Berlin far left threaten €1m of damage per police raid
by cominsitu
On Friday and Saturday nights, dozens of cars were destroyed and damaged in the capital by hooded attackers, none of whom were arrested.
A claim of responsibility posted online on Sunday seemed to confirm city interior senator Frank Henkel’s belief that “left-wing slobs” were behind the attacks, with the authors saying they would cause €1m of property damage for attacks on left-wing ‘projects’ in Berlin.
Police reported that between 20 and 40 masked people on bicycles had burned four high-value cars and damaged 24 others on Friday night around the Gleisdreieck park in the south-central Kreuzberg district.
Late on Saturday, a similar incident occurred, with witnesses reporting a crowd of between 50 and 100 masked perpetrators damaging around 20 cars.
More cars burned over the weekend in the Charlottenburg and Gesundbrunnen districts.
“We won’t leave the streets to this far-left mob,” Henkel said on Sunday, adding that the city’s internal security services – who are responsible for politically motivated crimes – were investigating.
Confrontation in ‘danger zone’
Henkel, who is responsible for city security policy, has become a particular target figure for far-left groups after declaring the Nordkiez area in eastern district Friedrichshain a “danger zone” in November.
Friedrichshain remains one of the last strongholds in Berlin of the squatter movement, with a number of buildings that have remained occupied since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification.
Occupied buildings in the district are seen as landmarks in the far-left and anarchist scene in the capital.
Left-wing activists’ confrontation with Henkel was sharpened in January with a massive raid of 500 police officers on an iconic squat at Rigaer Straße 94, after a police officer was beaten up outside while issuing a parking ticket.
Many left-wingers and mainstream politicians criticized the raid as disproportionate at the time and reminiscent of past incidents when squats have been completely cleared to make way for development.
Sunday’s claim of responsibility left no doubt about a link to the raid in Rigaer Straße.
“With the burning up of excessive luxury cars, the destruction of a surveillance camera and the smashing in of display windows, we refer to the call of autonomous groups on January 21st to cause €1 million of damage for any attack on projects in Berlin,” the unknown authors wrote on indymedia.
Left-wing demo mostly peaceful
Anger over the “danger zone” and continuous police pressure were also the basis for a demonstration on Saturday under the title “Rebellious Neighours, Neighbourhoods with Solidarity, City from Below”.
#Fotos: “Rebellische Strukturen Verteidigen”-Demo in #Berlin–#Friedrichshain https://t.co/v2dKsRZCVE #B0602 #Rigaerpic.twitter.com/0LxzQqHCc8
— Theo Schneider (@theo_schneider) February 6, 2016
Left-wing activists in Friedrichshain believe that the city is using police and security policy to clear them out in preparation for the area to be gentrified like other nearby districts.
“For people like Frank Henkel… the Nordkiez is an area which has to be totally pacified or a problem that has to be sorted out,” the organizers wrote.
“For those of us who live, reside and work here, the Nordkiez is above all one thing: a place of resistance with a long history and the most various ways of life based on collectivity and solidarity.”
The demo went ahead under heavy police guard, with dozens of police vehicles and around 1,200 officers flooding the streets of Friedrichshain.
While it was mostly peaceful, some bottles and rocks were thrown at police. Five police officers were injured and two people were arrested.
