The German government has sent a proposal for the creation of "Special Units"
to the European Union (EU) "heads of central bodies for public order and security" to
counter protests at EU Council meetings and other international meetings.
In a report dated 20 September, the German government has proposed to other
EU states that, in response to "events in Gothenburg and Genoa", each
should form and make available "special units" to implement:
"joint and harmonised measures against travelling offenders committing
violent acts"
and proposes that:
"the preconditions must be established to enable one Member State to
request the support of special units from other Member States"
Tony Bunyan, editor of Statewatch, comments: "We are living in very dangerous times in many senses. The use of armed and
specially trained para-military police units to counter protests in the EU
will tend to escalate violence not diminish it. But, more importantly, it
is part of a strategy to treat protestors as the same kind of "threat" as
terrorists. This can only lead to a curtailment of the right of free
movement and the democratic right to demonstrate."
The full text of the report and Statewatch analysis is on:
