Ungdomshuset updates from Copenhagen (English translation from Modkraft.dk)
6th October 2006 - G-Day
Live news coverage of today (in english) can currently be found
here
23rd April
Press reveals police eviction lies (taken from ungdomshuset.dk, slightly edited for readability)
On March 1st police officials told the press that the eviction of Ungdomshuset was peaceful and lasted no more than five minutes. On Sunday a major Danish newspaper told the stories of four people that were in the house during the eviction that took over 50 minutes and lead to several activists being injured.
We have of course been aware of all this for quite some time but haven’t written anything on the website because we did not wish to influence any of the legal cases. What we write now is only what was written by the press this Sunday.
For a long time the police have convinced the entire established Danish press that the eviction was over and done with in five minutes and that it was peaceful. Several people had blows to body and head by batons, many bleeding heavily and one sent to the trauma centre of the national hospital with a severe concussion. He explains that he can not remember anything from the time police entered the room he was in until he woke up in a hospital bed with blood all around. Hospital reports confirm that he was unconscious and given a drug 100 times stronger than morphine to reduce pains.
On eviction day the police told the press that one person was rushed to the hospital "because he could not handle the gas", not mentioning severe head trauma at all.
When attacking the house the police used massive amounts of CS teargas as part of their strategy "not realising" that high concentrations of this gas can lead to permanent lung damage. When people were arrested and handcuffed in the house the police removed their gas masks while they were still in heavily gas filled rooms. Though not everybody had gas masks the police have used them as an argument to use as much as possible.
The police have now stated that they want an investigation of the eviction, probably because they know that such an investigation has never in Danish history had influence on the police force. Nobody has ever been fired after an investigation and nothing has been changed (for the better) in the way they act.
April 20th
Stevnsgade school clearedOn Monday (April 15th) the police cleared Stevnsgade school, which was shortly occupied by a couple of hundred activists. The clearing was calm and quiet, but about 40 people were arrested. After a few hours occupation the police cleared the streets around Stevnsgade school at 21:30, a few hours before they emptied the house. Most of the people choose to sit on the roof and were picked down one by one and arrested. At the same time about a hundred sympathizers were on the streets shouting slogans for Ungdomshuset.
At around 23:30 the police pressed the people watching further away, but it did not seem like there was an overall plan for the police action. The police pushed the viewers away from the quite street of Stevnsgade and out to the busy road of Jagtvej. When about 50 people moved towards "ground 69" the police blocked all of Jagtvej and demanded that everyone turn around - even random people who had nothing to do with the protest. One person was arrested under mysterious cicumstances, without any warning the man was arrested and handcuffed. Modkraft.dk asked what the reason for the arrest was, but he didn't know, and the police wouldn't tell. Witnesses who were walking with the man when he got arrested were shocked over the incident.
The occupation of Stevnsgade school was the latest in a number of actions for Ungdomshuset. In a press announcement after the clearing, the Press group for Ungdomshuset declared that the occupations would continue.
Stevnsgade school occupied
A couple of hundred activists have occupied Stevnsgade school at Nørrebro. The propery has been declared a new Ungdomshus by the former ungdomshus activits from jagtvej 69 and they have barricaded the entrances. The police have been there to check it out but have not done anything. In an SMS the occupiers are encouraging people to come to the area. According to sources present it is activits from the "monday meetings" who are behind the occupation. These are former users of ungdomshuset who have continued their monday meetings at other places. They are now tired of not having their own house and have therefore occupied the former school at Nørrebro.
The occupiers have started to barricade the entrances, and there is no sign that the occupation is symbolic, which has been the case in a number of occupations in and around Copenhagen lately. Some of the occupiers are also masked.
Before the clearing of Ungdomshuset on March 1st the school was a potential alternative for a new ungdomshus. "The social democrats have taken a 'thinking break' and nothing has happened. So we have to take things in our hands. Cos there has to be an ungdomshus in Copenhagen. We think so, and the majority in copenhagen think so too. So we can't wait forever for the politicans. The house is empty" says Jan from the Press group from Ungdomshuset.
