in less than two weeks, on March 18th, thousands of people from all over Europe and Germany will come to Frankfurt to join the transnational, European wide actions when the ECB will inaugurate its new headquarters. They will come to the city for a day of protest against the crisis regime of the Troika and EU, enforced primarily by the German government.
We will take the streets and the squares of Frankfurt – in the early morning of the 18th around the ECB in Frankfurt’s East with actions of civil disobedience, we will fill the squares to stop the ECB from celebrating themselves and from having a normal work day. We will then convene in a strong, diverse, lively rally at 2 p.m. and a manifestation in the afternoon at 5 p.m.
The day will be a European day of resistance. But it will be also a day of strong solidarity, especially now with the people in Greece who are refusing to accept that there is no alternative to the crisis politics of the Troika and the European elites. Their refusal to bow down to blackmail gives hope to people all over Europe.
This is why we say: Our time to act has come! This is why we call everybody from every corner in Europe and of life to join the transnational actions against the ECB’s opening on March 18th in Frankfurt – let’s turn that day in a loud, vivid day of transnational, European wide strength.
Everyone should and will be able to join – the activities all day long are designed for mass participation with a common consensus – in the morning around the ECB, in the afternoon when we convene in the rally and then march together through Frankfurt in the afternoon. (see the Call in various languages).
With this info-sheet we want to update you:
- on the planned activities and the timetable of the whole day: what is planned when, where to go, what about the action consensus, how to participate and where to get more information
- on logistical matters. Many of you come from far away and travel in larger contingents. Here you can also find some updates on the bus coordination, the information system, the accommodation – and how to make early contact with those organizing these matters.
- on matters on legal help and police matters
- your help and support is needed for a good planning and common day of action, and of course, on how to stay tuned and get in contact, to mobilize and organize etc.
- Planned activities and timetable for the days of March 17th/18th in Frankfurt
Tuesday, March 17
8 p.m.: Info and Action Plenary to get all necessary info for the next days and get organized for the morning (at the DGB building – trade union’s house – Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 69-77, in Frankfurt)- If possible, all activists should arrive on Tuesday, March 17, before 8 pm to meet for this final assembly. But of course everybody who joins later is welcome and will get all necessary information through the Blockupy hotline. If you arrive by train and in small number, you can find an “infopoint” (small stall) directly across from the main station.
- Directly before the general assembly, at 6 p.m., there will be at the same site of the DGB a panel discussion organized by DIE LINKE with representatives from Syriza, Izquierda Unida, Lista Tsipras etc.
Wednesday, March 18
7 a.m.: Transnational actions of civil disobedience (blockades) around the ECB:- In the early morning we start the blockade of the ECB by means of sit-in and standing blockades, music and street theater, banners and themed objects. The ECB is one of the central institutions enforcing the implementation of the catastrophic policy of impoverishment.
- From the action consensus (read more: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/blockades/): Our goal in the morning of March 18, 2015 is an effective blockade of the ECB, its daily work and the opening ceremony. Therefore, we will together with many activists from networks, organizations and groups from all over Europe, go as close as possible to the ECB. Our form of action are mass blockades, which consist of people. With sit-in and standing blockades, street theater, drum groups and themed objects of our resistance we will close every entrance to the ECB. We will also include police barricades and fences into our blockades. For our actions, the following applies: we say what we do and we do what we say (…) Together we take responsibility for the success of our action. We will create a situation that is transparent for all participants of the blockade and in which everyone respects and supports each other in solidarity. This character allows people with little blockade experience to participate as well.
- There will be several registered gatherings and infopoints on that day organized by various alliance groups–points to meet others and gather, to rest, get infos and a tea. The infopoints will be operating from early on in the morning, they will be announced on the website shortly and marked on the “action map”, that will be handed out for the day (so far it is: Danziger Platz, central station/Kaisersack, Zeil 1, Paul-Arnsberg-Platz, Walter-von-Cronberg-Platz).
- After we have ended the transnational actions/blockades in the morning together, single organizations of the coalition will carry out actions on issues and actors of the crisis regime. You will get updated on all these activities as soon as possible at http://blockupy.org/en
The demo start in front of the DGB building (Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 69-77), see more at: http://frankfurt-rhein-main.dgb.de/themen/++co++c4e3a478-b20b-11e4-8804-52540023ef1a
2 to 5 p.m.: Central Rally on the Römerberg:
- The central Blockupy rally takes place with music and performances, with speeches by well-known Blockupy supporters, reports from the daily consequences across Europe of the policy of impoverishment and the vibrant protests against this, from Greece to Madrid and Frankfurt. Confirmed speakers so far are Naomi Klein, Sahra Wagenknecht, Miguel Urban and many more to come (for more later see: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/manifestation/)
- Starting from the historical Römerberg we will march through Frankfurt to send a strong colorful, vivid, lively sign against the crisis policy.
- For sure, our march will be transnational and a manifestation of a Europe from below and of resistance. Therefore the march will be lead by the delagations from all over Europe, and the first rows will be composed by women from all over Europe .
