Saturday 4th April 2009
I just woke up, it's like 9.40 in the morning. All night I was freezing in my tent as my sleeping bag is for the summer, and all night I heard the chucking sound made by helicopters flying over the camp area. A text message woke me, saying I should go to the internet tent because the computers weren't working. As if I could do anything to help. But still I lugged my sleepy-ass self here, and plugged in. The internet at this moment doesn't work. It probably hasn't worked for a few hours now, I speculate and suspect that the police have maybe cut us off from the internet. But phones work, fortunately. We've received news that the blockading group has managed to get to the blockade point, and have held their positions for almost 3 hours now, to my knowledge.
There were two Finnish teams for the blockade, a group that left early last night to stay overnight closer to the town and another group that left this morning at 4 o'clock. The latter group hasn't gotten to the blockade point yet.
Yesterday was also a day worth mentioning in my memoirs. It was almost comparable to the riots that happened the day before. We noticed a few helicopters going around the camping grounds, and the black block people started mobilizing from the camp. It was worrying that people who were really nice and seemed peaceful, suddenly donned their black hoodies and masks and went out with sticks. There seemed to be hundreds of them, maybe thousands. It's hard to make any assessment, since I've no grasp in large masses of people like this as to count them. A few moments, maybe hours later – I don't remember, my memory fails me, I blame the adrenaline rush – smoke started appearing in the horizon and loud bangs and booms near the camp-village.
There was beforehand a worry from NATO-ZU that the camp security patrols were mainly militant black block people, and a request that people who respect the non-violent NATO-ZU guidelines should join the security patrols. I've no info at the moment whether people from NATO-ZU actually joined the security patrols or not. But from what I've heard, I speculate that not. There were reportedly roadblocks assembled – burnable, highly combustible roadblocks. They'd burnt at least one roadblock, and toxic fumes were released into the air. People had to breathe through their t-shirts, various cloths etc just to get through.
Fortunately the situation yesterday did not escalate to the point it did the day before. Although I had no information on what was going on then, but I wasn't worried. The helicopters flew around, we heard loud bangs and smoke came out near the camp, but things calmed down eventually. I think it was only a police tactic to make us fear or to get us on a “by-stand” mode.
lauantai 4. huhtikuuta 2009
perjantai 3. huhtikuuta 2009
France
Salut! from sunny France.
At the moment I am hearing explosions near the camp we're staying at. There has been again some escalation conserning the police and some activists. From what I understand, there is unrest due to the fact that there are high-profile politicians near and lots of black block anarchists and other groups.
I would like to remind you that not all people protesting NATO are violent, nor black block or even anarchists. Some of us are just ordinary people taking the time to protest against war.
Love.
At the moment I am hearing explosions near the camp we're staying at. There has been again some escalation conserning the police and some activists. From what I understand, there is unrest due to the fact that there are high-profile politicians near and lots of black block anarchists and other groups.
I would like to remind you that not all people protesting NATO are violent, nor black block or even anarchists. Some of us are just ordinary people taking the time to protest against war.
Love.
torstai 2. huhtikuuta 2009
More on Strasbourg, France
Protesters battle police ahead of NATO summit
Clashes at NATO summit protests
NATO mellakoita Strasbourgissa
I hope you remember that this is only a part of the picture.
Clashes at NATO summit protests
NATO mellakoita Strasbourgissa
I hope you remember that this is only a part of the picture.
Strabourg, France pt2
I am not mad, not angry, but disappointed though not surprised. I am in here in Strasbourg, France. I'm at the moment staying at the Village Against NATO '09, and I'd like to shed some light on this matter, called the protest against the NATO summit.
Most of us are peaceful, we do not want trouble, but if we find trouble defending peace in Europe, then let it be. Some of us protesters are non-violent, actually alot of us are non-violent. So the picture painted by the media, only half the truth. And half the truth is just a lie. We came here to bring peace peacefully, and I personally will not stoop to the level where I need violence to solve problems.
So I beg and plead, do not mistake all of us protesters here in Ganzau as violent, because that is not true.
Love and compassion towards others.
Most of us are peaceful, we do not want trouble, but if we find trouble defending peace in Europe, then let it be. Some of us protesters are non-violent, actually alot of us are non-violent. So the picture painted by the media, only half the truth. And half the truth is just a lie. We came here to bring peace peacefully, and I personally will not stoop to the level where I need violence to solve problems.
So I beg and plead, do not mistake all of us protesters here in Ganzau as violent, because that is not true.
Love and compassion towards others.
Strasbourg, France
Poliisi pidätti sata Naton vastustajaa Strasbourgissa
Kuokkavieraat aloittivat NATOn juhlakokouksen mielenosoituksilla
Clashes at NATO summit
Along with these news, I publish my rant I wrote on the way here.
