Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-12-12-Speech-3-126"
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"en.20011212.3.3-126"2
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".
In its own initiative report entitled "Security at meetings of the European Council and other comparable events", the European Parliament committee wrongly named the "Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights...", has forged another link in the heavy chain which the ruling class intends to use to stem the swollen tide of resistance and opposition to its policies.
The rapporteur, Mr Watson, suggests how we can become peaceful and legitimate demonstrators, the first requirement being to work together peacefully and avoid any manifestation of violence. Τhe question is, who is guilty of violence and terrorism? In Nice, Gothenburg and, even more so in Genoa, violence was indeed perpetrated, except that the perpetrators were the police and state forces. And, more to the point, in both Gothenburg and Genoa, the target of police violence was clearly not the few hot-blooded demonstrators, but the huge crowd of "peaceful" demonstrators.
Then we read that organisers of demonstrations should avoid cooperating with people suspected of carrying out acts of violence. It is easy to conclude that, if they do not, they run the risk under the forthcoming terrorism law of being sentenced as terrorists for the crime of supporting terrorist action. Our response is that protecting demonstrations from extremist elements, who are often
is a matter for the mass grass-roots movement itself.
According to the report, if we want to cross the borders of our country and take part in an international demonstration, we must earn the authorities' trust by convincing them that we intend to demonstrate peacefully in a legitimate demonstration. We are extremely worried that soon we will be asked for credentials or to sign a statement. It also suggests that we need to agree on a common definition of "dangerous person and dangerous behaviour" for all the Member States. This proposal refers to articles about two new black lists which Europol is planning to publish, one for "troublemaking" demonstrators and one for foreigners. This being so, the report's recommendation that there should be no black lists or new databases is pure hypocrisy.
As far as police violence is concerned, the only thing the report has to say is that a disproportionate use of force should be avoided and it sits firmly on the fence as regards the conduct of the demonstrators and that of the police forces. In fact, especially in Genoa, the demonstrators faced unprecedented violence on the part of the police, with illegal charges, hundreds of illegal arrests, dozens of injured and the cold-blooded murder of a young man. It is no coincidence that the UN Commission against Torture has called for a report on events in Diaz and Bozaneto jail in Genoa.
Obviously, the political mouthpieces of the European monopolies know full well that their anti-grass roots policy is going to come up against more and more grass-roots opposition, which is why they are attempting to use repressive measures to terrorise and restrain popular unrest. However, history has shown that this sort of action always brings in the opposite results. The reasons behind the grass-roots movement are increasing social inequality and the attack on fundamental social rights. The longer these reasons apply, the more mass grass-roots resistance and opposition will grow.
It is for these reasons that the MEPs of the Communist Party of Greece voted against the Watson report."@en1
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