According to the activists, it is now up to Ritt Bjerregaard (the mayor) whether the house should be cleared or not, since it is a council owned building. "We think she should view this as a way forward and enter into a dialog" writes the occupiers.
Thursday Demo
The "thursday demo" today for Ungdomshuset only moved 100 meteres in a carpark at the corner of Blågårsgade and Åboulevard at Nørrebro. There were 500-600 protester present. After an hour of music, dancing and graffit'ing in the carpark the party finished when several police vans arrived. The demo then walked on to Skt. Hans Torv, where there was a short confrontation with the police when they blocked the entrance to the square. A larger group of people forced their way through the police, and the police chose to let them party on at the square. Around quarter to eight the police dissolved the party and a couple of people were arrested.
Thursday 29th March
Four weeks after the clearing of Ungdomshuset in Copenhagen there was again a demo from Blaagaards Plads.
Up to 500 people participated. Also the next couple of days there will be activities for a self-controlled
ungdomshuse and freespaces in Copenhagen.
Up to 500 people moved through the streets of Copenhagen Thursday 29th march in protest against the clearing
of Ungdomshuset at Jagtvej 69 four weeks ago. With a banner "Free spaces everywhere" in the front the demo
went from Blaagaards Plads at Norrebro to Raadhuspladsen to the rythmes of reagge and hip hop.
The demo was closely watched by the police, like all the other demos for Ungdomshuset, and there were police
in all the side streets. Everything was calm.
Only at Raadhuspladsen was there any agitation, when several hundred protesters moved towards the
entrance of the city hall on request from the loudspeaker van.
The police came in nervously in front of the city hall, and worked as a shield between those in power in
the city hall and the unsatisfied youth, who flock to the street now Ungdomshuset is gone.
The police in front of the city hall had to listen to several slogans about Denmark becoming a police state,
and slogans such as "Ritt - you lice, you owe us a house".
A couple of hours before the demo started, a two day long workshop and festival started in Folkets Hus in
Stengade, Norrebro. Behind the festival is Pink Block, who promises workshops in barricade building,
ninja-climbing and media work. There will be film screenings and live music. The pink arrangment continues
Friday 15:00 in Folkets Hus and Park.
Thursday evening there is a meeting with Blod Front (Soft front), who have already been on the street with
several stuffed toys. There will be three things at the meeting: non-violent confrotational
protest movement, art and party. The meeting takes place in Nyt Forum in Pusher street 1, 1.tv, Christiania.
Activities during the coming days
The next days in Copenhagen will have several ungdomshus activities.
Friday 30th March there will be a cycling demo. It is a critical mass which is moving out into town at
17:00 from Blaagaards Plads. The demands are "Out in the road cyclists - car free city is nicest",
"Build for people, not for cars" and "Ungdomshus now".
Saturday 31st march there will be a large demo in defence of Christiania and for a new ungdomshus. The demo
is marking the four day anniversary for the police presence at Christiania. The demo starts at 14:00 from Carl
Madsens Plads in Christiania. Busses have been arranged to come from Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense for the demo.
The demo is being followed with a party for more free spaces in Graa Hal at Christiania. It is the Iniative for more Ungdomshuse who are arranging it and Firehouse and Guddommelig Galskab will be playing. After that there will be juggling, open mike, Palestine Support Bar and lots more!
Sunday, the Ungdomshuset activites are moving to Vesterbro. In Store Vega there is an arrangment with the
title "Refleksion 69". There will be film and music to support the diversity of culture in Copenhagen.
Helle Hansens film "BZ" and Eisensteins classic, a revolution film, "Panserkrydseren Potemkin" from 1925
will be among the films being showed. Music from Mani Spinx and Revoltage among others. The profit goes
to Ungdomshuset legal group.
"Refleksion 69" starts at 20:00 and the cover is 50 DK.
Ungdomshus-support from holy town
Backpackers sends solidarity greetings to ungdomshuset, while they spread the word of revolution in India.
"Greetings and massive support from the holy city of Varanasi".
