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Geneva G8: At least 5 journalists wounded by police! |
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26-06-2003 05:58
Auteur : PigBrother
::  : http://PigBrother.info
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3 other international independent journalists and 1 reporter of Radio Swiss Romande apart from english IMC-photographer Guy Smallman gravely wounded by a "concussion grenade" (see  http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/Report2003Part2.htm#8 ), were in the main intentionally wounded by the police on the 1st and 3rd June - in the majority with considerable risk of long-term damages.
Several clearly marked independent journalists only just escaped from another intentional "concussion grenade" - attack.
Spokesman of Geneva police: «Occupational hazard» |
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Pictures source:
1+2 de.indy / kanalB http://de.indymedia.org/2003/06/53406.shtml
3+4 Betty Pabst / de.indy http://de.indymedia.org/2003/06/53637.shtml
5+6 stills of de.indy-video, stills http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/Report2003Part2.htm#9 , video http://media.de.indymedia.org/media/2003/06/54382.mov
all pictures optimized by PigBrother
>>> IMC Usine 1.6.03: Several severe head wounds, tooth knocked out
The notorious "intervention troop" of Geneva police (see the incident at Cornavin on http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/Report2003.htm#3cornavin) probably reinforced by colleagues of Zurich cantonal police stormed the Independent Media Center (IMC) located in the cultural center Usine towards 2100h on the evening of 1.6.03. In the course of this attack it came to bloody scenes already known from Genua -although to a minor extent. Other representatives of the press were not allowed and even the Legal Team only got permission to enter 2 hours later, so the officers had plenty of time to let off steam undisturbed.
Presumably not by coincidence 2 of the 3 up to now known wounded persons in this police action were independent journalists:
>> The italian journalist Pulica C. got a stroke over the head, the wound had to be sewn in the hospital.
>> The canadian journalist Jacqueline Soohen got a tooth knocked out.
>> An employee of the cultural center wanting to negotiate also got a stroke on the head, his wound had also to be sewn with 6 stitches.
--> Strokes with police clubs on the head are strictly forbidden by police regulations, because of the danger of long-term damage including cause of death (see. a.o. the case of Max in Richard Dindos movie «Dani, Michi, Renato und Max»), definitely with the newly introduced "Blackjacks" (steel-telescope clubs) in the french part of Switzerland. That's why officers (at least officially) learn the so called «double spin» on the thighs at police school. These strokes are so painful that an attacker gets immediately neutralized without risk of long-term damage. But especially the "intervention troop" of Geneva is well known for their predilection to knock on the heads of defenseless out of reason (that is to say for pure fun and afterwards to possibly kick them down the stairs, see the incident at Cornavin on http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/Report2003.htm#3cornavin). Also in Zurich an officer illegally carried such a steel-rod and stroke at least 1 person on the head from behind on the 1st May 2001 (see http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/Stahlrudi.htm ). PigBrother demands the instant dismissal of all those officers guilty of illegal strokes on the head (not only in Geneva)!!!
Sources: Witness report 1 http://ch.indymedia.org/de/2003/06/11017.shtml
Witness report 2 http://de.indymedia.org/2003/06/55030.shtml
Witness report 3 (en) http://geneva03.org/moin.cgi/FirstAccount
Press releaseUsine (en) http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=70770&group=webcast
Picture report 1 http://de.indymedia.org/2003/06/53406.shtml
Picture report 2 http://germany.indymedia.org/2003/06/53324.shtml
Picture report 3 http://ch.indymedia.org/fr/2003/06/11100.shtml
Audio + pictures 4 http://de.indymedia.org/2003/06/53358.shtml
Videos on http://www.kanalb.de/
KLARTEXT 3/2003, p. 38
>>> Geneva 3.6.03: Film confiscated, bleeding head wound
The Geneva police obviously made a mess with "teargas" or another corrosive liquid and produced quite a considerable pool on the street.
