First day of the G8: a day of creativity and courage
03.06.2003 05:52

This is a summary of the events that took place in June 1st in Geneva, Aubonne, St. Cergues, Lausanne, and Annemasse.

Geneva, Switzerland

The day began early on June 1 in Geneva, the first day of the G8 summit in nearby Evian, France. Sleepy-eyed demonstrators marched quietly from the campgrounds after their 4 :30 a.m. wake-up call. Their goal was to block the five bridges that might be used by a delegate who was not fortunate enough to be housed in the limited accommodations in the small resort town of Evian. Similar plans were in effect in the other nearby towns of St. Cergues, Annemasse, Aubonne and Lausanne.

The quiet march suddenly turned loud and strong as it approached the gathering spot at the park near the first bridge. No police were in sight as several hundred people planted themselves on the pont du Mont-Blanc bridge and received word that the same was being done by other groups on the other bridges. All was calm for quite a while, while breakfast tables were set up, music played and chants were shouted. As the sun climbed higher into the sky, numbers grew. Bonfires were set on three bridges and windows of corporate stores were broken, sometimes even the boarded-up ones. Police were stationed in large numbers blockading a side-street near one of the bridges, but were nowhere to be seen near the other bridges. At the Pont-sous-Terre, civilian cars tried to force their way through, and reportedly some activists were punched.

The main demonstration began at 10 :30 a.m. with about 100.000 people marching to meet an equally large group coming from the nearby town of Annemasse, 8 km away on the other side of the border. The group was colourful, festive, and primarily non-violent, although some windows were broken and a fire was set at a petrol station, which was quickly put out. The petrol station was looted and food was distributed to the crowd. Police did not interfere until after the demonstration had ended and people were heading back to Geneva. At this time they blocked roads, and began using rubber bullets, concussion grenades, and tear gas. Some people threw bottles and stones at police in a street battle that continued for much of the night and included German police “loaned” to Switzerland for the G8 summit. Bystanders and demonstrators alike received injuries from concussion grenades and blows from police batons.

Guy Smallman, a photographer from Brixton and volunteer with Indymedia UK, was hit in the back of the leg by a grenade fired at close range, which tore off the back of his left leg beneath the knee. After a two-hour operation in Geneva on Sunday, in which a medical team tried to reconstruct the calf muscle on his left leg, Guy Smallman is in stable condition but is expected to require a series of operations in order to graft nerves, muscle and skin back onto his leg.

Around nightfall, police started cordoning off the area around the Usine, a self-organised cultural centre in Geneva. There were riots going on in a street not far away and the police actually directed protesters towards the Usine, shooting tear gas and rubber bullets. Plainclothes officers were the first to raid the building, making “incredible noise, like they were smashing things” according to witnesses. Some of them were dressed like protesters, wearing Palestinian scarfs or “black bloc” gear. People who stood in front of the entrance to protect the door non-violently were badly beaten. One journalist was hit on her head and one of her teeth was broken. Media activists in the streaming studio were split into two groups, searched, and their passports were collected by police, but after some time passports were returned and they were allowed to go back to work. Others were not so fortunate. A dozen people, committing no crime (some just sitting having a beer), were shoved, arrested, strip-searched, and taunted, then driven to a police garage and made to kneel silently on a concrete floor in front of a row of plainclothes police with batons in hand. After processing, shortly before midnight, they were driven in small groups to Bertex, a village to the South-West of Geneva, and left there. Meanwhile, 500-1000 people gathered in nearby Annemasse to protest the arrests. Police split the group into two, and one walked to the city hall, while the other gathered at the city center. When they rejoined at the city council, collective kitchens served free food and the samba band played. Reports from other nearby towns :

Aubonne Around 11 a.m. in Aubonne, France, fifteen demonstrators from five countries blocked the highway between Geneva and Lausanne. Two ropes were tied across the 30 m high bridge. On one hung a banner reading “G8 Illegal” and on each end of the other dangled an experienced climber. Two police cars arrived, and police proceeded to push the activists, shout, pull hair, and then lifted the rope, a dangerous maneuver, to attempt to move traffic. After a while, police simply cut the rope, letting Martin Shaw fall 20 m into the stony river. An hour later, he was sent to Lausanne hospital by helicopter with a broken foot and possible spinal injury. After about fifteen minutes, bystanders grabbed the other activist’s rope so she could safely descend. She is also in the hospital being treated for shock. Six supporters were arrested, and five others held for testimony.

St. Cergues From 6 :00 a.m. to 10 :15 a.m. in the village of St. Cergues (on the way from Annemasse to Evian) a road was blocked by eight hundred to a thousand demonstrators and bonfires for over 4 hours. Sixty police used tear gas and percussion grenades and at least one man was injured when he was hit in the head by gas grenade. Despite this, one activist said they were “not aggressively trying to clear the road.” Arrests were made later in the day.

Lausanne Police responded aggressively to a festive demonstration in Lausanne using tear gas, water cannons, and percussion grenades. The conglomeration of groups, including the “Pink and Silver” group with their costumes and drums, the “grey block,” the “black bloc,” and many affiliated with various affinity groups or no group at all, were dispersed by police near the “red zone” (Rue de Nanteu). They retreated back to the official camping of the Bourdonette, thought to be a safe space. Police surrounded the approximately 1500 people in the camp. They asked people for identity papers, which some initially refused. Police then started to quick-cuff people, whether they had given identity or not, and took them away in groups. Many slowed the arrest process by going limp or linking arms with those around them. Although it seemed as though everyone was going to be arrested, spirits were very high with a lot of powerful singing and chanting, and even a congo line ! A few escaped arrest by hiding in the forest for over five hours. Several hundred people were arrested. After almost seven hours of being detained, the police left without arresting those remaining. Most arrestees were released within a few hours after showing their papers, although as of the afternoon of June 2nd, 10-15 people still remain in jail.

At five p.m. another demonstration of 1500 to 2000 people began at Place de Milan. A Laussanne radio stationed announced that the G8 meetings started two hours late because of the demonstrations.