Weeks of anti-WTO organizing and public education in the Slovak capital of Bratislava culminated in a surprise action on November 9 at the Bratislava Stock Exchange (Bruzy Cennych Papierov v Bratislave).Weeks of anti-WTO organizing and public education in the Slovak capital of Bratislava culminated in a surprise action on November 9 at the Bratislava Stock Exchange (Bruzy Cennych Papierov v Bratislave).
As part of the global day of action against capitalism and the WTO, two people scaled the front of the stock exchange and raised green, red and black anarchist flags and hung a 10 meter long banner which read "Kapitalizmus je organizovany zlocin" ("Capitalism is Organised Crime") from the second story. On the street below, there were pickets and information was distributed to passersby about the WTO and free trade agreements on Slovakia/Eastern European society and environment. Two people entered the stock exchange and presented officials with a statement from the organizing collective. Security was caught unprepared and could no nothing but call the police.
As a portable stereo played Bob Marley and punk music, a sizeable crowd gathered, stopping traffic on the street. The action lasted almost an hour before police and fire department removed one of the two remaining anarchists from the side of the stock exchange and the banner and flags. The last person dropped to the ground and ran before getting tackled by 3 police and firefighters.
8 people were arrested (6 Slovaks, 1 German, and 1 citizen of the USA). One of those arrested was treated at a city hospital while in police custody for possible concussion and head and wrist wounds sustained during arrest. The 3 women arrested were strip searched at the police station. All 8 were subjected to individual interrogations of over 45 minutes. None were charged with a violation of the law or any offense, but the American was deported and cannot return to the Slovak Republic for 1 year.
Slovak national television showed the banner and the action on national television and city radio in Bratislava recorded and broadcast police comment on the scene that the anarchists should be "cut down from the building, and who cares if they die". The collective is appealing the deportation of the exiled American citizen.
On Nov. 8 a public video projection and meeting was to take place along the Danube near to downtown Bratislava. It was (meant to be) a showing of Indymedia films from Seattle WTO protests, Prague IMF/WB meetings and Genova G-8 summit. Also, magazines, posters, and informational pamphlets were given away. The event was held outdoors in a covered area outside of a alternative concert venue.
About 60 people were present and the start of the first film, and more people were arriving by the minute, when 8 police cars surrounded the video showing. After 20 minutes, approx. 30 police, both uniformed and plain clothed began videotaping the people present who were sitting and watching the video. Five of the police entered the concert venue.
Minutes later the electricity to the entire complex was turned off. Police swept through the crowd demanding Identity Cards and recording the people who were there.
Plain clothed police attempted to seize materials and videos but were prevented from doing so. A few people were searched but no arrests were made. It is unknown why the electricity was cut, but it is thought that the owner of the club turned it off to "avoid problems with the police".
The weekend before, in the Luky district of the Bratislava ghetto of Petrzalka, 50 fascist skinheads attacked people walking to a Hungarian punk concert with knives, baseball bats, rocks, and stones. One girl was beaten and suffered a broken thumb. Another man was stabbed twice in the back and cut on the head. The police arrived 45 minutes later and "went to go look for the skinheads". After the concert, more attacks occurred, and the police were again nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, this is a normal occurance in Bratislava, and not directly related to the events of the Nov. 9.
Revolucny kolectiv 9. novembra, 9novrevol@centrum.sk