This is the start of a support greeting from a bunch of western tourists who are travelling around in India
with the aim of spreading information about Ungdomshuset, G8 and "the struggle in general".
Activists from "Internationally known Anti-capitalists" (IKAC) are surprised about the number of Indians
who already know about Ungdomshuset's struggle to find a free space, and have therefore decided to travel to
more remote places to gather support for what they call "guerilla squatting of the world".
According to IKAC the struggle in Copenhagen and India will lead to even more resistance against the G8
meeting in Germany this summer.
Wednesday 28th March
Parties, birthstrike and fake Faderhuset-propoganda
In Mariobo, opponents to the right-wing christian sect Faderhuset have handed out fake racist flyers signed by Faderhuset. The text on the flyer describes homosexuals, muslims and jews as "underpeople" who are obsessed by the devil, writes Lolland-Falsters Folketidene.
Also rock musicians, socialists, punkers and people advocating organic food are also, according the flyer, Satan's creation, and Faderhuset offers guidance in crucifiction of homosexuals and burning of the jews.
Carl Anker Mortensen, who is director for the hotel Bandholm owned by Faderhuset takes strong distance from the flyers, and calls it "cowardly".
He now wants to find out if the flyers are illegal, and according to police officer Bon von Wurden from Nakskov, the flyers are illegal with reference to the racism law.
Other places in the country there are more actions for Ungdomshuset, in milder forms than in Mariobo.
Grief and party
According to a user of Modkraft.dk, two 12 year old boys in Skødstrup - a small town north of Århus - have last week printed texts about Ungdomshuset and put them up all over town, in grief over Ungdomshuset, where one of them had been to a concert.
In Odense, the demos are a bit noiser when the action group Odense Support invites people to street party at Fisketorvet. There will be juggling, DJ's and wonderful colours when they take on the city. According to the people arranging it there will be "an experience and a party of dimensions", with graffiti artists, DJ's, football, juggling and joy.
Odense support consists of 70 odenseanere, who are all enganged in the struggle for more free spaces, and the group have already marked their dissatisfaction with the clearing of Jagtvej 69.
"The should be free spaces, everywhere, both at Nørrebro, in Odense and at the northpole, for that sake. Where there is people, there should be free spaces. The right to decide for yourself is so fundamental, that it can't be that in 2007 we are still trying oppress and make people similar", says Marco Nielsen from the group in a press release. The group also says that they are not giving up until they have free spaces that will benefit the young and society in general. "There should be space for an active culturelife, that everyone will enjoy", says Marco Nielsen.
reflection and ninja-climbing
Next weekend "pink block" are hosting a two day long "resistance festival" at Folkets Hus at Nørrebro. The aim is give inspiration for struggle with workshops about barricade building, ninja-climibing and media work. 1st April there will be a more established place that will host the festival.
At the venue Vega there is film, concert and soup kitchen under the heading "Refleksion 69". It is Natfilm, Manden med Kameraet/Musik and Film Live who are arranging it.
"It is a shame that there is apparently only place for the different if it is being represented through established culture institutions or approved at the city hall", writes the people arranging it in a press release, where they also condem violence and property damage as a way of expressing themselves.
The profit goes to Ungdomshuset's legal group.
Two days later there will be an ungdomshus festival at Raadhuspladsen in Copenhagen, where among others "artists for ungdomshuset" will perform, and the 10th April "Ungdomsklubben" invites you to party at Stengade 30.
Further out in the future, former ungdomshus activists who are now organised in a "Grey Block", choose nostaligia and symbolicism when theyhost an old-school punk concert at Christiania 18th May.
"We declare birthstrike"
A number of gender orientated groups are recommending a "birthstrike", opening the question as to whether there is a future at all.
"We declare birthstrike. We, no matter what role in the production we play, are not producing any children before Ungdomshuset is back - anything else would be completely irresponsible", says Feminists for more free spaces, KRAN, Enhedslistens Queerudvalg, Gyns loge, Iniativet for more Ungdomshuse and Queer Jihad, in a press release.
