Ten years ago, on May 1, 1999 Marcus Omofuma was killed during a deportation flight from Vienna to Sofia. Three officers of the Austrian alien-police had used adhesive tape to tie him to the seat of the plane and also to seal his mouth. As a consequence Marcus Omofuma suffocated during the flight.

Born in 1973 in Nigeria, he became a member of the Ogboni, a fraternity which is illegal in Nigeria due to it’s extremely violent intimidation-practices sometimes to the point of killing its own members. According to Omofuma, he fled Nigeria because his name was on such a death-list. However, since this wasn’t accepted as a reason for receiving asylum in Austria, the authorities decided to deport him to Bulgaria.

The death of Marcus Omofuma provoked a large protest movement among Vienna’s African community, but also the launch of a massive political campaign in order to discredit Omofuma and Black people in Austria in general. The extremely racist news-coverage was mainly driven by the country’s largest newspaper, the right-wing tabloid “Kronen Zeitung” and fuelled by the “Freedom Party” (FPÖ) lead by Jörg Haider.

On May 27, 1999 the Austrian Interior Ministry – which was already under severe public pressure – stroke back. Under the pretences of a crackdown on drug-trafficking, some 100 Africans were arrested in the country’s largest police-action since 1945. Under the name “Operation Spring” 850 police searched refugee-accommodations and flats all over the country. In a trial with numerous inconsistencies and obvious manipulations, 100 black men – many of them being active in the protest movement – were sentenced to more than 100 years in prison. The documentary film “Operation Spring” shows how sentences were passed on the bases of anonymous witnesses, incomprehensible sound-recordings and manipulated evidences.

The case of Marcus Omofuma is of course only one in a series of incidents:

- In the night between May 19 and 20, 2000 a policeman “accidentally” shoots dead Imre Bartos, who was just sitting in his car.
- In the night between July 14 and 15, 2003 Seibane Wague dies in Vienna after a joint operation by police-forces and an ambulance.
- On October 4, 2005 the 18-year-old Yankuba Ceesay from Gambia dies in a detention-centre in Linz after his cell had been heated to 45 degrees Celsius. Four months after his death a court states that the detention itself was unlawful.
- After a failed attempt to deport Bakary J. on April 7, 2006 four police officers drive him to an empty storage facility which is being used as a training facility by special units. The policemen severely beat up Bakary J. and threaten to kill him.
- On October 22, 2008 policemen maltreat a Romany from Slovakia.
- On February 11, 2009 two men beat up the African-American teacher Mike B. in an underground-station in Vienna. It turns out that the two men are policemen mistaking B. for a drug-dealer as they put it. Mike B. has to spend a few days in hospital. Only two months earlier, an anonymous open letter described a similar incident.

In all of these cases the perpetrators came away with no or with very light sentences; some of the involved policemen are still in service.

On May 1, 2009 a large manifestation will be taking place in Vienna in order to commemorate the death of Marcus Omofuma and of the numerous nameless victims of racism in Austria and the European Union.

This time we’re expecting a quite crowded studio, as not only Johnny Rocket and MC Davox from Vienna’s Dub:iouz Crew will be joining us, but also Jahtari Riddim Force & MC Soom T will be performing live alongside Cologne’s Wadadda on the decks. Don’t sleep on this one…

