„Ask the opposite side“

TAZ, 17th of March 2007

Fire-attacks damage the G8-protest, says Attac-speaker Pedram Shahyar. He definitively rules out militance and violence in Heiligendamm.

TAZ: Herr Shahyar, according to the federal police (BKA) 72 offences have been taken place in connection with the G(. Do these kind of attacks not damage your mobilisation work?

Pedram Shahyar: Yes, they do that. We want to demonstarte for a just, peaceful, social and ecological world. To reach this aim, it is very important to us to carry out our contents in the broad population. Fire-attacs are not a good means for this aim, but distanciate people from our goals.

TAZ: Why then, do so many in the leftist movement not distanciate themselves from these kind of attacks?

I doubt that these are actually so many.

TAZ: But some activists secretly are happy about these kind of attacks?

Pedram Shahyar:I am the wrong person for asking this, ask them.

TAZ: Independent of fire-attacks, the question of militance and violence is also a part of your preparation. How do you want to guarantee that it will be peacefully?

Pedram Shahyar:This time there is a broad alliance, much broader as the leftist movement. Ofcourse this implies to accept the principles of the other members of the alliance. Attack always made extremely clear that our actions are free of violence. That means: in all alliances we cooperate, this needs to be secured. In this way it is clear that there won't be a wave of violence in Heiligendamm. In opposite: we will have big demonstrations and powerful actions. But again: we will be peaceful.

One action calls itself “Block G8“ This sounds as more as a peaceful demonstration.

Demonstrations alone is also not enough for me. A little bit of rebellion is the constituting moment in the antiglobalisation movement. We don't just appeal to the elites, we aslo stand in the way. We spoke in each detail to make clear that Block G8 will be a none militant action of mass-blockades.

TAZ:How does this work?

Pedram Shahyar:We will sit on the streets peacefully with thousends of people.

TAZ:Images like Genova 2001 won't happen definitively?

Pedram Shahyar:From our sides yes and also beyond Attack: definitively yes
But also ask the opposite part. At this time the police uses the violence-debate to discredit our protests. But aslo here: we won't let ourselves be provocated