[Nettime-bold] Fences come down - will borders be next?

[ben moretti <bmoretti@chariot.net.au>]

[Excellent photos here - you can get an idea of how barren is the 
country people are held on.]

http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/

Fences come down - will borders be next?

A report from desert.indymedia on government reaction to actions.

Events at the Woomera2002 Festival of Freedoms moved quickly as 
protesters dismantled fences and made a dash for freedom. Police 
surround Woomera2002 campsite and institute movement checks.

At 6pm, detainees began protesting inside the Detention Centre. They 
were quickly joined by around 1,000 people who bypassed the police 
roadblock, walked almost a kilometre toward the back of the Detention 
Centre, and dismantled the outer perimeter fence to join with them.

Protesters behind the wire had asked that protesters outside join them 
in some chants, some of which included: 'ACM, immigration mafia' and 
'Freedom'. Protesters ran to meet those behind the inner fence with 
cheers, messages of support and chants for freedom. At the fence, 
detainees spoke with people on the other side of the fence, and some 
made a courageous attempt to climb the fence and join the 1,000-strong 
crowd on the other side.

A hole was cut into the inner razor-wire fence that separated 
protesters, amd several detainees escaped. Estimates vary, but two or 
three of the escapees were recaptured by the police and immediately 
taken back the Detention Centre.

Alleging that the Woomera2002 campsite are harbouring escapees, police 
have established a roadblock on the road leading out of the Woomera2002 
campsite, are doing identity checks on all people leaving the campsite, 
and have set up a cordon all around the campsite to ensure that no one 
gets in or out without being checked by police.

Conflicts have arisen between the Australian Protective Services (a 
Commonwealth security force) and the South Australian Police over who 
has the jurisdiction to make arrests of protesters at Woomera2002.

The South Australian Premier reached for that old favourite, the 
"rent-a-crowd" figure with which to lay the groundwork for police 
violently moving against the Woomera2002 campsite. Protesters have at 
each stage insisted that police not use violence against those on either 
side of the wire, but as yet there have been no assurances regarding 
this.

Latebreaking news: Detainees inside Woomera refused to let ACM conduct a 
headcount in order to ascertain just how many and which detainees had 
made it out of the Detention Centre. ACM has responded with tear gas and 
beatings.

Meanwhile, Australian icon Big Kev today issued a message of solidarity 
with Woomera2002 protesters.

Online chat on IRC available here, use channel #woomera.

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