| People started
gathering in Namesti Miru square at 9 o'clock in the morning.
Various artistic events unfolded including a massive sound system,
a vast inflatable globe and numerous banners expressing discontent
with the IMF/World Bank in several different languages. The IMC
Praha was present with a Public Access Terminal, allowing people
to upload their reports and views directly to the website.
At around 12
o'clock, the demonstration split into three different groups -
yellow, blue and pink - and started to approach the conference
centre where the IMF/World Bank meeting was taking place. The
'yellow' march took the main route to the big bridge leading to
the conference complex. Led by Italian and Spanish groups linked
to the Ya Basta! movement - dressed in white foam-padded overalls
and carrying heavy shielding - they approached lines of heavily
armored riot police occupying the bridge. For more than two hours
groups were pushing against police lines, but the narrow bridge
which was covered entirely with armored police vehicles proved to
be a too difficult location to break through to the conference
centre. In the afternoon, an assembly held by Ya Basta! decided to
leave the bridge and to join the other marches.
The blue
march moved down the valley separating the city from the centre
and met heavy police resistance. Stones and other objects were
thrown at police while the latter unleashed a combination of
concussion grenades and tear gas. A number of protestors managed
to climb up a hill and got close to the conference complex, while
down in the street massive confrontations between demonstrators
and police were continuing until the late afternoon.
The
pink group, including the Samba Band, managed to get around the
conference complex to approach from the other side. Changing
locations and directions quickly and spontaneously, a large group
of protestors took the police by surprise several times and
finally got close to the centre. Some protestors managed to occupy
parts of the complex, before the police responded with heavy
charges, using concussion grenades, tear gas and serious physical
violence. However, peaceful blockades remained around the centre
until the early evening, locking the delegates in for several
hours. As it got dark, thousands of
people were blocking the Opera and other locations
where the delegates were planning to
spent the evening. There were confrontations between riot police
and large groups of protestors all over the city, some protestors
were engaged in targeted property damage (banks, McDonalds). The
police retained control in some locations but looked completely
out of control in others.
|
