Jay Sand, IMC coordinator, gives a breaking report via cell phone to the IMC in the wake of a police raid of the Convergence Center, set up to welcome IMF/World Bank critics.
Jay Sand, coordinator of the IMC in DC, was attending an A16 Mobilization meeting when firemen interrupted and brought in police to clear critics from
the building.
Reports from media teams inside the center claim that the firemen were
wearing ATF badges.
According to Sand, firemen entered the convergence space, set up to meet
the thousands of activists expected for the anti-globalisation protests
planned for Sunday, and told activists to leave. The reason for the order
was an alleged fire code violation. Firemen said that if IMF/World Bank
critics didn't immediately evacuate, they would be forced to call police.
Police were in fact standing by.
Sand said, at the time of a phone call to the IMC at 9:20am on Saturday,
that police were barricading critics inside the convergence center.
IMC sources noted that the police were not wearing identification of any kind.
Critics refused to leave without their protest equipment, puppets, and other
materials created this past few weeks in preparation for the demonstrations
on Sunday, April 16, known as A16, an international day of action against
corporate globalization.
Stay tuned to www.indymedia.org for updates.