- Our consensus is: We want a lively and gaudy march showing over its whole length the Blockupy colors with umbrellas, sunglasses, etc. We want a march everybody can join safely and unharmed. We start together and we end together (for the route and consensus on the march see: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/demonstration/).
On logistical matters
Arrival and bus coordination:
- In order to prepare for a safe trip and a good arrival in Frankfurt in the evening or at dawn on March 18th we kindly ask you to tell us asap at bus@blockupy-frankfurt.org
- a first estimation of how many busses will come from your region (telling us which region to avoid double counting)
- whether the busses will arrive before the evening plenary on Tuesday or on Wednesday morning
- please include a mail address of a reliable contact person for the busses of each region.
- Please notice that this Blockupy contact address for busses is not appropriate for further safe communication! The task now is to establish the necessary contact with all the busses now and establish communication for later on the trip itself. Soon you will find this mail address for the busses also on both Blockupy websites (see: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/journey/), together with a contact phone number and an online tool for those who did not already register their busses.
Accommodation
- There will be sleeping places for everybody, but we urgently ask, if you know people in Frankfurt and the area please ask those whether they can host or help you. We also ask everyone who can afford it financially, to make reservations in hostels and hotels. A list can be found here: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/accommodation/cheap-hostels/
- Those who have no place to stay should send an email to our sleeping place team: penn.platz@notroika.org (pennplatz-notroika-pub). Please bring your own sleeping bag and a sleeping pad and please contact us as early as possible. Please help us by organizing yourselves in advance in your cities and please travel in affinity groups. Tell us in advance how many you are and please give us contact details to get in touch with your group: http://blockupy.org/en/18m/accommodation/. Soon there will be a telephone number of the sleeping place team.
- If you are arrive as a group the day before, please get in touch necessarily in German or English at: penn.platz@notroika.org.
- Travellers arriving from French speaking countries please get in contact (in German or French) with sleeping-places-mz@riseup.net. This is close to Frankfurt and the atcivists there are happy to accommodate you.
Blockupy Info-Hotline and Info-Channels
- We will have a Blockupy Info-Hotline established for the days starting with your trip (more or less) and ending when you are home or when the last busses crossed the border. It will be of course posted on the website shortly before the 18th of March, So please stay tuned. The hotline will give you infos when needed, they will arrange for legal support in case of troubles with the police on your journey and will help you.
- We will also (see above) have “infopoints” throughout the city. They will be marked on the “action map” we will have on the action days itself (at the general assembly Tuesday at night, at the infopoints etc.). The best though is, if your travel in groups and contingents, to get in touch with us before hand so that we can establish best and safe contacts.
On legal matters
- As we know from the previous Blockupy action days and several other (transnational) protest events, preparing for legal matters is of crucial importance. Take your time therefore to check out legal information at http://blockupy.org/en/blockupy-2/legal-information/ in various languages.
- As in the last years, on the days of action there will be a legal team operating, there will be people with some medical skills watching out for us and helping us, and the demonstration watch by the committee for basic rights and democracy will also take place again.
- You can contact the anti-repression group by email beforehand if you have any questions at web: http://www.notroika.org/Antirepression, blockupy.org/antirepression; twitter:@AntiRep_Ffm, Email: antirep@blockupy.org
Important phone numbers for the days itself:
- Legal-Team: +49 160 – 95 65 74 26
- Emotional First Aid/Out-of-action: +49 152 – 16 22 02 09
- Shuttle for those arrested: +49 152 – 16 21 92 54
Support from afar or close by – your help is needed and appreciated – stay tuned for updates and get in contact with us
Donations
- We don’t get donations from big firms, parties, networks. Therefore we depend on you support:
- We are trying to raise money also to support activists from other European countries with their travel costs by selling so-called solidarity tickets (http://blockupy.org/18m/solitickets/), you can transfer money directly to this bank account and print out the solidarity ticket for yourself (or wait for March 18th to get one printed): Name: Libertad! Reference: “Soliticket”, IBAN: DE64430609678020068500, BIC: GENO DE M 1 GLS (GLS Bank)
- For general donations for the Blockupy alliance and its activities: Name: Friedens- und Zukunftswerkstatt, Reference: “Spende Krise Ffm”, IBAN: DE23 5005 0201 0200 3373, BIC: HELADEF1822
Media coverage, social media, mobilization material.
- Please support us on March 18 through your social media, the Twitter hashtags are: #blockupy, #18Mthrough spreading the call and news, by downloading posters and hang them, by anything we haven’t thought of yet. If you have any question in this regard please contact the mobilzuation team at mobi@blockupy-frankuftr.lorg or the webteam at webteam@blockupy-frankfurt.org
- For mobilization material, the logo to use and spread etc. Please got to: http://blockupy.org/en/material-2/ or http://blockupy.org/material/.
- We not only need your help in preparing for everything in advance, get in touch with us, inform us about your plans etc., we will also need people who can give a helping hand in these days – whether it is at the food kitchen or with translation, whether it is a construction question or whatever. Please keep your eyes and ears open when people ask for help.
If you have any question don’t hesitate to ask at: international@blockupy-frankfurt.org
We are looking forward to seeing you all and sending out that message to the world:
The time to act is now!
Blockupy International
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