Scandalous police repression against anti-nuclear activists in France
dv | 09.11.2010 20:04 | Climate Chaos | Energy Crisis | Repression | World
Activists from the French nonviolent direct action group GANVA were seriously injured and hospitalised by police while being cut out of lock-on tubes during a blockade of a train transporting nuclear waste between France and Germany. Immediately upon their release from hospital, they were held in police custody for 24 hours. They will go back into custody until their trial next month if they do not pay bail of €16,500 by 15 November.
From "Sortir du nucléaire" network (France):
Nuclear State, police state: scandalous repression against non-violent activists.
Following a mobilisation on an unprecedented scale, the transfer of eleven containers of highly radioactive waste from La Hague (Manche) to Gorleben (Germany) took twice as long than expected.
In France, state repression and police raged against seven militants from GANVA (Group of Anti-nuclear Non-Violent Actions) who were attached in arm tubes under the rails to stop the "train from hell" in Caen(Normandy). The Network "Sortir du nucléaire" calls supporters and all citizens to support the Ganva. Financial assistance is urgent. The trial will take place on 8 December in Caen.
Police violence and state repression: the authorities under the heel of the nuclear lobby.
It is unacceptable in response to a non-violent action that the police use violence and deliberately injure people. GANVA activists have decided to file a complaint. The decision of the prosecutor and the judge clearly shows the will power to suppress acts of civil disobedience that would prejudice the interests of the nuclear lobby. This decision follows the current trend of systematic repression of protests and acts of political protest.
These facts show us once again that nuclear power is incompatible with democracy and can not withstand true transparency. If the population had actually been informed of the risks and dangers inherent in using the atom, the nuclear industry could not develop so easily in France
Background
On November 5, 2010, a convoy of German vitrified highly radioactive compound of 11 containers "Castor", left Valognes (France) to reach the storage site in Gorleben, Germany. At 3:40pm , 5 GANVA activists attached themselves under the rails with arm tubes at 100 m from a Viaduct, just before the Caen train station, forcing the train to stop. It remained stationary for 3 and a half hours. The philosophy of this action was peaceful and non-violent and not having to physically confront the police. The actual blocking of the train was based on physical barriers. Five militants were attached inside metal tubes passed under the tracks. It was the responsibility of the "gendarmes" and police to remove everyone safely!
Instead facing pressure from their superiors, the police lost their cool and injured three people by cutting the tubes. Even after the first person was injured, they continued in the same brutal manner. One of them had two severed tendons in his hand and had to undergo surgery, the other two were burned and must undergo a skin graft. Both directly burned were placed in custody and could not consult a doctor again until much later the next day. The militant who had two severed tendons was directly led into custody under police escort when leaving the hospital. In the end, six activists were kept in custody for 24 hours and seven are subject to bail before the case with 16 500 € to pay before November 15.
If they don't pay they will be incarcerated until their trial, to be held on 8 December 2pm at the Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI) in Caen.
Faced with this injustice , Network "Sortir du nucléaire" , calls for financial solidarity and massive support for the GANVA activists in Caen on 8 December.
Our resistance knows no boundaries!
Notre résistance ne connait pas de frontière !
Unser Widerstand kennt keine Staatsgrenzen!
Press Contacts:
Steven Mitchell +33 (0)952 495 022
Sophie Morel + 33 (0)6 83 55 15 24
Information, online donation:
http://groupes.sortirdunucleaire.org/blogs/train-d-enfer-transport-la-hague/article/action-de-blocage-du-ganva-a-caen
To support the GANVA, cheque payable to the APSAJ (in euros) - Association for Solidarity and Legal Aid: APSAJ, 6 during the Allied 35000 - Rennes
Code IBAN : FR76 4255 9000 5541 0200 1473 207
Code BIC : CCOPFRPPXXX
Contact GANVA: ganva [at] riseup.net
Nuclear State, police state: scandalous repression against non-violent activists.
Following a mobilisation on an unprecedented scale, the transfer of eleven containers of highly radioactive waste from La Hague (Manche) to Gorleben (Germany) took twice as long than expected.
In France, state repression and police raged against seven militants from GANVA (Group of Anti-nuclear Non-Violent Actions) who were attached in arm tubes under the rails to stop the "train from hell" in Caen(Normandy). The Network "Sortir du nucléaire" calls supporters and all citizens to support the Ganva. Financial assistance is urgent. The trial will take place on 8 December in Caen.