"We don't dare to produce families when there is no visible culture that challenge the idea aboaut a nuclear family and career as the highest goal. We are afraid of the totality of similarity that is threatning to surround us and crawl into our own expectation of ourselves", the activists writes, who are encouraging pregant women to wear a sign on their back saying "strikebreaker".
Sunday 25rd March
A Warm weekend for Ungdomshuset
The warm spring weekend brought a rebellious children's birthday party, a suprising
interview with the little mermaid and an attack on the danish consulate in
Germany.
There is no lack of fantasy when it comes to solidarity actions in
connections with the clearing of Ungdomshuset.
Sunday 25th March there was a surprising interview with the little mermaid
at Langelinie in Copenhagen. She was wearing a ungdomhuset t-shirt and a
solidariy sign, and expressed her support for diversity and a new
ungdomhus in Copenhagen,
"Someone needs to keep the culture going when us elders are rusting away. The
worst that can happen is that the politicians are learning to see further than
their own nose. As old Anderesen (H.C. Andersen) always said, there should
also be space for the ugly duckling".
The happening was done by the action group "Husets Børn" (children of the house)
- and this wasn't the only children's group on the street this weekend.
Wishlist: a new playhouse
On saturday there was an invitation to the "spolied brats' birthday party" infront of
Palads in inner Copenhagen.
A couple of hundred parents, children and other people showed up during the
happening, and there were balloons, cakes, flags and everything else that
belongs at a child's birthday party.
There was only one thing on the wishlist: a new playhouse.
"When ungdomshuset got cleared, there was a lot of people who thought that the
angry people on the street were some spoiled brats. But how can you call them
spoiled when they themselves did everything for the house without
pay, such as cleaning, arraning gigs, etc? Brats - yeah maybe, but not spoiled",
said one of the arrangers.
ON their flyer the activists expanded on their wish for a new house,
"We still want a place where we can decide and do things our way. A place where
we can come up with new games and play with each other, when no one else wants
to; where we can wear what we want, and where everyone is welcome if they
want to play: paint the walls - play Make food out of it - play loud and weird
music - play Kiss someone of your own gender - play Ask-Jørgen game - play
Create your own game".
The activists have other activities planned.
"PS: we will soon have a treasure hunt where we are going to find our own
playhouse. You can bring your friends".
69 arrested in Bremen
On Sunday night there was a completely different kind of party in the
north German town of Bremen. A very symbolic number of people were arrested
during an attack of the Danish consulate.
About 80 people walked into the consulate where a declaration of solidarity
was read aloud. After that the demo attacked the consulate with spray cans,
and paint bombs. The demonstration marched on, until the police stepped in and arrested 69
activists.
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday 21st March, a smaller group of Ungdomshuset's
friends gathered infront of the Danish embassy in South Korea's capital
Seoul. They had signs in english and korean which protested against the
clearing of the house. One of the posters said, "The Danish government
better stop attacking Ungdomhuset". The police first demanded a permission
from the activists, who had brought guitars and drums, and who were exercising their
right to play music without permission.
The police let them play for four hours in front of the embassy, and it ended
with the embassy allowing a small delegation inside to hand over a protest
to the Danish foreign minister.
More at indymedia.dk
http://www.indymedia.dk/article/1050
Friday 23rd March
The 'provinces' are protesting
The Danish 'provinces' are still seeing actions in support of Ungdomhuset. Exactly three weeks after the clearing of Ungdomshuset a group in Odense did an action for more ungdomshuse.
"Even though the post number is different than at Norrebro, Jagtvej 69 is also in Odense. There is an empty ground here with 16 white crosses. They are there to remind us of Ungdomshuset, but at the same remind us that the battle for free spaces will not end". This was from the action group Odense Support who, on the three week anniversary of the clearing of the house, took an empty ground at another Jagtvej, in Hunderupkvarteret in Odense.
Here they put 16 white crosses as a symbolic action. If there is something symbolic about this number, it does not say in the press release, but it is there to emphasise the sad fact that "Denmark in 2007 doesn't have any room for free spaces".
