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x_cableI did promise Ororo I'd make some kind of post about what happened, but I'll have to ask you all to forgive me in advance; I haven't had much sleep these last few days and it probably shows.
I have finally looked at the news coverage (in addition to catching up on the journals). I was at that rally - I'd gone out to take some pictures and left the others back where we were staying, just in case anything happened.
The important thing to remember is that you didn't get a full view of what happened from what little the cameras caught. Those people were outside the wall because the soldiers at the checkpoint decided, pretty spontaneously from what I could tell, to disobey orders and let them walk out of Smichov. What happened... it came so close to being a case of people taking a stand and telling their government 'We've had enough of this'. It was beautiful. Those soldiers were doing the right thing, and they knew it. The people they were letting walk out of Smichov knew it. It doesn't change what happened afterwards, but you need to know that not everyone wearing a Czech uniform that day was shooting at civilians.
What happened is that an energy-projector lost control of his powers. Just for a moment. He was just a kid, and I think his nerve broke, sitting out there in front of those tanks wondering what they were going to do. He wasn't firing at them. The gunner in that first tank panicked, and then two of the other tanks opened fire. Mutants in the crowd still inside heard the shooting and reacted, blowing a hole in the security barrier.
That was how it all started. Misunderstanding and fear.
I see none of the news crews got much footage of what happened once the tanks rolled into Smichov. It got very bad, very fast. We went to the medical clinic to do what we could to help. There were a lot of wounded. I think we were there for about six hours when we realized that the fighting wasn't stopping. My guess is that the initial phase of fighting was uncontrolled, just a reaction. When the reinforcements started arriving, I think it was part of a decision by the Czech government to try and round up militants. I know they're not copping to that now, and I can't provide any hard evidence, but I know what I saw.
What Angelo and Rahne and Medusa and I did, when we went back out into the streets, was more first-aid and evacuation. We tried to keep ahead of the worst of the fighting and help civilians move out of the most heavily damaged areas. Some of them went to the clinic. Others congregated at a couple of the local churches. Stopgap measures, all of it, but we did what we could.
We left just before dawn and went to the US embassy to call Moira. At that point, the Red Cross was moving in, the fighting was stopping, and there were fire crews showing up at last. I think they realized that if they didn't make a concerted effort to get the fires under control they were going to lose a significant chunk of the city. We had some evidence that the city council of Prague had never been in agreement with the security barrier in the first place, so it may have been a case of the local government having more sense than their national counterparts, I don't know.
It all seems very... flat, put like that. It wasn't. There also wasn't much time to do anything but react, once the fighting started. Looking back on it... I'm wary of hindsight, in general. It's something to flagellate yourself with, more often than not.
I don't know there's much more I can say in this format. If you've got any questions I'll try and answer them. If you want to talk to me or anyone else who was there... well, I shouldn't speak for the others but my door is open.
We have pictures, and videotape, of Smichov prior to the fighting. It was all supposed to be part of the NGO assessment as to what was needed inside Smichov. I think it's evidence, now, or will be. If anyone wants to see any of that material, I have kept copies. The originals went to the UN.
I have finally looked at the news coverage (in addition to catching up on the journals). I was at that rally - I'd gone out to take some pictures and left the others back where we were staying, just in case anything happened.
The important thing to remember is that you didn't get a full view of what happened from what little the cameras caught. Those people were outside the wall because the soldiers at the checkpoint decided, pretty spontaneously from what I could tell, to disobey orders and let them walk out of Smichov. What happened... it came so close to being a case of people taking a stand and telling their government 'We've had enough of this'. It was beautiful. Those soldiers were doing the right thing, and they knew it. The people they were letting walk out of Smichov knew it. It doesn't change what happened afterwards, but you need to know that not everyone wearing a Czech uniform that day was shooting at civilians.
What happened is that an energy-projector lost control of his powers. Just for a moment. He was just a kid, and I think his nerve broke, sitting out there in front of those tanks wondering what they were going to do. He wasn't firing at them. The gunner in that first tank panicked, and then two of the other tanks opened fire. Mutants in the crowd still inside heard the shooting and reacted, blowing a hole in the security barrier.
That was how it all started. Misunderstanding and fear.
I see none of the news crews got much footage of what happened once the tanks rolled into Smichov. It got very bad, very fast. We went to the medical clinic to do what we could to help. There were a lot of wounded. I think we were there for about six hours when we realized that the fighting wasn't stopping. My guess is that the initial phase of fighting was uncontrolled, just a reaction. When the reinforcements started arriving, I think it was part of a decision by the Czech government to try and round up militants. I know they're not copping to that now, and I can't provide any hard evidence, but I know what I saw.
What Angelo and Rahne and Medusa and I did, when we went back out into the streets, was more first-aid and evacuation. We tried to keep ahead of the worst of the fighting and help civilians move out of the most heavily damaged areas. Some of them went to the clinic. Others congregated at a couple of the local churches. Stopgap measures, all of it, but we did what we could.
We left just before dawn and went to the US embassy to call Moira. At that point, the Red Cross was moving in, the fighting was stopping, and there were fire crews showing up at last. I think they realized that if they didn't make a concerted effort to get the fires under control they were going to lose a significant chunk of the city. We had some evidence that the city council of Prague had never been in agreement with the security barrier in the first place, so it may have been a case of the local government having more sense than their national counterparts, I don't know.
It all seems very... flat, put like that. It wasn't. There also wasn't much time to do anything but react, once the fighting started. Looking back on it... I'm wary of hindsight, in general. It's something to flagellate yourself with, more often than not.
I don't know there's much more I can say in this format. If you've got any questions I'll try and answer them. If you want to talk to me or anyone else who was there... well, I shouldn't speak for the others but my door is open.
We have pictures, and videotape, of Smichov prior to the fighting. It was all supposed to be part of the NGO assessment as to what was needed inside Smichov. I think it's evidence, now, or will be. If anyone wants to see any of that material, I have kept copies. The originals went to the UN.
no subject
Date: 2018-02-19 05:27 pm (UTC)2006-11-09 11:15 pm (UTC)
Any desire I had to twit you about the instructions I gave you before you left died around the eighth hour of news coverage. What an insane, wasteful mess.
It's something to flagellate yourself with, more often than not.
Ha.
(Reply) (Thread)
x_cable
2006-11-09 11:24 pm (UTC)
I'm glad we've avoided the twitting.
I've just heard this afternoon that Amnesty International's observer team had its camera gear confiscated. Makes me rather glad we left the gear and just took the recordings.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
x_ccelerate
2006-11-09 11:49 pm (UTC)
I'd say something about losing my faith in humanity, but I wouldn't want to give anyone concern about my loyalties.
Let's hope your footage is able to do some good.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
x_skin
2006-11-09 11:26 pm (UTC)
Yeah, that offer's seconded.