solidarity action from Leiden, the Netherlands, on Saturday 20th December

Image scaled down On Saturday 20th December, a group of indigenous and non-indigenous people organized in Leiden, the Netherlands, a solidarity-action to the revolted people of Greece. The action took place at a central pedestrian street in the center of the city and it involved an open-air exposition (with posters, manifests, etc), hand-out of leaflets and discussion with the people. Later that evening, a discussion-meeting was held at a local squat. Our goal had two main directions: 1. to provide non-commercial, grassroots information on the Greek riots, the socio-political background behind the uprising and the demands of the revolted 2. to emphasize the need for a common struggle worldwide, against all forms of state violence and suppression, for freedom and direct democracy. Obviously, the second goal is the most difficult. In order to explore the characteristics which link together the situation in Greece with the Dutch reality, we focused on four basic aspects: labor, education, immigration and “anti-terrorism”. For each of these four aspects, we tried to give examples from both Greece and Holland, to point out that in both places -and everywhere- the core of capitalism is the same. Due to historical and geo-political reasons, there may be many qualitative differences in the form and degree of capitalist aggression (and how people experience and perceive it), but the “results” affect all suppressed social classes irrespective of political borders and so-called “ethnic identities”. This is why the struggle should be common and widespread. In this respect, I think that our action moved beyond the level of simply declaring our solidarity: it reached the level of propaganda for a global anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist movement. In my view, the struggle in Greece quickly moved from the stage of defensive and “reactionary” counter-violence and protests, to the stage of direct attack against all forms of suppression, thereby growing into a massive, popular and autonomous uprising. In line with the current nature of the Greek movements, all social militants are called to make the next step and spread the virus of uprising in every home and every neighborhood, every labor-environment and every school, every urban and rural space. From the beginning, from now on and forever, solidarity means attack. And the attack has to be materialized by and into all means of non-commercial information, grassroots-propaganda and militant actions, everywhere. Who, if not us – When, if not now? everything has just begun... someone from “Leiden Solidarios”, the Netherlands.

add more information open discussion about this article

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On the 20th of November there were at least 10 actions in solidarity with Greek protesters in ex-USSR countries

Barnaul, Siberia (Ru) - small anarchist demonstration disrupted by cops, some people detained
http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21344/index.php

Erevan, Armenia - a small picket near Greek embassy
http://khosq.com/ru/article/2008/12/23/aktsiya_solidarnosti_s_grecheskimi_tovarishchami

Irkutsk, Siberia - a small picket with leaflets. The banner destroyed by Siberian frost (lower than 30 degrees Celsius)
http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21345/index.php

Kiyv, Ukraine - a banner "Cop means legal murderer" hanged in the center of the city; a picket near Ministry of interior
http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21349/index.php

Krasnoyarsk, Siberia - a picket with a large banner "State is murderer". Greek flag burnt and torn to pieces.
http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21348/index.php

Minsk, Belarus - police department attacked with smoke bombs.
http://belarus.indymedia.org/15235

Odessa, Ukraine - a picket near Greek consulate (16th of December); leaflets and graffiti around town
http://news.zaraz.org/?n=1076

Saratov, Russia - banner drop - "Cops murder not only in Greece"; anti-cops graffiti around town
http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21355/index.php

St.Petersburg, Russia - a bank in the center of the city was attacked with paint bombs
http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21347/index.php

Tyumen, Siberia - a small picket with leaflets and a black flag
http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21350/index.php

Check these links if you want to see some pictures and videos. More reports will follow.
http://ru.indymedia.org/feature/display/13325/index.php

http://avtonom.org/index.php?nid=2131

20.12.2008 | Various solidarity actions for Greek rebellion around Russia on international solidarity day 20th of December

Due to time difference, Siberian anarchists were probably first ones to protest on 20th of December.

In Barnaul, cops were already waiting for demonstrators at the beginning point at October square, they went to follow demonstration and eventually forced people to roll banners and flags. People however kept marching, shouting "ACAB" and "Comrade mayor, go to hell!", and distributing leaflets. This was too much for the coppers, and eventually 10 anarchists and others were arrested.

(Barnaul Autonomous Action, http://www.avtonom.org/index.php?nid=2126).

