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Barcelona - World Bank meeting, 23-25 June 2001 (cancelled!!)
[See the pictures]
The cancellation of all meetings planned by the World Bank in Barcelona, Spain from 23-25 June 2001 due to the threat of violence from anti-globalisation protesters (Shame!), led to it's decision to move the conference to the Internet for fear of the safety of its delegates... in cyberspace, no one can hear you scream. Groups who had been planning actions previously, decided that it was no fun to just allow all that hard work to go to waste. The show must go on! Their generous invites still remained, and so it was that the UK Rhythms of Resistance samba band found themselves making their way to the summit to supply the accompanying beat for the planned overthrow of international capitalism (muy importante).
The 23rd was marked by loads of bangers and fireworks to celebrate the fiesta of San Juan. The Las Agencias group based in central Barcelona, housing a multitude of groups from Indymedia to artists and radical costume makers, used this occasion to inaugurate their new bus, which they had bought and renovated, including a screen for showing films and video footage, building a stage on the roof of the vehicle for sound systems and (fearless) samba bands to play on. At a large festival on the beach, the samba band replete with new temporary members from Spain, UK and Scotland forged a path in the crowd to the front of stage followed by the Las Agencias techno-orange painted bus.
A radical fashion show began on the roof which designers and activists had spent time working on, marrying club gear with various types of padding, to provide well cool protective clothes for the discerning well dressed demonstrator in all occasions. This included clothes with liquid paint in them to spray baton hungry coppers and clothes with arms and hoods which came away when grabbed. Perfect for de-arresting yourself in true anarchist style. The fashion was followed by film of various demos including J18 footage.
For the next day (24th June)was planned a peaceful non-violent demo from the passieg de gracia to the main Placa de Catalunya, to demonstrate against World Bank policies. Amassed were between 18,000-21,000 demonstrators organised into specific groups with corresponding flags, from all over Barcelona and Spain along with others from Italy, England, Germany, Poland and the US. The march was legal, having permission to follow that route on that day, but despite the anti-violence sentiment, rock throwing began early on in the day, with bank windows being smashed and graffiti filling all nearby walls. This ennabled riot cops to unexpectedly amass and encircle the main square, waiting for the demonstrators to arrive before wading in and bashing the fuck out of all and sundry, including families, OAPs and local community groups that had been promised it would be safe to attend.
The official police position was that the riot police were attempting to maintain order as a result of the violence, but it emerged very quickly that much of the violence was begun by agents provocateurs, police disguised as black bloc protestors provoking other demonstrators and encouraging rioting as a way of discouraging public support and allowing them to put a stop to further actions in the following days. This was discovered mostly due to the fact that so many of them were seen by the march participants and passers-by, in one case by the opposition vice-president of the Catalan government also present on the demo, getting out of police vans (doh!) in civvies and masking up.
As a result of the chaos 20 people were arrested and held for 24 hours, along with over 30 others who were injured and hospitalised as a result of the brutality.
A planned seperate anarchist demonstration with a few hundred supporters followed at the same Placa de Catalunya a few hours later and was unnable to begin due to continued police violence. Again at this point, the riot police gave no warning of their plans and charged almost immediately, lashing out with truncheons, even as people had dispersed, hitting many unsuspecting tourists as part of their campaign. As a result of this, a meeting led to the announcement that the planned 'festivities' were unlikely to continue later in the day which were to be a dinner in front of the stock exchange for hundreds of people before an occupation of the central square for an mass sleep over. The samba band retired to a peaceful park to decide on a course of action.
Having got up late and been unnable to get hold of the instruments which were locked in a truck, we basically lunched the earlier demo out, but were determined to make up for this by heading the evening march. Finally we arranged to begin busking in the central square as a way of gathering as many people together as possible, so that the las agencias bus could drive into the centre with other people, food and a sound system. After the morning lunarcy, the Catalan government had denounced the actions of the police and it had been decided that the evening protest could go still ahead if only as a propaganda coup for the fuzz. Some 500 people came to join the celebrations with a brilliant hip hop/skat group, Ojos de brujo from Spain serenading one and all.
The festivities were told to end at 11pm, so it was only sensible that we carry them on down the street to the metro with 200 or so supporters to play a solidarity action in front of the police station where the demonstrators arrested earlier had been detained. We played until 2am, whilst food and wine was handed out and messages of support were broadcast over the sound system, before going home to bed after a completely knackering day.
A meeting was arranged for the 25th at the Catalan University to discuss the previous day?s events and to decide if it would be possible to continue with further ones. After the usual ideological discussions were aired, a plan was made to go ahead and march to the stock exchange before heading to the court the the protestors were to be released from. Rhythms of Resistance headed the demonstration followed just behind by the padded Tutti Bianci (white overalls) and the rest of the marchers numbering around 2000 walking the short distance to La Bolsa (Spanish stock exchange) to play and make speeches against the World Bank and in support of the detained. A deal was made with the police that as long as the demonstration was non-violent it would be able to go ahead. The atmosphere was festive and very fluffy and carried off without incident apart from blisters and bruises on the part of the samba band as a result of having to lug whacking great drums about for nearly 8 hours. (aww).
After the previous day's violence, the demo against the stock exchange was a welcome relief if only because we didn?t have to spend all day running about with loads of instruments trying not to get battered. After dancing in the fountains and enjoying the sunshine, we waited for the arrested people to be released in front of the courts, before sloping off for a well earned cup of tea.
Much of the reason that the attitudes of the police changed was due to a massive public and poltical outcry over the harshness of the riot police, who later admitted to the use of undercover antagonists over the weekend. Currently the numerous groups involved are compiling a list of police provoked incidents and injuries which they are taking to parliament for a formal inquest next week.
See www.indymedia.org for further info and photos.
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