Thursday, January 24, 2008

Letter from Anarchist Vaggelis Botzatzis

From the judicial prison of Komotini (24/1/8)

I am already 2 months imprisoned in the galleys of democracy. In the prisons effigies of prison society. I am pre-trial imprisoned with a made-up bill of indictments which is based on the testimony of a security guard (who asserts that he saw my car license plates) and by black-mailing inhumanely my companion, the secret police after an hour-long detention and intimidation threatened her and forced her to sign a totally made-up deposition. This deposition after a few days was denounced and refuted by my companion on her own in front of the interrogator as a product of black-mail.

Imprisoned by the anti-terror law, a law that aims at de-sensing acts and practices of resistance of symbolic actions, so it can show them as a threat to society, hiding in the meantime the fact that the terrorists are those who put forward these laws. In these frames, warrants are issued for 3 other comrades who are wanted by the police now.

Nothing is new or unfamiliar for anyone that has open eyes and is not possessed by illusions. Judges, prosecutors and interrogators imprison people before trial for each case that reaches their hands and give life-long sentences in order to hide their involvement in para-judge groups, who use the 18 month long pre-trial imprisonment as a penalty for cases that they know will get acquitted in the auditorium, following orders of each of their masters. Police that humiliate human dignity in police stations, who shoot in cold blood unarmed immigrants at the borders, who shoot in the head to "save" insured money, who "suicide" prisoners, who spray with chemicals those who decide to go against the will of the rulers. Media and journalists, political party, ministry, MP, millionaire employees, show an objectiveness which is nothing but the interests of their bosses. Assignees who are not boggled to sell-out for money and job careers. And next to this hodge-podge of institutionalists, a diffused social informery. Truck drivers, shop-owners and guards, everyday informers, defenders of the "honest sweat" of the banks, security guards and uniformed men, everywhere supervision and social control. Across this silence and obedience that is forced by this whole meshwork of authority, there are those who stand with clear glance and with sure steps they walk on the roads of insurrection.

Whether from inside the galleys of society, whether inside the social galley, the struggle goes on...

FREEDOM to the anarchists Yannis Dimitrakis, Yiorgos Vousis-Vogiatzis, Marios Tsourapas, Hrisostomos Kontorevithakis, Nikos Kountardas

FREEDOM for the fighter Vaggelis Pallis

SOLIDARITY to the 3 wanted comrades

FREEDOM TO ALL PRISONERS

Vaggelis Botzatzis
Judicial prisons of Komotini

Letter from the 3 wanted (27/1/8)

-Early hours of Monday 26/11/07

Comrade V.Botzatzis is arrested by plain clothes police while he was at his friend's house in Ano Poli, Thessaloniki, and his car is confiscated. He is taken to the main police station of Thessaloniki, where he is held for over 48 hours, in total isolation and without legal coverage.

The same day, Monday morning, and while the cops have already forced entry in Vangelis house and in his friend's, she (companion of Vangelis) is arrested at her workplace.

In the afternoon and evening of the same day, 4 more arrests of comrades who are politically closely related with Vangelis. 2 of them as well while working and the 2 other ones from a cafe in the centre of Thessaloniki. Late at night the 4 are let free while there is a solidarity demo where we were more of 100 people outside of the police station where Vangelis and his friend are still held.

-Tuesday 27/11/07 after 35 hours of detention, Vangelis friend is free. The same afternoon, Ano Poli (the broader area around our places of residence) is surrounded by police forces. 2 riot police buses are lined up in the neighborhood limits and tens of undercover cops, motorbike police and cop cars are moving provocatively around in the area. At the same evening we are informed that the anti-terror unit is forcing entry in our houses (in one of the two houses without the presence of a lawyer or a resident while in the other one a comrade is arrested and let free after a few hours. This fact made it clear to us that the police is trying to set up a dirty game against us by inventing "guilty".

-On Wednesday 28/11/07, an unsubstantial, invented deposition of Vangelis friend, a product of black-mail, of threats, of psychological violence and pressure, an unbelievable list of charges is made up for Vangelis and 3 arrest warrants are issued against us.

The charges we receive are 5 felonies and 3 delinquencies, specifically: Complete arson and in attempt in a group and continuously, complete explosion and in attempt in a group and continuously, construction and possession of explosive mechanism, distinguished occasion of private property damage, formation of a criminal group, terrorist actions in a group and continuously, illegal possession of weapons.

