German Frankfurt Info-Sheet for Blockupy March 18th - everything you need to know‏

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Our time to act has come!

Transnational actions against the ECB opening gala

18 March 2015, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

INFO SHEET/NEWSLETTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVISTS

Dear friends and comrades from all over Europe,

in less than two weeks, on March 18^th, thousands of people from all over Europe and Germany will come to Frankfurt to join the transnational, European wide actions when the ECB will inaugurate its new headquarters. They will come to the city for a day of protest against the crisis regime of the Troika and EU, enforced primarily by the German government.

We will take the streets and the squares of Frankfurt - in the early morning of the 18^th around the ECB in Frankfurt’s East with actions of civil disobedience, we will fill the squares to stop the ECB from celebrating themselves and from having a normal work day. We will then convene in a strong, diverse, lively rally at 2 p.m. and a manifestation in the afternoon at 5 p.m.

The day will be a European day of resistance. But it will be also a day of strong solidarity, especially now with the people in Greece who are refusing to accept that there is no alternative to the crisis politics of the Troika and the European elites. Their refusal to bow down to blackmail gives hope to people all over Europe.

This is why we say: Our time to act has come! This is why we call everybody from every corner in Europe and of life to join the transnational actions against the ECB’s opening on March 18^th in Frankfurt – let’s turn that day in a loud, vivid day of transnational, European wide strength.

Everyone should and will be able to join – the activities all day long are designed for mass participation with a common consensus – in the morning around the ECB, in the afternoon when we convene in the rally and then march together through Frankfurt in the afternoon. (see the Call in various languages at http://blockupy.org/en/5098/our-time-to-act-has-come-transnational-actions-against-the-european-central-banks-opening-march-18th-2015-in-frankfurt/.

With this info-sheet we want to update you 

1.      on the planned activities and the timetable of the whole day: what is planned when, where to go, what about the action consensus, how to participate and where to get more information

2.      on logistical matters. Many of you come from far away and travel in larger contingents. Here you can also find some updates on the bus coordination, the information system, the accommodation – and how to make early contact with those organizing these matters.

3.      on matters on legal help and police matters

4.     your help and support is needed for a good planning and common day of action, and of course, on how to stay tuned and get in contact, to mobilize and organize etc.

1. Planned activities and timetable for the days of March 17^th/18^th in Frankfurt

See also http://blockupy.org/en/18m/course-of-the-day.

Tuesday, March 17

8 p.m.: Info and Action Plenary to get all necessary info for the next days and get organized for the morning (at the DGB building - trade union’s house - Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 69-77, in Frankfurt)

• If possible, all activists should arrive on Tuesday, March 17, before 8 pm to meet for this final assembly. But of courseeverybody who joins later is welcome and will get all necessary information through the Blockupy hotline. If you arrive by train and in small number, you can find an “infopoint” (small stall) directly across from the main station.
• Directly before the general assembly, at 6 p.m., there will be at the same site of the DGB a panel discussion organized by DIE LINKE with representatives from Syriza, Izquierda  Unida, Lista Tsipras etc.

Wednesday, March 18

7 a.m.: Transnational actions of civil disobedience (blockades) around the ECB:

• In the early morning we start the blockade of the ECB by means of sit-in and standing blockades, music and street theater, banners and themed objects. The ECB is one of the central institutions enforcing the implementation of the catastrophic policy of impoverishment.
• From the action consensus (read more: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/blockades/): Our goal in the morning of March 18, 2015 is an effective blockade of the ECB, its daily work and the opening ceremony. Therefore, we will together with many activists from networks, organizations and groups from all over Europe, go as close as possible to the ECB. Our form of action are mass blockades, which consist of people. With sit-in and standing blockades, street theater, drum groups and themed objects of our resistance we will close every entrance to the ECB. We will also include police barricades and fences into our blockades. For our actions, the following applies: we say what we do and we do what we say (…) Together we take responsibility for the success of our action. We will create a situation that is transparent for all participants of the blockade and in which everyone respects and supports each other in solidarity. This character allows people with little blockade experience to participate as well. 
• There will be several registered gatherings and infopoints on that day organized by various alliance groups–points to meet others and gather, to rest, get infos and a tea. The infopoints will be operating from early on in the morning, they will be announced on the website shortly and marked on the “action map”, that will be handed out for the day (so far it is: Danziger Platz, central station/Kaisersack, Zeil 1, Paul-Arnsberg-Platz, Walter-von-Cronberg-Platz).
• After we have ended the transnational actions/blockades in the morning together, single organizations of the coalition will carry out actions on issues and actors of the crisis regime. You will get updated on all these activities as soon as possible at http://blockupy.org/en

