Anti-G8 Protests - Timeline of Events - Sunday 01/06
IMC-UK | 06.06.2003 15:00
Timeline of the events that took place in Geneva, Annemasse, Lausanne and on the French-Swiss border on Sunday 1st June during the protests against the G8 summit in Evian. Click to links for first hand reports, photos and videos of the events.
No Roads Lead To Evian
All times are local times
1.30 Geneva Good news: All 11 activists who had been arrested at L'Usine have been released. Photos of Usine raid.
00.00 Annemasse Demo is arriving in the VAAAG camp.
23:45 Annemasse Police are blocking the entrance to the motorway near the VAAAG. The Demo from Annemasse is peacefully coming back to the camp.
23.30 Geneva Police now using water canon in the center of the city.
23.10 Geneva Police are charging around the "plaine de plainpalais". Maison des associations is isolated. Many youths are participating in the riots and lots of people watch.
22:20 Annemasse Aparently two demonstrations have started ,one going to the town hall and the other to town center both under heavy police presence.
21:35 - 22:35 Geneva Police have entered the media centre L'Usine dressed as protesters, identified only by pink armbands [Photos | Report]. After administering some beatings and confiscating passports, they withdraw having made apparently 9 arrests. It is not yet clear who was arrested or if there was any pattern to the arrests..Eyewitness report Summary on l'usine raid.
21:15 Geneva There are now 100 police in l'usine. Lawyers and other supporters are on the way.
20:30 Geneva Police are charging near the maison d'associations using rubber bullets, pain-balls and a lot of tear gas. Guy Smallman, an imc reporter, was seriously hurt by an exploding stun grenade and taken to hospital. His leg was badly injured and needed a two-hour-long operation. As of Tuesday 2nd of June, he is stable. Read report.
20:15 Geneva The social center "L'Usine" has been surrounded by police. "L'Usine" houses an independent media center. 100 people are trapped inside, while about 200 are outside supporting them.
19.55 Geneva Local kids from housing estates are fighting the police in the city center. Police are responding with tear gas, two cops taken away in ambulances. The police are trying to prevent them joining up with the rioting in the centre. Live reports coming in on the Lausanne radio stream.
19.34 Geneva 30 rioters on Rue du Stand; police firing rubber bullets and pushing them towards usine.
19.16 Geneva Demo dispersed, passers-by and protesters were indiscriminately attacked with tear gas and concussion grenades. Baton-charges taking place and rubber bullets fired, stones and molotov cocktails being thrown in response. One cop injured. (report)
17.47 Lausanne Cops have left the camp at Bourdonette and the 200 people there are free and will not be arrested. The lawyer has convinced the police that arrest was illegitimate. It is now hoped that those already arrested will also be freed.(report)
17:09 Lausanne Ocupants of the "legal" camp are being taken away one by one. Around 800 people were in the camp when police turned up. Police are trying to identify everyone but people refuse to provide their identity documents. Some 50 people have already been arrested, whilst others have been severely beaten. Others are resisting arrest by doing a sit down protest. Those arrested were temporarily detained (personal report) The "unofficial" camp has not been harassed so far.
16:08 Lausanne Report from imc switzerland that the camp is going to be evicted. Also, reports that the police will transport all people somewhere to identify their identities (not an arrest as such). So far, already confirmed 150 at least taken away. Around 100 police have surrounded the camp, 50 from one side, 50 from the other. They are taking away tables as well as people. It is a big clearance, and really quick. About half of the police are at the back end of the camp. People are still peacefully sitting down on the ground.
15.45 Geneva Riots at Rue Basses, Boulevard Helvetique, museum, Place du Molard.
15:27 near Route de Malagnou: around a hundred police are attacking demonstrators in front of the Museum of Natural History near the Route de Malagnou. Some barricades are building up and the strategy of the police is quiete uncomprehensive to provocate the crowd. They just shot teargas.
