1. International massdemonstration with 80.000 people has ended

Protest against G8 was peacefully and expressed in many different ways

 The international mass demonstration with 80.000 members against the G8-summit has ended in Rostock today peacefully. "It is a huge success.

We are many and have shown our protest against the inhumane G8-politics emphatically and peacefully," said Sabine Zimpel of the demonstration alliance. According to news channel Phoenix, Rostock's major Methling praised the peaceful course of the demonstration.

From two directions - from the train station and from Braesigplatz - the demonstration took its route to the city harbour of Rostock, where at the moment the final speakers hold their speeches. Many members of the demonstration showed their protest with a lot of phantasy.

The organisers of the demonstration said that the numbers given by the police are way too small. "It is in the political interest of the police to publish small numbers, to discredit the protest against the G8-summit," said Zimpel. Further the police told the media numbers already ahead of the demonstration. "This is highly unsound. Not even all participants had reached Rostock at this time."

Following the peaceful demonstration quarrels between the police and single protesters began.

"We actively try for a deescalation, but at this point cannot comment the situation finally," stressed Sabine Zimpel.

2.  Attac declaration on the international g8 mass demonstation in Rostock

Rostock 02.06.2007, 9.33 pm

Despite a peaceful and successful demonstration there were violent excesses on the brink of the protests.

According to present state of knowledge, the escalation after the end of the demonstration was caused by a small group of demonstrants who attacked a parked police car on the site of the rally.

Afterwards the situation escalated. Both sides took part in the escalation. In particular, the police reacted disproportionally with targeted assaults, also on peaceful participants of the rally too.

A calm down of the situation happened after active efforts for deescalation through the organisers and intensive talks between the police and the demonstration-management.

The altermondialist network Attac sharply denounces the attacks on the two police officers. "Also the repeated chasing of occasionally withdrawing police was totally irresponsible". declared Werner Rätz of Attac's national coordination committee.

Peter Wahl, member of the national coordination committee too, stressed the former peaceful course of the demonstration. "In Rostock, 80.000 people have demonstrated non-violently and creatively their democratic protest against the inhuman G8 politics." During the protest the prior agreements between the organisers and the police have worked well. The international mass demonstration was beard by a large alliance of organisations from the interventionist left, Attac to Greenpeace. All partners have adhered to the prior agreement on the peaceful character of the demonstrations. "This was a large success after the long months of mobilisation. And we do not want to let this ruin", adds Shahyar of the national coordination committee.

"We hope that albeit the incidents of today the political climate enables peaceful and democratic protests against the politics of the G8, appealed Peter Wahl to all parties.