arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

From the 1st till the 3rd of July, the World Economic Forum in Salzburg (Austria) was attended by 600 delegates, protected by the largest security operation that Austria has seen in decades.
Already days before the summit, the police used stringent border checks, so "suspected" militants couldn't pass the border; and Salzburg was converted into a fortress as 5,000 police (armed with tear gas and guns) moved into army barracks and school gymnasiums; Austran authorithies have given police permission to shoot activists if protests "get out of hand"; prison cells were emptied in preparation for the protesters joining an anti-capitalist rally.
The two days before the summit began, police started intimidating independent journalists, by arresting them, and deleting all their photos and audio records.
Already hours before an officially permitted anti-capitalist rally took place, Police set checkpoints in different security areas. The city centre looked like a ghost town.
The protest, against categorising, marginalising and excluding people and social groups; aiming for a society, that is orientated to the needs of all and not to the profit of a few, with about 1500 participants, went ahead, heading for the congress centre. Some police lines were broken, but also some activists were arrested. After some protesters threw stones at the cops, riot police attacked the demonstration, while activists defending theirselves. About 500 protesters got encircled by police. Cops got very aggressive and one of them even lost his nerves and drew a gun, shouting at an activist: "i will shoot you". Riot cops, most of them masked, went on intimidating and started attacking activists with riot-sticks and dogs, and dragged people out of the encirclement. Police afirmed the use of tear-gas against the still encircled. Protestors sang and shouted "No Violence". Just before midnight, everyone has left the encirclement in small groups.