[…] Berlin, Germany: Autonomists and anarchists in Berlin’s Friedrichshain “Danger zone” neigh…Colombia, Bogota: riot in poor neighbourhood against heavily armed cops with armoured vehicles supposedly cracking down on drugs (video)U.S. (San Francisco): Vandalism in the lead-up and then small riots after the Super BowlNigeria, Ado Ekiti: students riot, smash property “Students of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, on Sunday night went berserk and destroyed property worth millions of naira over yet-to-be ascertained reasons. During the violent protest in the six-year-old university, the students …destroyed property…A police truck and several Hilux vans loaded with anti-riot policemen and men of the Nigerian Civil and Security Defence Corps, were stationed in the university campus with intention to quell any crisis that may resurge. The irate students, who smashed and overturned a Toyota Corolla car and Toyota Highlander …looted the sum of N10 million [£34,800] being the proceeds of sales kept in the Accountant’s office in one of the cafeterias….While the rampaging students also beat up some porters at the female and male hostels, they descended on the security at the gate and burnt eight motorcycles belonging to them. During the bedlam, several cars parked within the university at different locations were smashed, while virtually all the magnificent edifices on campus had their slide doors either removed or broken.” US, Denver: post Superbowl victory riot “Some superfans even tried to reenact Peyton’s pass plays by throwing debris at police. Others strived to create a more well-rounded riot atmosphere by busting out the window of a police patrol car and tipping over trash cans. Streets had to be closed off and pepper spray was used to shut down the impromptu party earlier than expected.”6/2/16France, Rennes: banks, insurance companies, estate agent and travel agents attacked in anti-airport carnaval after judge orders explusion of ZAD Before the carnival, a somewhat Leninist line was voted for by the General Assembly – that there should be no window-breaking so as to seduce/entice/win over farmers and others to come along and have fun in the traditional normal carnival manner, by which means the politics of the ZAD could be seen as acceptable. It’s classic Leftism to develop ones actions in submission to the point of view of the spectators of revolt, a “correct” image argued for by the Tiquunists/Appelistes, who according to some were not a sufficiently invisible committee. On the actual demo/carnival, there were clearly some who weren’t into this notion of democracy but wanted all different forms of expression to be allowed, in this case including physical attacks on obvious expressions of this stupid society (if the majority had voted to smash windows would those who subsequently didn’t smash things up have been attacked for going against the wishes of the General Assembly…?). Some of the Tiqqunists were outraged, and one of them hit one of the window-breakers – hitting people is ok but hitting banks etc. is clearly bad publicity. They also made out that it was only 4 or 5 people who did this, but in fact it was clearly a lot more – 35 – 50 ). The effect of all this has made more and more people actively sympathetic to the anti-airport movement seriously question these politicians. Though perhaps, in the eyes of the more passive, their image has been improved. [SF] See these threads in French: https://nantes.indymedia.org/articles/33269https://nantes.indymedia.org/articles/33268http://non-fides.fr/?Rennes-Les-tractations-politiques-finalement-sont-venues5/2/16Australia: Teen “surfer gangs” start riots and attack tourists.4/2/16Mexico, Nahuatzen (Michoacán): indigenous villagers hold 20 vehicles, burn one These Purépecha villagers had expelled local authorities, whom they accused of working with local cartels, from the area in december. They now plan to build their own “Comunitarian Police”. The process is kind of ambiguous, as they are having discussions with the State of Michoacán authorities (on which they put pressure by burning vehicles) so as to have their police force recognized. Michoacán is the heart of the autodefense movement, which, unlike the Comunitarian Polices of the neighbour State of Guerrero, is interclassist, and full of links with local politicians and including, in some cases, organized crime. In this case opposition to the authorities is not total, and negociating is a major contradiction in the building of a true process of autonomy.Zambia, Lusaka: students riot against increased tuition fees “…students ran amok at about 22:00 hours on Thursday, blocking Dushambe Road with logs and burning tyres, much to the disappointment of some motorists who reacted angrily by apprehending some of the rioters and handing them over to police”Haiti, Port-au-Prince: former captain of disbanded army killed by anti-government protesters “When the ragtag group of ex-soldiers in pickup trucks passed near an anti-government protest with a couple thousand participants the two sides shouted insults. Some protesters hurled rocks at them, prompting a few former soldiers to fire their weapons. It was not clear if any protesters were wounded. A group of young men rushed the ex-soldiers, who sped off. But one veteran, identified as former army captain Neroce Ciceron, was caught and battered repeatedly with rocks. As he lay dying on the street, Associated Press journalists saw a couple of anti-government protesters remove his boots, lace them together and throw them up on a utility line. They also took his rusty .38 caliber pistol. …”This soldier got what he deserved. They used to kill the people. Today, it was him”Athens: tear gas vs. molotovs in anti-austerity demos during general strike More here:https://www.rt.com/news/331265-greece-tear-gas-protet/Nigeria, Imo: doctors launch 3 day strike against cop brutality after shooting during protest India, Manipir: 48-hour blockade of all motrorways begins in movement against killing of 9 tribal activists and anti-tribe legislation South Africa, Johannesburg: waste disposal workers go on illegal strike againCalifornia, USA – Riot and cursing police at “school for children Kindergarten to 12th grade with special needs.”Thailand : Doctors say lèse majesté suspect with mental illness can face trial In the land of the Madness of the God-King, the accusations of lèse-majesté currently