This report is based on cell-phone interviews with IMC people inside the police cordon around the demonstrators' camp in the Lausanne suburb of Bourdonette.
There are two camps near Lausanne. The Bourdonette camp is an officially provided campsite, while the other campsite by the river is not strictly legal. IMC-UK is in contact with numerous people inside the camp who are watching many people being dragged away by police in the (legal) camp. People resist, after discussion. HEAVY! They sit on the floor, linking arms, real sit down protest, classic, resist non-violently and negotiate about showing documents. Police demanded that they show identification, which they are not legally bound to do in Switzerland where it is not an offense to be without papers.
There were about 800 people in the camp when it was surrounded. After surrounding the camp police arrested roughly 50 people, complete with savage beatings of whoever was standing closest to them according to an eyewitness cell-phone account broadcast over web-streaming radio. The police continue to demand that the demonstrators produce documents and insist that everyone voluntarily remove themselves to a "safe place" for processing (presumably out of the range of mainstream TV cameras). The police have been arresting people in groups of 20 or so, with pauses between arrests during which they negotiate with the demonstrators. The demonstrators have reportedly refused police offers of food if they would voluntarily remove themselves.
We now have reports of heavy gassings and rapid mass arrests being made.
All of this is being filmed by numerous mainstream TV camera crews, the big question being will it all end up on the cutting-room floor. We will post updates as the situation continues to unfold.
There were about 800 people in the camp when it was surrounded. After surrounding the camp police arrested roughly 50 people, complete with savage beatings of whoever was standing closest to them according to an eyewitness cell-phone account broadcast over web-streaming radio. The police continue to demand that the demonstrators produce documents and insist that everyone voluntarily remove themselves to a "safe place" for processing (presumably out of the range of mainstream TV cameras). The police have been arresting people in groups of 20 or so, with pauses between arrests during which they negotiate with the demonstrators. The demonstrators have reportedly refused police offers of food if they would voluntarily remove themselves.
We now have reports of heavy gassings and rapid mass arrests being made.
All of this is being filmed by numerous mainstream TV camera crews, the big question being will it all end up on the cutting-room floor. We will post updates as the situation continues to unfold.
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