Solidarity Poster for Polykarpos Georgiadis and Vaggelis Chrisohoidis (greece)

Never forget “A truth cries out to be heard in my heart, and it goes like this: any movement or struggle that does not provide support to the fallen is destined for failure. As certainly as day follows night. Support for the prisoners should be considered the top priority within the movements and for people like you or me, who never know when the prison bars will close behind us. Or when these bars will open to permit our release.” Harold H. Thompson [trans: I couldn’t find the original quote, so I had to translate this back from Spanish; therefore it’s probably not the exact quote] On Tuesday 15 December, anarchist comrade Tamara was detained in Madrid. Her arrest warrant originated in Barcelona, from the Mossos d’Escuadra [Catalan autonomous police force]. She is accused of mailing a letter bomb to Albert Battle, director of the Penitentiary Institutions of Catalunya. [Tamara is AWESOME!] On Wednesday she was transferred to Barcelona and on Thursday morning made her declaration at the preliminary court appearance. A group of people in solidarity gathered at the courthouse: despite not personally knowing Tamara we felt it necessary and desirable to give her all of our support. After passing the whole morning outside we discovered that the judge had decreed pretrial detention for Tamara, who was transferred to Wad-Ras women’s prison in Barcelona. Faced with this situation we went into action. There’s little time and much to do. We decided this same night to approach the prison where Tamara was being held to let her hear our shouts and our rage, to give a rapid response, to demonstrate to the repressive forces that we won’t permit them to strike us with impunity; they have kidnapped our companion and we want them to hear one clear message: though our struggle does come with consequences for us, their repression will also have consequences for them. We also wanted Tamara to know that we won’t leave her alone for an instant. There is no fear in our eyes, they have not succeeded in intimidating us, there is only rage and conviction. We called for an assembly, passing on the word person to person, and a group of people volunteered to knock on doors and inform folks about the situation and the upcoming call-outs. We met in the evening and, despite the scarcity of people in attendance, we organized a march on Wad-Ras for that same night. We also decided to prepare a protest for the coming Sunday. We are not many, but we are sufficient to circle the prison shouting loudly, throwing fireworks, and speaking with prisoners who had gathered at the windows. Later we learned that Tamara heard us and it filled her with strength to hear us out there. On Friday we convoked another meeting and organized a protest. They told us that Tamara had been transferred to the prison at Can Brians, located one hour by car outside Barcelona. Despite this, we decided to continue with the same location and route, because we understood that the powers did not want us to gather at Wad-Ras, but going to a prison always has a purpose, and they won’t succeed in making us incommunicado also. Posters were made that were put up in nearly all the neighborhoods of Barcelona, mainly on the doors of the social centers. There was also a proposal placed on the internet for a meal on Sunday to gather money for Tamara. On Sunday, at 6 in the evening, we gathered in the designated place, Plaza Can Felipa in the neighborhood of Poblenou. About a hundred people came and we marched towards the jail with banners, flyers, fireworks, and spraypaint. The area was full of undercovers but there weren’t uniformed cops close by. When we came close to Wad-Ras they appeared in their riot vans and we gritted our teeth, not letting them intimidate us with their presence. Never again! Knowing that our companion was held prisoner outweighed any consequence we could suffer for showing our support. When we arrived at the jail they were already awaiting us outside their vans, clubs in hand, with their uniforms and all their gear. We shouted all the louder and surrounded the jail with these waged torturers one meter away. We stopped next to them and yelled in their disgusting faces. This time the prisoners were not in the windows, they had isolated them so we couldn’t talk with them, though we knew they were listening to us. We continued the march and then left. We want to thank all the people who showed solidarity with the actions that were taken, because we believe it is important to reaffirm that under these calculated blows we should not respond as they expect, staying in our houses. More than ever we have to demonstrate with all our force and courage, to feel that we are not alone, that if one day the blow falls on us there will be those who will give their everything from the streets. We don’t know how long they will hold Tamara prisoner. There is much to be done. Her closest friends and companions live in Madrid, therefore we in Barcelona have to mobilize so that Tamara isn’t lacking anything, neither in things material, emotional, or revolutionary. We find it important to stress that this repressive blow should not paralyze us, should not interrupt our daily struggle. Despite our support for our companion, we should continue the struggle, not stagnate. The continuation of the social war is the best homage that we can make for Tamara. A space has been created at the Ateneu Llibertari del Besòs [an anarchist social center] to drop off things for Tamara, such as: -Books -Clothes that are not blue, nor grey pants [these would be regulations of the prison] -Music CDs, originals and still in the packaging [not copies] [the address of the Ateneu is Rambla Prim 76, 08019 Barcelona, Espanya, include a note inside the package that the material is for Tamara, she probably only reads a little English but I haven’t been able to find out yet. Here’s the website of the Ateneu http://www.nodo50.org/albesos/ ] Her address is: Tamara Hernandez Heras C.P. Brians - Dones Carretera de Martorell a Capellades, km 23 08635 Sant Esteve Sesrovires Spain Some actions realized in solidarity with Tamara, found on the internet -Solidarity with Tamara and the prisoners Last night, in the neighborhood of Sants, real estate offices, banks, and offices of public institutions were painted in solidarity with the recently detained Tamara and all the other prisoners of this murderous state. Also two banners were hung calling for her freedom. Solidarity and action! -Two banks burned in solidarity with anarchist prisoner 22 December 2009 Early Friday morning we set fire to two banks in Guinardó (Barcelona), as two small acts of solidarity. In the first place we want to claim this action in support of Tamara, the young madrileña detained this week accused of having mailed a letter bomb to the director of Penitentiary Institutions for being responsible for the current situation of prisoner Amadeu Casellas. Beyond whether she was or wasn't the author of this deed, we know that this arrest is framed within the attempt to stop all shows of solidarity with Amadeu. A fact that is corroborated by the different reports the Mossos have presented to raise the alarm about the dangerous relations that are being woven in relation to the hungerstrike of this anarchist prisoner. It is in this direction that we understand her arrest and in this direction that we understand our solidarity. In the second place we want to show our deepest support to the companions detained by the Chilean state. Just as our enemies do not understand borders, as personified by the Italian collaboration with the Chilean police, neither do we, as internationalist proletarians. You are not alone! Where there is struggle there is repression! Where there is repression there is solidarity!