"Police, politicians and religious fanatics have torn our house down. We are crying, but in our tear filled eyes there is also hope. Ungdomshuset is so much more than bricks. It is culture, democracy, and the freedom to take responsibility. They can't kill that", says Trine Jorgensen in a press release.
According to Trine Jorgensen Ungdomshuset wasn't just a house in copenhagen, "but actually something that meant a lot to many people in Denmark and in the rest of the world".
And if it is up to Trine Jorgensen and Odense Support, the actions will continue for a long time:
"We will continue to protest, until we get what we want. We demand user controlled culture houses all places, also in Odense".
Demonstration in Copenhagen
This three week mark also brought demos to Copenhagen, but with the passing weeks, the energy among the activists seem to dwindle. In today's demo from Blaagaardsplads in Norrebro, a lot fewer people turned up than at the previous demos. About 400 to 500 people showed up and walked to Vester prison to show their sympathy for the people who are still in custody after the riots.
In cyberspace, another space was taken when the Ungdomshuset tent at Raadhuspladsen presented their new website. "Ungeren at Raadhuspladsen" is a tent, that has been outside Raadhuset since March 6th.
The activists there are behind the fundraising campaign for the innocent victims of the riots, and on their homepage they emphasise strongly that they don't want to "distance themselves from their friends" (who took part in the riots), but just show understanding and compassion with those people, who unfortunately ended up in the middle of the conflict.
Ungeren at Raadhuspladsen were also behind the event on March 20th, where the police spokesperson Flemming Steen Munch was handed "The golden knippel" by the actor Anne Marie Helger.
Ungeren at Raadhuspladsen:
http://www.123hjemmeside.dk/ungerenlever/7760301
Ringkobing activists demand free spaces
Ungdomshuset activists in Ringkobing blocked the main street with banners and balloons and demanded free spaces for all the young. In Germany, football fans were protesting the clearing of Ungdomshuset.
In the west-danish city of Ringkobing, Ungdomshuset sympathizers have on several occasions protested the clearing of Ungdomshuset. On Wednesday 21st March a large number of ballons with "69" written on them were put up in the city's streetlights, writes Ringkobing Amts Dagblad. At a scaffolding in the main street a banner was put up with text supporting Ungdomshuset, and a demand for free spaces for all the young.
Earlier, the activist had written an email to the local newspaper promising more actions for Ungdomshuset and for similar houses. Earlier, a large flag was put up on the towns radio antenna with the text "69". According to the local newspaper, it is still there.
In Germany, fans from the anti-fascist football club St.Pauli from Hamborg have brought the Ungdomshuset struggle into the football stadium. During several football matches around Germany they have brought large banners where they express protest over the clearing of Ungdomshuset and solidarity with the imprisoned activists. One of the banners read: "There is something wrong in the state of Denmark. Freedom to the Ungdomshuset activists". Another banner was in Danish and read: "Freedom to the arrested from Ungdomshuset".
Wednesday 21st March
There are still international actions several weeks after the clearing, showing how much Ungdomshuset meant around the world
Friday March 16th the "Canadian Friends of Ungdomshuset" delivered a letter to the Danish ambassador for Canada. The letter was a walk through of the whole political process leading up to the eviction on March 1st. The letter was in three languages - English, French and Danish to make sure they understood. Unfortunately the ambassador was not present at the consulate in Toronto but an employee promised to pass letter on immediately and that he would personally speak with the ambassador. The activists are still awaiting a reply. Beside from the missing ambassador the action was carried through as planned and the people working at the consulate was very nice.
Tuesday 20th march, young activists raised a banner on the fence in front of the Danish embassy in Reykjavik, writes an anonymous source. There is no further information about this action.
The international attention is also in forms of all the information that is distributed via the internet. At modkraft.dk a large number of foreign readers are still following what is happening, thanks for the continous translations of the news.
Norwegians in trouble
A number of foreigners have a personal interest in following what is happening. A lot of them were present during the clearing of the house, and the way they were treated by police has recieved international attention.
