Heiner Geissler joins Attac
Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Wednesday 16 May 2007
Former CDU Party Chairman, Federal Minister for Youth & Family affairs and Health Care under Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Heiner Giessler (77) is joining the ranks of globalisation-critical organisation Attac.
"I'm joining Attac because I support Attac's stance on the right to peacefully assemble."
In a live radio interview aired in Germany less than one hour ago, Heiner mentioned how appauled he was with the police brutality against anti-G8 demonstrators in Italy last year. Heiner spoke of a "brutal & unnecessary use of force" and a "globalisation run amok". At one point in the interview, Heiner said "today's globalisation has shown that it is willing to go over dead bodies to achieve goals" and that it "must be stopped and changed into a more social & ecological globalisation....one for the people and not against the people". Heiner says he's not anti-globalisation but one who is highly critical of globalisation.
Now, between you, me and an ex member of the Helmut Kohl CDU...old oak like Heiner, here's someone of rank, albeit former rank, trying to tell us something. Heiner is not the German version of Ché and he's from the more conservative right Christian Democratic Union !
When asked if he is going to join the upcoming anti-G8 demonstrations, Heiner said he "hadn't had time to plan on or even think about participating" and that he won't be participating but that he has been very active in talking with key individuals in the current German Govt. to ensure the police brutality shown in Italy is not repeated here. If you ask me, it almost sounds like a cop-out. On the other hand, who has the better connections in Berlin ? Attac members or Heiner ?
sources: my failing memory and my old radio over in the kitchen. translated by me. all errors are mine, so if I've misquoted Heiner, let it be a thing between Heiner & me. copyleft : help yourelves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiner_Gei%C3%9Fler
http://www.attac.org/?lang=en
