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news report
 Saturday November 16, 2002 16:26 by blasted
 Intimidation of Grassroots Journalists in Prague.
Indymedia is a world-wide grassroots media source, providing Internet news forums where people can publish their stories about events, demonstrations and protests they took part in. It is the policy of Indymedia to provide an open platform accessible to everyone. Indymedia has no secrets. On first sight, it is hardly understandable why a secret service should take interest in it. This comes into a different light when one looks at the treatment of grassroots media and especially Indymedia at previous anti-globalisation protests. A number of times, grassroots media was a prime target of police attacks. At the protest against the G8-meeting in Genova 2001, the Indymedia Center was raided by the police and Indymedia became victims of police brutality. The incident at the Prague Internet cafe is an attempt to intimidate grassroots media and to suppress free uncensored news coverage of the anti-NATO meeting in Prague. Stay tuned for more intimidation information! Prague Indymedia Collective |
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3Czechs Let US Control Security for NATO Summit
by Ian Traynor
The Czech president, Vaclav Havel, last night signed into law a bill handing responsibility for his country's security to the Pentagon during the two-day NATO summit next week, amid mounting fears of terrorist attack and street violence.
Prague police have arrested five Czechs, at least two of them teenagers, on suspicion of plotting sabotage during the first NATO meeting of its kind since George Bush came to power - and the first since the September 11 atrocities.
The first detachments of an estimated 250 US troops are expected in Prague today to play a central role in ensuring security during the summit, which will inevitably have its agenda hijacked by the preparations for war on Iraq.
The initial agenda concentrated on the "transformation" of NATO, in which up to seven new members from the former Soviet bloc would be admitted to the alliance.
US F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft will patrol the skies over the Czech Republic throughout the summit next Thursday and Friday.
The Americans are to deploy at least 10 fighter aircraft, using an air base 50 miles south of Prague. Under special legislation rushed through the Czech parliament, the US troops and aircraft will be under US command. But the Czech government, in the person of the defense minister, has to give the green light for any US use of force.
Mr Havel cut short a holiday in the Canary Islands, where he was recuperating from bronchitis, to sign the bill last night after it was endorsed by the Czech senate. The bill passed parliament's lower house by a large majority last week.
Thousands of anti-globalization protesters turned central Prague into a battlefield during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank summit in the city two years ago. The Czech authorities and the Americans appear determined to prevent a repeat performance now when tensions are greater because of the Middle East crisis and widespread warnings of imminent al-Qaida attacks in Europe.
The five arrested yesterday were Czechs, including two 19-year-olds from Ostrava, 200 miles east of Prague. A police spokeswoman described them as "extremists" and claimed they were plotting to disrupt power supplies in Prague and in the underground metro system during the summit.
The police have also been given powers to arrest any masked demonstrators who decline a request to show their faces.
An umbrella group of four anti-globalization organizations called "Anti-NATO" is preparing for protests against the summit delegates, who include 46 heads of state, almost 3,000 delegates and a 3,000-strong media entourage.
Police expect 12,000 people to protest on the streets; they will be matched by similar numbers of security services personnel.
A senior police official said he expected at least one in five protesters to be violent. Around 2,000 foreign protesters have been blacklisted and will be prevented from entering the country.
Wenceslas Square, the city center avenue where the great drama of 1989's velvet revolution was enacted, will be the central venue for the protests which are scheduled to start on Sunday.
on Food not bombs....
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=17384
on Irish attendance at Prague.. (irish times).
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=17097
Washington Post on NATO future:
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=16852
new terror EU legislation
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=16674
Znet on non-lethal weapons and gas.
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=16453
source of figures:
http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2002/Art/1023/news1.php
on strange use of non-lethal weapons and one of the key areas to be discussed (Russia, Kalingrad and future co-operation with Moscow)...
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=16106
on another key member Turkey:
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=17398
and if you think protesting is just a normal and neccesary part of the "democratic contract" and that expresion of opinion and freedom of association are enshrined rights then read and consider.
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=18043
or go "abroad" to "broaden" your mind...
consider
another Neutral countries advice on visiting Praha.
http://austria.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=17276&group=webcast
english version at the bottom scroll through the German.
* There are already situations where people have been stopped on
Polish-Czech
border. Border police gave "transit stamps" to the passports -
those with transit stamps must leave the Czech Republic in 2 days.
If you are in Wroclaw and need help and info -
call the
number +48 609 089 523 or go to the address
Kromera 6A.
PLEASE - if you successfully cross the border or you have been stopped
-
inform us about the details!!!!!
GOOD LUCK,
Grupa Wsparcia Granicznego
www.csaf.cz