13:30 Lausanne At the Bourdonette camp, people are staging a big sit-down protest. Police demands to see everybody's ID were refused. Police are dragging people away one by one, and making many arrests. Note that not providing ID is not a reason for arrest under Swiss law.
12:30 Annemasse/St Cergues After a meeting with the activist delegation it was decided to lift the barricades. The demonstrators have been there since 6:30 in the morning and are now very tired.
12:30 Geneva The official demo at 3pm was cancelled.
12:30 Lausanne The legal camp at Bourdonette is now completely surrounded by police, who brought in hundreds of plastic cuffs. 600 to 800 people are there. Many from the Lausanne demos were pushed back into this camp, and are now holding meetings. The police are demanding identity checks.
12.25 Lausanne/Bourdonette Village is besieged by the police. Activists begin to be seriously concerned. The police are blocking all the possible escape routes and the atmosphere is very tense. Activists are expecting an invasion into the camp site.
12:15 @ the border French (from Annemasse) and Swiss (from Geneva) demos have joined up at the border!
12:00> Geneva 100 000-strong demo. (pictures)
12:00Aubonne Police have allegedly cut the rope holding an activist suspended from a bridge. He fell from about 20 meters height breaking many bones. He was brought to a hospital. His condition is serious. Urgent CALL FOR ALL LAYWERS, JOURNALISTS, DOCTORS, PARLIAMENTARIANS to inspect the situation. (latest update | pictures)
12:00 "March on Evian Demonstration is holding a council to decide about next steps.
11:30 Geneva Demo has grown to 30000 and is moving towards the border with lots of soundsystems, rhythms, dancing.
11:15 Lausanne The demo is slowy being moved back towards the villages
11:00 Confirmed: summit delayed for two hours.
10:45 Lausanne Police is moving in aggressively now, with concussion granades. People are being wrestled to the ground.
10:30 Geneva10 000 people are walking from the english garden. Everything is calm.
10:30 Lausanne Pink & Silver, Anthracite and Aqua blocs are regrouping in the roads leading to the ferry point. They are in high spirits, lots of dancing boys'n girls, confetti, samba rhythms [Photos].
10:00 Lausanne Demo is being dispersed, shopkeepers are giving out free evian water, while people are regrouping
9:30 The official Lausanne demo was cancelled.
9:30 "March on Evian" Local residents support demonstrators who are struggling against water canons, tear gas and stun grenades, using hockey sticks to knock back the gas canisters or throwing them back. (report | timeline)
9:30 Lausanne Pink and Anthracite bloc have joined up [Photos]. Police uses water canons and heavy teargas against both. The crowd retreats slowly, still dancing. Some people dressed in black are setting up baricades
9:00 Geneva All major bridges are blocked. (pictures)
8:30 Lausanne Pink & Silver stopped at intersection. A line of riot cops is blocking one lane, pink temporary barricades the other. Actors in g8-leader-costumes sit in front of a riot truck.
8:20 Lausanne demo on the move again, dancing, passing the heavily guarded museum olympique (riot police and soldiers) and "playing with barbed wire".
8:15 Lausanne ...pink bloc destroyed some surveillance cameras
8:00 "march on Evian" About 300 people built barricades near St. Cergue. Dutch Journalists confirmed that the G8 is late, since G8 translators are blocked on their way to Evian. (report | pictures)
7:45 Lausanne The demo is holding a roundabout. Pinks still advancing, dancing forward. Ca 20 riot cops guarding the philip morris building have all been showered in confetti and had pink hearts stuck on their shields.
7:15 A radio (web and fm) is reporting on the blockades - 107.9 FM.
7:00 Lausanne: Intersection near the "villages" has been blockaded. A soundsystem, an "anthrax bloc" and lots of pink and silver are out in the sunshine. (pictures)
7:00 "march on Evian" stopped at St. Cergues, being heavily gassed (report)
6:30am Geneva: activists have blocked main bridge, no police in sight.
