arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

At noon today, by a very cold weather, between 20,000 demonstrators walked through the streets of Laeken (Brussels). Coming from the " Petit-Chateau " (litteraly , " the small Castle " :a centre for asylseekers) to go to the " big Castle " (well, almost), the colorful procession marched quietly while having clear and firm demands. Some important blocks of ATTAC in favour of the Tobin tax on financial speculation and Non Governmental Organisations like Oxfam, 11.11.11. Then the great part of the demonstrators could be found behind the platform of the coordination D14. Hundreds of students against the declaration of Bologne. But also an impressive block of the WPB with a majority of young peoples dressed with the sweat-shirts " Chénge-the-World ", of which the daily De Morgen says that they slowly become the symbol of the movement for another globalization. They carry also giants pictures of Marx and the Che. Behind them the feminist group of Marianne. Many communist parties from abroad also : EMEP and DHKC from Turkey, the NCPN of the Netherlands, greek, italian , german and spanish communists. Without forgetting numerous progressive foreign organisations like a big group of D14 from the Netherlands and trade-unionists from the " South " (of France !). Besides the british Socialist Worker Party, there were other trotskist groups and numerous anarchist movements like the french CNT. Standing on the car of the agrarian centre, Vuile Mong is singing. Then several groups not so furnished : dozens of Christians for Socialism are carrying the cross of oppression, the group of JNM, in company of a spirited orchestra.

The most important part of the demonstrators stood behind the platform of the D14 coordination.

The demonstration is going on in a very combative way and takes essentially an anti-capitalist character. There was a similarity with many of the slogans shouted yesterday at the demonstration of the trade-unions : against privatisations, against Europe of capital.

Most of the demonstrators don't want to hear anything about this Europe and demand radical changes. Hundreds of posters demand also the end of the war in Afghanistan and denounce the role of the Greens and of the social-democrats in this war. One couldn't ignore it : 20,000 demonstrators against capitalist Europe in Brussels.

But, as if it has been written in the stars of the generals of the police, this capital fact could not become the subject of the comments in the press. Already around 12.30, a small group of peoples called " Black Blockers ", completely isolated behind the march, and carrying backpacks and hammers on their shoulders, attacked suddenly the Fortis bank , avenue du Cinquantenaire.

Some hundreds meters away, the same scenario happens place Bockstael. And near the Laeken bridge, a small group of masked guys attacks a garage of the police and damages 5 or 6 second-hand Mercedes belonging to families of workers of turkish and morrocan origin from the neighbourhood.

" Symbols of capitalism " ? Some witnesses claim that these " so-called " Black Blockers came directly from the ranks of the police.

" Symbols of capitalism " ? Some witnesses claim that these " so-called " Black Blockers came directly from the ranks of the police. Obviously, these incidents were absolutely necessary to justify, a little bit later, the gathering around the warehouses of " Tour et Taxis " of a whole cohort of policemen with a water-canon. It is at this place that the demonstrators were gathering for the meeting and the celebration. All those who wanted to leave the site saw their identity controlled. The water-canon was used two times by a temperature of minus four degrees. More than 40 peoples were arrested.

What was the goal of all this ? These " Black Blockers " had already left the march for a long time. According to several testimonies that we have gathered, some of them had already joined their colleagues in the vans of the police.
The order to encircle the site came from the Minister of Interior, Duquesne.

Those who, like the trade-unions leaders, collaborate to the construction of this Europe, have the right to enter the lodges of the Laeken Castle. Those who oppose the Europe of capital are not invited there.

Such an obvious provocation puts a particular light on the plans of the european leaders in view of leading a big debate with the population about the structures that Europe must adopt. Those who, like the trade-unions leaders, collaborate to the construction of this Europe, have the right to enter the lodges of the Laeken Castle. Those who oppose the Europe of capital are not invited there. They can just have a dialogue with the water-canon and the " robocops ". Today, it was more than obvious that the violence came from the government and the police, in the only goal to prevent the discussion about the very content of this demonstration.

The demonstration of today had nothing to do with a demonstration of stone-throwers but of convinced opponents of capitalist Europe.

One could find in the march, in the block of D14, trade-unionists of the Sabena, of the FGTB Caterpillar-Gosselies, Ethyl-Feluy, from the Post, from the local and regional sections of the CGSP (trade-union of employees), one hundred of members of the LBC (christian trade-union) who support D14 and regret that the trade-unions have organized a separate demonstration because they don't want to have anything to do with the " peoples throwing stones ".

But the demonstration of today had nothing to do with a demonstration of stone-throwers but of convinced opponents of capitalist Europe. In spite of all that the workers are living everyday, the trade-union leadership has chosen the defense of this capitalist Europe. It even wants to be associated to the construction of the european state. Thus, it also decided to divide the movement against Europe. And this is the reason why it has organized a demonstration separate from the first ally of the working class movement : the movement of the youth against capitalist globalization.

But the large number of slogans shouted today against Europe, the number and the content of the demonstration of today and the huge success met by the sweat-shirts of Che in both demonstrations of yesterday and today mean that it will not succeed in preventing the working class to take the leadership of the struggle against Europe.

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