On the eve of phase one of Word Summit on Information Society (WSIS), police raided the Polymedia Lab, an open public space in downtown Geneva set up by independent media practitioners as a venue for skill-sharing and experimenting with communication technologies. WSIS is the first international multi-stakeholder meeting that aims to ensure people's access to information and communication.

At 10 on 09 December 2003, 16 police officers turned up at the Polymedia Lab, blocked the doors, denied arriving participants and visitors access to the space, and demanded those present to leave and take all equipment out. The first reason given was that the space owner had not given his permission for it to be used. However, an interview with one of the representatives of Geneva 03 collective, organisers of the Polymedia Lab, revealed they had permission from the lessee who actually gave them the key to the building.

Eventually, the police cited security reasons and health and safety issues for their action. Members of the Geneva 03 collective countered that these reasons are a pretext for shutting down a space for a critical reflection of the WSIS. They pointed to other recent acts of police repression against media activists and independent media, including the police raid of the Independent Media Centre during the G8 Summit in Geneva earlier this year. "It is becoming normal that police is being used to repress critical voices and independent reporting during big events, such as WSIS," one activist said.

After being ejected from the building, the Polymedia organisers were told to move to Maison des Associations, another building within the city. However, when they arrived at the new venue, they were again told that they couldn't use the building. This confirmed Geneva 03's suspicion that the authorities were delaying Polymedia Lab's operations until they can no longer accomplish what they have set out to do. Since 10 December, the Polymedia Lab had been housed in a building near the Theater L'usine, also in Geneva.

In a related development, a Polymedia Lab organiser was interrogated by the security officers of the Summit when he went to the Palexpo Complex, the venue of the Summit on 10 December. He was heavily searched and was told he was a not allowed to bring in any "anti-Summit" materials inside the complex.

Some members of civil society are planning a number of activities to protest the harassment against the Polymedia organisers.

The Polymedia Lab project is part of the WSIS? We Seize! series of events, the only WSIS side event taking place in the Geneva city centre and completely open to the public. WSIS? We Seize! is included in the official list of WSIS side- events.

Report by Mavic Cabrera-Balleza in Geneva, Switzerland