5:30 "march on Evian": 3-5000 people are marching from Annemasse towards Evian. They will try to block the junction of the two major roads that lead to Evian. The march assembled at 4 am, and has travelled 3 km so far. This will likely be the key confrontation of the G8 summit. [read more][update][overview map]
All times are local times
1.30 Geneva Good news: All 11 activists who had been arrested at L'Usine have been released. Photos of Usine raid.
00.00 Annemasse Demo is arriving in the VAAAG camp.
23:45 Annemasse Police are blocking the entrance to the motorway near the VAAAG. The Demo from Annemasse is peacefully coming back to the camp.
23.30 Geneva Police now using water canon in the center of the city.
23.10 Geneva Police are charging around the "plaine de plainpalais". Maison des associations is isolated. Many youths are participating in the riots and lots of people watch.
22:20 Annemasse Aparently two demonstrations have started ,one going to the town hall and the other to town center both under heavy police presence.
21:35 - 22:35 Geneva Police have entered the media centre L'Usine dressed as protesters, identified only by pink armbands [Photos | Report]. After administering some beatings and confiscating passports, they withdraw having made apparently 9 arrests. It is not yet clear who was arrested or if there was any pattern to the arrests..Eyewitness report Summary on l'usine raid.
21:15 Geneva There are now 100 police in l'usine. Lawyers and other supporters are on the way.
20:30 Geneva Police are charging near the maison d'associations using rubber bullets, pain-balls and a lot of tear gas. Guy Smallman, an imc reporter, was seriously hurt by an exploding stun grenade and taken to hospital. His leg was badly injured and needed a two-hour-long operation. As of Tuesday 2nd of June, he is stable. Read report.
20:15 Geneva The social center "L'Usine" has been surrounded by police. "L'Usine" houses an independent media center. 100 people are trapped inside, while about 200 are outside supporting them.
19.55 Geneva Local kids from housing estates are fighting the police in the city center. Police are responding with tear gas, two cops taken away in ambulances. The police are trying to prevent them joining up with the rioting in the centre. Live reports coming in on the Lausanne radio stream.
19.34 Geneva 30 rioters on Rue du Stand; police firing rubber bullets and pushing them towards usine.
19.16 Geneva Demo dispersed, passers-by and protesters were indiscriminately attacked with tear gas and concussion grenades. Baton-charges taking place and rubber bullets fired, stones and molotov cocktails being thrown in response. One cop injured. (report)
17.47 Lausanne Cops have left the camp at Bourdonette and the 200 people there are free and will not be arrested. The lawyer has convinced the police that arrest was illegitimate. It is now hoped that those already arrested will also be freed.(report)
17:09 Lausanne Ocupants of the "legal" camp are being taken away one by one. Around 800 people were in the camp when police turned up. Police are trying to identify everyone but people refuse to provide their identity documents. Some 50 people have already been arrested, whilst others have been severely beaten. Others are resisting arrest by doing a sit down protest. Those arrested were temporarily detained (personal report) The "unofficial" camp has not been harassed so far.
16:08 Lausanne Report from imc switzerland that the camp is going to be evicted. Also, reports that the police will transport all people somewhere to identify their identities (not an arrest as such). So far, already confirmed 150 at least taken away. Around 100 police have surrounded the camp, 50 from one side, 50 from the other. They are taking away tables as well as people. It is a big clearance, and really quick. About half of the police are at the back end of the camp. People are still peacefully sitting down on the ground.
15.45 Geneva Riots at Rue Basses, Boulevard Helvetique, museum, Place du Molard.
15:27 near Route de Malagnou: around a hundred police are attacking demonstrators in front of the Museum of Natural History near the Route de Malagnou. Some barricades are building up and the strategy of the police is quiete uncomprehensive to provocate the crowd. They just shot teargas.
13:30 Lausanne At the Bourdonette camp, people are staging a big sit-down protest. Police demands to see everybody's ID were refused. Police are dragging people away one by one, and making many arrests. Note that not providing ID is not a reason for arrest under Swiss law.
