Firstly, there were only a small number of medics, compared to the size of the crowd. The police
started firing teargas, even when there was nothing really going on. They gave no warning in any
language, and fired randomly into the crowd. I was with the pink and silver bloc at the time.
I have heard others say that we were teargassed about 20 times in 2 hours. They started directing
the canisters straight at people, firstly at their legs, then their stomachs, and then at people's
heads. I saw several people directly hit in the stomach. As medics, we had only quite basic kit,
but I saw a woman with a serious burn on her leg from a canister, so I went to sort out her injury.
Four police came and baton charged me, and started beating me. She and a friend escaped in one
direction, I, in another, with the police giving chase. I was clearly marked as a medic. We saw
several medics, and two of the legal support lawyers being specifically targeted. A little later,
I came across a man lying unconscious on the street. It was unclear whether he was even breathing.
I tried to go to at least assess his condition, but the police wouldn't let me near him, or find
out his name.
They started to threaten me, and then gave chase. I ran into a wooded area, with them still after me.
I eventually found someone I knew, and a swiss doctor, about 60 years old. We went back to find the
unconscious man. He was still there, but the police would not let the doctor near him and even
stopped an ambulance from collecting him for sometime.
cpnk June 08, 2003, Independent media center(Italy)
