On February 1 2015 an appeal issued by the Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative (ASI, a section of the IWA-AIT) resulted in a protest action at the municipal police headquarters in Belgrade. Previously municipal police had repeatedly attacked passengers of public transport.
Belgrade February 1 2015
In late January, police detained a passenger who refused to show them travel documents and identification (the latter is not required by law) and began to beat her (http://www.nadlanu.com/pocetna/info/srbija/HIT-Gradjani-napali-komunalnu-policiju-na-Mostarskoj-petlji.a-257960.291.html). Outraged citizens stood up for the victim, pelted the police with plastic bottles and forced them to retreat. In a response on his Facebook page, one of the officers threatened reprisals for protestors. After that, the ASI urged citizens to protest.
The appeal stated: In light of the unprecedented brutality of the municipal police against the working class which we have witnessed during the last several days and about which we learned from news reports of the ill-treatment, beatings and arrest of people who don’t have the money to pay for travel on public transport, we have decided that the time has come to fight back against repression. . . . Come, so that together we can show that the arrogant behaviour of the municipal police is intolerable, and demand the dissolution of the police force. Police repression is unacceptable! (http://www.nadlanu.com/pocetna/info/srbija/GRADjANSKI-BUNT-Zakazan-protest-za-ukidanje-Komunalne-policije.a-258164.291.html)
Participants in the action carried out the planned meeting – picket, raised black & red flags and a banner which read: “City cops – criminals”.
Thanks to www.aitrus.info for this news release.
Comments
admin: seemingly off topic
admin: seemingly off topic comment removed. If this comment was not off topic please explain its relevance
Jah Bredda, I think the
Jah Bredda, I think the points you make have value but you miss out one other.
The working class does not need any group or party to act on its behalf. In this instance the cops over stepped the mark. If they had simply arrested the woman for fare evasion, it is unlikely that the commuters would have reacted in the manner that they did. However, because of the brutality acted out by the polis, they felt compelled to act, and through their actions a qualitative change in the normal social relations occurred. These small sparks are early acts of revolution.
Satan follows the Army Band. Uhuru!