12:30 Annemasse/St Cergues After a meeting with the activist delegation it was decided to lift the barricades. The demonstrators have been there since 6:30 in the morning and are now very tired.
12:30 Geneva The official demo at 3pm was cancelled.
12:30 Lausanne The legal camp at Bourdonette is now completely surrounded by police, who brought in hundreds of plastic cuffs. 600 to 800 people are there. Many from the Lausanne demos were pushed back into this camp, and are now holding meetings. The police are demanding identity checks.
12.25 Lausanne/Bourdonette Village is besieged by the police. Activists begin to be seriously concerned. The police are blocking all the possible escape routes and the atmosphere is very tense. Activists are expecting an invasion into the camp site.
12:15 @ the border French (from Annemasse) and Swiss (from Geneva) demos have joined up at the border!
12:00> Geneva 100 000-strong demo. (pictures)
12:00Aubonne Police have allegedly cut the rope holding an activist suspended from a bridge. He fell from about 20 meters height breaking many bones. He was brought to a hospital. His condition is serious. Urgent CALL FOR ALL LAYWERS, JOURNALISTS, DOCTORS, PARLIAMENTARIANS to inspect the situation. (latest update | pictures)
12:00 "March on Evian Demonstration is holding a council to decide about next steps.
11:30 Geneva Demo has grown to 30000 and is moving towards the border with lots of soundsystems, rhythms, dancing.
11:15 Lausanne The demo is slowy being moved back towards the villages
11:00 Confirmed: summit delayed for two hours.
10:45 Lausanne Police is moving in aggressively now, with concussion granades. People are being wrestled to the ground.
10:30 Geneva10 000 people are walking from the english garden. Everything is calm.
10:30 Lausanne Pink & Silver, Anthracite and Aqua blocs are regrouping in the roads leading to the ferry point. They are in high spirits, lots of dancing boys'n girls, confetti, samba rhythms [Photos].
10:00 Lausanne Demo is being dispersed, shopkeepers are giving out free evian water, while people are regrouping
9:30 The official Lausanne demo was cancelled.
9:30 "March on Evian" Local residents support demonstrators who are struggling against water canons, tear gas and stun grenades, using hockey sticks to knock back the gas canisters or throwing them back. (report | timeline)
9:30 Lausanne Pink and Anthracite bloc have joined up [Photos]. Police uses water canons and heavy teargas against both. The crowd retreats slowly, still dancing. Some people dressed in black are setting up baricades
9:00 Geneva All major bridges are blocked. (pictures)
8:30 Lausanne Pink & Silver stopped at intersection. A line of riot cops is blocking one lane, pink temporary barricades the other. Actors in g8-leader-costumes sit in front of a riot truck.
8:20 Lausanne demo on the move again, dancing, passing the heavily guarded museum olympique (riot police and soldiers) and "playing with barbed wire".
8:15 Lausanne ...pink bloc destroyed some surveillance cameras
8:00 "march on Evian" About 300 people built barricades near St. Cergue. Dutch Journalists confirmed that the G8 is late, since G8 translators are blocked on their way to Evian. (report | pictures)
7:45 Lausanne The demo is holding a roundabout. Pinks still advancing, dancing forward. Ca 20 riot cops guarding the philip morris building have all been showered in confetti and had pink hearts stuck on their shields.
7:15 A radio (web and fm) is reporting on the blockades - 107.9 FM.
7:00 Lausanne: Intersection near the "villages" has been blockaded. A soundsystem, an "anthrax bloc" and lots of pink and silver are out in the sunshine. (pictures)
7:00 "march on Evian" stopped at St. Cergues, being heavily gassed (report)
6:30am Geneva: activists have blocked main bridge, no police in sight.
5:30 "march on Evian": 3-5000 people are marching from Annemasse towards Evian. They will try to block the junction of the two major roads that lead to Evian. The march assembled at 4 am, and has travelled 3 km so far. This will likely be the key confrontation of the G8 summit. [read more][update][overview map]
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