2023-12-22 06:47:00
The target of the action will only be revealed at the very last minute, to avoid leaks. Neither the unknown, nor the early hour of the meeting nor the December cold manage to knock out the activists. They are prepared. Lasting several hours, the briefing almost exhaustively reviews possible scenarios and useful information. Security, legality, contact with the police, medical and psychological consequences: nothing is left to chance. The organizers answer questions. We support each other, we listen to each other, we don’t let anyone down. Changing the world also involves other human relationships, the activists point out. While waiting to leave, we organize, we sing, we repeat the finger movements – the activists of the Code Red civil disobedience movement are divided into different groups, called fingers, which have different targets, timings and objectives. For its third action, Code Red targets the aviation sector. His recipe for carrying out his mission? The participation of many activists, excellent organization and burning determination.
I want to tell my children that we may not have saved the world, but we will have done what we could.
Around 180 people make up the Watermelons finger which is located near Liège. Among them, many young adults, but also older people, or parents. Toni (all names are pseudonyms or aliases) has three children aged between 12 and 8 years old. If he joined Code Rouge this weekend, it’s to be able to tell them “that we may not have saved the world, but that we will at least have done everything we could”. Rudy is retired and wanted to be there, even with his broken collarbone. “I will probably be the first arrested by the police, I won’t be able to go very far”, he explains to the group before being applauded.
White jumpsuit, black hood
At the beginning of the afternoon, the finger heads towards the nearest station. On the train, everyone puts on a white jumpsuit over their clothes. On faces, balaclavas, masks and ski goggles. Once the gear was put on, it was impossible to distinguish anyone. Code Red relies on anonymity in the event of arrests. No phone, no ID card, no first name. When faced with the police, remain calm, do not provoke, resist only passively, drop to the ground or remain seated in close rows. The movement is peaceful.
Some activists were tasked with scaling buildings. Others had to stay on the ground.
© Thomas Tardivo
The train packed with activists stops at a village station. The finger is positioned. The marching order is given. The muscles heat up, we take out the banner flocked with “Your profits, our deaths. Let’s throw capitalism overboard.” The atmosphere becomes electric. This time, we are there: Code Red is marching towards Liège airport. For almost an hour, the activists chanted “Airplane resignation”, “Another world is possible” and other slogans. The target is the warehouse of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.
The calm before the storm
Several village residents stick their heads out of the window. “Are you going to fuck up?” asks a lady. The activists react calmly and explain themselves. When they leave, the same lady says to them “Good luck with your action”. The message gets across. Halfway, the group is joined by another finger whose members are harnessed with climbing equipment. The action becomes clearer. Once the airport is in sight, the tension rises, the group accelerates. A good twenty police cars are parked in front of the warehouse. Other fingers are already there. When the Watermelons arrive, they start shouting and clapping. It’s euphoria. The police are present in large numbers but remain calm, as is airport security. “We knew they would come. We put in place what we could”, specifies a guard. “Faced with the masses, they can’t do much”, slips an activist. The 600 activists all manage to enter the depot site. Rudy too.
Inside, they unfold. Activists attach themselves to the gates to block the passage. The trucks present on site are immobilized. Banners and flags are hung. The office doors are forced open and the activists take possession of the premises. The Escalade finger climbs to reach the roof. They finally arrived there a few hours later and hung a banner there before lighting red and green smoke bombs, which they raised as a sign of victory. Down there, it’s madness. The goal is reached. The place is theirs.
Too soft, too slow
The activists settle in for the night. They take out the tents, the sleeping bags. They eat a little. A soccer ball is passed between two groups playing cards. It’s likely to be a long night. So, they get down on the ground and discuss their motivations. Roger is a political representative. But the legal means of action are insufficient for him: “It’s too soft, too slow. I wanted to do a lot more”. Tom blames the excesses of capitalism. Tux joins the movement for its non-violent aspect: “I participate in legal climate marches, but it’s not enough, we can clearly see that”. Capucine underlines the impact that such an action can have, as much on public opinion as on the aviation sector or political figures. Max was terrified at the idea of taking action, but he is even more terrified when faced with inaction in the face of climate change.
This is also what Chloé Mikolajczak, spokesperson for Code Rouge, explains: “We demand an end to subsidies for the aviation sector, a ban on private jets which benefit a minority and are extremely polluting, and massive investments in sustainable public transport. Currently, 800 million euros of public money goes into the aviation sector each year. It’s gigantic”. According to Chloé Mikolajczak, Code Red actions should continue as long as the authorities do not react. She highlights the result of the current one: “There will be a significant economic impact on Alibaba’s business. And in Flanders, even if there have been many arrests, no private jet has taken off from Antwerp or Kortrijk airport”.
At the end of the evening, a group of 200 activists entered the hangar where the goods were stored. Having remained on the sidelines until then, the police intervened. The message is clear: activists must come out, willingly or by force. For most, it will be by force. Sitting or lying on the ground, they are dragged outside. Some are injured. An activist has a broken arm. Police arrest around 70 activists. The others remain on site, outside, for the rest of the night. They will leave the next day to the sound of the same songs and slogans as when they arrived.
© BelgaImage
Baton beatings in Antwerp
Liège airport was not the only target of this third Code Red action. Antwerp-Deurne airport was also targeted. But unlike the Alibaba repository, it could not be reached by the other 600 activists. Intercepted on the way by the police, the majority of activists were arrested. Edgar Szoc, the president of the Human Rights League, was present as a legal observer. He was filming. “The police blocked the front of the group but pushed the rear, which is quite paradoxical, and gave a few blows with their batons. They made the activists sit down. I was ordered to do so too. I was told that if I didn’t want to be taken on, I had to delete the images I had taken. I refused. This blackmail is illegal, as is the fact that the police officer who gave me the colsons was not identifiable.” Louis Droussin, spokesperson for Code Rouge, agrees: “We were very surprised by the disproportionate response of the police in Antwerp. The baton blows and tear gas were free. I can’t prove it, but for me, the presence of the N-VA at the head of the city played a negative role.”
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