N30 action in Tuebingen (Germany)

Around 20 people dressed as WTO delegates, EXPO managers, "death" and shoppers showed up in the pedestrian area of Tuebingen-Germany. A big Globe symbolising the world was enthusiasticaly being kicked about. Shoppers carried plastic bags with slogans on it saying "Kaufen macht frei!" (Shopping makes you free*). A shopping caddie filled with "wealth garbage" was pushed along. Satirical leaflets informing about the WTO and the EXPO2000 were distributed to bypassers. Some people dressed as 'death' informed about the lethal politicies of the WTO and made interviews. A few banners were dropped saying "Globalise Solidarity not the Eonomy".

The police was already on the spot and during the action checked the identities of all people involved. The reason for this was that "it was unclear if the City of Tuebingen was tolerating such use of public space". Some people were threatened with charges for refusing to identify themselves and also because of insulting the police ("all greens are pigs!" ***). The police seize a film from a participant and destroyed it in the procedure.

The day finsihed with a common meal, some internet surfing, some discussion and an information film.

cultural explanations:
* "Kaufen macht frei!" refers to the nazi slogan used in the concentration camps "Arbeit macht frei!" (work makes you free)
** EXPO2000 is a world exhibition taking place in Hannover this year (see www.expo2000.de). Many german groups are currently organising a decentralised protest for next year around this event. The EXPO will exhibit the neoliberal ideology and a view of the world for the coming years. It will be visited by millions of people next year.
*** "all greens are pigs!": The police in Germany is always dressed in green, but what the protestor meant was the Green party which is currently in power and under heavy critique for supporting the War in Kosovo, supporting neoliberal policies in general and betraying all their original convictions when the party was created.

contact:
Bündnis Tübinger Gruppen zum N30
c/o Infoladen Tübingen
Schellingstr. 6 72072 Tübingen
email: tuelist@listbot.com

more reports from german groups (in German) can be viewed at
http://come.to/n30-de

deutsche Version

Eine bunte Erdkugel fliegt durch die Luft, wird getreten von ca. 20 WTO FunktionnaerInnen, EXPO ManagerInnen und KonsummentInnen. Sie scheinen Spass daran zu haben, daß die Welt mit den Fueßen grob zu treten. Die KonsummentInnen haben Einkaufstueten bei sich mit Aufschriften wie "Kaufen macht frei!", "WTO gut leben und sparen" etc. Und sie fuehren einen Einkaufswagen voller Wohlstandsmuell mit. Einige als 'Tod/Sensefrauen verkleidete Leute informieren über die z.T. toedlichen Folgen der WTO Politik. Die Transpis, die einige mitschleppen, tragen die Aufschrift "Globalise Solidarity ! Not the Economy !" und "Die GloBALLisierungsfalle".

Die Vollzugsbeamten waren schon am Treffpunkt und stellten im Laufe der Aktion die Personalien der TeilnehmerInnen fest- Grund hierfuer war, daß sie "nicht wüßten ob die Stadt Tuebingen etwas gegen diese Sondernutzung des oeffentlichen Raumes habe". Wegen angeblicher Aussageverweigerung und Beamtenbeleidigung ("die Gruene sind Schweine") wurden einige Personen Anzeigen angedroht. Es wurde versucht einen Film zu beschlagnahmen, dabei wurde dieser zerstoert.

Nach der Aktion gab es leckeres Essen, Internet surfen und einen Film.

"Someone said that fighting neoliberalism was like fighting the law of gravity. Well then, down with the law of gravity !"
Subcomandante Marcos