Dates

Apr 30: Freakcamp w/ F, Pangaea, Rough State, Alex Deadman, Roko, 2Krazy, J-Trex @ Tresor/Berlin
Apr 30: Klub Sir3ne w/ Jahtari Riddim Force feat. Soom T (live), Wadadda, F!no, Se.vero @ Flucwanne/Wien
Apr 30: Zoo 3rd anniversary w/ Rome, DisasZt, BreakPitt, Tenchu, Zool, Pandora, Dj Combo, KiddRuff, Johnny Rocket, Kos, Egoshoota, Camo, Davox (mc), Daxta (mc), Bastamun, Lalips, Flowkee @ Zoo/Wien
May 1: Demonstration (10th anniversary of the death of Marcus Omofuma @ Mariahilferstrasse/Wien (2pm, corner Museumsquartier)
May 1: Bounce w/ DJ Assault, Odd, Straker, Roswell47, Mess.u @ Flucwanne/Wien
May 1: Mayspace w/ Quehenberger (live), Bul Bul (live), Erobique (live), Patrick Pulsinger, Tyree Cooper, Fritz Plöckinger, Tingel Tangel, Macaroni Club @ Brut Künstlerhaus/Wien
May 1: Sweet w/ Kadi, Jay Dan, Lovin’ Lou @ Auslage/Wien
May 2: Inna Jungle w/ Kulix, Kiweedo, Desstino, Atex, Bacchus @ 1bm/Wien
May 5-31: Art & Crisis Festival 2009 @ Aktionsradius Augarten/Wien

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Please check comments for the tracklist!

This time Jay-S and myself featuring fresh dubs by El Rakkas, Joker, Liondub and Mundo as well as new releases by the likes of Breakage, LD, Martyn, Spatial and others.

Dates

Apr 24: Twisted w/ Rak3te, Diaz, Raz Marty, Neurologic, Sub Scientist @ Ska/Graz

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Please check comments for the complete tracklist!

No guests today, however I’ve got a few unheard bits prepared for you, music by DFRNT, Forensics, Kwality, Mr. Sleepz and myself.

Dates

Apr 16: Coordination meeting for the activities around the 10th anniversary of the death of Marcus Omofuna @ Schwarzenbergplatz/Wien (4:30pm)
Apr 16: Schiffe versenken w/ Any Maniac, Rakete, Monster Mash, Wollof, Sepix, Konform @ Badeschiff/Wien
Apr 16: Tube Club w/ Radikal Dub Kollectiv (live), Koe, Slap, Rollin @ Arge/Salzburg
Apr 17: Critical Mass @ Schwarzenbergplatz/Wien (4:30pm)
Apr 17: COTN w/ Shackleton (live), Bitz, Element012, El Rakkas, Feelipa, B.L.O. @ Schaumbad/Graz
Apr 17: Dub Temple w/ Radikal Guru, Hatti Vatti, Dubseed @ Krzysztofory ul. Szczepańska/Krakow
Apr 18: Protest against Neonazi-march & Thor Steinar shop @ Trainstation/Braunau (Upper Austria, 1pm)
Apr 21: Crossing Europe Festival w/ Benga, Ravissa @ KAPU/Linz

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Streaming live from Berlin featuring J-Trax, Skratch and 2Krazy from Freakcamp Crew plus special guest Roko… a 4-hours session peppered with dubs by Bisweed, Ca.tter, El Rakkas, H.O.D., Hyetal, L-OW, Luke Envoy, Pangea, Rakoon, Ramadanman, Scuba, The Lonely Schizophrenic, Sigha, Silkie and others.

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After an excursion into 2-step/garage beats of this decade’s first half, IZC presents unreleased bits by the likes of El Rakkas, Joker, Lostlogic & Bisweed, MisVou, Sigha and Simon/off in the second hour of the show.

Dates

Apr 2: Woot? w/ DJ Bandwidth, Hinch, Spark, Cultjah, Dux, Elec Danninger @ Club U/Wien
Apr 3: Dubstep Ahead w/ PZG, CLN, Optik, Dubseed, Kaos @ Krzysztofory ul. Szczepańska 2/Kraków
Apr 3: Substance w/ Shackleton, Distance, Jamie Vex’d, Scuba, Headhunter, Onetake @ Berghain/Berlin
Apr 3: Sweet w/ Luvin Lou, Empee, Jay Dan @ Auslage/Wien
Apr 3: temp~ w/ Deadbeat (live), Ca.tter, Odd, Aka tell @ Fluc_wanne/Wien
Apr 5: Garage Session w/ Koe, Jay-S @ Play FM/Wien

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