In Irkutsk, Autonomous Action and others organised a picket at local polytechnical university. They had banner "Solidarity is our weapon", but there was a technical fault - banner was made with ducktape which could not take -30 celsius (0 F) Siberian breeze, and letters dropped
- thus people could only distribute flyers.

(http://andron-s.livejournal.com/98438.html, with text of the leaflet in Russian)

In Tyumen, anarchists raised a black flag to the roof of abandonded building of Machine Construction Technical Institute and distributed leaflets.

(http://www.golosa.info/node/2851)

There was also at least one action in European side of Russia, in St. Petersburg around 8 PM local time one of the biggest offices of Baltic Bank was attacked with paintbombs. Anarchist attackers left leaflets, which called for protests against state violence. Text of the leaflet is available at http://piter.indymedia.org/node/5708

Photos: Solidarity actions by a group of 10 comrades in Lisbon, Portugal.

From Portugal we also received the following message:


Late in the night of December 8, two large recycle bins were set on fire in the center of Lisbon, close to a building of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF). So that the flames don't burn only in Greece.

Na madrugada de 8 de Dezembro, dois ecopontos foram incendiados, no centro de Lisboa, perto de um edificio do Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras. Para que as chamas não ardam só na Grécia.

Αργά την νύχτα της 8 Δεκέμβρη, δυο μεγάλοι κάδοι σκουπιδών πυπρολήθηκαν στο κέντρο της Λισσαβώνας, κοντά στο κτίριο της Υπηρεσίας Αλλοδαπών και Συνόρων. Ούτως ώστε οι φλόγες να μην αγκαλιάζουν μόνο την ελλάδα.

Update: In the early hours of December 12 we set fire to a large recycle bin in the neighborhood of Graça, in Lisbon. In the sidewalk we spraypainted "Grécia em todo o lado" [Greece is everywhere], and a circle-A. Solidarity with the arrested in Greece and elsewhere in solidarity actions. We're warming up...

Update #2: In the night of 15 of December, several recycle points were burn down in different points of Setúbal, Portugal. Also some solidarity messages with the comrades in Greece were spray-painted.
That the flame of rebellion spreads throughout the world!

Na noite de 15 para 16 de Dezembro, em vários locais de Setúbal, Portugal, incendiámos 3 ecopontos e fizemos umas pintadas em solidariedade com os companheiros na Grécia.
Que a chama da revolta se estenda a todo o mundo!

New posters made in response to the murder of Oscar Grant, as well as the social struggles in Gaza and Greece

Some anti-cop nerds have produced the following two posters for your enjoyment. Print, Copy and Distribute/Wheatpaste massively. The state cannot escape the consequences of its rule. We are everywhere! SOLIDARITY TO THE BAY AREA REBELLION

Attachment by BB! indybay 04:31am, Friday January 9 2009

SOLIDARITY TO THE GREEK PEOPLE DEMONSTRATION AT MAUERPARK, SUNDAY 14/12, 13.00

On the 6th of December, after a verbal conflict in the centre of

Athens, a police officer murdered 15-year-old A. Grigoropoulos. This

murder is not a single incident. It is just one among a lot resulting

in incontrollable, unpunished and arbitrary police violence.

Police in Greece murder young people, immigrants, (Romas); infringe

upon human rights torturing detainees, beating demonstrators. The

state breaks its own laws. The ones responsible are never punished.

Greek people’s revolt, triggered by that murder, is not merely blind

violence. It expresses the indignation against the economic crisis,

poverty, unemployment, workers’ precarity and the de-establishment of

the welfare state.

The whole country is rising in revolt.

Solidarity Initiative in Berlin

A Photo Tour No Travel Agency Would Dare Offer

A Photo Tour No Travel Agency Would Dare Offer

A photo of the ASOEE, the once occupied Economics university, where I stayed in December. Unlike the historically radical Polytechnic, the ASOEE was a center to experiment and challenge everyday life instead of planning actions in the street. In the ASOEE, there was a collective restaurant, a computer lab where many of December's texts were written and distributed, and a communal sleeping area. Like all the comrades who participated in the occupation, I have a hard time passing by the building now that it has been returned to its previous use as a site for the social reproduction of capitalist relations. But, as a middle finger to the reproduction of everyday life, revolutionary graffiti from December still sticks to the walls of the building!



