About the search of the convergence center

On 7th Feb. ca. 11 p.m. the convergence center was stormed by strong police-forces. A few hundered of the notorious Bavarian special task force (USK) violently forced their way into our rooms with the help of civil-police officers. Obviously this action was planned long before. More than 40 police busses were parked in a way that we couldn't see them. The policemen came into our rooms running, paved their way through the present visitors of the center with beats, kicks and blows. USK officers wore overall-armor and were armed with bolt cutters, prybars and other incursion-equipment with long and heavy steal torches, Tonfa-batons and sharp rifles. They began immediately to take fotos and make films of those present. Being asked for the reason of the storming there was no answer not from the USK officers and not from the leading police officers who came later. They only told us, that it was a raid and that we should expect "heavy handling" in case of the slightest resistance - that meens with even more brutal violence. When all rooms were under the control of the police, we weren't allowed to move freely in there or to leave them. As they didn't allow to go to the bathrooms the forced the people in the back to pee in a basin while the police was observing. In every room those present were filmed non-stop often from various directions. The lawyer we contacted, was told that they could not state a motive for the hold-up. Informed press-people were hindered to enter the convergence center. After more than 1 hour collective captivity we were told, that we all would be forced to a socalled identity-check, that meens, being alone completely at the mercy of the beating task force and without protection. A part of those present accepted the police-order just to get out of this unbearable state of captivity in the convergence center. Others decided to ignore the police-order. Those who insisted on leaving the rooms together with their comrades were separated and took away under excessive violence by the police. Many of us were injured by beating, kicks, hand/arm-lever and strangling ect. as soon as they were alone with the policemen. Furthermore some of us were threatened and advised to not show up on the demonstration on Saturday, cause if we would, we would get hit even more than today. Some of us were arrested, the undertaking of the police, it would only be personality-controls was a lie, which wa to expect.

What happened we understand as a brutal provocation by the police and the attempt to criminalize the whole molisization against the NATO security conference in advance. The rooms of a non-profit institution are stormed by a special task force without any legal basis, those present are maltreated, kept for a while and contolled or even arrested.

We will not let the police intimidate us. We will keep the rooms of the convergence center open to the public and this way we will contribute to the resistance against the NATO security conference!

We demand immediate release of those who were arrested in the convergence center!

We oppose the police-terror with our solidarity! For a decisive resistance against the NATO security conference!

7/8.2.2003 For the Convergence Center Crew

Homepage:  http://no-nato.de