At 12:00 (noon): demonstration of the Confederation of German Trade Unions in Frankfurt:

The demo start in front of the DGB building (Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 69-77), see more at: http://frankfurt-rhein-main.dgb.de/themen/++co++c4e3a478-b20b-11e4-8804-52540023ef1a

2 to 5 p.m.: Central Rally on the Römerberg:

• The central Blockupy rally takes place with music and performances, with speeches by well-known Blockupy supporters, reports from the daily consequences across Europe of the policy of impoverishment and the vibrant protests against this, from Greece to Madrid and Frankfurt. Confirmed speakers so far are Naomi Klein, Sahra Wagenknecht, Miguel Urban and many more to come (for more later see: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/manifestation/)

5 p.m.: Blockupy Mass Demonstration through the inner city of Frankfurt.

• Starting from the historical Römerberg we will march through Frankfurt to send a strong colorful, vivid, lively sign against the crisis policy.  
• For sure, our march will be transnational and a manifestation of a Europe from below and of resistance. Therefore the march will be lead by the delagations from all over Europe, and the first rows will be composed by women from all over Europe .
• Our consensus is: We want a lively and gaudy march showing over its whole length the Blockupy colors with umbrellas, sunglasses, etc. We want a march everybody can join safely and unharmed. We start together and we end together (for the route and consensus on the march see: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/demonstration/).

After 7 p.m.: departure of buses

2. On logistical matters.

Arrival and bus coordination:

• In order to prepare for a safe trip and a good arrival in Frankfurt in the evening or at dawn on March 18^th we kindly ask you to tell us asap at bus@blockupy-frankfurt.org

◦       a first estimation of how many busses will come from your region (telling us which region to avoid double counting)

◦       whether the busses will arrive before the evening plenary on Tuesday or on Wednesday morning

◦       please include a mail address of a reliable contact person for the busses of each region.

• Please notice that this Blockupy contact address for busses is not appropriate for further safe communication! The task now is to establish the necessary contact with all the busses now and establish communication for later on the trip itself. Soon you will find this mail address for the busses also on both Blockupy websites (see: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/journey/), together with a contact phone number and an online tool for those who did not already register their busses.

Accommodation

• There will be sleeping places for everybody, but we urgently ask, if you know people in Frankfurt and the area please ask those whether they can host or help you. We also ask everyone who can afford it financially, to make reservations in hostels and hotels. A list can be found here: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/accommodation/cheap-hostels/

• Those who have no place to stay should send an email to our sleeping place team: penn.platz@notroika.org (pennplatz-notroika-pub). Please bring your own sleeping bag and a sleeping pad and please contact us as early as possible. Please help us by organizing yourselves in advance in your cities and please travel in affinity groups. Tell us in advance how many you are and please give us contact details to get in touch with your group: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/accommodation/. Soon there will be a telephone number of the sleeping place team.

• If you are arrive as a group the day before, please get in touch necessarily in German or English at: penn.platz@notroika.org.
• Travellers arriving from French speaking countries please get in contact (in German or French) with sleeping-places-mz@riseup.net. This is close to Frankfurt and the atcivists there are happy to accommodate you.