Among the choked guests were among other, Villjar, Haavaard, Mia and Bjorn, from Trondheim in Norway, who chose to tell their story to the local newspaper.
The four activists had gone to Copenhagen with a larger group of Norwegians and were staying at one of the places that got raided by the police. Without warning they were all arrested and driven to the police station.
A couple of hours later they were photographed, searched and their fingerprints were taken. Then they had to wait 15 to 20 hours in detention.
"After we were imprisoned we recieved a sheet with the four rights that we had as charged prisoners. The first thing they did was to deny us those rights" , says Bjorn to Adresseavisen. None of them were told what they were being charged with, only something about having encouraged riots. "That we hadn't even been in the country at that time, didn't matter to them", says Bjorn.
Arrested on the bus
In the middle of the night they were released one after one from Taarnby police station, but their experiences with Danish police did not stop there.
"It got worse in the next two days. We were stopped at each street corner. We were searched and photographed. They wrote our description down and asked us what we were doing", says Bjorn.
After having participated in the peaceful demo after the clearing, the four Norwegians went home again. But on a bus on their way to Kastrup, where their car was parked, things started to happen again.
"Two stops after we got on the bus, the bus was blocked by police cars and vans with dogs. We were escorted out of the bus and arrested again. I was told that I had been charged with breaking the weapons law, but that charge would be dropped if they didn't find any weapons on me", says Bjorn.
The four Norwegians are now wondering what is happening with the charges and on what lists they have got on, without having done anything actually illegal.
International news
A Czech Republic activist has been translating news about Ungdomshuset to several Czech homepages. At the Czech czechtek-blog homepage there has been news about Undomshuset. The Czechian has also provided the independent internet newspaper Britske listy with news.
Also in england there is a special site about Ungdomshuset with continous news about what is happening in Copenhagen, and at YouTube there are about 50 videoclips from the clearing and the following riots.
Collection of You-Tube videos:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=riot+ungdomshuset+copenhagen
The Czech blog: http://czechtek.bloguje.cz/tema-20-squatting.php
The English site: http://www.network23.org.uk/
Modkraft features a number of long eyewitness accounts (nine at present) from last week, which largely focus on unreasonable police practices and police brutality. We can't translate them all but thought they're important enough for us to try and translate what we can.
Eye witness account from 2nd March
Friday 2nd of march I took part in a demo for Ungdomshuset. I knew there would be battles with the police and I
had arranged with a friend who lived near to Skt. Hans Torv that I would come by his place if things got too bad.
When the announced demo finished and the music stopped, most people were still at the Skt Hans Torv. The police
helicopter hovered over the square, and it was so noisey one could hardly talk to each other. Shortly after the police
sirens started and the police blocked Elmegade and Faelledvej, and told us to leave the area.
We started calm and quietly to walk towards Skt. Hans Gade to get away and get up to my friend who lives in Ravnsborggade.
We hadn't even got halfway (1-2 minutes after they started the sirens), when the police fired large amounts of gas into
the crowd. I later found out that they had warned us, but that we couldn't hear it because of the helicopter and the sirens.
There was panic in the group and people started to run away from the area. The only way to get out was through Skt. Hans Gade
if we were to get away from the gas.
But when I came around the corner, the police had blocked the street with two police vans and around 20 to 30 riot police
with raised batons. The first police i met did not have a gas mask on and looked as frightened as I think we were.
They wouldn't let us past and started yelling at us to get away. I was furious, because it was the only way out,
and I shouted at them that there is gas and we HAVE to go that way. He says there is no gas and that we should just get away.
Behind the other van, his collegeages are putting on their gas masks and I shout that there is gas and the other police
put their masks on. They still tell us to go the other way. I don't want to get arrested or get into a fight with them so I
cover my nose and mouth and run as fast as I can through the gas and down Blegdamsvej. I get all the way down to
Laessoesgade before I am away from the gas, and it doens't feel like I am about the get choked anymore.
I sit down on the pavement. My eyes, nose, mouth, throat and lungs are burning and it is impossible for me to get away.
