Support the ´Block G 8 Call´ for Blockades of the G8 summit
Block G8 - 13.03.2007 20:02
The following text is the concept for mass blockades of the G8 Summit in
Heiligendamm, produced by the "Block G8" network (www.block-g8.org). The
network are looking for international groups, networks and organisations
willing to sign up to the Block G8 Call for blockades (below). The list of groups in Germany and beyond who have already signed this call are at the end of this mail. The names of future signatories will be published on our website and in future publicity. If you would like your group`s name to be included on the English language Block G8 flyer which will be distributed internationally via the Rostock III Action Conference in April (see: www.heiligendamm2007.de), please let us know by March 31st at the latest.
To sign up, please email  info@block-g8.org
See you on the streets around Heiligendamm!
THE ‘BLOCK G8’ CAMPAIGN CONCEPT FOR A MASS BLOCKADE OF THE G8 SUMMIT IN
HEILIGENDAMM
On June 6 2007, we want to – and will – massively and effectively blockade the opening of the G8 Summit, the meeting of the heads of government of the world’s 8 most powerful states, in Heiligendamm, near Rostock in Germany.
With blockades of civil disobedience in which thousands of people from
different political, social and cultural backgrounds can participate, we will express a unmistakable “NO!” against the G8. A radical “NO!” which cannot be ignored. A public, offensive and practical expression of the lack of legitimacy of the G8 and their policies of neoliberal, globalised capitalism; of wars; of social and racist exclusion; and of environmental destruction. We will actively disrupt the G8, occupying and blockading the streets required by the diplomats, translators and supply vehicles to reach Heiligendamm. We want to practically and effectively stop the Summit and cut it off from its infrastructure.
The central expression of our blockade will be to show that thousands of
highly
diverse people have decided, together, to personally – and with their bodies –
blockade the Summit. Many will announce their participation in the blockade
publicly, showing their names and faces. Regardless of how and where we arrive
at the camps and on the streets around Heiligendamm, we have a common project:
One mass blockade with diverse cultural articulations. Those not organised in
groups – and without blockading experience – will also be able to participate
and receive the solidarity of others. There will be no limits to our
creativity. We see the connection between the functionality and political
articulation of the mass blockade as important. The ‘Überflüssigen’ (i.e. ‘The
Superfluous’ – a direct action group who have been visible in many of the
social protests in Germany over the past few years) with their red sweatshirts
and white face-masks have already announced their intended presence, rebel
clowns will also be there, as will samba drummers. Colourful does not mean
black, but black belongs to colourful.
We come from the environmental and anti-nuclear movement; the
counter-globalisation networks and the radical left; from non-violent action
groups and antifascist milieu; from political party and trade union youth
organisations and church groups. We want to bring our diverse blockading
experience at anti-nuclear waste (CASTOR) transports, anti-war actions, nazi
demonstrations and previous summit protests together in Heiligendamm – as a
powerful and determined mass action with thousands of people and the methods
of
civil disobedience.
Our objective is to blockade. Therefore, we will overcome the police’s
barriers;
pushing them out of the way, going around them, or cannily flowing through
them.
We will not allow ourselves to be stopped, distracted, or to get embroiled in
the police’s possible strategy of escalation. Our objective is to reach our
blockading destinations. Our protection is our concept of diversity, mass
participation and desired (media and other) publicity. We need sleeping bags
and everything required for 24 hours on the blockades. There are lots of
people
who will simply sit down and blockade the street with their bodies. In
addition,
there are people who will remain standing, linking arms in chains and using
foam
and balloons to protect their bodies. Some will push back against those
attempting an eviction, to make it more difficult for them. All these
different
blockade forms will show solidarity with each other and will not endanger one
another. We will remain together and hold our common position. Through the
means of civil disobedience, we will resist by showing solidarity. We do not
want to injure anyone. We will effectively and enduringly blockade the Summit.
GET INVOLVED WITH ‘BLOCK G8’
Register in your media and/or in a ‘Declaration of Intent’ that you support
the
‘Block G8’ campaign. Produce publicity for ‘Block G8’, organise events and
collect supporters.
Build blockade groups locally and prepare for the Summit. Be creative and
organise action trainings. The better prepared, the more effective the
blockade.
If you are not sure if you will find the time to take part in the blockades of
the G8 Summit, declare your solidarity with the actions of the ‘Block G8’
campaign and support us with a donation.
