>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.6 (32) >Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2000 00:47:45 -0400 > > > > > > I have received the following messages from Dave Bleakney. > He seems to be in somewhere in Europe because the messages > arrive 4 hours before they were sent. Dave is staff with > the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in Ottawa. > > >From: "dave bleakney" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: the velvet revolution >Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2000 17:13:27 EDT > > >2 stories: 1) hi tech warfare against cops (could be an excuse, db) > > 2) Czech opposition leader thinks demonstrators should be shot > > >Police Airwaves Sabotaged In Anti-Globalization Protests (english) >by Agence France Presse 9:31am Sun Oct 1 '00 > > >High Tech sabotage hits the Czech cops.. >Police Airwaves Sabotaged In Anti-Globalization Protests > >PRAGUE, Oct 1, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) Police radio communications >in Prague were professionally sabotaged during anti-globalization >demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Czech capital, local press >reported Saturday. > >The scrambling of police airwaves was aimed at hampering the communication >and coordination of security forces during clashes with militants trying >to disrupt a meeting in the city of the IMF and the World Bank, the daily >Lidove Noviny said. > >The paper quoted eye witnesses as saying that a German-registered van >equipped with professional scrambling equipment was seen in action in >the streets of the city during the confrontations. > >A police spokesman confirmed the presence of two such vehicles operating in >Prague during the demonstrations but said their effect had been limited. > > > > >Czech politician demands using fire weapons against demonstrators (english) > >by Wintermute 7:37am Sun Oct 1 '00 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >According to the Saturday issue of the German daily paper SUEDDEUTSCHE >ZEITUNG, the vice president of the main czech opposition Civic Democratic >Party (ODS), Miroslav Macek, has stated that police should use fireweapons >against demonstrators. > > >He called demonstrators from all over the world who participated in protests >against the annual meeting of IMF/World Bank in Prague on the 26th of >September "mad bastards" and claimed that the police had treated them much >too nicely. On his website he explains what the police should have done: "I >am convinced that raging groups of thugs such as those on the Wenzel square >and in other places will only become more mad if they are not shot upon." > >The ODS whose Vice President Macek is, is the main opposition party in the >Czech Republic and led the government coalition in 1997 in which Macek was >Vice Premier of the country. Ideologically, the party is a centre-right, >conservative party comparable to the British Conservative Party. ODS wants >to create a liberal economy without state intervention and demands strong >ties with Western Europe, especially with NATO and the European Union. > >According to Macek it would also have been "a good solution" to "form a >national guard of volunteers who will show those bastards what the >overwhelming majority in this state believes". He holds the social democrat >Minister of the Interior, Stanislav Gross, responsible for having >incapacitated the police force by commanding that the "police should give no >cause for complaints", which Macek regards as "inhibition against conflict". > >In this context, the SUEDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG writes: "However, the police >activity, which according to Macek complaints was so "inhibited against >conflict", saw the use of water canons, teargas and batons; more than 60 >demonstrators and police each were wounded and almost 900 people arrested. >The "civic law supervision", a private initiative, criticised what they >regarded was an unduly hard police proceeding." > >Indeed, reports from released prisoners, witnesses and initiatives such as >INPEG who organised the protests or Indymedia, an international network of >independent media organisations and journalists reveal that arrested >protesters had to endure severe police brutality. The treatment they were >subjected to ranged from being denied access to a telephone, a lawyer, food >or water, over beatings to all out sexual attacks and torture. > >While activists locally and internationally are attempting to pressure czech >authorities to release all prisoners and end the torture, most mainstream >media organs world-wide are ignoring the events and Czech media is even >calling for further repression. > >For further information about the prison situation see > >http://praha.indymedia.org/ or >http://a-infos.ca/ > > > >From: "dave bleakney" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: torture in czech republic - call to action >Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2000 18:24:09 EDT > >For those in Canada please paste the Czech embassy number on this message >and circulate this message, > >URGENT URGENT URGENT please contact Czech embassies immediately - conduct >actions where possible - don't buy their line that there are only 20 >prisoners still in jail - it is an absolute lie. Either the diplomatic corp >are incompetent or they are all liars. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING >TORTURE and as of Saturday night most had not been freed or seen a >magistrate. The IMF/World Bank officials remain silent. > >I want to tell you about an Austrian friend I will call Z. Z is one of the >most beautiful, peaceful, loveable and compassionate human beings you will >ever meet. Z would not hurt a fly and leaves nothing behind but joy to those >that have the honour of meeting her. > >At Tuesday's demo in Prague Z did nothing more than provide transportation >to those that needed it. Her van was followed. Police arrested her but >refused to identify themselves. Fearing the abuse and torture that the >velvet revolution cops are known for and with them not identifying >themselves she tried to escape through an open window and broke her hip and >leg. On the way to the hospital the cops twisted her leg for good measure. >She is in tremendous pain. After several strenuous days and without any help >from the police (who knew where she was all along) she was located. The >Austrian state intervend and she has now left the Czech gulag. > >Unfortunately it is a different story for the Czech political prisoners who >remain behind while it appears police are a little more sinister than they >first appeared. > >Czech media have reported that some police were dressed in black hoods and >scarves. One individual who was seen smashing a showcase window was later >observed by Lidove Noviny (a Czech newspaper) arresting people. I wonder if >this was the same guy I witnessed throwing a bottle at garage mechanics >which is a big difference from decorating U.S. transnationals. > >The following incidents have been reported by the legal observer team: > >- women were forced to strip and do 'push ups' in front of male guards > >- Israeli,Czechs and people of colour were particularly singled out and >received the worst beatings > >- Prisoners have been denied food, water and sleep. > >- Two Norwegians reporting a theft at the local police station witnessed >people handcuffed and being beaten > >- men have had their groins twisted and punched > >- handcuffed prisoners have been thrown downstairs > >- 22 prisoners were forced into a 4 square metre cell > >- an Israeli who was severly beaten and suffrered a broken leg was refused >medical attention > >- prisoners with diabetes have not been fed > >- 2 czech citizens have been reported to have disappeared (I am waiting to >hear more about this before saying more). > >- prisoners have been denied legal counsel, a phone call and the right to be >brought in front of a magistrate within 48 hours > >- police hang up on people inquiring about missing persons > >- people seen in good condition when arrested have later to be found badly >beaten > >- German prisoners were forced to kneel on their hands and knees while >guards stood on their feet > >- many reports of broken teeth, people being forced to run police gauntlets, >forced to sleep outdoors with no blankets or shelter, having to pay for >water, suffering forced sleep depravation and beatings for falling asleep, >and much, much more. > >- more than one IMF official has complimented police behaviour and their >restraint > >So this is Mr. Havel's velvet revolution? Why has he been silent? > >You can find more examples if you go to http://www.prague.indymedia.org - >many testimonies have not yet been posted but should be over the next few >days. A lawsuit is in the works. > >Solidarity actions have already occurred in many places including an >occupation of the Czech embassy in Bern. Please act for our Czech brothers >and sisters before they are forgotten. This was not a foreign dominated of >mindless football hooligans as the media would suggest and 200 of the more >than 800 political prisoners were from outside the Czech Republic. > >In solidarity, Dave Bleakney ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > ............................................. > Bob Olsen, Toronto [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ............................................. > > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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