unfolding, suggest that some Thais are beginning to supersede, at least tentatively, the absolute taboo linked to everything related to King Bhumibol. The case is abject but interesting for two reasons. Firstly, because it reminds us of the role of psychiatric institutions, which is the same in Thailand as elsewhere, namely as a means of social control (of course with specific local characteristics). Secondly, in a country where any criticism of the king is subject to an absolute taboo nationally, here we see that it is the “crazy man” (in this case a man who says he can communicate telepathically with the former Prime Minister ) who has targeted major social taboos in the most straightforward way . The man in question tore a King’s portrait at the entrance of his village with a knife (the country is covered with such portraits, which are also found in all forms of housing). This is, to our knowledge, the most radical gesture directed against the King since he was installed on the throne of the land of smiles, 69 years ago. For some notes on Thailand and its monarchy, see our notes of 15 December 2015 (news of opposition, December 2015). [Pi][loosely translated by SF]3/2/16France, Toulouse: stones v flash balls & tear gas Guy summons friends to avoid cop control – guy drives off as about 20 youths attack cops ; cops hurt by breeze block; cops use flash balls and tear gas to get awayMexico (State of Michoacán) : autonomous commune of Cherán students block main highwayNew Zealand, Aukland: protesters against neo-liberal trade agreement block roads, etc This movement, though obviously provoked by the inevitable decline in the standard of survival implied by such a trade agreement, has a somewhat nationalist tendency which could form the basis for a protectivist xenophobia. Still, there’s one video here showing the Maoris on the demo which is quite fun to watch. [SF]France, the Somme: 2 customs officers, trying to control car car carrying illegal migrants, slightly hurtPeru (Lima): repression against movement of opposition to Transpacific agreement2/2/16Greece: over 6000 tractors block country’s borders and main motorways in movement against attacks on pensionsMexico, Cuernavaca (State of Morelos): garbage collectors clash with police because the ex-mayor left without paying them their salariesCambodia, Kampong Speu province : locals from 10 villages block road they say companies damaged and ask compensation from them Three companies are supposed to pay for using this road: one is Chinese, the two others belong to president-dictator Hun Sen’s nephew. Thailand, Aranyaprather (Cambodian border): Cambodian vendors shut down Thai police counterfeit crackdown, reverse cars Thousands of Cambodians from Poipet, a miserable border town, work in the border trade and transport from one side of the border to the other. Considering all the abuses and the extreme conditions Cambodian workers face in Thailand, such an action, since it happened on the Thai side, is pretty risky for them. Thousands of Cambodians are sentenced to long prison sentences in Thailand, after botched trials, even for minor offenses. According to more recent news, two were sentenced for the riots (in which 12 officials were injured), fortunately to “short” sentences (http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/poipet-vendors-charged-over-riot). Probably has to do with the fact that it happens on the border, where activities bring important revenues to both countries. Peru, Manchay (outskirts of Lima): 2nd day of riots despite suspension of fare increases, demanding written guarantees of non-increase in faresChile: arson of Andrés Bello University, a claim Pakistan, Karachi: 3 killed by cops during airport strike against privatisation “The clashes led to the disruption and then suspension of many domestic and international flights around the country’s main airports. The incident took place near the Jinnah International Airport here after the joint action committee which represents all unions of PIA gave a complete strike call for February 2, despite the government enforcing Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) under which all union activities were suspended and employees told to report on duty….Following the deadly clash, PIA Chairman Nasser Jaffer announced that he has resigned from his post on the same day. He expressed grief over the deaths of the PIA employees and lamented at the events which lead to their deaths. “My conscience doesn’t allow me to head the organisation anymore,” he told TV channels while in tears. ”1/2/16Italy, Florence : CasaPound bookshop/meeting place attackedSouth Africa, Limpopo: over 600 truck drivers go on illegal strike after wage reductionsMexico, Tecámac (State of Mexico): aggression against autonomous citizen council managing water in the communeZambia, Kitwe: students riot over unpaid food allowances “RIOT police in Kitwe yesterday fought running battles with students at the Copperbelt University after they ran amok over unpaid meal allowances…the students who had earlier in the day boycotted classes, started marching within the campus, chanting slogans denouncing the government. The students ran amok within campus, breaking university property and later attempted to block Jambo Drive. Riot police that thwarted the protests fired tear gas to disperse the unruly students who blocked several access roads within campus with logs, tyres and concrete blocks. …“It is a shame that we have a government that wants us to die of hunger in campus. We don’t have money to buy food and all we need is a responsible government that is ready to take care of us the children. ” As long as people wish to remain like children and use riots merely as a form of complaint, they will never grow up to use riot (and other methods) as a form of expressing a desire for the truly adult task of determining their own existence without and against the state’s need to present itself as protective parents. [SF] Peru, Manchay (outskirts of Lima): burning tyres and rocks try to resist 1000 cops repressing struggle by poor neighbourhood against increased fares and redundancies Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPQLAiIN_6MUSA (Georgia): Occupations at three different universities, resulting in multiple arrests. The occupations came after four years of struggle against university bans and restrictions on undocumented immigrant students. […]