Letter from Council of Europe Paliamentary Assembly Member on Excessive use of force against Belgian Demonstrators

Parliamentary Assembly Assemblee parlementaire

http://assembly.coe.int

Council of Europe * Counseil de L'Europe

Doc. 12433
5 November 2010

Excessive use of force against Belgian demonstrators

Written question no 590 to the Committee of Ministers
presented by Mr Lindblad

According to the Human Rights League and Amnesty International, among others, the Belgian police used excessive  force  and  illegal  methods  against  peaceful  demonstrators  representing  the  No  Border  Camp movement on their way to an authorised demonstration on 1 October 2010. Reportedly, at least 500 mostly ‘preventive’ arrests took place, and 14 people were seriously injured.
 
Whereas the alleged vandalism that some members of the No Border Camp movement had used against the offices  of  Frontex,  IOM  and  a  number  of  police  precincts  on  previous  days  is  to  be  condemned, there  is serious reason for concern for the curtailment of the right to assembly and the right to free speech as well as for  the  violence  that  the  Belgian  law  enforcement  authorities  allegedly  resorted  to  against  peaceful demonstrators.

The Story Continues to Spread Virally...

Pluto Press: The unimaginable: My night of violence at the hands of the Belgian police

http://plutopress.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/the-unimaginable-my-night-of-violence-at-the-hands-of-the-belgian-police/

Pluto author arrested and tortured in Belgium

http://plutopress.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/pluto-author-arrested-and-tortured-in-belgium/

Iindymedia.us The Unimaginable: My Night of Violence at the Hands of the Belgian Police
Marianne Maeckelbergh, assistant professor at Leiden University went through .... Marianne Maeckelbergh is anthropologist, Leiden University, author of The Will of the Many...
http://indymedia.us/en/2010/10/43630.shtml

Donate to Support the Arrestees!

Financial contributions can be given at lokaal Arcata or can be transferred to account number 000 - 3244460-04. The IBAN is BE10000324446004
And the BIC BPOTBEB1 (Bank Van De Post.

4 Remaining Prisoners Released, Now for Legal Battle

On Friday, October 22nd, the last four prisoners were released.  Now we need to focus on raising money to defend the arrestees against criminal charges and to sue the pants off the cops for their abusive and repressive behavior.  In the next few days we'll be posting details on where you can contribute funds to support the legal effort and ideas on how you can help fundraise to support this battle against police brutality and the repression of activists and academics.

World Council of Anthropological Associations Protests Maltreatment of Marianne Maekelbergh

The World Council of Anthropological Associations has expressed concern at the maltreatment of Dr. Marianne Maeckelbergh by Belgian police. 

Frank de Bakker's Blog: Dangerous research…

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Dangerous research…

Posted: 2010/10/14 by frankdebakker in Activism, Research, Social Movements
Tags:activism, anthropology, civil society, No Borders, globalization

Studying activism can be fairly dangerous and not just in rogue states but also in a country such as Belgium. Marianne Maeckelbergh, an assistant professor from Leyden University in the Netherlands focuses on the anthropology of globalization, democracy and social movements. She published a book on the Alterglobalisation movement and aimed to conduct fieldwork in Brussels, studying the last days of the No Borders Camp, a bi-annual meeting of the No Borders Network. As she writes at Mondiaal Nieuws:

Spectrezine: Marianne Maeckelbergh - Thanks

Marianne Maeckelbergh - Thanks

October 25, 2010 15:48 | The Editor

in:

• Europe

Social activist and writer Marianne Maeckelbergh and her publishers Pluto Press have expressed their thanks to all who responded to their call for action about the horrific actions of the Belgian police during the No Border camp in Brussels last month. A spokesperson for Pluto said that they have "unsurprisingly, yet to hear back from the Belgian ambassador in London." They ask anyone who has received a reply from the Belgian ambassador to their country to let them know. Write to Pluto at this email - alecg@plutobooks.com.
 

De Wereld Morgen: Pictures: Demonstrate for the right to demonstrate

http://www.dewereldmorgen.be

Pictures: Demonstrate for the right to demonstrate

by Marian Coppieters
(Original Dutch at  http://www.dewereldmorgen.be/artikels/2010/10/17/fotos-betogen-voor-het-recht-op-betogen - Thanks again to Ann Bynens for translation!)

