gr8chaoskaravaan01 mei 2007 – 21:14

1st of May 2007

Today the Gr8chaoskaravaan bicycle-caravan against the G8-summit in Heiligendamm participated in an action in Gent during the socialist party's annual march and rally. The action was meant to remind the demonstrators of the revolutionary origins of mayday.

Three caravan pirates stormed the socialist party's stage, hijacked the microphone and plundered the spotlight by giving a passionate anarchist speech to the hundreds of spectators below. With the support of over 50 anarchist demonstrators directly in front of the stage holding black flags and banners, the pirates spoke of the origins of mayday and the necessity of maintaining solidarity with current struggles locally and globally.

The day started out with members of the karavan and friends forming a black block during the socialist party's annual parade. To make their presence known members of the bloc drummed, threw loud firecrackers and waved black flags. Nami, one of the members of the caravan, reports how the action was received: "The responce of the spectators was somewhat unexpected ... Some of the older members of the audience were actually cheering us on." Members of Gent's anarchist center also demonstrated today alongside the black bloc by marching backwards to illustrate the backwards looking ideology of the socialist party.

Upon reaching the center of the festivities, the marching anarchist demonstrators and karavan members went to the front of the stage where they chanted "viva anarchy!" and cheered for the pirate speech.

The Gr8chaoskaravaan is one of six bicycle caravans against the upcoming G8-summit so far. Along their routes the caravans want to call attention to the summit protests and both local and global struggles. The Gr8chaoskaravaan is the third caravan to start; the ShakeG8-bikeride has been riding through Hungary and the Czech Republic since the 1st of April and is now in Poland while the Scandinavian caravan started from Stockholm on the 25th of April. Three more caravans will start from Berlin, Dresden and Kassel at the end of May.

Members of the Gr8chaoskaravaan had converged in Gent since the 23rd of April to make final preparations and get to know each other. A first action with local activists had been a critical mass bicycle demonstration through Gent on the 27th of April. The caravan will embark for Antwerpen tomorrow morning, from where it will continue through the Netherlands via Breda, Utrecht and Nijmwegen to cross the border to Germany on the 8th of May.

Further info about the bicycle caravans against the G8 summit in Heiligendamm: http://www.g8-bikerides.net
Interactive map of the bicycle caravans: http://www.gr8chaoskaravaan07.net/map.html

Black block at the social democrat party parade

gr8chaos pirates take to the stage

a view of the crowd