A photo memorial of Alexis found by his memorial close to Exarchia square. The corner where he was killed, where the photo is hung, is now officially named after the murdered teenager.




A wider shot of Alexis' memorial. Letters from his friends written in December are still stapled to the wall. Flowers and candles are constantly placed in front of the memorial.




A production painted by an anarchist graffiti crew. The character was painted in the classically downtrodden south of Athens, the birthplace of the Rebetiko subculture, that in recent years has experienced a wave of gentrification. The graffiti crew is known in Athens for painting murals with a political message.







The Skaramagaz squat opened about two months ago in the center of Athens during the squat wave sweeping Greece.

International Electronic Civil Disobedience in Solidarity with Greek Anarchists Tuesday 30 December 2008

PLEASE SPREAD FAR AND WIDE! WE NEED AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN GET!

Monday Dec. 29 2008

Hackers Against Oppression have called for Electronic Civil Disobedience in Solidarity with Greek Anarchists on Wednesday Dec 31, the final day of December. December is the month in which Alexandros Grigoropoulos, a 15-year-old Anarchist, was murdered in cold blood by Greek Police. It is also the month that will forever be remembered by all those who struggle. Minutes after his murder, thousands of Greek residents took to the streets as did thousands around the world. Even liberal groups have called for the resignation of the Greek government. The streets were taken back for the people, police buildings were firebombed, and banks were turned into empty charred-out boxes. This entire time, the Greek government has been fighting and oppressing people with guns, tear gas, and the media. It’s time that we take them down.

We will be attacking the websites of the Greek Police and the Prime Minister. They are directly responsible and we will directly respond. They will no longer be able to spread their lies to the media about what is going on in the streets. You can either load the file on the day of the action or download it ahead of time. We suggest downloading it ahead of time in the event that our site get shut down.

(...)

To a thousand more Decembers of resistance!

There’s a hiphop artist from portugal called S-1, that in the last Saturday, put in myspace a song dedicated to all the fighters in Greece.

The link is as follows: http://www.myspace.com/pathofperfectionrecords

This is a comment i saw at www.occupiedlondon.org and just thouht is worth check, not just because of the dope beats and lyrics, but specially for the tribute and honor it pays to all those involved in the uprising in Greece.

Here's the original comment:

"All the support goes out to all the warriors in Greece, that’s just how it should be.

Let us all unite and take action against the state starting now, forever and everywhere.

There’s a hiphop artist from portugal called S-1, that in the last Saturday, put in myspace a song dedicated to all the fighters in Greece.
The link is as follows: http://www.myspace.com/pathofperfectionrecords

I urge everyone to do likewise and express solidarity in every form and way possible. Everyone needs to know, everyone needs to be mobilized.

One Struggle."


We will rise.

x

On December 24^th fifteen activists gathered in front of the Greek embassy in Sarajevo to give support to the ongoing rebellion in Greece. We had a transparent saying “Who seeds the misery, reaps the anger” in Bosnian and “Solidarity and Resistance” in Greek, we handed out flyers (see below) and talked to people. People from the embassy came to talk with us, very interested to keep the situation calm, asking the police not to bother us. After a while police started to take peoples identification and so we left and put the banner on the bridge with one policeman chasing us :). In the afternoon policeinspectors came to the house of one of the activist and took him for interrogation to the policestation. So far there are no consequences. In several places in Sarajevo there are graffitis expressing solidarity with Greek protest. “Today Athens – Tomorrow Sarajevo”

equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">

On the 27th of December we occupied the headquarters of ISAP (Athens Piraeus Electric Railway) as a first response to the murderous attack against Konstantina Kuneva on the 23-12-2008. Sulphuric acid was thrown at her face as she was returning home from work.

Konstantina is in the intensive care ward of Evangelismos hospital suffering serious sight and respiratory system problems.

