CzechTek Festival run over

[Pekka]

I just read from papers that the annual electronic music festival got nasty when over thousand cops in riot gear stormed in to break it.

What's suspicious about it to me is that supposedly it went on only 20 minutes in, when they came and stormed. over 80 people injured, half of them cops.

Cops say they were breaking private property, thus they needed to step in.

However it seems odd to me, that they were able to mobilize over thousand cops in riot gear in less than 20 minutes. So they were ready even before it started, IN riot gear. The festivals had proper permits and all that. Without knowing all the facts, seems to me the cops were ordered to storm in no matter what even before the festival began.

[Az]

sounds fishy, indeed.

So, what were they playing at czeuzckTek festival, anyway?

[Pekka]

I don't know.. never heard of it before, but I suspect trance etc.. been big in eastern europe for longer times so that's my WILD guess.

Anyway, it's supposed to be popular and people from neighbouring countries attending etc.. so it's fairly big festival. Anyway, you don't have 1000 or more cops ready to protect the festival people and keep order. Festival that big has to have their own security staff etc, fairly big too, nto to mention I suspect since they had permits, that they need to cooperate with the cops to begin with, at least in here you have to. So how the hell you get that much cops in riot gear, with a plan ready to run it down?

EVEN if some people were breaking stuff, why do you need an army of riot cops storming in? That seems a bit excessive, because I doubt there were hundreds of people breaking things at the same time. So even if some people were breaking stuff, it only makes the situation worse to attack like that, because there were thousands of people in.

I have no other facts so I can't make judgements, but with this info alone, I find it hard to believe it wasn't planned. You just don't get that much cops in riot gear in 20 minutes, not even to the location, let alone gear up and move in.

And it sounds even more weird, that only 20 minutes in, well that's the time cops came in, so that exactly as the festival opened, people started breaking stuff immidiately, organized in action.. paid tickets and travelled only to break stuff? Sounds very very odd.

[Colonâ„¢]

You got a link for that?

[Colonâ„¢]

Czechtek is open-air international and multicultural music festival with
12 year tradition. Not only different genres of music, but also videoart
and other art performances take place on this unique event of free
culture.


In all history of festival there were no significant damages or problems,
participants while leaving clean the land and take responsibility for
their action.


Contract with the owner of grass plain was clearly shown to police. There
is no indicaion that festival was in any way illegal, every aspect was
according to law of Czech Republic.


Although police stated throughout friday 29th several different reasons
for blockage of access to the place of festival, all were later shown as
lies or desinformation. The final reason for brute attack was "threat of
damaging the surrounding private pieces of land".


The presence of attending young people on surrounding land was caused by
police blockage of all roads and the police action was not taken against
this people, but against the people on legally borrowed property.


Woman from near willage, owner of adjoining land, said she had been woken
up by police friday morning, long before people began to arrive, taken to
police station and by false arguments encouraged to sign complaint.


Most of the people did not hear any appeal to leave the place, many of
them had drunk alcohol-containing beverages and could not go away with
cars, many of them believed that by taking part on legally organized
festival they cannot be targeted by police.


The first police action on saturday 30, 16:30PM took several hours and was
badly coordinated. On the place was 1000 policemen, water cannon, armoured
tank and low-flying helicopter.


The second night attack at 22PM was led with extreme brutality.

Police in heavy suits without identifying numbers refused to give
identifying information, information about their command and information
about first aid location.


Police used massive amounts of tear gas and desorientation grenades, in
many cases they threw tear gas granade into a car and did not let people
inside for long time get out, in other cases they broke car windows by
iron bars, threw grenade in and forced people to get out.


All people were beaten up, including teenage girls, which cried in pain.
Witnesses described attack on lone staing girl, who was pulled down by her
hair and kicked on the ground by four policemen.


There were hundreds of injuries, including cuts, bruises, burnings, broken
arms, shock. Many people were in shock still the next day afternoon with
red faces from tear gas.


Police intentionally damaged cars, electronic equipment and other
property. Attack was led with clear intention to cause injuries.


People were forced to go to near highway, which was closed several hours
and then the waiting trucks were allowed to go dangerously among the
desoriented people. Police confirmed death of young man attending the
festival. Reportedly he was killed by truck which left. The reason of this
death can be manipulated by police, no wittnesses were found to confirm
police statement.


Police brutality continued on scattered people till the sunday morning.

Czech state television Czech TV did not inform about the night attack,
it's news were not balanced, mainly repeating police statements. Czech TV
in its news also under estimated political value of call of freedom and
resignation of minister of interior on sunday's demonstration in Prague,
reporting briefly about techno-goers.


This is a call to foreing media to publish information about unlawful
police brutality and state of democracy and human rights in Czech
Republic.


press release of the visions.cz server, 31. 7. 23:30


Foto's:

http://www.techno.cz/party/report/2005/0730czechtek_t-rex/index12.htm

[Colonâ„¢]

Check the pictures... there was a TANK for chrissake.

http://www.techno.cz/party/report/2005/0730czechtek_t-rex/index12.htm

[Jon Shafer]

What are they doing in that last picture? 'Heil-ing' the police?

[Colonâ„¢]

I thought they were trying to hold the police back, but I guess it's also possible they're signalling that they believe the cops are a bunch of fascists.

[Pekka]

that looks like a REAL tank to me, not some watergun one. Why the hell would you need a real tank there? What is the point? I don't understand.

Inside EU.

No one gives a crap.

[Az]

I really like the police' darth vaderesque helmets. They add a nice touch.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Pekka
that looks like a REAL tank to me, not some watergun one. Why the hell would you need a real tank there? What is the point? I don't understand.

Inside EU.

No one gives a crap.

I'd have to guess it's just for fear factor - none of the pics showed it in use, they probably just brought it by on a truck to show off. Plenty of people in Eastern Europe remember tanks running through their streets in the last seventy years, so they're probably pretty effective just to look at ...

[Az]

Ummm, yes.... I remember tanks going around cities all the time.

[DanS]

This all seems very strange. I wouldn't be surprised to see more information coming out in the next few days.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Az
Ummm, yes.... I remember tanks going around cities all the time.

I mean SOVIET tanks primarily (or soviet-backed tanks) ... which ran through the streets of several Eastern European nations back in the day

For example ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/21/newsid_2781000/2781867.stm

[Az]

It happened so often that you had to look for a 68' story to find it?

and yes, I got that you've meant soviet tanks. Only place I, as a citizen of the soviet union saw tanks was the TV. I think they were in an american movie.