Blockupy Info-Hotline and Info-Channels

• We will have a Blockupy Info-Hotline established for the days starting with your trip (more or less) and ending when you are home or when the last busses crossed the border. It will be of course posted on the website shortly before the 18^th of March, So please stay tuned. The hotline will give you infos when needed, they will arrange for legal support in case of troubles with the police on your journey and will help you.
• We will also (see above) have “infopoints” throughout the city. They will be marked on the “action map” we will have on the action days itself (at the general assembly Tuesday at night, at the infopoints etc.). The best though is, if your travel in groups and contingents, to get in touch with us before hand so that we can establish best and safe contacts.

3. On legal matters

• As we know from the previous Blockupy action days and several other (transnational) protest events, preparing for legal matters is of crucial importance. Take your time therefore to check out legal information athttp://blockupy.org/en/blockupy-2/legal-information/ in various languages.
• As in the last years, on the days of action there will be a legal team operating, there will be people with some medical skills watching out for us and helping us, and the demonstration watch by the committee for basic rights and democracy will also take place again.
• You can contact the anti-repression group by email beforehand if you have any questions at web:http://www.notroika.org/Antirepression, blockupy.org/antirepression; twitter:@AntiRep_Ffm, Email:antirep@blockupy.org

Please remember these phone numbers for the days itself:

Legal-Team: +49 160 – 95 65 74 26

Emotional First Aid/Out-of-action: +49 152 – 16 22 02 09

Shuttle for those arrested: +49 152 – 16 21 92 54

• FYI: In 2013, the committee for basic rights and democracy (Komitee für Grundrechte und Demokratie e.V.) published a report as the outcome of their demonstration watch from 2013 and its evaluation, called: „Blockupy 2013 - The Frankfurt police encirclement on 1st of June, 2013“ (www.grundrechtekomitee.de), this is published in English by the European Information Human Rights Center (EIHRC). You can find the report/book at http://eihrc.org/newsboard/pressrelease/article-613.

4. Support from afar or close by - your help is needed and appreciated – stay tuned for updates and get in contact with us

• Donations: We don’t get donations from big firms, parties, networks. Therefore we depend on you support:

◦       We are trying to raise money also to support activists from other European countries with their travel costs by selling so-called solidarity tickets (http://blockupy.org/18m/solitickets/), you can transfer money directly to this bank account and print out the solidarity ticket for yourself (or wait for March 18^th to get one printed): Name: Libertad! Reference: "Soliticket", IBAN: DE64430609678020068500, BIC: GENO DE M 1 GLS  (GLS Bank)

◦       For general donations for the Blockupy alliance and its activities: Name: Friedens- und Zukunftswerkstatt, Reference: “Spende Krise Ffm”, IBAN: DE23 5005 0201 0200 3373, BIC: HELADEF1822

• Media coverage, social media, mobilization material.

◦       Please support us on March 18 through your social media, the Twitter hashtags are: #blockupy, #18M, #18nulldrei; through spreading the call and news, by downloading posters and hang them, by anything we haven’t thought of yet. If you have any question in this regard please contact the mobilzuation team at mobi@blockupy-frankuftr.lorg or the webteam at webteam@blockupy-frankfurt.org

◦       For mobilization material, the logo to use and spread etc. Please got to: http://blockupy.org/en/material-2/ orhttp://blockupy.org/material/.

◦      We not only need your help in preparing for everything in advance, get in touch with us, inform us about your plans etc., we will also need people who can give a helping hand in these days – whether it is at the food kitchen or with translation, whether it is a construction question or whatever. Please keep your eyes and ears open when people ask for help.

Get in touch  with us and stay tuned: Many things will be decided and finished only in the last days before March 18^th. Stay tuned, subscribe the mailing list (international-subscribe@blockupy-internationla.info) or visit the homepage of Blockupy regularly for last info, telephone number, action maps etc.

If you have any question don’t hesitate to ask at: international@blockupy-frankfurt.org

We are looking forward to seeing you all and sending out that message to the world:

The time to act is now!

