Blockades in Lausanne

Everyone should be given the space to demonstrate in the manner that they see fit.

This requires organisation and preparation: this isn't Mayday in London where we play follow whoever decides to head somewhere randomly. Its not Genoa 2001 where plans were fucked up and there was a massive riot instead. Its not Kananaskis where the summit location was so remote that a blockade was impossible. The actions of the week 29th May to 3rd June must be our most organised confrontation with global capital yet - organised because we need to win this time and organised because of the sheer scale of what needs to be planned and coordinated

Individuals will will need maps, protection from the effects of gas (goggles and face masks minimum), and a tight group of people (not necessarily friends, but people you can depend upon for the duration of the actions) to keep an eye on you and prevent you getting into trouble. More importantly, individuals need to participate in a process of organisation that can only succeed if everyone is on board; plans need to be coordinated with other groups, not only to make for a more effective *total* blockade, but so that protestors with different tactical desires can carry them out without risk of being involved in something that they disagree with.

The only advertised bloc in Lausanne thus far is Pink Silver, but those who wish to effect proactive confrontation or pacifist protest should organise right now to bring about an abrupt halt to the G8s ritual annual slap up bonanza!

Stop the G-HATE!

Err, just realised, that the last comment wasn't meant to look like its from an activist in Lausanne. apologies if it did...

I'd like to second this call. A massive presence in Geneva will do no good if the delegates can just hop around the lake and get to Evian through Laussane. We have to block them there, as well as in Geneva.

Please, those interested in direct action and blockades, creative and confrontational, come to Laussane and make sure that the delegates don't get near that ferry.

Much love,

Matt

I agree with all of the above, only that May 31st is WAY too late to begin this planning. It has to happen on the ground throughout the week, and get more and more fine-tuned as people converge in Lausanne. There is already a meeting for the Pink and Silver bloc called for the 26th at 18:00 (in the C'Village or whatever the main pre-summit convergence space turns out to be), but we should also have, basically, a daily sopkescouncil every evening. Because the space is large, there are a great number of possibile decentralised actions that, well-coordinated together, can be very effective - including making sure that we can support rach other wherever possible and avoid stepping on each other's toes whenever necessary. So if you are coming to Lausanne try to get there a day or three in advance, so we can properly coordinate!

I completely agree with everything said here so far, only that May 31st is WAY too late to begin coordinating. There is a call for a Pink and Silver meeting on the 26th at 18:00 (in the C'Village or whatever the pre-summit convergence space turns out to be) but we should also have a spokescouncil every evening of all the tendencies and initiatives invloved. Thus the plans will become more and more definite and fine-tuned as people gather up, rather than being hastily charted at the last minute. There is a lot of space for diverse and effective initiatives, that can be decentralised but well-coordinated. This way the action can have an impact that is bigger than the sum of its parts, and enable us to aid each other whenever possible and avoid stepping on each other's toes whenever necessary.
See you soon!

The actions in Geneva look like
NGO/leftist actions that could result in some blockades, but I doubt there is much
room for much more to organise or get involved with in a non-hierarchical and
decentralised manner.

In Lausanne things are different - people have the chance to create something -
and I may be wrong - from scratch. It is no use putting on a display of numbers in
Geneva if the total strategy (Annemasse, Geneva, Lausanne) does not hold up: 2
million didn't manage anything in London against the war, a mere 5000 in Prague in
2000 managed to stop the IMF and World Bank.

Its all very well stuff happening in Geneva - its great to see this happen - but if
this is to be an effective blockade, people need to come to Lausanne to help plan,
initiate and take part in actions that can only flow from their active participation.

At the moment the campsite in Lausanne is looking a bit dodgy as far as
repression from the Swiss authorities goes, but its up to us not to give in to this -
we need to be dynamic. If the Swiss authorities *really* don't want us in Lausanne, then we
should take it as a sign of weakness that we need to exploit.