b.reit on 15 Apr 2001 15:32:18 -0000 |
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[Nettime-bold] Online-Demo |
Online-Demonstration against Deportation Business The ''No one is illegal network'' and ''Libertad!'' call for electronic civil desobedience against the corporate deportation business Public disguise against the Deutsche Lufthansa AG is growing. Since more than one year antiracist and human rights activists have continously protested at airports, travelling agencies, tourism fairs, pilot schools etc. Activists were even present at the yearly shareholders meetings, denouncing the airline's ongoing involvement in the ''deportation business''. No one is illegal (http://www.contrast.org/borders/kein) and Libertad! (http://www.libertad.de) are now calling for a new round of protests, which will take place specifically on the internet. While corporations profiting from deportations are currently creating new businesses on the internet, no one should wonder, if the net becomes the proper place for electronically protesting against the inhumane corporate practises. Just like a real life sit-in, thousands of internet users are invited to show their protest by a virtual sit-in infront of the Lufthansa website. Ads in real life. the political effect of such measures relies on a large number of participants, and herefore no one is illegal and Libertad! call individuals, groups and organizations worldwide to join in the preparation process of an online-demonstration. So far, the date has not yet been decided upon, but for a day X we may expect broad participation. Every year there are more than 30,000 people being deported from Germany by airplane. The Lufthansa corporation, offering its ''world wide net of connections'', sells the vast majority of the so-called ''deportee-tickets''. Consequently, ''Deportation Class'' is a relevant business. But it's not only that: Since 28th of May 1999, when the Sudanese citizen Amir Ageeb died on board of a Lufthansa flight as a result of being ill-treated by three German borderguards, the company is exposed to constantly growing demands to renounce this dirty business. No one is illegal has since stressed the legal responsebility of the aircraft captain in case of a passenger travelling involuntarily dying. The captains' association Cockpit has recommended its members to refuse the boarding of people ''not willing to travel''. The public workers union OeTV called its members inside the Lufthansa administration board to take measures to stop the deportation flights. It got even worse for the Lufthansa management when the company's bad image was noticed in the United States. In this year's January 29th issue, the Wall Street Journal dedicated an extensive article to the debate over the deportation flights - bad publicity, and even worse so, since Lufthansa had just explained to their shareholders that the USA was the ''future strategic market''. A market which Lufthansa plans to conquer via the internet. In 2005, the eCommerce-portal, today only selling about 10% of the tickets, shall be responsible for 40% of the company's total turnover. Electronic commerce may be very profitable, but also its risks are considerable. For that reason, Lufthansa, together with other international companies like Siemens and Telekom and, not to forget, the German Federal Police Agency, has become a member of the so- called ''Commission for the Protection of Infrastructure''. This circle dedicates itself - far away from public opinion - to the improvement of police control over the net. In the executive board rooms fear seems rife of being targeted by hackers - as CNN, yahoo and Microsoft already had to experience. And they might be even more scared about an increase of political net activism. However, in Octobre 2000, when Lufthansa instructed their lawyers to intimidate a no one is illegal - activist, they already gave proof for their receptiveness to online activism. If an art exhibition against deportation didn't disappear from the net, Lufthansa would bring him to court and make him pay a considerable fine. This quite conventional behaviour resulted in a campaign by dozens of internet projects around the world who showed their solidarity by mirroring the exhibition in question on their own sites. So, one may be curious about Lufthansa's reaction to the coming online-demonstration. If activists together really would manage to block the access to the corporate website, in spite of the company's high capacities to maintain its internet presence, it certainly would not contribute to the customers' trust in the eCommerce portal, where they are to book their future flights. We are optimistic. We are sure, that criticism to deportation flights is shared by lots of people, so that a massive and international demonstration will take place. To make sure everyone's possibility to take part, we will release in time a user-friendly protest software. And in the meantime protests at airports will continue. 7th of March 2001 ''Kein Mensch ist illegal'' and ''Initiative Libertad!'' more information: http://www.deportation-alliance.com and http://www.libertad.de contact: online-demo@gmx.net _______________________________________________ Nettime-bold mailing list Nettime-bold@nettime.org http://www.nettime.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nettime-bold