[Imc-europe] Aubonne Bridge Action court case verdict

Sat Feb 18 06:44:02 PST 2006

Hello

Here maqui from imc-uk.

We've just put together a feature about the verdict of the Aubonne  
Bridge court case verdict, where the two policemen facing the private  
prosecution have been acquitted ... what a surprise! :-(

Anyway, I am sending it here just in case any of your imc's want to pic  
it up and publish it, or translate it, or use it in some other way. It  
has quite a lot of background info (links) to the action itself, the  
Evian G8 mobilizations of 2003, and the court case. It ends with a  
first hand detailed report of the court case by the Aubonne Support  
Group.

I put the link to our feature below, and I also copy the whole think  
below below in html version just in case you just wanna a do a straight  
cut and paste job :-)

Feature: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333966.html

Cheers

maqui
one @ imc-uk

==========================

Swiss Police Acquitted in Aubonne Bridge Trial

Abstract:

On the 13th, 14th, 15th of February 2006 a <a 
href="/en/2006/02/332756.html">court case against two Swiss police 
officers</a> took place in Nyon, Switzerland. Michael Deiss and Claude 
Poget were <a href="/en/2006/02/333464.html">charged with causing 
bodily harm through negligence</a>. They were in court after nearly 
killing climbers Martin Shaw and Gesine Wenzel during the protests 
against the <a href="/en/2003/12/282510.html">G8 in Evian</a>. On 
Friday 17 February the verdict of this private prosecution came through 
with an <a href="/en/2006/02/333889.html">acquittal of the two 
policemen</a> [Read verdict <a 
href="http://www.aubonnebridge.net/data/ 
verdict%20press%20release%20international.doc">press release</a> by 
Martin and Gesine].


In June 2003, an affinity group <a 
href="http://www.aubonnebridge.net/action.php">blockaded the Aubonne 
Bridge</a> with a climbing action in order to stop a G8 delegation from 
reaching the summit in Evian. The police cut the climbing rope. As a 
result both activists were seriously injured, specially <a 
href="/en/2003/06/72621.html">Martin Shaw</a> who spent one month in 
hospital and sustained irreversible injuries. See <a 
href="http://www.aubonnebridge.net/video.php">video</a> and a <a 
href="http://www.aubonnebridge.net/slideshowen/index.html">Photo 
strory</a> of the event.


Other recent newswire reports:
<a href="http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333758.html">Report 
of day 3 of the trial</a> |
<a href="/en/2006/02/333505.html">Statement by the Aubonne Support 
Group on the court proceedings</a> | <a 
href="/en/2006/02/333958.html">Activists walk out of court after 
verdict</a>


More information: <a href="http://www.aubonnebridge.net/">Aubonne 
Bridge Campaign</a> | <a 
href="http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2003/evian/">IMC-UK 
Evian G8 page</a> | <a 
href="/en/2006/02/333529.html?c=on#c142005">PigBrother Live Show</a>

Content:
<p>
<strong>Direct reaction of Martin and Gesine, announced after they had  
left the "hall of justice" in the middle of the verdict being read  
out:</strong>
<br><br>
<i>"What we have seen here during the last three days is exactly the     
       reason why we and thousands of other people like us all over the  
world          think that direct action is the best way to overcome  
injustice.
The entire judicial procedure from the time the rope was cut has been    
        clear whitewash. The prosecution is supposed to defend the law  
but what          they actually defend is the state – and its officers.  
This court case has been an elaborate, expensive and time-consuming  
piece of theatre to provide a platform to find excuses for inexcusable  
actions and to misguide the public by pretending to provide justice.  
<br>
This verdict is a pure cover up of police brutality by the justice  
system and is just further proof of the almost complete police impunity  
in Switzerland."</i>
[Read full <a  
href="http://www.aubonnebridge.net/data/ 
verdict%20press%20release%20international.doc"> Press Release</a>]
</p>
<p>
Unfortunatelly this was not the only case of police brutality during  
the mobilizations against the G8 Summit in Evian. In a separate  
incident, photographer Guy Smallman needed a two hour long operation  
after police fired a stun grendade at his <a  
href="http://ch.indymedia.org/images/2003/06/10880.jpg">leg</a>. A  
legal case over this is still ongoing in Switzerland. [<a  
href="/en/2003/06/70454.html">Report of the event</a> | <a  
href="http://www.indymedia.ch/it/2003/06/11259.shtml">Photo sequence of  
the shooting</a> | <a  
href="http://media.gn.apc.org/fl/Charge-GVA_small.mov">Video of Guy  
being shot</a>]

<h3>Report from the Aubonne Support Group:</h3> 

Activists walk out of court as Swiss Police found not guilty 
after nearly killing climbers at G8 Protests, 2003


Today, (17.2.2006) the facade of a trial against the police ended in a 
not guilty verdict with little chance of their victims ever receiving 
compensation. As the verdict was read out this lunchtime the activists 
walked out of court shouting that they had had enough of this bullshit. 
The whitewashed trial of two police officers in Switzerland, acquitted 
of the charges of causing severe bodily harm. The two victims narrowly 
escaped with their lives after a police officer cut a climbing rope 
during a protest action against the G8 in Evian, France in 2003. 
Despite clear video evidence that the police officers had cut the rope 
the judge supported police impunity by ruling that they had made 
mistakes but that these were understandable in the context of the 
stress they were under!


Only 3% of incidents involving police brutality are brought to trial in 
Switzerland, and even then there is only a 0.08 % conviction rate so 
the odds were always against us. We only got as far as we did because 
of the support and solidarity of many people and it has shown us the 
importance of this. It was seen as a monetous occasion to see the 
police in court at all, (its never ahppened in that part of Switzerland 
before!)


