Peaceful protestor mown down by train

by DIET SIMON Mon Nov 08, 2004 13:42

- french activist killed; train cut off both his legs -
Rage and sorrow have been manifested across Germany at the death of a 21-year-old Frenchman run over by a nuclear waste train in France. At night were protests all over Germany. Many will follow

Nevertheless the train was stopped several times in Germany, were also people chained themselves at the railways. In Germany whole villages turned themselves into "resistance camps".

At nights were protests all over Germany. Many will follow
In Berlin about 400 demonstrated at night. The people went to the French embassy to protest. They even tried to get into the area of the french embassy but police stopped them. Another police line stopped the protesters near Potsdamer Platz, where the protesters wanted to the Deutsche Bahn tower (Germany´s train company who is responsible for the transports of nuclear waste). People shouted "smash capitalism" or "sadness and anger turns into resistance".

In Bielefeld there was a mourning gathering and spontaneous demo procerssion through the city. About 40 took part.

There were also demos in Münster (40) and Waltrop (15). “Many people were shocked by the unscrupulousness of the police in speeding the Casstor train on. Don’t police leaders have any human feelings? And Jürgen Trittin (The environment minister)?” There will be another demo in Münster on Monday, from 6 pm outside central station.

The light-hearted mood in the Wendland (the Gorleben area) is gone. The news of the activist’s death comes as a shock. In Langendorf near Dannenberg, where farmers were just blocking the road with their tractors, a spontaneous religious service of mourning is held. People place burning candles.
When police attacked the protesters they threw bottles and stones.

In Erfurt about 20 people gathered at the main station to mourn. After half an hour police chased them away, showing no sympathy.

In Hamburg about 500 people gathered to mourn the dead activist. Several hundred police massively disturbed the group.
In Magdeburg about 30 people took to the streets to commemorate, carrying a banner saying “Capitalism kills. Away with the nuclear state!” The procession chanted, “France, France, that was murder! Fight the Castor everywhere! Make a fist! Turn rage and sorrow into resistance.” Police attacked protesters brutally, says their IndyMedia post and arbitrarily arrested people while those they already held were kept in check by frenzied dogs. All this smashed the demonstration. Windows of a government ministry were damaged to take the resistance to one of the responsible instances.

About 50 people gathered in Tübingen to express their rage and sorrow. They kept a 30-minute vigil. About 20 people blocked rails and held up a train for about 15 minutes. The protesters read out a flier. Another demo is planned for Monday. 5 pm on the Holzmarkt in Tübingen.

A dissenter writes under the Tübingen post that he/she can’t accept the charge that the activist was murdered. All reporting indicates that it was an accident that the locomotive driver did n ow want, the writer says.

In another post a writer suggests that the young Frenchman was deliberately run over to set an example and prevent more chainings.

A demo is being called in Frankfurt/Main at 6 pm Monday from Westbahnhof to a branch of COGEMA, the company that operates the La Hague processing plant.

In Darmstadt about 70 people are reported to have gathered for about an hour in the main railway station to commemorate the dead activist.

In Lüneburg short of 100 people gathered on the Rathausplatz for a mourning procession. They placed lit candles in the form of a large X, a symbol of the anti-nuclear resistance. The demonstrators then walked through the city centre and main roads, causing motor traffic to halt for about an hour and a half. Passers-by spontaneously joined the mourners.

In Hanover 100-150 took to the streets in two separate demos. Cops wearing helmets accompanied them. All of the people were arrested. "Normal" people, not taking part at the protest reacted very angry towards police, shouted: "This is what democracy lokks like" and "let them free".

About 170 people gathered for a spontaneous protest in Göttingen central station to express their rage. Some of them leaned against an ICE express train which drove off regardless. The demo then moved through the city centre, accompanied by police. A demo is planned for Monday at 5 pm by the Gänseliesel.

In Bremen about 100 people gathered on the Marktplatz. Fliers were handed out with known information about the demonstrator’s death. A spontaneous procession went through the city centre. After a short cat and mouse game through Bremen alleys, the police escort grew to six car loads. A camper in the Wendland writes that they’re shocked, sad and enraged there. The writer calls on all to come to the Wendland. Info telephone 0162-9863594, Castor hotline: 01805-252569.

More than 1,000 people were reported to have taken part in a mourning rally in Hitzacker in the Wendland. In four short addresses, people’s feelings were addressed and that it wouldn’t be good to just give up now. Afterwards a spontaneous demo of 200 moved through the town on the Elbe River. A few eggs burst on police cars. Windows of three police cars were broken. About 50 people squatted on the rails at the station. Pictures at www.castornix.de .

A protest and mourning rally took place in the Darmstadt central station. About 60 people took part in the 1-hour gathering.

Holding burning torches, Celle activists placed a vigil of 25 people in the hall and on all platforms of their local railways station. Police respected this spontaneous expression of grief. Mourning in Jena. Candles were placed in the pedestrian precinct.



More reactions reported at

http://de.indymedia.org/2004/11/97826.shtml

http://de.indymedia.org/2004/11/97825.shtml

http://de.indymedia.org/2004/11/97824.shtml

http://de.indymedia.org/2004/11/97820.shtml

http://de.indymedia.org/2004/11/97817.shtml

by smash capitalism! Mon Nov 08, 2004 21:43

- anti-nuclear-waste protests -
- protests against the train with nuclear waste rolling to germany
- after the death of the 23-year old frenchman situation seems to escalate
- in the night streetfights between police and protesters
- today: german police threatens 16-year old girl with weapon
A policemen this morning threatened a 16-year-old girl with his pistol. She was on a tractor in a field near Tollendorf. Earlier three tractors were pursued by police vehicles. When one of the tractors tried to lift a round bale of straw with its fork, the policemen from Aachen lost their nerve. They had been tasked to cut the up the bale. One of the policemen stood in front of the tractor in which sat only 16-year-old Nadine and her friend. The policeman drew his pistol and pointed it at the driver’s cabin. The girl is still in shock. “All I could still see was the weapon and the man’s eyes.” Subsequently one of the other tractors was also threatened by a police clearing vehicle, rammed in the side an damaged.