WHEN THEY MESS WITH ONE OF US

THEY MESS WITH ALL OF US

On the 27^th of December we occupied the headquarters of ISAP (Athens Piraeus Electric Railway) as a first response to the murderous attack against Konstantina Kuneva on the 23-12-2008. Sulphuric acid was thrown at her face as she was returning home from work.

Konstantina is in the intensive care ward of Evangelismos hospital suffering serious sight and respiratory system problems.

Who was Konstantina? Why was she attacked?

Konstantina is one among the hundreds of female immigrant workers who have been working for years as cleaners. She is general secretary of the Panattic Union of Cleaners and Domestic Personnel. She is a militant union organizer, well known for her stance against various bosses. Just last week she had a clash with the employer company “OIKOMET” when she demanded for herself and the rest of her colleagues to get paid the whole amount of money of her Christmas bonus. She also denounced illegal procedures in payments. Just a short while ago the same company fired her mother in an act of revenge against her and she got herself an unfavourable transfer to Marousi station. There is also a case of a three-part meeting in the Labour Inspection Office still pending on the 5-1-2009 concerning a denouncement of hers. Situations like these are not at all rare in the field of cleaning and employee lending companies. It’s exactly the opposite.

This is the rule when it comes to cleaning company contractors: delayed contracts, stolen wages, stolen overtime payments, differences between contract assets and what the employee actually gets paid, selection of almost exclusively immigrant male and female workers with green card status (legal residency in Greece ranging from 1 to 5 years – in most cases only 1 year) so they can be held in a state of hostageship, social security benefits that are never attributed. All these under the support of the public sector and enterprises which are aware, incite and support working conditions reminiscent of the middle ages.

OIKOMET in particular, a cleaning company with enterprises all over Greece and owned by Nikitas Oikonomakis who is a member of PASOK (Greek Socialist Party), “officially” employs 800 workers – on the other hand, workers say that their number is at least twice as much and during the last 3 years the turnover amounts to 3000). Illegal procedures on the part of the employer company are on the everyday list. To be more specific, employees sign “blank page contracts” and they are never given a copy of them. They work 6 hours a day but get paid for 4,5 (including stamp) because in this way they appear to be working less than 30 hours per week on paper and the boss is not forced to include them in the “higher stamp category”. Employees get terrorized, they get unfavourable transfers, they get fired and blackmailed into resigning voluntarily (a female employee was threatened by her employer into signing her resignation after being held for 4 hours in a space owned by the company). The boss organised a “yellow” (company) union in order to manipulate employees while he fires and hires people as he wishes, ruling out any prospect of communication inside the workplace or collective action.

What is the connection between OIKOMET and ISAP?

OIKOMET has been assigned as a contractor the cleaning of ISAP (as well as the cleaning of other public sector and corporations) because it can “provide” the cheapest deal that includes the highest level of exploitation and devaluation of work. This “regime” of “offer and demand” is based on public sector organisations such as ISAP. ISAP is an accomplice in maintaining this regime of crude exploitation despite repeated denouncements by the union.

The murderous attack against our colleague was an act of revenge and had the intent to serve as an example.

The target was not coincidental. Female, immigrant, militant union organizer, mother of an underage child, she was the most vulnerable for the bosses.

The method was not coincidental. It resembles “dark” ages and aims to “brand”, to serve as an example and terrorize us.

The time chosen was not coincidental. The media, the political parties, the Church, businessmen and union bosses have been trying to ridicule the social movement that has taken the form of an explosion and talk about the cold-blooded murder of 15-year-old Alexandros as the result of a bullet getting redirected. In this pretext, the attack on Konstantina is lost in the everyday news.

This murderous attack on the part of the employers was well-planned.

Konstantina is one of us. Her struggle for DIGNITY and SOLIDARITY is also our struggle.

The attack on Konstantina has left a mark in all our hearts. It has left a mark in our memory as have done the racist pogroms, the concentration camps for immigrants, the attacks by thugs working for the state, the workplace accidents, the people murdered by the state, the working conditions that resemble galleys, the purges, the lay-offs and the terror. All these show the long way ahead for the social and class struggle.

