SUPPORT MARTIN SHAW
Latest news : 19th August
Many Sumac supporters will know Martin Shaw, the ex-Nottingham based campaigner for social justice.
Whilst resident in Nottingham, Martin was a supporter of the former Rainbow Centre (which evolved into the Sumac Centre) and shared many of our concerns, including campaigns against genetic engineering, road building and globalisation.
In an article in the Guardian in September 2000 he explained why he was in Prague at that time working with a group committed to non-violent direct action.
Now read on ...
——— Forwarded message follows ———-
Based on email message received 8th June 2003
PLEASE NETWORK WIDELY
Ways to help and support Martin Shaw
British activist, Martin Shaw was severely injured in Lausanne, Switzerland on Sunday 1st June, when police cut his ropes during a climbing action against the G8. Martin and an international group of 18 activists were attempting to blockade the autoroute on which the delegates would travel from Geneva airport to Evian. Martin and another climber were hanging on a rope 30 m high on either side of the autoroute.
Despite repeated warnings from the other activists, a policeman cut the rope and Martin fell 25m severely injuring his back, ankle and pelvis. The other climber was saved only by the activists on the bridge holding onto her side of the rope. Martin was taken to hospital by helicopter where he has had several operations. Martin is still in hospital in Switzerland with several severe injuries. The Swiss authorities are trying to repatriate him to spain..they are saying that its because he has no medical insurance as Switzerland is outside of the EU, so he now owes them 30,000 euros. However, what it means is that if they do repatriate him, if anything goes wrong, or he takes ages to recover then they will blame the spanish medical system and the swiss police will be able to avoid a lot of the blame. He is therefore currently refusing to go though they still might force him at some point over the next few days. Support action have been taking place and French and Swiss Embassies in Spain, UK and Germany and more would be great.
Appeal for funds and bank details
Martin will be suing the police.He may also have to pay some or all of his medical costs.
This is a request to everyone to dig deep into their pockets, fundraise and network as widely as possible.
We need to show solidarity with Martin and stop this from happening to other activists.
By suing the police responsible we send out a strong message against state repression everywhere from Genoa to Palestine Nigeria.
We now have a UK bank account for donations. It is in my name as I was the only person available to sign for it but it is totally separate from my personal account. All money paid in will be used directly for martin's medical or legal costs.
ACCOUNT DETAILS:
DR J Bonnet
HSBC Bangor, 274 High Street, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 1RU
Sort code 40 09 03
Acc no. 61666517
Write, phone or email Swiss Embassies
SAMPLE LETTER TO SEND TO SWISS EMBASSIES:Embassy of Switzerland
16 -18 Montagu Place,
London
W1H 2BQ
Tel: 00 44 (0)20 7616 6000
Fax: 00 44 (0)20 7724 7001
E-mail: swissembassy@lon.rep.admin.ch
To whom it may concern,
On Sunday 1st June, a UK national, Martin Shaw was severly injured and hospitalised as a result of actions by the Swiss traffic police. The protestor, part of a 15 person international collective blockading a bridge in Switzerland to prevent G8 delegates passing from Geneva to Lausanne, was participating in a banner drop with the slogan "G8 Illegal". Martin and another protestor were hanging from both ends of the same rope from a 30m high bridge over a small stony riverbed alongside the banner.
The two traffic police arriving at the scene panicked about the build up of traffic and cut the rope that the two protestors were hanging from despite repeated warnings about the danger of this from everyone present. Martin who is a very experienced and careful climber, then fell 20m into a stony river bed and was left there with spinal injuries, pelvic damage, an injured spleen and two broken ankles for an hour before the emergency services arrived with a ambulance helicopter to take him to the hospital. Eye-witnesses report that the police were much more concerned with immediately restoring the flow of traffic than they were with getting medical attention to Martin.
The other people present managed to rescue the second climber by holding on to the other end of the rope for 15 minutes so that she also didn´t fall, although she was later delivered to the hopsital suffering from shock. Whilst Martin lay collapsed on the ground and demonstrators rescued the second climber, police continued to direct traffic over the bridge as if nothing had happened. It is extremely lucky that these two people are not dead as a result of the actions of the Swiss police.
Martin currently remains in hospital in Switzerland where he has undergone a series of emergency operations on his vertebral injuries, spleen and ankles. The doctors have stated that his back will slowly recover, but at this stage the doctors are unable to say whether or not he will ever regain full mobility in his ankles.
I am writing to express my anger and wish to register my protest of this terrible incident and of Martin Shaw´s near fatal treatment as a result of the actions of the Swiss police. I condem the gratuitously violent represssion of people exercising their democratic right to protest at global summits like the G8. I demand a full and transparent enquiry into the behaviour of the police involved, an unreserved apology on behalf of the police authorities, compensation for the injured climber and a promise that this brutal behaviour will not be condoned or tolerated by the Swiss authorities at any time now or in the future. I also demand that the Swiss authorities ensure that all Martin's medical expenses are taken care of.
Signed
3) Write to Martin
Martin is in pain and pissed off and messages of love and support are surely going to help quite a bit . His current email address so that he can have mail read to him is love.to.martin@web.de
Monday June 9th : G8 protester to prosecute Swiss police : Guardian report
Friday June 6th : Latest news link from Indymedia : www.uk.indymedia.org
Monday June 2nd : Britons injured in G8 protests : BBC Online report (with additional links).
Sunday June 1st : Link to photos : http://italy.indymedia.org
19th August : Letter to supporters from Martin
September 21st, 2000 : Guardian article by Martin Shaw