Davos-Vandana Shiva beaten

[Marta Russell]

From: Ruth Caplan <rcaplan at igc.org> Stop Corporate Globalization Co-chair
>Subject: Davos-Vandana Shiva beaten by police
>
>NEWS ALERT--I haven't seen any mention of this in the press so=20
>thought it was very important that all Alliance activists be
aware of=20
>the police repression against the demonstrators at Davos and=20
>specifically the report that I have just received about Vandana Shiva=20
>being beaten by police.  We must do more to highlight the link=20
>between corporate globalization and police/military repression.  In=20
>Alliance, Ruth Caplan
>
>"The Public Eye on Davos" media release, 30 January 2001
>
>The Public Eye on Davos hailed as great success -
>Organizers consider legal action over protest crackdown
>
>=93The Public Eye on Davos=94 meeting has been a great success. Although=20
>the police prevented peaceful protest, the real challenge for=20
>economic globalisation is the new issues being discussed by people=20
>worldwide. We need more from the economy than never-ending growth=20
>which is destroying the environment whilst further enriching the=20
>already wealthy.
>clip
>"The business fat-cats of the WEF consistently undermine social=20
>justice and environmental protection. We will continue to judge=20
>economic and political decision-makers by their actions, and not by=20
>the propaganda of the Davos Forum. We will continue campaigning for=20
>international binding regulations for corporations that are=20
>negotiated in an internationally legitimate forum like the United=20
>Nations. ", comments Tony Juniper of Friends of the Earth=20
>International.
>
>The World Economic Forum was marked by =91police state=92
methods which=20
>have so far been unknown in Switzerland. Many peaceful citizens were=20
>denied access to Davos because they were carrying the "Public
Eye on=20
>Davos" program. Adam Ma'anit of Corporate Europe Observatory, a=20
>speaker at the "Public Eye" conference, was temporarily detained and=20
>almost deported by the Swiss police. Vandana Shiva, the Alternative=20
>Nobel Prize laureate from India and a participant of both the
WEF and=20
>the "Public Eye", was beaten by the police when she took part in a=20
>peaceful demonstration on 27 January in Davos.
>"The politics of privilege and exclusion which typify economic=20
>globalization have finally hit Davos. The civil rights of a majority=20
>have been violated to protect the rights of a privileged few", says=20
>Peter Bosshard of the Berne Declaration. The Swiss organizers of the=20
>'Public Eye' conference are seeking legal advice on behalf of those=20
>denied their human rights to protest, assemble and speak freely. We=20
>want to ensure that police repression against public debate of=20
>globalization policies cannot happen again.