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Uit: Daily Amsterdamned #3 d.d. 17 juni 1997
[speciale gratis dagkrant vanwege de Eurotop]

NIEUWS

EUROPHILE'S EURO-FILE 

Monday June 16 1997

Amsterdam is best for bikers; especially during these hectic days. Why, even Prime-Minister Wim Kok reportedly cycled his way to the Euro-top, in the heavily guarded Dutch Central Bank Building. Motorcades and multiple road-blocks make unimpeded access to the inner-city by car, practically impossible. True Amsterdammers would probably prefer to be way up in places like Schoorl anyway, these days, just like Picasso did in the summer of 1905.

Most inner-city traffic is no longer by goat-wagon or by boat through the canals. But other age-old customs are held in high esteem. Kurdish belles, dancing in Arcadian fashion, protest possibly impending Turkish membership of the European Union. They are hastily directed through the Brouwersgracht, so Chirac, Kohl and Blair, lunching in Her Majesty's royal company in the palace on Damsquare missed this show of opposition against their staunch article 4 Nato-partners back in Ankara.

Jacob van Campen's (famed Dutch Golden Age architect) neo-classical palazzo meanwhile was turned into a fortified bunker, with presumably more security than ever witnessed at Fort Knox and certainly more than was in stock for Hillary Rodham Clinton's visit. She drew only friendly crowds in the Dutch capital whereas wherever Chirac, Kohl and Arnaz turn their path seems to be crossed by unfriendly mobs of modern-day Euro-vagants yelling texts not exactly out of the Carmina Burana. In these days of instant-media, every item's news value evaporates even before it is covered.

With the world's eyes all focused on the Euro Stability Pact I'm informed (at the also tightly guarded Press Village) about the alarming and presumably also unlawful 'preventive arrests' of reportedly over 300 so-called Euro-Chaoten (Chaotics) or Autonomen (The Autonomous) bend on disturbing the Amsterdam Euro-summit. Debatable legal arguments are flying wildly across the tables. But the police have made it clear the Autonomen cannot be processed within three days (i.e.:the duration of the summit). Their lawyer on the other hand wants a shortened procedure. The police are mocking the freedom of expression and the freedom of demonstration guaranteed under the Dutch Constitution, with these unlawful arrests, she argues.

Increasingly pressure mounts and nobody envies the police's nerve-racking task, as witnessed by the bluish appearance of Amsterdam. While the incessant helicopter patrols high up in the clear sky public sympathy of the tolerant Dutch is slowly shifting to the Autonomen.

Inside the Central Bank Building another battle of nerves rages. Will all Europeans be winners or will it just be a banker's Europe?  Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Hans van Mierlo and Wim Kok - both have gone the extra mile - finally appear in public. Tired but triumphant: no losers, only winners in the new social and monetary future which lies ahead.

Al Peterson   

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PLAY OUT YOUR CARDS!

Monday saw the first actions of the ASEED EU Activist

Gathering, starting off with a theatrical genetech action going to the US embassy and almost reaching it. Aim was to protest against the US trade policies that want geneticely modified products to be freely imported into Europe.

After that the activists went to the Amstelveld, a small square close to the Dutch National Bank to play out their cards, yellow ones for the environmental policies of the EU, red ones for the Nuclear policies. Shouting slogans in English, Italian and Spanish, the group set out to the restricted area around the Bank to present their cards to the politicians.

They did not seem to be interested and left it to police and journalists to react. The police did not allow them in and the activists did lots of shouting and noise at different entrances of the Bank area. More police arrived, lots of undercover cops hung around the group, acting a bit unconvincingly as activists. When the group tried to enter at Carre theatre police rushed in to stop them there, and riot police arrived with 6 busses, more of them on horses.

The activists were having a peaceful demonstration and decided to slowly retreat and finish the action. No arrests, lots of press, lots of police, no politicians to take their cards and responsabilities of course. They were probably to busy having dinner with Queen Beatrix at the Royal Palace.

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MASS ARRESTS IN AMSTERDAM

On Sundaynight a complete demonstration of about 350 persons was arrested immediately after leaving Cafe Vrankrijk in the Spuistraat. The demonstration was held in order to show solidarity with the people that had been arrested during Saturday and Sunday. On mondaynight another couple of hundred arrests were made during a demonstration that led along several hotels in the centre of the city. The demonstrators wanted to 'thank' the EU-leaders for their presence in Amsterdam.