Our hearts are filled with sorrow and rage and one sentence comes to our lips:

MURDERERS, YOUR TIME WILL COME

THE EMPLOYERS TERROR SHALL NOT PASS

SOLIDARITY ASSEMBLY

FOR KONSTANTINA KUNEVA

SOLIDARITY DEMO FROM ANARCHIST COMRADES IN GREEK EMBASY LONDON

Arson against diplomatic corps vehicle and bank (Athens, 3/12/

Arson against diplomatic corps vehicle and bank (Athens, 3/12/

Early in the morning of Wednesday 3/12/08 we attacked to a vehicle of the diplomatic corps of Bosnia and to Geniki Bank on Papandreou street in Halandri. It is a minimum act in solidarity with the comrade Polikarpos Georgiadis, accused for the kidnap of northern Greece industrialists president G. Mylonas. It is a way to become one with the comrades inside prison walls and to act. We destroy whatever tries to pass over us. We leave behind us the ashes and wrecks of this decadent civilization and we stand upon them with a smile of joy listening to its death rattle. WAR CONTINUES BY EVERY WAY AND BY ALL MEANS.

Arsonists with filhty consciousness

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 Russia: Solidarity with Moscow anti-fascist prisoner Aleksey Olesinov!

On the 18th of November, an action against repression of anti-fascists will take place at Metro Station "Novokucnetskaya" in Moscow. Action will begin 16:00, and will demand freedom for anti-fascist prisoner Aleksey Olesinov. Aleksey is imprisoned for more than 10 days already, and has been held incommunicado by authorities, his lawyer Stanislav Markelov has still not been allowed to meet with him. Health condition and conditions in which he is kept are not known to his relatives and friends. Friends of Olesinov are certain, that he is persecuted due to participation to anti-fascist activities.

Aleksei Olesinov was arrested 6th of November, and accused of "hooliganism", according to statue 213,
second part of Russian criminal codex. Although he has never before faced
criminal charges, he was remanded. Police motivated the decision to remand him
with the fact that Olesinov is an anti-fascist activist.

Formal pretext for arrest is an insignificant fight which took place
30th of August between visitors of one of the Moscow clubs and security
of the club. Nobody was wounded during the fight, Olesinov was arrested
the same night close to the club, but eventually police who arrested him
did not pressed even misdemeanor charges against him.

For unclear reason case of Olesinov is united with two felony
investigations. Another of them is the murder case of anti-fascist
activist Fyodor Filatov. It is possible, that police attempts to hide
fact that investigation is doing nowhere by arresting one of the
activists of the anti-fascist movement.

Case of Olesinov is under personal control of first vice-minister of
internal affairs M.I.Suhodolskiy. It is rather unlikely, than an average
case of "hooliganism" is under a personal control of first vice-minister
of internal affairs.

Currently Olesinov is kept in remand prison of "Butyrka", but he was in
a police prison for 6 days, which is a reason to believe that police
tortured him there in order to gain information on workings of
anti-fascist movement.

Participators of the anti-fascist movement demand to stop violations of
legal rights of Aleksey Olesinova, to give him an access to lawyer, and
also to stop using murder of Fyodor Filatov to purposes which have
nothing to do whatsoever with the murder investigation.

Contact telephone: +7-985-997-05-24

Donations are very much needed for Olesinov's defence campaign.
You may donate through bank accounts and internet purses of ABC-Moscow.
They are available in http://www.avtonom.org/index.php?nid=1912.

Always contact ABC-Moscow* if you made a donation: abc-msk AT riseup DOT net

(Original: http://avtonom.org/index.php?nid=2058)
(in Russian: http://avtonom.org/index.php?nid=2059)

http://www.ainfos.ca/en/ainfos21707.html

Thursday, November 20, 2008 Solidarity actions with Greek Prisoners' Struggle

November 16, Lisbon, Portugal

"Sunday night anarchists attacked the greek embassy in Lisbon (Portugal) with black paint-bombs. Greetings to the comrades. Solidarity to the prisoners in struggle!"

