Violent Repression At NATO Summit in Romania
10 Apr 2008 22:12 GMTAt approximately 12:30pm on 2nd April hundreds of Romanian police violently raided a convergence center in Bucharest, the country's capital. The convergence space was set up to facilitate an anti-NATO gathering and was legally rented. It is reported that during the raid at least two protesters were hospitalized. Various reports state people are badly beaten while in custody and even while taken to hospital. Numerous people are reported to be seriously injured and some have been refused medical assistance while in custody.
It is estimated that 46 people have been arrested. No demonstration or action had happened before the raid and all the arrests were made inside the convergence center. Police officers were masked and reportedly very aggressive towards journalists trying to access the scene. The convergence center is located near the center of Bucharest, which is hosting a NATO summit that just got underway today. It is estimated that up to 27,000 police officers, military, snipers and secret police are 'guarding' the city. The security alert code yellow has been announced, meaning that all demonstrations are forbidden in the whole city amongst other restrictive laws.
Indymedia articles: Riot police storms convergence centre at Bucharest anti- NATO protests | Massive Repression during the NATO Summit in Romania | Anti-NATO Convergence Centre in Bucharest attacked by Anti-Terror Police | Breaking News: Mass Arrests during NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania | Mass Arrest of demonstrators in Bucharest | Anti NATO activists faced police brutality
Other media: Massive Repression during the NATO Summit in Romania | Videos of the raid on the convergence centre | Photos of mass arrests | Info for anyone going to Romania | Solidarity demo in Berlin | Protests at police stations | Bucharest Declaration | Solidarity from Vienna, Bern, Berlin, Skopje, Kopenhagen
All arrests were made before any actions against the NATO summit had taken place and in a context where the authorities have clearly stated they would "not tolerate any opposition" to the NATO summit. The local corporate media has also been in a frenzy about "dangerous anarchists" who are going to descend on the city and break store windows. One TV news report on Realitatea TV yesterday morning encouraged viewers to throw rocks at any demonstrators that they see on the streets. The NATO summit, which will see the expansion of NATO to include countries such as Romania and Ukraine also hosted a visit by President Bush. It is expected part of the summit will be focused on NATO troop deployments in Afghanistan.
See original article with additions and comments at UK Indymedia.
have related trade policy concerns
save the salmon runs 11.Apr.2008 01:20
look how long it took to get this through. would someone pleas help with accessing seattle indy media.
it turns out they got finanacially squeezed and began doi9ng drugs and alcohol and wont let the 'BATTLE FOR SEATTLE 2008" BE broadcast. why , ?????? please have them call 206 770 9100
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seattle
m@nkey 11.Apr.2008 19:31
IN response:
http://www.seattle.indymedia/en
Link fix
Toby Bartels 11.Apr.2008 21:51
Should that link be
http://www.seattle.indymedia.org/en/?
errors in article from http://www.indymedia.org/fr/2008/04/904225.shtml
E. Grep 13.Apr.2008 04:04
errors in article from
http://www.indymedia.org/fr/2008/04/904225.shtml
"The convergence space was set up to facilitate an anti-NATO gathering and was legally rented. " contradicts what you wrote below "all demonstrations are forbidden in the whole city." Anyway, if the crackdown did indeed happen, which I doubt, could you present a bit more information ? It would be surprising to have the Rumanian police actually kick somebody's ass ... usually they get theirs kicked.
"Code yellow" means only this: "caution". It is used in quite a lot of circumstances: last summer it was used during the two weeks when temperatures got over 35 degrees Celsius.
The picture is either taken from some other country, taken with a very bad camera, or it was photoshoped: Rumanian SWAT police uniforms are black, not blue. I am afraid somebody wants to discredit you.
regarding "errors" that were "noticed"
re-correcting 28.Apr.2008 08:57
errors in article from
http://www.indymedia.org/fr/2008/04/904225.shtml
http://contra-doxa.com/ or 
http://oskar.ro/blog.php?id=810 if in fact you are searching for mass media coverage than i'm afraid that most of it will be in romanian.
>> "The convergence space was set up to facilitate an anti-NATO gathering and was legally rented. " contradicts
>> what you wrote below "all demonstrations are forbidden in the whole city." Anyway, if the crackdown did indeed >> happen, which I doubt, could you present a bit more information ? It would be surprising to have the Rumanian
>> police actually kick somebody's ass ... usually they get theirs kicked.
The above is not a contradiction. The space was indeed rented legally but when you are renting a space privately you do not need to ask for a permit to gather in the space itself. Therefore this was not a 'demonstration' and no permits needed to be requested.
If you are questioning the fact that the events actually took place then i suggest you check out any of what happened here :
However, no matter how much you may question what happened i'm afraid those of us who were in the space at the time do not have the luxury to do the same. Also it should be stated that it was the jandarmerie that went into the space and they do not have as much of a tradition of 'getting their asses kicked' as you insinuate.
>> The picture is either taken from some other country, taken with a very bad camera, or it was photoshoped:
>> Rumanian SWAT police uniforms are black, not blue. I am afraid somebody wants to discredit you.
No one is trying to discredit anyone, the uniforms of the jandarmeria are dark blue and not black as you say. all the close-up photographs show this.