Verdicts like this clearly show that you can’t expect justice from the 
courts or protection from the police and show that we are right to have 
no faith in our so called justice system, (the reason why direct action 
was used to blockade the Aubonne Bridge in the first place!)


This is one small instance of repression and injustice, from the <a 
href="/en/2006/02/333037.html">29 police-officers currently standing 
trial</a> for acts of appalling brutality at the <a 
href="/en/actions/2001/genoa/">G8 summit in Genoa, Italy in 2001</a>, 
to the massive display of police and military force recently in <a 
href="/en/actions/2005/g8/">Gleneagles, Scotland</a>, the G8 is having 
to use enormous amounts of force to protect itself against the ever 
increasing amounts of people that challenge its legitimacy.

As part of the mobilisation against the G8 in June 2003, two climbers 
hung from a rope across the Aubonne Bridge in order to stop a G8 
delegation from reaching the summit in Evian, France. The police cut 
the climbing rope and nearly killed two activists. Martin fell 25 m and 
broke his back, his pelvis and shattered his foot. Despite five 
operations, he will never make a complete recovery. Gesine, was saved 
when members of her affinity group grabbed her rope seconds before she 
fell. She has suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and 
has had to undergo intensive treatment. [Photos of the action <a 
href="http://www.indymedia.ch/demix/2003/06/10488.shtml">1</a> | <a 
href="http://www.indymedia.ch/demix/2003/06/10502.shtml">2</a> | <a 
href="http://www.indymedia.ch/demix/2003/06/10517.shtml">3</a> | <a 
href="http://www.indymedia.ch/demix/2003/06/10530.shtml">4</a>]


Many <a href="http://www.aubonnebridge.net/support.php">solidarity 
actions and campaigning</a> took place after the incident and again 
around the court case AGAINST the activists in May 2004. At the trial 
in 2004 the activists were found guilty of blocking the road and 
endangering the lives of the drivers. Shortly afterwards the 
investigating judge decided to effectively <a 
href="/en/2004/11/301328.html">drop the case against the police</a>. 
Only after an appeal and a great deal of public pressure did the high 
court overturn his decision and allow for the case to go ahead.

The Trial against the police.
 
The court case against the police had the same judge who gave the 
activists suspended prison sentences so there was not much hope of a 
fair trial. The lack any genuine defence was illustrated by the fact 
that one of the main arguments used in favour of the police was simply 
that the climbers would not have been cut down if they had not been 
hanging there in the first place. BRILLIANT. They made out that despite 
many months of preparation and training they were completely 
unprepared for the possibility that people might blockade the motorway, 
despite the fact that they other security forces were stationed as 
lookouts on other bridges nearby.


Even if the charges against the police had been proven, there would 
have only be minor penalties, like fines or short sentences on 
probation. The Aubonne Bridge campaign from the very beginning has 
demanded the suspension of the two police officers involved, an 
independent investigation into the repression that took place during 
the G8 and compensation for those who were seriously injured. It is 
likely that the Canton de Vaud will now never pay a penny.


The Verdict.
 
Protesters and press journalists gathered outside the court in Lausanne 
Switzerland, to hear the verdict of the case against the two policemen. 
Several wore big cardboard Swiss army knives on their backs to 
demonstrate that the Swiss police are killing people and that the 
justice system afterwards stabs them in the back. Other protesters were 
dressed as cleaners and started helping the court in their whitewash, 
cleaning the court with sponges and toothbrushes. Martin and Gesine, 
the two activists cut from the rope in over two years ago held a banner 
saying: <a href="http://www.aubonnebridge.net/data/blanchir.jpg">"The 
justice system whitewashes police brutality"</a>. The courtroom was 
filled with press and protesters as the judge read his 23 page 
judgement. As he began the judge, Pierre Bruttin, stated that in his 
court there is no police impunity, and that the court had considered 
the whole case with great caution and decided only on the basis of the 
facts and the law. It soon became clear that he was just repeating the 
arguments of the defense and the prosecution, contradicting all the 
arguments of the civil party and not considering the most critical 
points. He argued that the cutting of the rope was provoked by the 
temerity of the activists, and that while objectively the police has 
made mistakes, subjectively it had to be understood because they were 
under such great stress at the time. Video evidence shown in court, 
clearly shows that it was the actions of the police officers arriving 
on the scene that provoked the tension and the chaos not the other way 
around.


The reaction.
 
At this point Gesine and Martin decided that they had had enough. They 
stood up, unfurling a banner saying “Police partout, justice nul part”, 
(police everywhere, justice nowhere) and declared, - “we are going, we 
have heard enough bullshit, lies and excuses” – and left the courtroom 
followed by their supporters. Outside the climbers made a statement in 
front of the TV cameras saying that this was just further evidence of 
police impunity in Switzerland and that it was clear that the justice 
systems covers up police brutality. Shortly afterwards the rest of the 
public and lawyers came outside. Asked what he thought of the acquittal 
the lawyer said that, “It is a judicial scandal that such behaviour can 
be excused by stress and impulsiveness.”


The climbers read out this declaration in front of the court:
 
“What we have seen here during the last three days is exactly the 
reason why we and thousands of other people like us all over the world 
think that direct action is the best way to overcome injustice.
The entire judicial procedure from the time the rope was cut has been 
clear whitewash. The prosecution is supposed to defend the law but what 
they actually defend is the state – and its officers. This court case 
has been an elaborate, expensive and time-consuming piece of theatre to 
provide a platform to find excuses for inexcusable actions and to 
misguide the public by pretending to provide justice. This verdict is 
a pure cover up of police brutality by the justice system and is just 
further proof of the almost complete police impunity in Switzerland.”