The ‘Block G8’ campaign is one of many concepts for blockading the G8 which we
support in their different action forms in different locations around
Heiligendamm. We will, therefore, share responsibility for co-ordinating the
overall choreography of blockading activities.
www.block-g8.org
info@block-g8.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE CALL>>>>>>>>>>
BLOCK G8
MOVE. BLOCK. STAY.
At the beginning of June 2007, the heads of state and government of the eight
largest economic powers will come together for the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm
near Rostock.As an act of civil disobedience, we will blockade this Summit.
Our
reason: The politics of the G8 stand for neoliberal, globalised capitalism,
which dramatically increases the gap between the rich and poor worldwide. With
the “"Block G8" campaign, we say “"No!"” and reject the legitimacy of the G8!
Different initiatives and movements are calling for resistance to the Summit.
People from around the globe will articulate their protest through a diverse
range of actions. The “"Block G8" campaign is one part of this. Take part in
the protest actions and take a stand against the politics of the G8!
RESISTANCE AGAINST THE G8 – FOR A GLOBALISATION FROM BELOW
In June 2007, the voice of the powerful will not be the only one to be heard:
Tens of thousands of people from around the globe will gather to demonstrate
against the G8 and to take action together. Almost every milieu of the
globalisation-critical movement have been called upon to protest. The other
world will make its voice loud and clear and stand up for a globalisation from
below: for equal rights; for political and cultural rights for all
human-beings; for the right to global freedom of movement; for the responsible
use of natural resources worldwide; for the guaranteeing of public spaces and
goods; and for global social justice.
MASS AND LASTING BLOCKADES – WE’VE COME, AND WE’RE HERE TO STAY!
The “"Block G8"” campaign are organising blockades as an action of civil
disobedience in which thousands of people from different political, social and
cultural backgrounds can take part. Together, through these actions, we
articulate a clear “"No!"” towards the G8. In doing so, however, we will not
only demonstrate; we will actively block the G8 and the access roads to the
conference centre over which the staff of diplomats, translators and service
providers need to pass in order to get to Heiligendamm. We will not leave
these
access roads voluntarily, because our action is not intended to remain
symbolic.
We want to actually and effectively block the G8 Summit and cut it off from
its
infrastructure: We've come, and we're here to stay!
During the actions, we want to create a situation which is transparent for all
the blockaders and in which the participants in the action show solidarity by
taking care and supporting each other. Everybody needs to take responsibility
for the success of powerful and decided blockades and mutually respect the
borders and the protest cultures of all the participants. Potential police
brutality, for example during the eviction of a blockade, has to be resisted,
together, by showing solidarity and using the methods of civil disobedience.
TOGETHER AGAINST THE G8 SUMMIT
Behind the concept of the mass blockades there are groups, organisations and
individuals belonging to: the environmental and anti-nuclear movement; the
globalisation-critical networks and the radical left; from non-violent action
and autonomous antifascist groups; from the youth-wing of political parties
and
trade unions, as well as church groups. We bring diverse blockade experiences
with us: from the anti-nuclear waste (CASTOR) transports in the Wendland (in
North Germany), from the successful blockades of neo-nazi marches in Berlin,
Kiel and Leipzig, from the “"Resist" campaign against the Iraq war, and from
the protests against previous G8 summits.
The “"Block G8" campaign understands itself as a part of a broad societal
resistance against the G8. The mass blockades, therefore, will fit in with the
other actions and demonstrations and be agreed upon with other groups and
initiatives.
Our actions build on the summit protests of previous years. In 1999 at the
protests against the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Seattle it was
possible,
for the first time, through mass blockades and other actions, to delay the
conference's opening ceremony for hours –- an event which resonated throughout
the world and marked the arrival of the globalisation-critical movement. With
the actions in Seattle, the first cracks in the project of neoliberal
globalisation were shown. Let's enlarge these cracks together in Heiligendamm!
EVERYONE CAN TAKE PART! THERE ARE DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES:
Declare your participation in the “"Block G8" campaign. Already, ahead of the
Summit, we want to generate pressure against the G8 through thousands of
declarations of intent. We want thousands of people to declare, as far as
possible, that they will take part in the blockades in June 2007.
State your solidarity. If you already know that you cannot go to Heiligendamm,
express your solidarity with the blockaders by signing this declaration of
solidarity.
Form local groups and prepare, together, for blockades in Heiligendamm. The
success of the blockades depend, amongst other things, on well-prepared groups
and individuals. We offer trainings for action groups. Get in touch.
