Violence is a govermental concept to prevent our political action. The goal of the intitution of power is to discourage and intimidate trough violence and repression on individuals as the hole structures behind it. Repression is not foreseeable. It is also not random choiceless and unpredictable. It rather follows an certain logic which to understand can be helpful.
Already before the G20 will take place there has been speeches of danger and approaches to get information from cops to intimitate. Like at the OSZE we expect for the G20 military occurence from the cops in black armored fighting outfits, helicopter which constantly circle over town and arbitrary controls, arrests and criminalization from opponents.
Next to a threatening atmosphere and legal criminalization is the use from potential traumatising violence component govermental repression. The targeted attac on single people shall general scare off political resistance. A feeling of incapacity and unconsciosness against govermental domination is being created.
To develope stragegies of action it is helpful to have a expertise off what a extreme psychological burden can be, how the consequences for affected people and their environment can feel like and how to handle it.
As an activist we shoud always be aware of the risk beeing physically and mentally injured by govermental violence. Exchanges and networking can give protection and safety from external and internal injuries. It is about finding ways which enable the own ability and the abilites of the group to act. Despite the existence of violence and repression.
Extreme mental violence can generally be triggered by threatening situations in which we feel unstable and unconscious.
Anyone involved can be affected regardless of experiences. Even if we are not directly influenced from violence, to see other people affected can cause heavy burdens. They beat up somebody from us and we start to become scared and are paralyzed. Anxiety is a understandable reaction towards violence and brutality which we are confronted with. A frequent reaction is over excitability, avoidance and displaced behavior and the reappearing of the experienced. Affected people suffer in long term under emotinal consequences from police violence. To overcome unconsciosness feelings in settings with cops it is important to experience your social enviroment as solidary, protective and supportive. Alot of times even the exchance of feelings after extreme events can be helpful.
In preperation to the G20 meeting while and after you can get in touch with Out of Action. By the protests against G20 we will try to be approachable at camps and in freerooms.
Further more you can contact us over a public telephone number or by email. We are an inherent part of antirepression structures in Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main, Bochum and the surrounding. If you live in a city with no Out of Action group you are still welcome to write us and we will find a way how we can support you. Among concrete support from Out of Action are our goals to show that the psychological burden as a part of repression is real and should be talked about. The „private mental attacs“ should be established as a political topic. The group therefore offers workshops and information meetings and can be asked by single persons or groups. The consequencesof repression is no private matter. It affects all of us. Together we can do something against it.
Make G20 to a desaster!
We see us in Hamburg.