Vangelis denies the charges, he states that he is an anarchist and gets imprisoned at the judicial prisons of Komotini. Alike, the 3 of us don't accept any of the charges.

The Media in an admirable collaboration with the agents of authority take action. Publicized on the newspapers Makedonia, Ethnos and on the channels Mega, ET3, Alter, Alpha are the pictures of the 3 of us. Only the word "wanted" was missing and a cash award that would be given to any possible informer.

Inside this entire atmosphere, from the beginning with having any doubts we chose to escape. A choice so conscious as also political. We are anarchists and as that we realize the world around us. For us the struggle for freedom is the only way. The labels of innocent-guilty, ethical-unethical, good-bad are not recognized by us and we don't attempt to do it now. That's why we choose to not be victims of authority, of the processes, of laws, of austerity or leniency.

We realize ourselves as political beings that belong in the anarchist-revolutionary movement. Our participation in this is a way to exist in the present without having to wait resignedly for an earthly paradise of social justice but by putting forward the everyday pursuit and the rupture between institutions and relationships for regaining human dignity.

We exist in a condition of today, without evangelizing a "better tomorrow", we live and struggle for today, while putting perspectives for the future. We consider the triptych "yesterday-today-tomorrow" a beginning for fertile criticism. We learn from our mistakes and move away from them.

We realize our existence-realization as an enemy towards the existing. Actively we stand opposed to all those who reflect this compromised society, which we see as a whole and not only to its authoritative factors and institutions but to the whole of its besotted citizens. Those who with their "neutral" stance which is not neutral at all because silence is complicity, are trying to gain a sure place in this system, ruled by complexes of micro-authorities. Whether those who voluntarily play their roles of lawful citizens-conscious informers where the rules, the laws and order gain ethical power alike the obedience to death of modern social cemeteries.

It was, it is and it will always be our choice to stand across all this scum, and the reason is no other than that our life and our freedom, nobody else except us can determine.

We were, we are and we will always be attackers on this world that the only it has to put front is apathy, sureness and self-slavery.

Our realizations look like impetuous waters that try to take with them the orders of authority whichever form they have. The rocks of the legality limits, which artily tries to force the radical components of this society, would not block their road.

We didn't compromise and we would never compromise with this old world. Because we never possessed a position in the authority corral. Because our dignity would never let us follow by our own will the tactic of being the sheep ready to be slaughtered. Because we know very well your "chaste" democracy, the democracy of totalitarianism, of control and security-insecurity. Because we are humans and we would never exchange our freedom at any cost.

See you at the theatrical show that you call court.

ON THE ROAD TOWARDS FREEDOM

NOTHING HAS FINISHED EVERYTHING CONTINUOUS

FREEDOM FOR COMRADE VANGELIS BOTZATZIS

Solidarity Poster for Polykarpos Georgiadis and Vaggelis Chrisohoidis (greece)



POSTER SAYS:
did anyone speak of a
KIDNAPPING?
“…A handful of capitalists
have organized a criminal gang
and have kidnapped the proletarians,
demanding for ransom
their labor force,
merchandising their human activity,
their time (which is turned into money),
their own being itself…”
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
to vaggelis Chrisohoidis and Polykarpos Georgiadis
who the persecuting authorities, exactly because they denied to betray values and people,
accuse them as participators in the kidnapping of industrialist Milonas
anarchists from Serres from north-greece


Anarchists solidarity protest outside Korydallos prison, the main prison in Athens, at the time of the change of the year. This protest happens every New Year's Eve for the past six years. This year more than 400 people took part in the protest that interacted with the prisoners inside through shouting mutual slogans and fireworks. The main slogan was "The passion for freedom is stronger that your prisons".
NEW YEAR OUTSIDE IN KORRIDALOS PRISON 2011
Watch live streaming video from agitprop at livestream.com
FIRE TO ALL PRISONS

A society that punishes/the condition of incarceration/the prison of the mind/the prison as punishment/the rage of the damned will sound on the ruins of prisons/those denying obedience and misery of our era even within its hellholes/will dance together on the ruins of every last prison/with the flame of rebellion avenging whatever creates prisons.

To the prisoners struggle already counting one dead and thousands in hunger strike across greece, we stand in solidarity and anger until the destruction of every last prison.


ARSON AND WILDFIRE FOR EVERY PRISON

SOLIDARITY TO ALL PRISONERS IN GREECE


Keny Arkana - La Rage English Subtitles

1976 - 2000 Greek Anarchists Fight for Freedom

(December Riots in Greece)