De Wereld Morgen: Demonstration as a result of the police violence during the No Border Camp (Translated)

Anja Hermans

 

 The blog of Anja Hermans

Demonstration as a result of the police violence during the No Border Camp.

(Original Dutch here - thanks to Ann Bynens for another wonderful translation!)

Today, October 16th 2010 a demonstration was held at the Hallepoort in Brussels as a result of the police violence during the Border Camp.

The demonstration in which about 700 people participated, was peaceful, (read: today the police did not beat up any activists) but with a clear message: the police violence from September 25th until October 2nd is intolerable! Hundreds of arrested people were being mistreated (physically and mentally) and/or sexually intimidated,...

Translated Excerpts of a Statement by No Border Camp Organizers

Thanks to Ann Bynens for translating this!

The terror of the state and its police wants to silence the revolt.

To cry out our solidarity

To demand their liberation

Die Tageszeitung jungeWelt Article --- Now with Improved Translation!

Big thanks to Jennifer Chong for translating this article from German!

Original German at http://www.jungewelt.de/2010/10-13/032.php

 Die Tageszeitung jungeWelt

10/13/2010 / Anti-fascism / Page 15

Police harrass protesters against racism in Belgium

Four activists still imprisoned a week after the end of the Brussels “No Border” camps

Letter from Mission Free Iran Coordinator to Secretariat of Belgian Ambassador in the UK

Ann Willems
Katja Wauters
Ambassador's Secretariat
H.E. Ambassador Johan Verbeke

Dear Ms. Willems and Ms. Wauters,

It has come to my attention that Marianne Maeckelbergh (US citizen and  professor at the University of Leiden, Netherlands) was arrested for taking pictures while police were making violent arrests in Brussels, Belgium during last a protest Friday. Not only was she arrested, but she reports that "she was violently dragged by her hair, chained to a radiator, hit, kicked, spat upon, called a whore, and threatened with  sexual assault by the police. She also witnessed the torture of another prisoner also chained to a radiator."

Letter from Head of School of Law at University of Leicester to UK Belgian Ambassador

Professor Minkkinen informs us that he has not to date received a reply from the embassy.

 H.E. Ambassador Johan Verbeke
 Belgian Ambassador to London,
Grosvenor Crescent, 17
SW1X 7EE London
United Kingdom

Sir,

 I am shocked about news concerning the treatment of fellow academic Prof  Marianne Maeckelbergh at the No Border Camp in Brussels on 1st October and  about the police brutality that she has witnessed. I would expect no less of the government of Belgium than to release immediately all those who  remain in custody and to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation  of what has happened to see to it that those responsible will be brought to justice.

Statewatch.org: Belgium: Policing of 'noborder camp' in Brussels violates basic civil rights

Source: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2010/oct/01brussels-noborder.htm 

 

From 25 September to 3 October, a noborder camp (http://www.noborderbxl.eu.org/?lang=en) is taking place in and around Brussels, with demonstrations, public lectures and actions for freedom of movement of people and against repressive migration control. By now a regular feature of the European political landscape, noborder camps are organised to intervene in the migration control regime inland (detention centres) and across borders (border control) and link different struggles and share information in autonomous spaces. 

Letter to the Liason Officer for Police Affairs at the Belgian Embassy in Washington D.C

Patrick Stevens
Police Attaché
Belgium Federal Police
Embassy of Belgium
3330 Garfield Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20008


Dear Mr. Stevens,

Today I was shocked to read an emailing detailing the terrible treatment of my friend Marianne Maeckelbergh and others at the hands of the Belgian police. Not only was I confounded as to why Marianne, who is a well-respected academic and scholar as well as a gentle human being and dear friend, would ever be targeted by the police; I was appalled at how the Belgian police have responded to the incident, a horror I would feel regardless of the fact that my personal friend has been involved.

Indymedia London: Against the arrest + torture of NoBoborder BxlCamp

Source: http://london.indymedia.org.uk/other_medias/5646

Published: Friday 08 October 2010 15:36 by salv. | Share

 

Tagged as: brussels brxl camp free_spaces migration noborders redpepper repression

Against the mass arrest + torture of No Boborders activists during the Bxl Camp
Last week in Brussels, the No Border camp was marked by widespread arbitrary arrests and police violence, including scenes of torture and sexual abuses in the police stations. These violences started from Sunday 26 and took a great extent from Wednesday 29 and continued until the end of the camp. There were over 500 arrests and dozens of people injured.

