POLICE BRUTALITY CAUSED DEATH ON MUSIC FESTIVAL CZECHTEK By Heinos, 2 August 2005

De politie in tsjechie heeft met een absurt machtsvertoon het Teknival festival willen stoppen, en heeft als gekken ingehakt en geslagen op de feestende mensen.

Czechtek is open-air international and multicultural music festival with
12 year tradition. Not only different genres of music, but also videoart
and other art performances take place on this unique event of free
culture.



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In all history of festival there were no significant damages or problems,
participants while leaving clean the land and take responsibility for
their action.


Contract with the owner of grass plain was clearly shown to police. There
is no indicaion that festival was in any way illegal, every aspect was
according to law of Czech Republic.


Although police stated throughout friday 29th several different reasons
for blockage of access to the place of festival, all were later shown as
lies or desinformation. The final reason for brute attack was "threat of
damaging the surrounding private pieces of land".


The presence of attending young people on surrounding land was caused by
police blockage of all roads and the police action was not taken against
this people, but against the people on legally borrowed property.


Woman from near willage, owner of adjoining land, said she had been woken
up by police friday morning, long before people began to arrive, taken to
police station and by false arguments encouraged to sign complaint.


Most of the people did not hear any appeal to leave the place, many of
them had drunk alcohol-containing beverages and could not go away with
cars, many of them believed that by taking part on legally organized
festival they cannot be targeted by police.


The first police action on saturday 30, 16:30PM took several hours and was
badly coordinated. On the place was 1000 policemen, water cannon, armoured
tank and low-flying helicopter.


The second night attack at 22PM was led with extreme brutality.

Police in heavy suits without identifying numbers refused to give
identifying information, information about their command and information
about first aid location.


Police used massive amounts of tear gas and desorientation grenades, in
many cases they threw tear gas granade into a car and did not let people
inside for long time get out, in other cases they broke car windows by
iron bars, threw grenade in and forced people to get out.


All people were beaten up, including teenage girls, which cried in pain.
Witnesses described attack on lone staing girl, who was pulled down by her
hair and kicked on the ground by four policemen.


There were hundreds of injuries, including cuts, bruises, burnings, broken
arms, shock. Many people were in shock still the next day afternoon with
red faces from tear gas.


Police intentionally damaged cars, electronic equipment and other
property. Attack was led with clear intention to cause injuries.


People were forced to go to near highway, which was closed several hours
and then the waiting trucks were allowed to go dangerously among the
desoriented people. Police confirmed death of young man attending the
festival. Reportedly he was killed by truck which left. The reason of this
death can be manipulated by police, no wittnesses were found to confirm
police statement.


Police brutality continued on scattered people till the sunday morning.

Czech state television Czech TV did not inform about the night attack,
it's news were not balanced, mainly repeating police statements. Czech TV
in its news also under estimated political value of call of freedom and
resignation of minister of interior on sunday's demonstration in Prague,
reporting briefly about techno-goers.


This is a call to foreing media to publish information about unlawful
police brutality and state of democracy and human rights in Czech
Republic.