Solidarity with the people facing racist police violence!
With rage and consternation we noticed the press articles about racist police violence and torture by federal police (Bundespolizei) at main station Hannover. We are as well in rage about how it is dealt with these attacks: NDR (Press) says the main prosecutor (Oberstaatsanwalt) speaks about “an alarming and unique accusation”.
Although the incidents which have been made public so far are unbelievable, they are neither unique nor surprising. Oury Jalloh was burnt in an arrest cell in Dessau 2005. After 10 years of police preventing the evaluation in the preliminary procedure and in court the authorities involved still speak of him burning himself although a examination said, its not possible. Laye Conde drowned the same year in the police station in Bremen due to forced application of water and nauseant into his stomach. Aamir Ageeb choked during his deportation in a plain -which was carried out even though his suicidal tendency was known – because police officers pushed his head on his chest for minutes. 16 year old Halim Dener was shot in his back while putting a poster for PKK on a wall in Hannover. The list is long…
Again and again, cases of racist violence by police in Hannover have been published, most of them in the police station “Herschelwache” close to the train station.
Such attacks are not coincidence, nor are they done by “individuals”. They are the logical consequence of a system, in which police officers can beat people up without facing consequences. These police officers can rely on the fact that other police officers will give wrong reports or remember nothing and that prosecutors and judges do not investigate those facts properly. Amnesty International and Republikanischer Anwältinnen- und Anwälteverein e.V. (RAV) speak about 1-3% of the announced cases that come to accusation/prosecution. Most of them end up with a verdict of “not guilty”.
It is not a secret that people who take legal measures against police violence will rather face more problems from that than a clearing up or support. Talking about “single offenders” kills the still outstanding discussion about police violence and blurs the very hierarchic organization structures of police.
Its not coincidence, that besides homeless people and leftists mainly PoC, black germans and refugees face a lot of hard police violence! Violence against people who seem not to fit in a racist pattern is integral to german society. The racist “normal condition” is institutionalized by racist “asylum laws” or racist police practice like racial profiling. A society build on racist exclusion and a logic of economic usability produces racist violence and violence against “not well educated” refugees – from police officers or other people. People are thereby reduced to their supposed nationality, origin, or their alleged economic performance.
The problem is police violence!
The problem is racism – in national institutions and in society!
Flyer_Druckvorlage_Grau (deutsch)
What has happened? Press reported that in 2014 at least two times a police officer attacked, beat and humiliated two young muslim refugees, one in spring, one in autumn. the young man had to crawl and at least in one case (seems to be more) had to eat rotten pig meat from the ground. they were arrested for nothing/ racist laws. the officer filmed it/took pictures and sent those via whatsapp to the other cops. on one of the pictures it seems to be that different shoes show, at least 2 persons were in the room, where the picture of the wounded man was taken. in 2015, after this policeman held a loaded pistol against the head of another policeman, a policeman told the press about it and showed the pictures. the press now showed this pictures too - obviously without asking the portrayed person. this police witness also talked about other cases of "loud screaming" when people are arrested and said: "When it was going on our nerves we just closed the door. Also the boss closed the door."
Come to the demonstration on Friday, 29th of May, 6pm, train station
Hannover-Nordstadt (1 station by S-Bahn from Hannover main station)