Iltalehti.fi : Police beat up demonstrators in Belgium

Original Finnish at http://blogit.iltalehti.fi/dan-koivulaakso/2010/10/12/poliisi-pahoinpiteli-mielenosoittajia-belgiassa/

Here's a VERY rough Google translation --- any Finnish speakers out there who can provide a real translation?

Iltalehti.fi

 

Police beat up demonstrators in Belgium
Written by Dan Koivulaakso

 

Photo: Indymedia BXL

Data:recollective: Against the crossborder criminalisation of political activists!

Source: http://datarecollective.net/node/20'

Available in French and German at http://datarecollective.net/node/22

Against the crossborder criminalisation of political activists!

For the abandonment of the police database society!

“We preventively arrested 148 protesters [...]. 96 anarchists were arrested, as they wanted to participate in the demonstration”
Brussels police spokesperson Christiqn De Coninck justifies the mass-arrests on the 29th of September

PRESS RELEASE (Brussels No Border camp): Activists file complaint against illegal preventative arrests

Source: http://london.noborders.org.uk/node/408

Note: Later estimates pegged total arrestes at over 500. 

1 October, 2010 - 16:24 — London NoBorders

30/09/10, for immediate release

On Wednesday 29th September, an international demonstration took place in Brussels against the new European directives on economic austerity. According to our estimates 300 participants of the No Border Camp, which is taking place throughout the week in Brussels, were arrested preventatively at different locations in the city, on their way to the demonstration. A group of Brussels lawyers have prepared a complaint which is being delivered on Friday, demanding that free expression of opinion must be respected as a democratic right.

Marianne / Belgium Prisoners is Top Story at Wetlands-Preserve.org

http://wetlands-preserve.org

Direct link to the Belgium Solidarity campaign page at 

http://wetlands-preserve.org/?page=BelgiumIndex

The Story is Going Viral...

University World News: Belgium: Academic arrested and mistreated by police

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20101015200409520
 

Cop Block: Pluto author arrested and tortured in Belgium
http://ko-kr.connect.facebook.com/posted.php?id=281961363188&start=60&hash=d9ce2fd4f6a33d2274b5fee036621798

Die Tageszeitung junge Welt: Police harassment of anti-racists in Belgium A week after sitting in the Brussels "No Border" camp-four activists still in custody

Original German at  http://www.jungewelt.de/2010/10-13/032.php

Here's a bad Google Translation -- can anyone provide a real translation?

Network for Academic and Educational Rights Action Alert in Support of Dr. Maeckelbergh

Arrest and mistreatment of US Professor of Anthropology

www.nearinternational.org/alert-detail.asp?alertid=569

A Netherlands-based US professor is accusing Belgian police of abuse during a crackdown on recent protests for migrant rights in Belgium, Red Pepper reported on 6 October 2010.

Dr Marianne Maeckelbergh, Professor in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Leiden, was arrested on 1 October whilst taking pictures of the arrest of activists taking part in the “No Borders” protest camp in Brussels. Dr Maeckelbergh had arrived to Brussels two hours before her arrest and intended to visit the camps over the weekend as part of her ongoing academic research.

Translation of El Impacto.es Article

The article contains one inaccuracy -- Dr. Maeckelbergh was taking pictures of an arrest she observed while at a cafe.  She was not  at the No Border camp.
 

Original Spanish at http://www.elimpulso.es/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=19173&format=html
 

Google Translation of Another Mo News Story

ankAnyone up for doing a real translation into English?


Original Dutch at 
http://www.mo.be/index.php?id=63&tx_uwnews_pi2[art_id]=29990&cHash=a7fa3df100

Belgian police act brutally against protesters 

 October 11, 2010 (MO) - The Belgian police acted brutally against protesters on October 1 of the No Border Camp. One of the victims, Marianne Maeckelbergh to the University of Leiden researching democracy and social change, was the violence at first hand experience. She wrote a poignant testimony and draw pertinent questions.

