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.