Over 8,000 protesters have clashed with riot police as they protested against the planned eviction of squatters from a popular social centre, and against the eviction of hundreds of people from heir homes. The largely peaceful protest erupted following a baton charge, and use of teargas, and water cannons by the police. The protesters responded by building barricades, throwing stones, fireworks, and bottles. It is reported that over 500 people has been injured, and around 150 arrests made.
The Rote Flora is an old theatre building which has been used as a social centre since 1989. The initial sale of the building to developers took place in 2001, and has sparked widespread outrage and protest. There are also wider issues relating to an old apartment building nearby, the ‘Esso houses’ that had been the home to around 300 people, until they had been evicted last week. The Esso houses are described by post-autonom, as:
"ESSO Houses is the name of an appartment complex, inhabiting flats, a gas station, two music clubs and some other small businesses. It was evicted a week ago, after the walls shook and frightened inhabitants called the police. The Esso Houses were bought by a big investor a couple of years ago and inhabitants and supporters claim the investor lets the houses rot to eventually build new and more expensive houses at the same place."
One of the Rote Flora squatters said that:
“There was a mood of aggression from the outset,” adding that “we came under serious attack. It has become more violent than anything we have experienced in a long time. Through the overwhelming use of batons, pepper spray and water cannon, there were numerous injuries,”
Running battles were fought throughout the night across Hamburg. Several shop fronts were smashed and many cars set on fire. The police claim that 82 officers required treatment for injuries.
A police spokesperson claims that:
“The protesters suddenly started marching, and this was not what we agreed on with them, so we had to stop the march. Then bottles, stones and fireworks were thrown at us, injuring several officers. We had no option but to deploy water cannons."
Despite video evidence clearly showing the police initiated trouble, the media (typically) have laid blame at the feet of protesters. A local newspaper claimed that:
"The situation escalated shortly after the start of the demonstration in the afternoon than in the immediate vicinity of the occupied cultural center "Rote Flora" rioters from the so-called Black Bloc attacked forces. These thereafter blocked the march and put a water cannon. Even from a bridge officers were pelted with objects, said a police spokeswoman."
Prior to the start of the demonstration the police had declared the city as a ‘Danger Zone’ which enables them utilise extended rights to stop and search, and to use preventative detention orders.
Hamburg has been the scene of other large scale disturbances in the recent past. Police clashed with marchers on May Day, earlier this year, and 700 anti-fascists fought with police and boneheads, late last year.
For further information - http://florableibt.blogsport.de/english/ & http://lampedusa-in-hh.bplaced.net/wordpress/?lang=en
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Comments
The protest was called by the
The protest was called by the "Rote Flora" after the owner of the building - who already bought it from the city in 2001 and not recently as the article suggests - threatened to evict the squat.
ESSO Houses is the name of an appartment complex, inhabiting flats, a gas station, two music clubs and some other small businesses. It was evicted a week ago, after the walls shook and frightened inhabitants called the police. The Esso Houses were bought by a big investor a couple of years ago and inhabitants and supporters claim the investor lets the houses rot to eventually build new and more expensive houses at the same place. They have not however "been the home to around 300 refugees from Syria and Egypt".
The third major conflict is concerning the 300 "illegal" African refugees calling themselves "Lampedusa in Hamburg" who fled Lybia last year. 15.000 people took to the streets in November to support their demands, i.e. the right to stay and work in Hamburg.
For further reading:
Call to the demonstration(english)
Lampedusa In Hamburg (english)
I consider this Video to be the best if you want to get a picture of the violence and counterviolence of the day.
P.S.: Excuse my English
Thanks for the info,
Thanks for the info, Post-Autonom...
This article really needs to
This article really needs to be edited for factual accuracy -the comment above will help. Lots of mistakes here which could be very misleading, as unfortunately not many other English language reports have been written.
http://cominsitu.wordpress.co
http://cominsitu.wordpress.com/2013/12/22/another-day-another-riot/
Long and informative article
Long and informative article on the protests by "Beyond Europe – Antiauthoritarian Platform Against Capitalism": Merry crisis and happy new fear – Heavy clashes in Hamburg
Are there any further updates
Are there any further updates on this? Seems like parts of Hamburg are under martial law.
there are now some articles
there are now some articles in the mainstream press pointing out that the cops have exaggerated and even lied about an incident which led to a seriously injured police officer on the 28th of December in St. Pauli, ... it is a kind of sus-law which is in place in some areas to the West of the city centre
So it's being called a
So it's being called a Gefahrengebiet or Danger Zone.
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Stop and frisk with no assembly allowed.
French translation of the
French translation of the article available here http://tours.mediaslibres.org/affrontements-entre-manifestants.html.
People are right to protest
People are right to protest against the planned eviction of squatters from a popular social centre, without any protest no one could get anything.