Geneva - L'Usine Press Release
dispatcher | 03.06.2003 13:16
Press Release from l'Usine, 06.03.2003 5.47
Press release from the Usine collective.
L'Usine, an autonomous cultural center, is against the illigetimate G8 summit in Evian. For this reason, L'Usine decided to make its space available to the Indymedia team as well as the Sommet d'Art Interventionniste during the summit. We want to add that L'Usine has not been used either as a camping or sleeping place. All the cultural events went on during the G8.
There were 2 gigs at night on Saturday the 31th, one was free, and a theatre performance. Nice and calm atmosphere with about 1000 people. Hundreds of people were on Place des Volontaires, several cafés as well as other places were still open and there was a party in the neighbourhood.
There was a free access place during the gigs so people from abroad/outside Geneva could leave their belongings. L'Usine, as many public spaces, doesn't want and must not work with the police, especially during situations the authorities can't deal with.
Around 10 pm, a massive group of masks people were seen around Place des Volontaires which left quickly. An hour later, small groups of people -some masked- came back to the square (Place des Volontaires). A few minutes later, the police blocked access to it. Volunteers in l'Usine tried to talk and keep people calm on the crowded square while gigs went on inside.
Bouncers and volunteers from l'Usine tried to calm down young people who were throwing bottles at the police. These same people came back later with metal bars and threw 2 molotov cocktails on people who were sitting Place des Volontaires. Bouncers from l'Usine as well as 2 others from a night-club next to it made them run away. A woman had her hair burnt. She's not seriously wounded.
At 5 am, when the gigs were over, l'Usine closed. Several volunteers decided to stay inside.
At 8 am on Sunday the 1st of June, we had breakfast Place des Volontaires before the big demonstration.
L'Usine was open so people could have access to the Indymedia center and update information all day long. Nothing happened during the afternoon.
At the beginning of the evening, according to volunteers on the roof of l'Usine, the police pushed the demonstrators towards l'Usine. There were still some riots in rue du Stand when the police surrounded l'Usine.
Volunteers tried to sort out why the police blocked the access to l'Usine and surrounded it. They were told by the police that they waited for the rioters.
The police, while staying there for more than an hour, should have noticed that no one came in. People in Place des Volontaires had been really calm, eating.
At the same time, volunteers were on the roof, watching. The police used teargas grenades near the building. People came inside l'Usine to protect themselves.
Thirty-one plainclothes policemen dressed as "rioters", wearing orange "police" armbands broke brutally in the place without any warning and started to beat up volunteers with telescopic sticks while the same volunteers were trying to negociate with them. A volunteer was hit in the head and sent to hospital. Policemen spread in the place, beating up people on their way and breaking all doors that were locked, including those of the workshops made available to artists by the Art Departement Secretary on the 3rd and 4th floors. Not much damage reported but the doors. The police started to put people from Genêve and foreigners apart randomly checking IDs and handcuffing a few of them. During the raid, volunteers updated the TSR (Swiss TV). A video was shot confirming the events. The police didn't find any illegal stuff to charge l'Usine with and, after having thought of closing the place down, thought it was maybe not a good idea. Most people who got arrested were released immediately.
On Monday the 2nd of June, L'Usine kept on doing all the activities that were planned. The Sommet de l'Art Interventionniste (SOIA) will be held on Mon the 2nd and Tue the 3rd at Forde Art Contemporain.
L'usine condemns unjustified violence, that's simply unacceptable as well as criminalisation of the anti-g8 movement.
We find it unacceptable that Mrs Spoerri accuses l'Usine to be a "sphere of influence" associated to "vandals".
We find it unacceptable too that the same Mrs Spoerri supports a violent police raid with policemen dressed as rioters.
Mrs Spoerri contributed to damage to the good reputation of l'Usine and that is clearly unacceptable.
L'Usine demands that she resigns.
Press release from the Usine collective.
L'Usine, an autonomous cultural center, is against the illigetimate G8 summit in Evian. For this reason, L'Usine decided to make its space available to the Indymedia team as well as the Sommet d'Art Interventionniste during the summit. We want to add that L'Usine has not been used either as a camping or sleeping place. All the cultural events went on during the G8.
There were 2 gigs at night on Saturday the 31th, one was free, and a theatre performance. Nice and calm atmosphere with about 1000 people. Hundreds of people were on Place des Volontaires, several cafés as well as other places were still open and there was a party in the neighbourhood.
There was a free access place during the gigs so people from abroad/outside Geneva could leave their belongings. L'Usine, as many public spaces, doesn't want and must not work with the police, especially during situations the authorities can't deal with.
Around 10 pm, a massive group of masks people were seen around Place des Volontaires which left quickly. An hour later, small groups of people -some masked- came back to the square (Place des Volontaires). A few minutes later, the police blocked access to it. Volunteers in l'Usine tried to talk and keep people calm on the crowded square while gigs went on inside.
Bouncers and volunteers from l'Usine tried to calm down young people who were throwing bottles at the police. These same people came back later with metal bars and threw 2 molotov cocktails on people who were sitting Place des Volontaires. Bouncers from l'Usine as well as 2 others from a night-club next to it made them run away. A woman had her hair burnt. She's not seriously wounded.
At 5 am, when the gigs were over, l'Usine closed. Several volunteers decided to stay inside.
At 8 am on Sunday the 1st of June, we had breakfast Place des Volontaires before the big demonstration.
L'Usine was open so people could have access to the Indymedia center and update information all day long. Nothing happened during the afternoon.
At the beginning of the evening, according to volunteers on the roof of l'Usine, the police pushed the demonstrators towards l'Usine. There were still some riots in rue du Stand when the police surrounded l'Usine.
Volunteers tried to sort out why the police blocked the access to l'Usine and surrounded it. They were told by the police that they waited for the rioters.
The police, while staying there for more than an hour, should have noticed that no one came in. People in Place des Volontaires had been really calm, eating.
At the same time, volunteers were on the roof, watching. The police used teargas grenades near the building. People came inside l'Usine to protect themselves.
Thirty-one plainclothes policemen dressed as "rioters", wearing orange "police" armbands broke brutally in the place without any warning and started to beat up volunteers with telescopic sticks while the same volunteers were trying to negociate with them. A volunteer was hit in the head and sent to hospital. Policemen spread in the place, beating up people on their way and breaking all doors that were locked, including those of the workshops made available to artists by the Art Departement Secretary on the 3rd and 4th floors. Not much damage reported but the doors. The police started to put people from Genêve and foreigners apart randomly checking IDs and handcuffing a few of them. During the raid, volunteers updated the TSR (Swiss TV). A video was shot confirming the events. The police didn't find any illegal stuff to charge l'Usine with and, after having thought of closing the place down, thought it was maybe not a good idea. Most people who got arrested were released immediately.
On Monday the 2nd of June, L'Usine kept on doing all the activities that were planned. The Sommet de l'Art Interventionniste (SOIA) will be held on Mon the 2nd and Tue the 3rd at Forde Art Contemporain.
L'usine condemns unjustified violence, that's simply unacceptable as well as criminalisation of the anti-g8 movement.
We find it unacceptable that Mrs Spoerri accuses l'Usine to be a "sphere of influence" associated to "vandals".
We find it unacceptable too that the same Mrs Spoerri supports a violent police raid with policemen dressed as rioters.
Mrs Spoerri contributed to damage to the good reputation of l'Usine and that is clearly unacceptable.
L'Usine demands that she resigns.
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