++Outcome of the Court-Hearing in Düsseldorf on the 30th of September 2013++

From the eight persecuted activists, only five appeared in court in Düsseldorf on Monday, the 30th of September 2013. One activist could not be reached by the persecutors and two fell sick.

After reading out the collective court statement (listed further down) of those activists present, the judge together with the persecutor decided that a calling for witnesses was not needed as all five activists declared to have been at the embassy on the respective day and having participated in a non-violent occupation.

In the end, the sentences were reduced from formally 7.000€ to 3.400€ for those trailed.

We believe that politically active people should not be left alone with the repression stemming from legitimate protest.

Please support the whole group of those persecuted after the Occupation of the French Consulate in Düsseldorf in continuing to make funds accessible:

Name of Owner: Oldenburger Rechtshilfe
Account Number: 100-006 154
Bank: Landessparkasse zu Oldenburg
Bank Code: 28050100
Purpose: duesseldorf

IBAN: DE93 2805 0100 0061 54

BIC: BRLADE21LZO

No Borders. No Nations.

**************************************************************************

Court Statement [read out in German]

On Saturday 7th of July 2012, at 3:30am, 28 year old Mohamed Nourredin was found dead in a canal in the city of Calais, Northern France. French police claimed an ‘accidental death’ on the basis of statements of three unknown sources. Following, his body was buried by French authorities. No autopsy was conducted nor friends and relatives informed about the funeral. Till today there has been no move from the French authorities to further investigate the circumstances of Nourredin Mohamed Nourredin’s death

Since 2009 Nourredin Mohamed’s death marked the 18th reported death of a migrant in the city of Calais. Shocked by these news and especially, shocked by the indifference of French national and international media in general, we decided to participate in a peaceful, non-violent yet visible protest, hoping to generate major attention for this case.

Also if the French Consulate in Düsseldorf is not directly to be accountable for the death of Mohamed Noureddin, they constituted the only accessible representatives at site. This is why we entered the French Consulate in Düsseldorf on Friday, 20th of July 2012.

Even though I was asked to leave the Consulate, with no secured guarantee that our message was to be passed on to the highest possible authorities, I did not leave the building.

I was and am aware that after current German Law this is punishable under the name of ‘trespassing’ (Hausfriedensbruch).

During the time in the French Consulate we did not harm anybody – to the contrary: friendly talks with the Consulate staff were conducted as well as awareness raised through some spontaneous supporters outside the embassy as they spread the information of Nourredin Mohamed’s case. Press representatives were quickly on site and reported internationally on Nourredin Mohamed’s case.

With this, we want to limit the objection to the penalty (Strafmaß) as we believe that the amount of 70 days, as well as the number of 20€ daily rates (Tagessätze) is too high in respect of the motives and the extent of this non-violent protest, as well as our individual financial situation.

We believe, dignity and human rights do not stop at certain borders for certain people.

**************************************************************************

++ Support for the court hearing of eight activists involved in the occupation of the French Consulate in Düsseldorf in June 2012 ++

Late in 2012, some of the activists involved in the occupation of the French Consulate in Düsseldorf in June 2012, received letters from German state prosecutors, declaring that the official punishment (Strafbefehl) for each person involved was to be 1.400€. This was put together by 70 daily rates (Tagessätze) of each day 20€. Of course each of the activists involved filed an objection.
No criminalization of legitimate political protest!
The harsh and high punishment can only be explained by the state logic of “setting an example” for potential future political protests. During the symbolic occupation of the French Consulate in Düsseldorf nothing was broken nor Consulate staff harmed. If so, it is the eleven activists who were brutally beaten during the eviction, insulted and kept over hours in custody by German police. Racist and sexist harassment was used to humiliate the activists during those hours of powerlessness.
No silence on their injustices!
Millions of people die each year on the way of trying to enter the capitalist metropoles of the imperial ‘Global North’ – be it at the U.S.-Mexican Border, in the Pacific Ocean trying to reach Australia or on the numerous borders of Fortress Europe. They die because of being denied “legal” entry into First World countries – countries which for centuries colonized, enslaved and committed genocide on Communities of Color all over the world; countries which till today use these geographies for capitalist exploitation (“cheap labor”, “cheap land”, “cheap resources”) and colonial supremacy fantasies (“tourism”).
We, citizens of these First World countries, are sick of seeing what our governments are doing under the fake slogan of “national security” and the “protection of democratic freedoms” and declare: no one is free until we are all free!
This is why the occupation of the French Consulate in Düsseldorf in 2012 took place – out of the pain of another murder in the name of “our” citizen security!
We don’t feel safe as long as our friends and family from all over the world can’t feel safe in these First World countries. We don’t feel safe until everybody is guaranteed a life in dignity with access to all the privileges, we, as citizens, enjoy.
Until then, we are willing to take our struggle to each corner of these countries full of richness for few and based on the poverty of the majority. Be it in Düsseldorf – or anywhere else.
Facing repression
Please support the activists in joining the court hearing of eight of them in Düsseldorf in large numbers:

Monday, 30th of September 2013, 9:30am
First Floor, room 1.109
Werdener Str. 1, 40227 Düsseldorf

Repression in a society based on capitalist exploitation means – money. Much money. Please support in making funds accessible for paying the fines and costs (such as lawyers) connected to the occupation:

Name of Owner: Oldenburger Rechtshilfe
Account Number: 100-006 154
Bank: Landessparkasse zu Oldenburg
Bank Code: 28050100
Purpose: duesseldorf                                                                                                             IBAN: DE93 2805 0100 0061 54                                                                                             BIC: BRLADE21LZO

No Borders. No Nations.