Enjoy.
Wednesday 1st April, or Tuesday 31st March (depending on what time you look at...)
It might be almost one o'clock in the night, or getting near midnight. Depends how you look at the time here, really. I'm myself a bit confused with the time, I think my computer's in Finnish time and everything else is in German or Swedish time. Anyhow, it's the second day of traveling or the first, again depending how you look at it. On Monday the 30th we began our journey in Turku, boarding the ship that goes between Turku and Stockholm. In the harbour, at the terminal we met our traveling companions. Most of them unknown, only a handful of people we knew beforehand. Exciting, the feeling when you meet new people. Introducing one another, handshakes, names. All that. You get this nervous feeling that you'll hurt someone's feelings by forgetting a name or so, but it's natural I guess – if you don't pay any attention, or not much attention.
The night on the ship went well, or without any larger complications actually. We drank lots, got to know each other, had fun. The ship swayed and the music was loud. Lots of different people on the boat. It's weird how things like these bring people of different backgrounds together. For example, we saw a group of Canadians – at least we think they were Canadians – and some Italians and crazy Swedes. Odd people. So at night we went discoing, hung around various hallways and talked. Talked a lot, about things that really didn't matter and things that did matter. Differing matters. After all this, we went to bed and got something like two hours of sleep. I even lose count myself, because I was at loss with the difference between Finnish time and Swedish time, since we'd just switched to daylight savings time.
Day two – or one – started off with a bit of a rushed morning. We woke up at six, or seven, don't know really. I don't even know whether it was supposed to be Swedish or Finnish time. Jetlag? Nah. So I was a bit panicked at first, since I didn't see anyone I knew around, so I rushed in the bathroom to do my morning wash, packed my stuff real fast and hurried off. Outside the terminal we were waiting for the rest to get to the bus, since all of us hadn't gotten there yet. So we were waiting, and were a bit worried about someone being left behind or stuff being lost etc. But in the end we managed to get ourselves together and shit together and picked up a Swede as well.
Day two was planned as following: a long drive from Stockholm to Trelleborg, from where we were to take a ferry to Rostock, Germany. Long drive – meaning around 10 hours in the bus, just sitting around. A good plan indeed, with intended stops for toilet business and smoking and eating and such. But as always, plans are doomed to be flawed, no matter how good the planning or the execution. Something happened that we had not foreseen at all, it came right out the blue. One minute we were driving along a highway, everybody enjoying the view and some beverages and then – BLAM. A sudden loud bang, and that was it. A flat tire. Luckily the tire hadn't gone all the way, so it still had some air and we were able to drive the thing somewhere we could stop. Time for Plan B.
Plan B wasn't much of a plan, as so much of a list of operations improvised. We called the bus' owner (since it was a rental) and we waited around a lot, until we got info on a place that would change our tire. That situation was the most nerve wrecking maybe for some, but for me it was oddly like any other situation. Very much like how Omar and Tuukka were extremely excited about the trip, while I was rather uninterested in a way. It was just another trip, for me. Not such a big deal, but this trip really is. The excitement hasn't hit me yet, and I think it won't. The idea of unattachment has grown on me, I think. But anyhow, when we got our tire changed, we kept on driving, since the biggest thing wasn't the changing of the tire – since that was kind of inevitable – but our schedule since we were supposed to be in Trelleborg before 11 pm in order to catch the Ferry to Rostock.
We've been drinking all day long. Beer, whiskey, booze, long drinks... Pick a poison. And me? I drank a bit less than normally, I don't really feel like dozing off into a deep trance of drunkenness just yet. I think I'm getting sick anyways so not to take any chances before we get to France. But onto the bus ride. We were trying to keep to the schedule as to make the ferry, and fortunately we did. We were a few hours late of our original schedule, which means that we were in Trelleborg around 8 pm, instead of the 6 pm originally planned. In Trelleborg, it was mostly just waiting around again. Sitting in the bus, waiting for the rest of the Swedes to arrive.
After another 2-3 hours of waiting, we're finally on the ferry towards Rostock, the ferry's perhaps a bit prophetically named Tom Sawyer, as if it is a sign of an upcoming adventure. The ship is kind of odd, since I've never been on an actual ferry before. I've always just been on the ship from Turku to Stockholm or Helsinki to Tallinn. We don't have cabins here, so we're just roughing it out in the hallways and lounges. Sleeping on the floor tonight. My ass hurts, sitting on the floor. Thus I conclude the first chapter of the journey “No to war, No to NATO”.
