ASF, 200 women arrested for demonstarting peacefully at Business Conference
ryaz, arusha | 07.01.2003 05:56
this morning, 200 women from a Tamil Nadu organization were arrested for deomnstrating peacefully in front of a venue of a business conference held in Hyderabad at the same time as the Aian Social Forum...
Around 200 women activists arrested for obstructing traffic as government ministers, bankers, industrialists meet in order to discuss removing barriers for corporate exploitation of India, the 'war on terrorrism', ...
Participants of the Asian Social Forum, a broad networking of antineoliberalist groups,
formed a spontaneous demonstration at 8 am this morning (January 7th ) in response to the seminar on market liberalistion held at the exclusive Taj residency hotel. A group of around 200 spirited activists from the Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective gathered across the street from the Taj residency hoping not to provoke the 200 or so heavily armed riot police guarding the hotel. After 15 minutes of peaceful demonstration, during which police were assured that the demo would be peaceful, the demo was surrounded and almost all the participants marched into police trucks shouting “Down, down WTO!” A number of students fled the scene fearing that arrest would endanger their visas. Police stated that the arrests were because of obstruction of traffic, although it must be stated that it was the police who obstructed traffic as the protesters were assembled on the footpath across the street from the demo.
The right to assemble and the right to protest,” said E. Varghese from the Hyderabad muicipality Police, “is subject to restrictions by the state.”
Praveen Mote, an anti mining activist at the demo said that these mass arrests are routine in Anhra Pradesh. Sometimes, he said, people even request to be arrested, otherwise there is the danger of police beating and firing on even the most peaceful demonstration. Local jounalists present seemed to agree that it was the hight profile VIP’s at the conference that caused the police to be anxious about clearing the area. The conference, called The Partnership Summit, 2003 seems hold the exact opposite position WSF in regard to Indias role in the world market. Conferences with titles like “The international trade Policy agenda:going Forward,” were seen as a challenge to the WSF participants vision of trade being responsive to community needs at a local levels whereas the conference at the taj revolved around members of the business and banking communities setting the agendas of reducing protective tariffs and opening India up to intervention by multination conglomerates like coca cola. Members of the political class are also present, including George Fernandes who was not too long ago had to resign after a scandal exposed his taking bribes, and was subsequently reinstated as Defence Minister.
The WSF conferece is being held in Hyderabad from the 2nd to the 7th. On its last day today there will be huge rally acorss the city. Tomorrow , another protest is scheduled as members from the WTO come to the Partnership Summit.
The women arrested should be released this afternoon. We will be able to provide some contact details then, as well as those of the chief minister of Andra Pradesh.
There will be coverage of this story on Free Speech Radio News, and forthcoming photos.
Participants of the Asian Social Forum, a broad networking of antineoliberalist groups,
formed a spontaneous demonstration at 8 am this morning (January 7th ) in response to the seminar on market liberalistion held at the exclusive Taj residency hotel. A group of around 200 spirited activists from the Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective gathered across the street from the Taj residency hoping not to provoke the 200 or so heavily armed riot police guarding the hotel. After 15 minutes of peaceful demonstration, during which police were assured that the demo would be peaceful, the demo was surrounded and almost all the participants marched into police trucks shouting “Down, down WTO!” A number of students fled the scene fearing that arrest would endanger their visas. Police stated that the arrests were because of obstruction of traffic, although it must be stated that it was the police who obstructed traffic as the protesters were assembled on the footpath across the street from the demo.
The right to assemble and the right to protest,” said E. Varghese from the Hyderabad muicipality Police, “is subject to restrictions by the state.”
Praveen Mote, an anti mining activist at the demo said that these mass arrests are routine in Anhra Pradesh. Sometimes, he said, people even request to be arrested, otherwise there is the danger of police beating and firing on even the most peaceful demonstration. Local jounalists present seemed to agree that it was the hight profile VIP’s at the conference that caused the police to be anxious about clearing the area. The conference, called The Partnership Summit, 2003 seems hold the exact opposite position WSF in regard to Indias role in the world market. Conferences with titles like “The international trade Policy agenda:going Forward,” were seen as a challenge to the WSF participants vision of trade being responsive to community needs at a local levels whereas the conference at the taj revolved around members of the business and banking communities setting the agendas of reducing protective tariffs and opening India up to intervention by multination conglomerates like coca cola. Members of the political class are also present, including George Fernandes who was not too long ago had to resign after a scandal exposed his taking bribes, and was subsequently reinstated as Defence Minister.
The WSF conferece is being held in Hyderabad from the 2nd to the 7th. On its last day today there will be huge rally acorss the city. Tomorrow , another protest is scheduled as members from the WTO come to the Partnership Summit.
The women arrested should be released this afternoon. We will be able to provide some contact details then, as well as those of the chief minister of Andra Pradesh.
There will be coverage of this story on Free Speech Radio News, and forthcoming photos.
ryaz, arusha