Belgian Offices in US Respond to Calls with Lies and Hubris

Here's one supporter's experience of calling the Belgian government offices in New York:

"I called the numbers and none were very productive. The assistant to the US ambassador was probably the most worthwhile but he didn't seem very concerned (shocking) and assured me that all activists have been released. the UN office seemed confused as to why i'd be calling them and said it would be better to call the US embassy in brussels. Finally, the tourist office seemed amused that i was concerned about my safety in belgium and assured me it is a very very safe country. Nevertheless, i'm canceling my travel plans."

Help wipe the smirks off the tourist office staff faces and let the Consulate know we know they're lying about all the prisoners being released -- keep those calls coming in!

 Belgium's Offices in the US

Belgium's Offices in the UK

Tweet This

Brussels: 500+ Activists, Anthropologist Marianne Maeckelbergh arrested, many tortured, 4 still jailed http://belgiumsolidarity.blogspot.com

Recommended Facebook Status:

"Make this your Facebook status: Over 500 activists arrested in Brussels, Belgium during a week of protest against fiscal austerity and xenophobic anti-migration policies. Many premptive arrests and an arrest of a witness photographing arrests (Dr. Marianne Maeckelbergh). Many tortured, 4 still jailed. Join the international solidarity effort. More info: belgiumsolidarity.blogspot.com or belgiumsolidarity@mail.com"

Dr. Marianne's Maeckelbergh's Account of Her Arrest and Abuse in Mo Magazine

http://www.mo.be/index.php?id=340&tx_uwnews_pi2[art_id]=29989&cHash=c7f254ce3e

Photos from NYC Belgian Consulate Protest, NYC 10/8/10

Caledoniyya.com: More Police Brutality: 10 Points for Guessing the Country

http://caledoniyya.com/2010/10/07/more-police-brutality-10-points-for-guessing-the-country/

October 7, 2010 by Layla Leave a Comment

And it may surprise you:

Updated US Action Alert

US Citizen Arrested and Tortured by Belgian Police

Among 500 Arrested in Police Crackdown on Immigrant Rights Gathering

Last Friday, October 1 2010, during the No Border Camp: a convergence of struggles aiming to end the system of borders that divide us all, Marianne Maeckelbergh (US citizen and professor at the University of Leiden, Netherlands), a former Red Pepper worker, current contributor and a long-time global justice activist and the author of The Will of the Many: How the Alterglobalisation Movement Is Changing the Face of Democracy, was arrested for taking pictures while police were making arrests in Brussels, Belgium. 

Democracy Now! Video - US Professor Accuses Belgian Police of Abuse

US Professor Accuses Belgian Police of Abuse

A Holland-based US professor and activist is accusing police in Belgium of abusing her as part of a crackdown on a recent protest for migrant rights. Dr. Marianne Maeckelbergh of Holland's University of Leiden says she was taking pictures of the "No Border Camp" in Brussels when she was arrested. Maeckelbergh says Belgian police dragged her by her hair, chained her to a radiator, kicked her, and subjected her to verbal abuse as well as threats of sexual assault. Video after the break:

Rough Translantion of Mo Article in Dutch -- Police Threatening to Charge Dr. Maeckelbergh with Libel

Police Committee Investigating Police Action

October 12, 2010 (MO) - Police Christian De Coninck, police spokesman Ixelles Brussels Capital, speaks at the news of police violence on October 1. Committee P, commissioned by the Belgian police controls parliament, has launched an investigation. 

Belgian Police - A History of Insensitivity and Incompentence

Thanks to Alice Bruckenstein for suggesting this story!

Yet more evidence that bad behavior by Belgian police is nothing new...

March 15, 1997

Crying out loud

By Timothy W Ryback

Revelations of official incompetence and arrogance have tumbled forth during investigations into the Belgian children allegedly murdered by Marc Dutroux. Hundreds of thousands marched in the streets. The Government trembled. And all because of one man's search for his missing daughter. 

Protest in NYC Against Torture of US Activist, 500 Others in Belgium (Earth First Newswire)

http://earthfirstnews.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/no-borders-camp-smashed-earth-firster-tortured-by-police/

Twitter Trackbacks for "Former Red Pepper worker arrested and tortured "

from http://topsy.com/www.redpepper.org.uk/Former-Red-Pepper-worker-arrested

Former Red Pepper worker arrested and tortured - Red Pepper

redpepper.org.uk/Former-Red-Pepper-worker-arrested – view page – cached

Last Friday, during the No Border Camp: a convergence of struggles aiming to end the system of borders that divide us all, Marianne Maeckelbergh (...), A magazine of political rebellion and dissent. Influenced by socialism, feminism and environmental politics, it is a resource for all those wanting to create a world based on... Read more

Tweets about this link

Former Red Pepper worker arrested and tortured - Professor at the University of Leiden http://bit.ly/a91hJz

enriquediestro 2 hours ago retweet

CALL OUT AGAINST REPRESSION. Sit-in Sunday in front of the St-Gilles prison. Open meeting on next Thursday in Gesu.

