the last to get on board JUNE 18th 1999: www.j18.org