Blockupy International

https://blockupy.org/en/

----------------------

Who we are: Blockupy is part of a European wide network of various social movement activists, altermondialists, migrants, jobless, precarious and industry workers, party members and unionists and many more from many different European countries from Italy, Spain, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany and other countries. Together we want to connect our struggles and powers beyond nation-state lines. Together we want to create a common European movement, united in diversity, which can break the rule of austerity and will start to build democracy and solidarity from below. Blockupy and the actions in Frankfurt are only one step along this way.

‘Our time to act has come! Call for transnational actions on March 18 in Frankfurt at the ECB’: https://blockupy.org/en/18m/call/our-time-to-act-has-come-transnational-actions-against-the-european-central-banks-opening-march-18th-2015-in-frankfurt/

German, Frankfurt,Blockupy International #18M Blockupy Call for March 18: Our time to act has come‏

### please spread widely ### inform your networks ### stay tuned via Twitter: @blockupy / #18M andfacebook.com/blockupy.europe

see http://blockupy.org/en/ for more info and for downloads of the call/flyer

Our time to act has come!

Transnational actions against the European Central Bank’s opening: March 18th 2015 in Frankfurt

2015 began with something unheard of. The people in Greece stood up against all threats from  Europe and elected a new left government. This, after 5 years of ruining the country of Greece, where the people lived in constant struggle against the humanitarian crisis and social destruction. A government was elected to stand up to the European institutions, rather than to accept more austerity measures imposed on its people. We  support the decision by the Greek people to reject the neoliberal doctrine of "no alternative." We feel empowered and see the possibility of another future. Especially since this is connected to other important ongoing popular movements, like in Spain. Just recently in the streets of Madrid hundred thousands of people said out loud: We can and we will win again!Next, the people in Greece and all over Europe filled the squares on February 11th, the day the Eurogroup started renegotiating the Greek debt. A transnational wave of solidarity actions was unleashed.

This feeling of empowerment gives hope to millions of people in Europe and encourages the resistance against the crisis regime. Solidarity with the people in Greece and their democratic decisions is not only an obligation for us, but  it is also in our common interest: the interest of all of us who all over Europe struggle against the logics of austerity and fight to improve their working and living conditions.

This is why we say: Our time to act has come! This is why we call everybody from all over Europe to join the transnational actions against the ECB’s opening on March 18^th in Frankfurt!

It is true, the European crisis regime has changed over time – EU emergency meetings seem to have stopped, countries are leaving the Euro rescue fund. However, seeing the pressure put on Greece right now we have to realize that this does not mean the EU and ECB’s crisis policies are over. Blackmailing has not stopped – to the contrary. Whenever the European institutions are threatened, they react, they blackmail and don’t hesitate to bring back harsh austerity measures. Simultaneously we are facing something which almost feels normal now: a terrible new normality of precarity and poverty has become a reality through neoliberal policies that have been implemented during the crisis. These policies are safely embedded in state institutions and were never meant to be temporary.  Austerity policies promote authoritarian governance, the further dismantling of democratic participation, the attack on working conditions, taking advantage of the hierarchies built on the borders regime. They are linked to the militarization of state and foreign policy, to growing racism and rightwing extremism. These last years with the infamous Troika and neoliberal governance have paved a way for a new phase in Europe: a precarious model of very limited social rights, a model of control and competition that we refuse to get used to!

And we hear them now, the elites and governments crying out loud - with Germany in the forefront –against the demands of the people in Greece to stop and reverse privatization, demands for social rights and for taxing the rich, for not paying the debt and interest they did not cause. They fear the domino effect going through Europe; they are afraid that their “ program” of competitiveness and neoliberal control enforced as the European model is going to crumble now.

One of the central agents of the blackmail and the normalization of austerity, of the stick and carrot, is the ECB. A crucial part of the infamous Troika (EU Commission, ECB and IMF), who along with the EU Council, promoted austerity and privatization, resulting in impoverishment and precarity of large parts of the populations in Europe. By demanding to not accept Greek bonds as collateral for central bank loans, the ECB enforces the continuation of austerity policy directly and is clearly taking side with the German government.