  State terror carried out by its repressive forces tries to silence rebellion.

The No Border camp in Brussels from September 25th to October 3th has been a week full of encounters, discoveries, actions and attempts of actions, but this week has also been marked by a violent repression - based on police presumptions and on arbitrary apparency criteria - : systematic identity controls, body searches and searches of personal belongings, massive and arbitrary preventive arrests, power abuse, lynching, beating with batons, use of tear gas ...

Human Rights Violations in Belgium -- Don't Be So Surprised

In the last week we've seen a lot of comments like these:

Some have been sarcastic:

""I'm so glad these "first world," "civilized" countries do not condone torture.

" Oh Lord. Let's hear it for Democracy and Western Civilization! Good thing we're off fighting those barbarians in the MidEast and Asia."

US ACTION ALERT: US Citizen Arrested & Tortured in Belgium for Photographing Arrests

500 Others Arrested, Many Tortured

News Release for 10/8/10 New York Press Conference

Friends and Family of Marianne Maeckelbergh

News Release
For Immediate Release 10/7/10
Contacts: Adam Weissman (718) 880-7979 Brandon Jourdan (646) 342-8169

PRESS CONFERENCE: US Citizen Arrested and Tortured by Belgian Police
Among 500 Arrested in Police Crackdown on Immigrant Rights Gathering

On Friday, October 8th, 12:30PM at the Belgian Consulate by 40th Street entrance to 1065 6th Ave in Manhattan, friends and family of Dr. Marianne Maeckelbergh and human rights advocates will hold a press conference in conjunction with the filing of a complaint in the Belgian courts by human rights lawyers against the wrongful arrest and torture of a a US citizen and hundreds of others last week in Brussels.

FRONTIER LAW: EYEWITNESS REPORT FROM NO BORDERS DEMONSTRATION IN BRUSSELS

Source: SchNEWS, Friday 8th October 2010 | Issue 742

The No Borders camp in Brussels last week persevered in getting their message across by means of various direct actions despite widespread arbitrary arrests and shocking police violence, including physical and sexual abuse in police custody. At least 500 mostly ‘preventative’ arrests took place, and 14 people were seriously injured. Here’s a day by day report...

Timeline: NoBorderCamp Brussels

Publié par le collectif:
IMC Bruxelles/Brussels

October 03, 2010 19:40 - At least 4 people are still in jail. Read more here

October 02, 2010 21:40 - Action alert! The white night will maybe not be that white, keep an eye on the newsline on bxl.indymedia.org!
Alerte actions!

ANTIREPRESSION AND JURIDICAL FOLLOW-UP - from No Border Camp Website

Last week in Brussels, the No Border camp was marked by widespread arbitrary arrests and police violence, including tortures and sexual abuses in the police stations. These violences started from Sunday 26 and took a great extent from Wednesday 29 till the end of the camp: there were over 500 arrests and dozens of people injured. Witnesses, pictures and videos are already available on indymedia.bruxelles.

Former Red Pepper worker arrested and tortured

(http://www.redpepper.org.uk/Former-Red-Pepper-worker-arrested)


Last Friday, during the No Border Camp: a convergence of struggles aiming to end the system of borders that divide us all, Marianne Maeckelbergh (US citizen and professor at the University of Leiden, Netherlands), a former Red Pepper worker, current contributor and a long-time global justice activist and the author of ‘The Will of the Many: How the Alterglobalisation Movement Is Changing the Face of Democracy’, was arrested for taking pictures while police were making arrests in Brussels, Belgium.

Having just entered Belgium, some two hours earlier, she witnessed violent arrests on the street. When Marianne began taking pictures, she was arrested. She was taken into police custody where she was violently dragged by her hair, chained to a radiator, hit, kicked, spat upon, called a whore, and threatened with sexual assault by the police. She also witnessed the torture of another prisoner also chained to a radiator.