Report from Germany #3

Hello all,
Today the EU/ASEM summit began. At the place I was staying at there was an anxious excitement present in everybody. We all made our way down to the meeting point near the St. Pauli subway station. After a few police instigated stalls we were on our way. I was with a few dozen familiar faces, all wearing black. Most of them had water proof jackets and pants for the water cannons. As we marched I looked forward and backward and saw that I was in the middle of a giant black bloc. I'm not even sure if the term applies, there being so many people on the same page.

As I write this the Rote Flora is surrounded by police. But I'll get to that.

We marched for four and a half hours. All the way "snatch-squads" were trying to provacate a confrontation by snatching people out of the crowd. When we were near the place where the summit was taking place we decided to stop. There was no point in continuing if the police were going to throw people in jail the whole time. So we stopped. In front of a half dozen water cannons and hundreds of police. And we were stuck on a bridge with only one escape route.
We pushed against the police for a little bit. I may have heard some fireworks and seen some items thrown, but I have auditory and visual hallucination quite often so it probably didn't happen at all. Everyone decided to leave. We had people on both sides of the water. I guess everyone had the same idea because we all got back in a group, met up with our long lost friends and proceeded to go crazy.
We ran down the streets. In my imagination I saw bricks thrown at police vans. Bottles, rocks, fireworks. Spraypaint was administered. And then the water cannons sped towards us, spraying in every direction. The bullen closed in on us and chased us through the St. Pauli stadium parking lot. We ran and ran and ran.

I am looking at police sealing off the park behind the Flora as I write this.

Luckily I followed people who looked like they knew where they were going. I turned into the St. Pauli subway and got something to drink. As I went outside to enjoy it I saw the olive type of bullen walking towards the station. I had changed my clothes, though and was able to get out of there. The bullen remained in front of the station. The train came and took me to Sternshanze, the district where the Flora is. Just as I walked out of the station a police van arrived and the cops streamed out. I was lucky. As I walked under the train bridge, a saxophonist and an accordionist were playing Bella Chao. I smiled at the accordionist and he smiled back. I though it would be a fitting end to the days activities. I was wrong.

I am still looking at the cops. They are currently doing their I'm-a-pig-and-I-am-really-relaxed-behind- my-badge-and-gun thing in the park. You know, where they fold their arms over their chests and talk about football. That thing. I guess its universal.

I got back to the Flora and saw that a lot of people were standing in the street. I took this as my cue to rest for a second and get some water. Someone told me that shit would probably be going on all night. Barricades were set up. People grabbed bottles and paint bombs. A football was kicked around. The cars that didnt want to be there took off. I sat down on the steps, smoked a cigarette, and then saw movement. Two water cannons arrived. The last thing I saw was water being sprayed, bottles and other explosive things being thrown and people running. Being an "international" I thought it wise to not get arrested. Cops were positioned to cut us off through the park. When I saw them there I decided to hold up in the Flora. I don't know what's going on out in the streets but the bullen are still in the park. The Flora is completely sealed off. There are a lot of people here and getting hot from all the body heat. It is six thirty, German time (whatever that is called). I'll have to tell you the rest later. Wait. Now the police are leaving the park. Maybe I'll be able to leave. Maybe not.

Anyway, nothing that I just wrote is true. I am a compulsive liar. And I'm not actually in Germany, let alone Hamburg. Right?

For those of you who know who I am, get word out to my LOVED ones that I am perfectly fine.

Until next time,
Annie