Blockupy therefore affirms its call for broad transnational actions against the ECB when it inaugurates its new headquarter in Frankfurt on March 18^th. A tower 185 meters tall, resembling a fortress with its security fence and moat, a symbol of power costing a staggering 1,3 billion Euros. Our call for strong, broad, and lively European protests months ago has already left marks: the ECB announced that they are downsizing their grand gala into a coffee party. But we never cared about the numbers of guests. Our protest is the radical critique of its work – the planning, enforcement, the normalization of austerity measures.

We know that Frankfurt is the right place to be for all of us – the precarious, migrant and industry workers, socially active, emancipatory forces. Of course we know not even left governments can solve all the problems. The real dynamic starts on the streets and in the squares, the assemblies and associations, inside and outside the workplaces as a social dynamic. More than just demonstrating our solidarity with the people in Greece and their democratic decision, we will make clear that this is not a conflict of interest between the people in Europe. It is our struggle for all the people of Europe! The struggles in Greece and elsewhere have opened this path for all of us.

If not now, then when!? Louder and stronger than ever, we call for transnational actions on March 18^th at the ECB in Frankfurt! March 18^th is the right moment for all of us to be in Frankfurt. Now is the time to intensify all our efforts and to reach out to everybody to join the struggle. Now is the time to be the site for transnational struggle in and against the belly of the beast. Now is the right moment to hold the ECB accountable for its policies and to powerfully demand a different political direction. March 18^th is our crucial chance as well as our responsibility to build a common, effective force from below – if they want capitalism without democracy, we say, we want democracy without capitalism.

On March 18 we will take the streets and the squares of Frankfurt, around the new ECB building and in the inner city with thousands of people from all over Europe. We will do that in the early morning around the ECB with actions of civil disobedience to stop the ECB from celebrating themselves and disrupt their normal work day. Everyone should and is welcome to join – they are activities designed for mass participation with a common consensus. We will then convene in a strong, diverse, lively rally and manifestation in the afternoon.

Join us in action! Join us for the blockades of the ECB at 7 am; at the rally at 2 pm and the demonstration through the inner city of Frankfurt at 5 pm

First we took Athens, now Frankfurt!

For more info go visit our website at http://blockupy.org/en/; the closer we get to March 18^th, the more detailed info you will find – about the activities, bus coordination and accommodation, the program of the rally and the march and much more. If you have any questions tell us at international@blockupy-frankfurt.org or stay tuned via Twitter: @blockupy / #18M andfacebook.com/blockupy.europe

Who we are: Blockupy is part of a European wide network of various social movement activists, altermondialists, migrants, jobless, precarious and industry workers, party members and unionists and many more from many different European countries from Italy, Spain, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany and other countries. Together we want to connect our struggles and powers beyond nation-state lines. Together we want to create a common European movement, united in diversity, which can break the rule of austerity and will start to build democracy and solidarity from below. Blockupy and the actions in Frankfurt are only one step along this path. As a transnational movement we oppose explicitly each and every attempt for racist, nationalist or antisemitic divisions as well as conspiracy theories to interpret the world.

German, Frankfurt,Einladung zum Blockupy Aktiven- und Bündnistreffen am Sonntag, 18. Januar 2015‏

*Sonntag,18. Januar 2015,*

*11:00 bis 17:30 Uhr*

*DGB-Haus, Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str.69 - 77, Frankfurt a.M.*

/Liebe neue und alte Blockupy-Aktivist_innen,

Liebe Vertreter_innen der Blockupy‐Bündnisorganisationen, Liebe
Interessierte,/

jetzt ist es raus: der Termin der feierlichen Eröffnung der
Europäischen Zentralbank ist der 18. März 2015 - die Nachricht kam
passend während des Blockupy-Festivals. Auch das Festival selbst war
eingroßer Erfolg. Die vielen produktiven Diskussionen, unser
demonstrativer Besuch der EZB und die breite internationale Vernetzung
haben uns motiviert, nun am 18.3. unmissverständlich deutlich zu
machen: „Es gibt nichts zum Feiern am Krisenregime! Let's take over
the Party!“

Wir laden euch daher herzlich dazu ein, gemeinsam in die Planung zu
denAktionen, die wir seit drei Jahren Blockupy gemeinsam vorbereitet
haben, einzusteigen.