Organise events near you. We will happily come and explain about the G8, to
report on the idea behind the “"Block G8" campaign, to give an impression of
the state of preparations and the possibility for taking part in actions.
MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: WWW.BLOCK-G8.ORG
THE G8 SUMMITS ARE A SYMBOL. They serve those in government as a demonstration
of their power. Their news reports: There is no alternative to the new world
order. With our action, we want to clearly reject the apparent lack of
alternatives.
AT THE G8 SUMMIT, POLITICS ARE CONCRETELY MADE AND COORDINATED; a politics in
which the interests of big business and financial investors are central.
Around
the globe, the dramatic division between the rich and the poor is worsened;
accompanied by the widespread dismantling of social and democratic rights.
When
the G8 talk about debt relief and aid programmes for the poor, they remain
silent about the fact that hunger, poverty and indebtedness are the result of
neoliberal, globalised capitalism. The politics of the G8 lead to the unabated
destruction of the basic requirements for human life, secures the access of a
few states to the majority of resources, and is ultimately imposed through
wars.
THE G8 IS AN INSTITUTION WITHOUT LEGITIMACY. It is a Club of the governments
of
only eight states which arrogates to make decisions that affect the lived
realities of people around the world. It is not about different policies being
formulated at the G8 summits; far more it is about calling into question and
rejecting the legitimacy of the G8 and its politics in general.
SUPPORT US WITH A DONATION
Preparing and seeing through blockades costs a lot of money: The printing of
this flyer and other materials, action trainings, office costs, infrastructure
during the actions and much more… Whether 5, 10, 25, 50 Euros or (gladly) more
– every donation helps us to say, together with you, “"No!"” to the G8.
ACCOUNT FOR DONATIONS
Account Name: Block G8
Account No.: 400 870 0801
Sort Code (BLZ): 430 609 67
Bank Name: GLS Gemeinschaftsbank
THE “BLOCK G8” CAMPAIGN ARE:
X-tausendmal quer [Anti-nuclear civil disobedience network]
IG Metal (Trade Union) Youth Dessau
AVANTI - Project for an undogmatic left
BUKO - Federal Coordination for Internationalism
Antifascist Left Berlin
BASTA! Left Youth Lübeck
BUNDjugend [Youth Federation for the Protection of Nature and the Environment]
AKU Wiesbaden [Environmental Working Group Wiesbaden]
Fantômas magazine editors
IG Metal (Trade Union) Youth Halle
Antifa-KOK Düsseldorf and Area
Münster Institute for Theology and Politics
Green Party Youth Federal Steering Committee
Radical Left Nürnberg
Interventionist Left
IG Metal Youth Berlin
['solid] - the socialist youth
Antifascist Left International Göttingen
Workshop for Non-violent Action Baden
Activists from attac
Junge Linke.PDS Sachsen [Left Party.PDS (Youth) Sachsen]
Pax Christi - Commission for Global Economy, Ecology and Social Justice
Kairos Europa
FelS (Für eine linke Strömung) Berlin [FelS (For a leftwing Current) Berlin]
Organisierte Linke Karlsruhe [Organised Left Karlsruhe]
Vereinte Linke Laustiz [United Left Lausitz]
Anti-G8 Plattform München [Anti-G8 Platform Munich]
AK Interntationalismus München
Freitagskafe München
solid.org – Organisierung linker Basisgruppen [solid.org – Organisation of
leftwing grassroots groups]
Gipfelsoli Infogruppe [Summit Solidarity Info Group]
Sozialistische Jugend – die Falken LV Berlin [Socialist Youth – the Falken
Berlin]
IG BAU – Ortsverband Hamburg-Nord [Industrial Trade Union for Construction,
Agriculture and Environment – Hamburg North, Local Union]
Widerstandsgruppe Worms-Wonnengau (WWW) [Resistance Group Worms-Wonnengau
(WWW)]
[‘solid] Nidersachsen
Autonome Jugendantifa Nürnberg (AJA) [Autonomous Youth Antifa Nürnberg (AJA)]
IG Metall (Trade Union) Youth Erfurt
Antifa-Soest
Social Forum Saar
Pax Christi Trier
Ecumenical Network Rhein-Mosel-Saar
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CONTACT
Kampagne Block G8
Nernstweg 32
22765 Hamburg
Germany
info@block-g8.org
www.block-g8.org
Block G8
e-mail: info@block-g8.org
Homepage:  http://www.block-g8.org
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