When the police forced a woman on a bike to stop, she slipped out on this pool and falls off her bike. More officers instantly rush over, the fallen woman had to change the contamined clothes and to wash off the affected parts of the skin. ( pictures see a.o. http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/Report2003Part2.htm#9 )
Brazilian journalist Wolgrand R. was less lucky than the photographer of illustrations mentiones above.
He draws the police's attention to himself when taking pictures with his video camera of the very same incident - and is taken aside for "identity check" (see top picture3).
In addition his videotape is confiscated out of the camera.
He will "get it back later", the officers trustingly assure – but it is an all too known fact among journalists that tapes and films documenting police incursions get exposed or erased "by mistake" before return, also well known the other fact, that only in exceptional cases there exists a legal basis for that kind of confiscations of press material (being hardly an obstacle for the police).
But that wasn't all: During the "identity check" and following "preventive confiscation" the police treat the journalist excessively brutal, press him against a wall, trip him up and thrash him causing an appr. 3 cm big bleeding head wound (see top picture 3).
It is not known at the time if the Brazilian journalist got back his videotape and if he will take legal action.
Sources: http://de.indymedia.org/2003/06/53637.shtml
KLARTEXT 3/2003, p. 38
Interview with witness.
>>> Geneva: Eye injured
Several journalists of Radio Suisse Romande were hit by "rubber bullets". One had to be hospitalized with sight irritations – most probably because of direct eye hit(s) causing the known long-term damages cataract and glaucoma (see a.o. http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/Gummi1.htm#gns ).
Source: KLARTEXT 3/2003, p. 38
>>> Geneva 1.6.03: Pure chance: No other journalists wounded by "concussion grenades"
A mixed group of police officers "clears" several crossroads of uninvolved rubbernecks in the night of 1st June. There too a convoy of German police officers with water cannon and team vehicles. Swiss officers in full riot-gear walk in front making extensive use of "concussion grenades". First there were 2 "concussion grenades" per crossroad thrown at the rubbernecks, later 6.
When this troop raised at a bridge near the cultur- and media-center Usine, there was a gathering of rubbernecks attracted by the massive police contingent some hundred meters away. The mixture of juveniles, passer-bys and residents stay calm and peaceful, several persons sit on the curb talking to each other.
2 independent cameramen marked as journalists with press identity cards, holding their cameras and wearing a neon-yellow signal-vest with the imprint „PRESS“, walk towards the police. Also the police starts moving in direction of the gathering.
Only few meters before the police passes the 2 journalists, 2 or more officers slide 5-6 "concussion grenades" over the road in direction of the cameramen. Both manage to run away for cover from the exploding grenades. The police convoy moves forward without a halt towards the gathering. The footmen having thrown the grenades show no further special interest for the cameramen. Other rubbernecks and some journalists walk beside the convoy behind the footmen. Without advance warning the police starts to go into action against the gathering with a massive "teargas"- and "concussion grenade"-attack. People disperse and flee. (There is also a 492 KB Quicktime.mov of this incident on http://media.de.indymedia.org/media/2003/06/54382.mov . Stills see top pictures 5 + 6. More stills see http://www.ssi-media.com/pigbrother/Report2003Part2.htm#9 )
According to another witness the officers "fundamentally" handled the grenades "carefully". But this observer also watched "a grenade intentionally thrown in direction of a group of journalists/photographers (running away)".
Sources: Video/report http://de.indymedia.org/2003/06/54383.shtml
Witness report to PigBrother
>>> Spokesman of Geneva police: «Occupational hazard»
Source: KLARTEXT 3/2003, p. 38 |
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| > 1. Head wounds after IMC-raid |
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| > 2. Blood stains on the floor after IMC-raid |
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| > 3. Brazilian jounalist gets beaten up, frisked + film confiscated |
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| > 4. Head wound of brazilian journalist |
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| > 5. Moving forward police officers (in front Swiss, behind German) |
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| > 6. Swiss officers after "concussion grenades"-attack on journalists |
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