Am 18. März werden Regierungsvertreter_innen aus der ganzen EU sich
zur bisherigen Krisenpolitik beglückwünschen. Diesen Tag werden
wir zu unserem machen und damit ein Zeichen gegen die
Verarmungspolitik der Troika und ihr autoritäres Durchregieren
setzen. Unser Ziel ist es, mit Tausenden von wütenden Menschen und
entschlossenen Aktivist_innen aus ganz Europa und darüber hinaus die
Straßen rund um den Eurotower zu blockieren und diesen Event derMacht
und des Kapitals zu stören. Schließlich gibt es nichts zu feiern,
wenn sich Regierungsvertreter_innen zu dieser Form von Krisenpolitik
gratulieren und den kapitalistischen Normalzustand abfeiern, während
überall Menschen am Existenzminimum leben. Nicht zuletzt, weil diese
Politik der Standortkonkurrenz das Anwachsen von Rechtspopulismus und
Faschismus befördert hat.

Damit es uns gelingt, die Party zu übernehmen, ist einiges zu tun.
Wir müssen Antworten auf unterschiedliche Fragen finden und uns
gemeinsam abstimmen:

Wir müssen entscheiden, wie wir, wann und wo genau diese Zeichen
setzen. Wie machen wir den Tag zu unserem?
Wie machen wir Frankfurt zu einem Ort des massenhaften,
transnationalen, ungehorsamen Widerstands und zu einem Tag eines
breiten öffentliche Protest, in der ganz Frankfurt auf der Straße
ist?
Wie erreichen wir all jene, die sich jetzt noch nicht vorstellen
können, sich praktisch gegen das Krisenregime zu wehren?
Was sind unsere ersten Schritte zu einer breiten Mobilisierung und
wie wehren wir uns zugleich gegen die reaktionären
Krisenlösungsversuche von rechts?
Wie ermöglichen wir den transnationalen Widerstand und eine
umfassende internationale Beteiligung? Das erste Aktiventreffen vor
der Eröffnung findet am 18. Januar 2015 in Frankfurt (Main) statt.
Am Vortag trifft sich das europaweite Blockupy-Bündnis und kommen
einige der bestehenden AGs zusammen, um die praktischen Grundlagen zu
schaffen, dann am 18. in einem gemeinsamen Plenum die wesentlichen
Entscheidungen zu treffen. Am Sonntag wird es für alle eine AG-Phase
geben, damit sich möglichst viele in den dann folgenden zwei Monaten
an Blockupy beteiligen. Denn wie schon in den letztem Jahren, ist
Blockupy immer das, was wir daraus machen, gerade jetzt, in den AGs
zur Vorbereitung und Umsetzung starker Proteste am 18.3.

Der genaue Vorschlag für die Tagesordnung des Aktiventreffens wird
imJanuar fertig.

Wir können aber jetzt schon auf folgende Inhalte und zentralen
Punkte hinweisen:

Wir brauchen einen Beschluss des Plenums wie genau unsere Aktion, wie
Kundgebungen und Demonstrationen, d.h. die Gesamtchoreografie des
Tages am 18. März aussehen soll.
Die verschiedenen Arbeitsgruppen müssen wieder reaktiviert werden -
es ist eine Menge zu erledigen für einen erfolgreichen Protest -
damit es auch wirklich UNSERE Party wird.

Kommt zahlreich! Sagt den Termin weiter und bringt
Freund_innen,Genoss_innen und Kolleg_innen mit, die bisher noch nicht
dabei sind!

Wir freuen uns auf ein spannendes Treffen, auf Eure Erfahrungen
undAnregungen und die gemeinsamen Beratungen für Blockupy 2015.

Denkt bitte auch daran, dass es am Sonntag im DGB-Haus keine Cafeteria
gibt- wir können nur für die Versorgung mit Mineralwasser und
Softdrinks sorgen.

