Migration

05.06.2007

• 13:30:
  Rostock: Towards the end of yesterday's migration demo, some Clowns were making fun of cops using, among other things, water pistols. At one point, a cop 'confiscated' a water pistol, and his carrying it was a nice pose for mainstream photographers. Later on, Spiegel published a story that 8 cops were affected by chemicals used by the clowns. They later edited the story on their website to say police are accusing the clowns of that.
  
  

04.06.2007

• 18:35:
  Despite police provocations, thousands of protesters have arrived at the final rally point of the demo, the city harbour. Music is playing, the mood is high and participants apparently did not let the long stopping of the march bring their hopes down.
  
  
• 18:15:
  Rostock: About a thousand of the demonstrators spontaneously marched down to the harbour, accompanied by a sound system and lots of riot police. At the harbour, they are being joined by many more activists.
  
  
• 17:10:
  The organisers have called the demonstration off because it was simply not possible to go on. They found the change of route proposed by police unacceptable. Cops is standing very close all around the demo; at front and back there are water cannons. The organisers have also announced that they want to try and continue the closing rally at the city harbour as planned, but police have announced that it won't tolerate any spontaneous protests.
  
  
• 16:00:
  Rostock: The march has reached Park Str. and the police are now saying that it can't go through the inner city because the number of protesters has exceeded the "2000 limit". The police figure is 8,500, although people on the march say it's probably less. Riot police are arriving.
  
  
• 15:00:
  Rostock: After hard negotiations with the police, the demo has finally started to move towards the harbour, but 'escorted' by lines of police on either side. Some 50 meters later, however, it was stopped again. Approximately 5,000 are on the March. A small spontaneous demo, with some 200-300 participants, has also started and is marching down Wismarsche Str. towards the main march.
  
  
• 14:15:
  Rostock: Police have just announced that the rally and march can carry on as long as people don't cover their faces and carry 'weapons'. The mood is positive and colourful, with a Samba band and clowns dominating the picture.
  
  
• 13:50:
  Rostock: The organisers of the "Global Freedom of Movement and Equal Rights" demonstration have just announced over the sound system that police have declared the rally and march as illegal because there are some "500 potentially violent protesters" and that they will not allow it to continue. Organisers, however, are not accepting this and are trying to negotiate. Music is still playing.
  
  
• 13:10:
  The rally has just started, although the international speakers are still being 'processed' by police.
  
  
• 12:30:
  Rostock: Between 2000 and 3000 people are waiting at the Fluchtelingslager. Police have just arrived and started checking everyone, including the speakers from Africa. The organisers are waiting for that to finish to start their rally.
  
  
• 11:30:
  Rostock: People coming from Reddelich going to the migration rally got off at the Thiefelder train station to find a lot of riot police waiting for them. They were put back on the train again to be sent back, then let go a while later and are now heading to the main Migration Rally.
  
  
• 11:30:
  On their way back from the Sonnenblumen House demo, protesters were attacked by cops again. Police pushed people onto the train and then hit some of them while they were all inside.
  
  
• 10:45:
  The Sonnenblumen House protest seems to be over now. People are heading to the station, slightly pushed by police.
  
  
• 10:35:
  Sonnenblumenhaus: A protester from Cameron has been seriously injured by cops (probably broken nose). He apparently happened to be standing in the middle of the Black Bloc, so cops charged in and snatched him violently. An ambulance has just arrived and he's been taken to hospital.
  
  
• 10:00:
  Rostock: Riot police started to charge into the protest at the Sonnenblumen House and snatch certain people after filming and observing them for a while. 3 Arrests have been reported so far but the legal observers were pushed away and not allowed to get their details. Police are reportedly being very aggressive for no apparent reason.
  
  
• 09:50:
  Rostock: About 1,500 have already gathered at the Sonnenblumen House in Lichtenhaben to remember the 1992 Nazis attack on the refugee 'reception centre' and a hostel for Vietnamese workers. More people are expected to arrive. Speeches started a while ago and the atmosphere seems to be relaxed.
  
  
• 09:00:
  Rostock: Some 2,000 had gathered at the Immigration Department in Werftstraße (where refugees and migrants are dealt with) since 8am. The atmosphere was nice, with a Samba band and street theatre, who performed, among other things, a show called “Germany looks for the super German”. The Department was closed, allegedly for a "sudden software breakdown". People are now heading to the Sonnenblumen House in Lichtenhaben, where a remembrance called “3 Days in August” of the 1992 neo-Nazis attack on the refugee 'reception centre' and a hostel for Vietnamese workers will be held.