There was absolutely no reason for these police actions; both demonstrations were peaceful and had only marched for a few yards. These mass-arrests therefore cannot be linked in any way to 'punishable offences'. That is why the authorities used Article 140 for most of the arrests: participation in a criminal organisation. For a few years now the authorities have tried to use this flexible law to criminalize fundamental political opposition. Several lawyers have reacted amazed that the authorities used the controversial law. The arrests at the hotels where made because the demonstrators, according to the police, violeted the emergency-laws.

The police rules the city, it's like a military state in Amsterdam now. Roadblocks everywhere, literally hundreds of policecars driving through the city, also still at 3 am. What madness is going on here? The police have certainly frightened some people. But the anger and frustrations over actions like these only seems to encourage and inspire more radical actions. Who knows what will happen the next few days?

Anyway, next Sunday 22nd June, a big demonstration is planned to protest against the Article 140-law and the absurd police violence during the Euro Summit. Hopefully there will be a lot less 'blue' on the streets of Amsterdam. Gather at 15.00 h at the Dam Square.

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MASS DEMONSTRATION OF KURDS

Approximately 10.000 Kurds demonstrated on monday afternoon to protest against Turkey joining the EU.

The march left from the Central Station walked over the Rozengracht and ended at Leidseplein, there were no incidents. Biggest group at the demonstration were members of the Free Women's Movement of Kurdistan (YAJK). The protesters called at all countries taking part of the European summit to boycot what they called the fascist state of Turkey. Since 14 mei  Turkey is occupying South- (Iraqian) Kurdistan. At a press conference of the national liberation front of Kurdistan (ERNK) in Brussels it was stated that these Turkish actions could not have been executed without approval and partial direct support of the USA and Europea. In the 14-year war between Turkey and PKK 30.000 citizens were already killed.

The peaceful demo was accompanied by their own security team and 'normal' police. The extravert protestors were carrying sevral Kurdistan-flags with them, were singing battle songs  and called out slogans against Turkey and in favour of PKK. While the powerful party marched around the canals several squats came out to show their solidarity in bad Kurdish. At Leidseplein the demo had a eventful ending with speeches and music.

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'Amsterdam, capital of deportation'  

On monday-afternoon, some hundreds of people on bikes, skeelers and rollerskates, armed with all kinds of noise-instruments, gathered at the Heinekenplein to take place in a demonstration towards the so-called borderhospice outside of the city. This is a kind of prison, where foreigners without papers are held under custody before being deported back to their own country. The slogan of this playful demonstration was 'from the excluders to the excluded', and therefore the idea was to pass near the big bankbuilding where the Eurobosses are gathering. The idea was good, but the military police of course didn't let the cycling crowd come near to the Eurotopbuilding. Allthough the organisation had emphasised on the peaceful caracter of the demonstration, it was constantly surrounded by an enormous amount of riotpolicevans and cops-on-horses.

Despite the overpowering police-attention the mood became very nice once the cyclers reached the peaceful suburbs of Amsterdam. Especially for people who try to join as many protests as possible these days, it was a nice reason to get away from the trafficmess which rules over Amsterdam at the moment.  

On the way to the borderhospice more and more people joined the demonstration, until there were about a thousand people. When they reached the huge walls of the borderhospice, a first attempt was made to destroy these walls with yells, drumbeating and waving to the prisoners. Others tried to dig a 'Eurotunnel to liberty'. Unfortunately Swampy wasn't there to help.  Some people had also build enormous catapultconstructions, to throw bunches of flowers and tennisballs with messages to the prisoners over the fences. Above the heads of the crowd flew colourful kites and banners hung on balloons. When the people took notice of the fact that they were being photographed by a group of notorious neo-nazis from the so-called ODIN-group, they immediately chased the fucking bastards from the premises. 

On the whole, the mood was nice. The people who organised this demo, the 'Autonoom Centrum', wich is a solidaritygroup for refugees and illegals, were quite satisfied. Only one arrest was made, but it still isn't clear if the arrested person was a provocater. The police claimed they recognised him from previous actions.