In the back the fighting has started. I sat there for about ten minutes and then walked over to my friends place.
We talk for a few hours and drink some beer and talk about what happened. Everyone is very pissed off since they don't
think they got any warning before the gas was thrown.
Around 3am I decided to walk home. I walked down Guldbergsgade and Fensmarkgade and reached Jagtvejen by the post office.
At my right there were a lot of police and vans. They block all of Jagtvej and the entrance to Dagmarsgade, which was
my planned route. It was clear down to Runddelen, where there was also a lot of police. This is the only way i can walk to
get home. There is no other way, and there are no protesters around.
I kept away from the police, walking on the other side of the street since i don't want to get into trouble.
I am still furious about what happened during the evening and at Runddelen I shout at the police, still from the other
side of the road, "You have a choice. It is not your battle". The police at the blockade don't react and I keep walking.
In the area beteen 7-Eleven and Quickly there are four police officers, and when they see that the other police hadn't
stopped me, they run over to me.
I put my hands above my head to signalise that I don't want any trouble. They grab me and push me down on the street and
tell my to take my hands down. I tell them I am just on my way home, that I live in Stefansgade and I have a right to
express myself. They say I don't have a right to do anything but to shut up and do what they say. Three of the officers
cover my view to the street so no one can see me if they walk past and the fourth police officer throws me into the wall.
He shouts and screams at me, very aggressively, and tells me to do what he says. He tells me to empty my pockets,
and tell them my name, social security number and address, which I do without hesitation. There is no doubt that he is
just looking for an excuse to hit me so I do what I am told.
In my inner pocket I have a spay can that I used to make a
banner. This has already been registered by the police, and I inform them of this. The police man is apperently not
interested in hearing what I have to say and just shout that I am a graffiti-pig that destroys the town.
I try again to explain why I have it, and that it has already been registered by the police. When they have emptyed
my pockets, I remember my phone is in side pocket, and I take it up.
This makes the police man even more furious and he shouts several times that I should just do what I have been told.
Now he wants to check my pockets and ask very rudely if I have any needles in my pockets. I get angry and tell him
"What do you think? Do I look like a junkie?" That comment makes him headbutt me four times with his helmet.
And he shouts again that I should do what the police says and that he has just arrived today and has not been out fighting.
It is understood that if I don't do what he says I will get beaten up.
I tell him I don't have anything in my pocekts and he starts to look through them in a very rough way. He doesn't find
anything and is apperently very unsatisifed with this. One of the other three officers have in the mean time checked
my details and say that they don't have anything on me.
The fact that he might have to let me go annoyed him so much that he is now fighting an internal struggle with himself
to come up with something. He thinks for about a minute and then tells me to drop my trousers. I ask him what he is on about
and that I am not about to drop my trousers. The officer that took my information looks at me and it is obvious that he
thinks this situation is about to get embarrassing. He turns around so he doesn't have to witness what is happening.
The first officer shouts at me that I should do what the police says and drop my pants. When I refuse, he tries to pull
my pants down. He doens't manage because of my belt and this annoys him so much that he pulls even harder and my trousers
and underwear come down. I grab my underwear and pull it back up again and ask what the fuck he is doing.
He shouts at me to shut up and do what the police says. He let me stand there for a few minutes before he tells me to
gather my things and get out of there.
In the meantime I am so angry at him that I start shouting at him.
What kind of way is that to act? Who is going to pay for my trousers? That I wanted his police number and name and that I
wanted my spray can back. I was so angry that i didn't care whether I would get arrested or get beaten up. He refused
to give me his name and number. He refused to give me a receipt for the spray can or for having ruined my trousers.
He says the only thing I get is a fine for disturbance or whatever it is called.
When i have gathered my things, he shouts at me to get away and pushes me out into the street. I was successful in getting
home without meeting any more policemen. When the fine arrives, I will complain and take it to court, even though I
already know what the result will be.
- Kasper Fischer 35 years old, furniture carpenter
News from Wednesday 20th March