arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

On Wednesday-morning some 50 activists appeared at the CEFIC-Headquarters in Brussels to protest against the farreaching influences of CEFIC on European Commission-decisions. CEFIC is the European Federation of Chemical Industries.
A group of activists blocked the officesq frominside, whereas a few dozens of sympathiserd stayed outside with a samba-band.

Federal Police (Gendarmery) intervened and arrested the people inside already around 9:00 AM.
At Noon the occupation was finished. And then the Hard To Believe News came that all the activists had been arrested Judicially. Confirmation came from a lawyer of the Legal Team. Judicial Arrest means that the arrested have been put at the disposal of the Judicial System where an Attorney has been put "on the case". The arrested have to appera now before a judge within 24 hours. The judge then decides whether to liberate the arrested or keep them in custody and send them eventually to a Rapid-Procedure-Court. This court should prononce a ruling within 5 days.

Among those arrested there are also foreigners. Federal Police said that the Attorney has already contacted the Foreigners Service to see how these people can be expulsed from Belgian territory.

The activists came to the CEFIC-offices with a bus. This bus has been thouroughly searched by the police and is in their hands now. A rumour goes that the arrested will be charged for "taking hostages" (gijzeling). But Legal Team could not confirm this.

Legal Team firmly believes that this group-arrest means serious trouble with repression for all those who are going to protest against the EU-Laken-Summit these next days.
The lawyers are only permitted to see the arrrested if these are going to Rapid-Procedure. Now every contact is impossible.

The non-arrested activists gathered at the occupied Bruxxel-Gare which lies next to the European Parliament. Legal Team was there too. They were going to see if action should be taken in favour of the arrested.

The non-violent occupation succeeded and lasted until 12.00 am due to the fact that 10 activists locked themselves on in the office of CEFIC. Only 3 hours after the arrival of the Special Intervention Forces the building could be evicted. 45 activists inside the building were arrested juridicaly . Around 50 others outside with a samba band could walk back and at 4pm there was a solidarity demo in front of the police office where the 45 activists were held.
The police also searched the bus that was used as a transport for the action. They found personal luggage, and reported to the press about the presence of offensive objects. The police used this as an excuse to claim that the protesters had violent intentions. The juridical authorities decided to expel immediately the foreigners. The objects found are very normal things to bring when you travel abroad, such as camping knives. Even though the police themselves admitted that the occupation was non-violent they still applied the measure of expulsion for EU citizens for reasons of public ordain this way they prevented EU citizens to peacefully demonstrate and freely express their ideas on European policy without being thrown out of the country…this is not a good beginning of the Summit!

this repression only confirms the need to demonstrate our voice against al these way of acting in an extremely repressive manner against any ideas that do not match what the "leaders" wish!
try and make sure the sort of "details" that accompany the facts are transmitted to the "traditional" media, they just talk about "arrests"...
keep on working !
good "summit" to all of you
Geneviève