Hai
Kuokkavieraat aloittivat NATOn juhlakokouksen mielenosoituksilla
Clashes at NATO summit
Along with these news, I publish my rant I wrote on the way here.
Enjoy.
Wednesday 1st April, or Tuesday 31st March (depending on what time you look at...)
It might be almost one o'clock in the night, or getting near midnight. Depends how you look at the time here, really. I'm myself a bit confused with the time, I think my computer's in Finnish time and everything else is in German or Swedish time. Anyhow, it's the second day of traveling or the first, again depending how you look at it. On Monday the 30th we began our journey in Turku, boarding the ship that goes between Turku and Stockholm. In the harbour, at the terminal we met our traveling companions. Most of them unknown, only a handful of people we knew beforehand. Exciting, the feeling when you meet new people. Introducing one another, handshakes, names. All that. You get this nervous feeling that you'll hurt someone's feelings by forgetting a name or so, but it's natural I guess – if you don't pay any attention, or not much attention.
The night on the ship went well, or without any larger complications actually. We drank lots, got to know each other, had fun. The ship swayed and the music was loud. Lots of different people on the boat. It's weird how things like these bring people of different backgrounds together. For example, we saw a group of Canadians – at least we think they were Canadians – and some Italians and crazy Swedes. Odd people. So at night we went discoing, hung around various hallways and talked. Talked a lot, about things that really didn't matter and things that did matter. Differing matters. After all this, we went to bed and got something like two hours of sleep. I even lose count myself, because I was at loss with the difference between Finnish time and Swedish time, since we'd just switched to daylight savings time.
Day two – or one – started off with a bit of a rushed morning. We woke up at six, or seven, don't know really. I don't even know whether it was supposed to be Swedish or Finnish time. Jetlag? Nah. So I was a bit panicked at first, since I didn't see anyone I knew around, so I rushed in the bathroom to do my morning wash, packed my stuff real fast and hurried off. Outside the terminal we were waiting for the rest to get to the bus, since all of us hadn't gotten there yet. So we were waiting, and were a bit worried about someone being left behind or stuff being lost etc. But in the end we managed to get ourselves together and shit together and picked up a Swede as well.
Day two was planned as following: a long drive from Stockholm to Trelleborg, from where we were to take a ferry to Rostock, Germany. Long drive – meaning around 10 hours in the bus, just sitting around. A good plan indeed, with intended stops for toilet business and smoking and eating and such. But as always, plans are doomed to be flawed, no matter how good the planning or the execution. Something happened that we had not foreseen at all, it came right out the blue. One minute we were driving along a highway, everybody enjoying the view and some beverages and then – BLAM. A sudden loud bang, and that was it. A flat tire. Luckily the tire hadn't gone all the way, so it still had some air and we were able to drive the thing somewhere we could stop. Time for Plan B.
Plan B wasn't much of a plan, as so much of a list of operations improvised. We called the bus' owner (since it was a rental) and we waited around a lot, until we got info on a place that would change our tire. That situation was the most nerve wrecking maybe for some, but for me it was oddly like any other situation. Very much like how Omar and Tuukka were extremely excited about the trip, while I was rather uninterested in a way. It was just another trip, for me. Not such a big deal, but this trip really is. The excitement hasn't hit me yet, and I think it won't. The idea of unattachment has grown on me, I think. But anyhow, when we got our tire changed, we kept on driving, since the biggest thing wasn't the changing of the tire – since that was kind of inevitable – but our schedule since we were supposed to be in Trelleborg before 11 pm in order to catch the Ferry to Rostock.
We've been drinking all day long. Beer, whiskey, booze, long drinks... Pick a poison. And me? I drank a bit less than normally, I don't really feel like dozing off into a deep trance of drunkenness just yet. I think I'm getting sick anyways so not to take any chances before we get to France. But onto the bus ride. We were trying to keep to the schedule as to make the ferry, and fortunately we did. We were a few hours late of our original schedule, which means that we were in Trelleborg around 8 pm, instead of the 6 pm originally planned. In Trelleborg, it was mostly just waiting around again. Sitting in the bus, waiting for the rest of the Swedes to arrive.
After another 2-3 hours of waiting, we're finally on the ferry towards Rostock, the ferry's perhaps a bit prophetically named Tom Sawyer, as if it is a sign of an upcoming adventure. The ship is kind of odd, since I've never been on an actual ferry before. I've always just been on the ship from Turku to Stockholm or Helsinki to Tallinn. We don't have cabins here, so we're just roughing it out in the hallways and lounges. Sleeping on the floor tonight. My ass hurts, sitting on the floor. Thus I conclude the first chapter of the journey “No to war, No to NATO”.
Hai
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