Actions during Belgium EU-presidency

Since july until the end of december Belgium is president of the European Union. Until the huge summit at the end of the presidency in Laken near Brussels on 14 th and 15 th of december, there will be a number of smaller and more informal summits in various Belgian cities. To this summits many actions are already being planned and there are more to come.

The first summits after Genoa will happen to be in Belgium. Propaganda against EU and globalisation critics is already being made
for some time now. Brussels head of police Van Reusel has already proudly boasted with in Belgium it being possible to preventivly
arrest activists. The city council has yet discussed the buying of a new water-canon and the installation of 16 new surveillance-cameras.
Politicians are widely agreed about repressive measures. A strike of pupils and students is organised on October 19th in Gent. We will publish calls for actions and regular updates on our website and by way of our mailinglist. Here is a collection of actions already fixed:

September 6th : March in Brugge against the summit of the EU´s foreign ministers. Meeting point: 7.30 pm, ´t Zand.
September 14th : March in Leuven against the summit of EU´s traffic ministers.
September 21st: March in Liége against the summit of EU´s economic and finance ministers.
October 19th: Anti-capitalistic march in Gent against the informal EU summit. Meeting point: 10.00 am, ST. Pietersstation. In the evening
there will be a closing march of the coalition. Meeting point: 7.00
pm, Zuid, at the library (read call below).
December 14th: March in Brussels against the EU summit.

Demonstration call: A different Europe for a different world.

A wide coalition of social and political
organisations including the
peace movement and the north-south-movement is going to march through the city of Gent on friday evening october 19th. Peacefully and witty
they will call up the European heads of states to build up a "Europe for the people". This march is beginning at 7 pm, Zuid, at the library. The final meeting begins at the friday market at 9pm.

From 1st of july up to 31st of december Belgium is president of the European Union. The European prime ministers and heads of states are
meeting in Gent´s St. Pieters abbey on october 19th. What this ladies and gentlemen are going to talk about is not known yet. But our message is: "We are not interested in an Europe with even more money and power".

What we want is a different, a better, Europe. Not a construction for transnational corporations and investment trusts but a Europe for the
people, in which Renault-Vilvoorde closing its site and Semira Adamu being killed is unthinkable. A Europe with more jobs and guaranteed social security. A Europe which provides access to proper education and health care for everybody. The sell-out of public services has to be stopped. We have to reclaim public space. Community interests have to be privileged over private profits. We want a democratic Europe, in which all individuals and people have a voice and a vote that counts.
A Europe providing equal rights and chances for everybody, women and men, european and non-european citizens, where dicrimination of any
kind has no place.We are of the opinion that the windening gap between the rich and the poor is a shame. We claim for a re-distribution of welfare and taxes on huge fortunes. We do not care about a Euro being used in order to allow maximum profits. We vote for a lasting Europe. The claiming and waste of natural riches has to be brought to an end. The south is no dumping ground for our waste and ozon layer is not
tomorrow´s worry.Instead of the building of an invervention army Europe has to spend
money on peace and the cutback of military industry. Instead of military intervention when its too late, Europe has to tackle problems before violence is coming up.After ages of exploitation it is not more than fair for an Europe gotten rich taking over responsibility and paying the bill. Europe has to stand at the side of millions of people fighting for their fundamental right of an existence in dignity - in the south, in front of the closed doors of
the "European fortress" or in the closed trucks of smugglers.

We know that the European Union´s agenda is dictated by different aims and interests. But with a huge number of social movements
working together there will be a counterpart mighty by its mere number and with legitimate claims. Europe is going the wrong way. A change into a social, lasting and solidary Europe has to take place right now.

For this reason we will raise our voice on october 19th by means of a number of peaceful actions and activities. At the end of this day
there will be a march. We call for a peaceful protest against the existing Europe. In addtion to this we call up activists to ignore provocation by whom ever.

A violent escalation caused by few individuals is no excuse for the right of free speech being suspended. The greater part of the Gothenburg protests were perfectly peaceful. At the time of the informal summit in Gent we call up for peaceful action as well.

We are seriously worried about the way media has put its focus on the subject of violence. In the weeks past we were more than once approached by media in search of sensation. Basic criticism of EU policy was put aside as uninteresing. This has to be made perfectly clear: We don´t want to be used for yellow-press methods.

What we want to talk about are contents and peacful actions ahead. We call up media to re-define their role and to stop creating myths
about violence during the Seattle protests. We will commit ourselves peacefully to a different Europe for a different world.

Info: 32-2-536.11.25, Frans Teuchies, 11.11.11, Vlasfabriekstraat 11, 1060 Brussel.
Supporting organisations: 11.11.11 Koepel van de Vlaamse Noord-Zuid beweging, Attac Vlaanderen, Forum voor Vredesactie, Vrede, Netwerk Vlaanderen, Democratie 2000, CODEWES, Leef !, Indymedia, SAP-SJW Gent, Oxfam Wereldwinkel Gent, Militant Links, KP, PVDA-MLB-Rode Jeugd Gent, AIB, Meervoud,Vluchtelingen Actie Komitee, 't Uilekot, Christenen voor het Socialisme, A place to live, WIS Z.O.-Vlaanderen, Oxfam Solidariteit, Oxfam Wereldwinkels Nationaal.

More information about actions in Belgium and regular updates on our
website and through our mailinglist:

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)