Euer Blockupy Koordinierungskreis 18. Dezember 2014

Duizenden betogen tegen EU-besparingen

Meer dan 20.000 mensen hebben zaterdag in alle rust betoogd in Frankfurt, de thuishaven van de Europese Centrale Bank (ECB). Ze protesteerden tegen de 'verarming' die het harde begrotingsbeleid van de ECB en Duitsland veroorzaakt bij steeds meer Europeanen.

foto: EPA/Roland Holschneider

De manifestanten wilden met hun actie het 'lijden' aan de kaak stellen dat de overheden toebrengen aan de bevolking met hun strenge begrotingsbeleid.

'Wij protesteren tegen de politiek van verarming die de 'troika' op Europese schaal voert', aldus een woordvoerder van Blockupy. Met troika wordt de ECB, de EU-Commissie en het IMF, het Internationaal Monetair Fonds, bedoeld.

De organisatoren van deze anti-kapitalistische vereniging schatten het aantal deelnemers op 25.000 terwijl de politie het op 20.000 hield.

Bron : De Tijd weekend

Occupy-betogers massaal op de been in Duitse steden

De Occupy-demonstraten vormden een menselijke ketting om het parlement. © afp

Meer dan 10.000 Occupy-demonstranten zijn vandaag in Berlijn en Frankfurt de straat op gegaan om te protesteren tegen de macht van de banken. Dat heeft de Duitse politie gezegd.

• 
  Een Occupy-betoger vandaag in Berlijn. © reuters

In Frankfurt, het financiële centrum van het Europese vasteland, verzamelden 9.000 betogers zich voor het hoofdkantoor van de Europese Centrale Bank in het stadshart. In Berlijn vormden demonstranten een menselijke keten en sloten zo delen van de regeringswijk af. Ze eisten een einde aan de ongeremde speculatie en de opsplitsing van grote banken.

De politie van de Duitse hoofdstad telde 'enkele duizenden' betogers. Volgens de organisatoren van de protesten, geënt op de Amerikaanse beweging Occupy Wall Street, brachten zij achttienduizend geestverwanten op de been.

• 
  De reflectie van Occupy-demonstranten op een kantoorgebouw in Berlijn. © getty
  
  
  Bron : Trouw.nl

Local authorities in Frankfurt want to ban all EU/ECB-protests

Monitoring European Police!

By europolice on 6. Mai 2012,

A broad coalition of movements and protest groups has planned to organise protest in Frankfurt from 16-19 May, to protest the austerity policies of EU-countries and show solidarity with anyone facing the crazy decisions of the ‘Troika’. On Friday May 18th the financial district of Frankfurt is to be flooded with people and the ECB blocked. On Saturday 19 there will be a large international demonstration.

The City government yesterday (May 4) banned the Days of Protest in Frankfurt, which will take place May 16th to May 19th. The “Blockupy Frankfurt” alliance is collecting signatures for its protest, in Germany and international. A spokesperson for the ‘department for Public Order’ claims 40.000 demonstrators might show up for four days of protest, with the aim to paralyse the city, and this would not be tolerated.

http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/frankfurt-will-anti-banken-proteste-verbieten-a-831428.html

Of course the organisers will appeal the decision ‘in court and in practice’. Previous attempts by authorities in Germany to prohibit these kinds of protests have never held (completely) in court.

Preparations for the protests are proceeding in full gear. Here are some of the newest mobilisation clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD3aFzy4-78

http://vimeo.com/41582909

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzUZUf0g5Mg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le6hp3mggmY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzWrAX2ogr8&

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUVzTTE2M68

Sign a petition to demand withdrawal of the ban here:

http://www.blockupy-frankfurt.org/de/protestnote

Please sign – and please distribute this request to friends and comrades all over the world!

Websites with background information:

http://www.blockupy-frankfurt.org
http://17to19m.blogsport.eu/
http://notroika.linksnavigator.de/

Source: http://www.globalinfo.nl/Gespot/local-authorities-in-frankfurt-want-to-ban-all-euecb-protests.html