From the 15 people who were arrested, the judge decided to prosecute four, two men and two women, for the crime of sedition. The sentence would'nt allow them to be released and may implicate up to 6 years in jail. According to de defendant, they were prosecuted merely for participating in the manifestation.

Judge Lecchini based such veredict exclusively on the testimonies of the policemen, without regarding the videos that show that those people had their faces uncovered and had kept away from the violent incidents. Among the mobilizations to come, a concentration for this friday 11th is being convoked, at 6 PM in Plaza Libertad.

[ Open letter about the imprisoned - Interview with the defendant lawyer - Solidarity calling - The protest is called "sedition" once again ]

Pictures of the mobilizations for the freedom of the imprisoned [ 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 ]

On friday 4th of november, a march against de summit of Mar del Plata and the presence of G. W. Bush in Latin America had place in Ciudad Vieja. It was organized by the coordinator ALCArajo and, according to sources, the proposal was to parade along the financial center of Montevideo.

In contradiction to what some versions of the press said on monday 8th on channel 10, we found out that the coordinator does not represent any political organization.

The march began at 3 PM in Plaza Matriz with some perfomances and then the parade began walking by the Sarandí street towards the breakwater. When the column reached the stock exchange, some manifestants threw paint bombs and and painted anti-capitalist graffities. Shortly after, and unknowledging the spirit with which the march had been convoked, some people began breaking glasses of commecial buildings and windshields of cars parked next to the sidewalk, apart from thrashing the banks.

While this was happening, the police officers observed the events without any reaction, until the motorbike's squad arrived and brutaly engaged any suspicious person. So it began a brutal repression in which any person in the area was chased and punished.

The quiet attitude of the policemen against the manifestants shows that didn't try to control the situation at any time, maybe because our Police Department is only qualified to repress when it's donde with brutality.

The balance of the events is that several parts of Ciudad Vieja were vandalized by a group of manifestants whi acted individualy against the proposal of ALCArajo coordinator. Sixteen people wer arrested after being savagely beaten and four manifestants were prosecuted with prison for the crime of sedition.

The verdict of the judge was based on what the police officer testified, since prosecuted people do not appear vinculated to the acts of violence on the videos used as evidence.

[Pictures of the mobilization for the imprisoned ]

Given the circumstances under which these people were arrested and according to the declarations of their defendant lawyer, who emphazises the fact that there is no proof that vinculates these people as responsible for the wreckage, it can be affirmed that such verdict is only motivated by the interest of showing the public opinion that those responsible for the incidents of the afternoon of november 4th have beem captured.

Opinions: [ 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 ]

Last wednesday, about 1 PM, six activists of the international organization AnimaNaturalis confirmed that they'd rather be "naked than wearing furs". They decided, in spite of indiscret eyes and little likeable temperature, to take off their clothes while they covered their bodies with a black poster that wrapped the liberty monument to protest against the cruelty of the fur industry. The activists talked to press and handed-out flyers during nearly an hour. [ full news ]

On the afternoon of friday, August the 26th, a group of young people concerned by the consequences of the construction of two cellulose in Fray Bentos, and the arrival of two multinational corporations, Botnia and Ence, vmade a surprise visit to the offices of Botnia and the Ministerio de Viviendo, Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio Ambiente, to express their repudiation towards these multinational corporations and their industries on the Uruguay River shores.

On a brief a peaceful action, a group of covered women expressed themselves through paintings, posters and graffities painted on the walls of the building.

In their communicate they express their anti-capitalist way of being and they say "We are tired of foreing enterprises coming to exploit our nature and our people. Of them fooling us saying that they bring welfare, when the only things they bring us is exploitation and pollution. We are tired of the governments being the capitalist's sidekicks, and that along with that they leave into misery."

[ more information - pictures in front of Botnia - pictures in the Ministry - Communicate of the action ]

Eleven years after Jacinto Vera's massacre, the "Marcha del Filtro" had place, in rememberance of those who were killed that sad day, Fernando Morroni and Roberto Facal, under the orders of Luis Alberto Lacalle (former president 1990-1995) and Angel M. Gianola, who nowadays still remain unpunished.

Convoked by Plenaria Memoria y Justicia, with the support of several political and social organizations, the mobilization started in the Obelisco at 8 PM towards the plcae of the facts. When arriving at Filtro Hospital, a speech performed by the Plenaria Memoria y Justicia initiated the act. At the end of the intervention, they performed a popular dance in tribute to the uruguayan people and to Norma Morroni. After reading some other supporting speeches, Norma Morroni closed the act with a brief but senseful speech.

This years, the proclamation was centered on the promotion of those policemen who were responsible for the repression: Raúl Guarino, Juan Miguel Rolán and Erode Ruiz.

The whole act was broadcasted live by ECOS (communitary radios coordinator) and CX36 Radio Centenario, but the internet transmission by Indymedia Uruguay couldn't be done due to technical problems.

The solidarity of the Basque people wasn't only felt thgorugh the presence of Askapena young women. Diáspora Vasca Association opened a web site about the Filtro in gratitude to the uruguayan people. A meeting in Bilbao, Euslak Herria, also took place. «Through this act we would like to express our solidarity towards the uruguayan people and to tell them that we don't forget their support to the repressed basque persons the uruguayan state intended to extradite to the spanish state, eleven years ago», the organizing parts explained to the newspaper "GARA".

XI anniversary in Montevideo: photos - more photos - Plenaria's proclamation
Basque Country's concentration: news - Askapena's proclamation

Past mobilizations: 2004 - 2003 - 2002
August 24th, 1994 spanish info: La Comisión Pro Asilo a los Vascos - Recuerdo de los hechos - fotos - más fotos - Colectivo Testimonios, especial Filtro - Una red solidaria por la vida - CX44: 'La radio de la gente'

Within the framework of the march of August 24th, eleven years after the facts of the Filtro, Ecos -Uruguayan communitary radois coordinator- in coordination with Indymedia Uruguay, will broadcast directly from the movilization convoked by Plenaria Memoria y Justicia and other organizations, which will have place this August 24th from the Obelisco to the Filtro, at 7 PM. (more info)

Radio Ecos en el Aire will broadcast on 102.5 FM.

An interview with Luisa Cuestas, founding member of AFUDE (Association of Familiy members of Missing Uuruguayans) and member of Mothers and Familiy members of Arrested and Missing Uruguayans since 1985. On this interview, Luisa talks about her exile in Holland, the founding of AFUDE, the beginnings of Mothers and Familiy members in Uruguay and the relation with the post-dictatorial governments [ full interview - spanish]

[Last communicate - Silence march 2005 - Mothers and Familiy members website]

Today, the headquarters of Monsanto's representative in Uruguay, Agroterra , received an unexpected visit of a group of people protesting against GMO's and the bio-tech industry.

At 4pm more than a dozen people wearing hoods arrived to the headquarters with posters, banners, and spray paint. In their communique they denounced Monsanto and all the companies that profit off of life. “The only hunger they stop is their profit’s hunger, our hunger is consequence of their system and it’s solved with social justice, not with their agrotoxics and their seeds of death.”

The company locked the doors and waited for the police to arrive. In less than 20 minutes the 'invisible' demonstrators, who were not representing any organizing, dispersed leaving their cries for justice painted on the walls of the Monsanto building.

[ More info and photos - others photos - more photos - communique ]