Police violence and state repression: the authorities under the heel of the nuclear lobby.
It is unacceptable in response to a non-violent action that the police use violence and deliberately injure people. GANVA activists have decided to file a complaint. The decision of the prosecutor and the judge clearly shows the will power to suppress acts of civil disobedience that would prejudice the interests of the nuclear lobby. This decision follows the current trend of systematic repression of protests and acts of political protest.
These facts show us once again that nuclear power is incompatible with democracy and can not withstand true transparency. If the population had actually been informed of the risks and dangers inherent in using the atom, the nuclear industry could not develop so easily in France
Background
On November 5, 2010, a convoy of German vitrified highly radioactive compound of 11 containers "Castor", left Valognes (France) to reach the storage site in Gorleben, Germany. At 3:40pm , 5 GANVA activists attached themselves under the rails with arm tubes at 100 m from a Viaduct, just before the Caen train station, forcing the train to stop. It remained stationary for 3 and a half hours. The philosophy of this action was peaceful and non-violent and not having to physically confront the police. The actual blocking of the train was based on physical barriers. Five militants were attached inside metal tubes passed under the tracks. It was the responsibility of the "gendarmes" and police to remove everyone safely!
Instead facing pressure from their superiors, the police lost their cool and injured three people by cutting the tubes. Even after the first person was injured, they continued in the same brutal manner. One of them had two severed tendons in his hand and had to undergo surgery, the other two were burned and must undergo a skin graft. Both directly burned were placed in custody and could not consult a doctor again until much later the next day. The militant who had two severed tendons was directly led into custody under police escort when leaving the hospital. In the end, six activists were kept in custody for 24 hours and seven are subject to bail before the case with 16 500 € to pay before November 15.
If they don't pay they will be incarcerated until their trial, to be held on 8 December 2pm at the Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI) in Caen.
Faced with this injustice , Network "Sortir du nucléaire" , calls for financial solidarity and massive support for the GANVA activists in Caen on 8 December.
Our resistance knows no boundaries!
Notre résistance ne connait pas de frontière !
Unser Widerstand kennt keine Staatsgrenzen!
Press Contacts:
Steven Mitchell +33 (0)952 495 022
Sophie Morel + 33 (0)6 83 55 15 24
Information, online donation:
http://groupes.sortirdunucleaire.org/blogs/train-d-enfer-transport-la-hague/article/action-de-blocage-du-ganva-a-caen To support the GANVA, cheque payable to the APSAJ (in euros) - Association for Solidarity and Legal Aid: APSAJ, 6 during the Allied 35000 - Rennes
Code IBAN : FR76 4255 9000 5541 0200 1473 207
Code BIC : CCOPFRPPXXX
Contact GANVA: ganva [at] riseup.net
dv
Homepage:
http://stopnuclearpoweruk.net
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
Will be a good lesson to the others
09.11.2010 20:35
In many countries they would just shoot such an easily accessible target or pull the tripod down with a landrover. The same with these 'lockons' - its hardly an effective method. The police could easily gas them, or throw cold water on them and use giant fans to freeze them off.
To put it into context, if our WW2 forces tried to stop Hitler invading by using lockons, we'd all be speaking german by now. I think you guys need to go back to the drawing board and read up on effective defence techniques.
granddad
So where next for non violence ?
09.11.2010 23:30
If the police are not charged with GBH or equivalent, is that the end of NVDA.
Maybe the state wants us to use unaccountable bombs, like the IRA.
Maybe that's the way forward.
It's down to the french courts to let us know.
no surrender
Senile, Granddad?
10.11.2010 08:45
And what the hell's with the WW2/"We'd all be speaking German" bullshit rhetoric? Relevance? If it was up to people like you we would live in a fascist state.
"I've often wondered why people sit on top of those 'tripods' being all smug.
In many countries they would just shoot such an easily accessible target or pull the tripod down with a landrover. The same with these 'lockons' - its hardly an effective method. The police could easily gas them, or throw cold water on them and use giant fans to freeze them off.
To put it into context, if our WW2 forces tried to stop Hitler invading by using lockons, we'd all be speaking german by now. I think you guys need to go back to the drawing board and read up on effective defence techniques.
granddad "
anon