----------------------------

November 14, Lisbon, Portugal

"Friday, Nov.14, at 11h in the morning we distributed 200 A4-size leaflets in front and around the building of the Economy and Comerce Section of the Greek Embassy, in the center of Lisbon, leaving some of them inside the building also. The leaflets included a small introdutory text to the prisoners' struggle, a few of their demands, and a chronology of the events until that day. Besides, it also included the following text:

"Prison is everywhere, in all our life. Constantly we are watched, controlled, identified, listened... it is the cop, the surveillance camera, the court, the judge, the police station, and our entire reality of forced interactions... it is the fear of being what we are, of saying what we feel, of doing what we would like to do... it is the everyday misery, it stalks us in our memory, it is a permanent threat...

Prison is also that isolate building, where only the convicted and the hangmen are... it is the siege from where we can not leave, it is the guards that control and torture us, it is our body in the hands of the state...it is the walls that enclose and hide us, that push us away for years... it is the place where everything is taken away from us...

Prison is, at the same time, an idea and a building. But always a reality.

In Greece, like everywhere else, the struggle of the prisoners is the only way to face and fight the reality to which they are forced. To accept prison is only possible due to all the means of alienation the state uses, inside and outside the prisons, and that create a daily life of fear and resignation. What's happening today in the Greek prisons has born from the determination of individuals kidnapped by the state, and although we are outside the walls, that doesn't mean we're free. That freedom, we have to conquer it.

In Greece, in Portugal, and anywhere else, no condition of life inside a prison will ever be human, because that's impossible inside a prison. There's no reform of whatever nature that can, in any way, humanize this place where we're locked up; where everything, with the exception of dignity, is taken away from us.

But dignity will always belong to those who struggle, to the insurgents, to the individuals.

There are countless ways with which to show our solidarity and spread the revolt, attacking control and the controllers of this world; the first step is to decide on which side we are.

Having said this, the only "demand" we have is the destruction of every prison and of this prison-society!

SOLIDARITY WITH THE PRISONERS IN STRUGGLE IN GREECE!

-anarchists"

----------------------------

November 10, London, UK
Greek embassy attacked again by anarchists, spraypainted, windows smashed, car tyres slashed. "IF THEY GIVE US REPRESSION WE GIVE THEM DESTRUCTION"
--------------------------------

November 9, London, UK
On Sunday night the Greek embassy was spray painted with political slogans in solidarity with the prisoners in Greece and some windows got smashed. It was also done in solidarity with 3 animal liberation militants arrested in Sweden involved in a campaign to close a fur shop. "THE VICTORY IS OURS ATTACK no borders no prison ................KEEP WARM BURN THE FUCKERS los ropen huesos"

French Anarchists Charged With Rail Sabotage

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Nov. 11, 2008 Time Magazine

Don't look now, but here comes Europe's violent extreme-left again. Two decades after French police busted the radical group Action Directe, which waged a bloody urban guerrilla war during the 1970s and 1980s against French business and military interests, French authorities on Tuesday nabbed a group of anarchists suspected of having sabotaged the nation's high-speed rail system over the last several weeks. The arrests aim not only to put an
end to the spate of vandalism that had wreaked havoc and panic among French travelers for the past two weeks; they may also derail any violent plans French anarchists might have been preparing with like-minded extremists with whom authorities say they were in contact in Germany, Belgium, and the U.K. (See Today in Pictures.)

The police raids took place early Tuesday morning in Paris and in four other
sites in France. A total of 20 people were arrested, and by mid-day 10 of
those had been officially placed under investigation for participating in
the spree of potentially deadly sabotage. In most of those incidents, hooked
metal bars had been attached to high-voltage electricity lines that power
high-speed trains; when the bars were snagged by passing locomotives, they
plowed a path of destruction through high-voltage power lines. A
total of six incidents of sabotage were recorded since Oct. 26, including a
coordinated operation Nov. 8 that targeted four different rail lines in
northern France and caused delays of nearly 160 high-speed TGV trains — including Eurostar service to London — leaving thousands of passengers
stranded.

The sudden spate of sabotage capped nearly two years of sporadic
vandalism to French rail lines that successive inquiries attributed to
isolated, disgruntled trouble-makers. But the recent incidents showed
more skill, and their perpetrators seemed able to act at will without
detection. For that reason, French rail users were already rattled even
before the coordinated attacks of Nov. 8. The saboteurs struck in
virtually all corners of the nation without warning, and applied a high
degree of knowledge and technical ability in putting the destructive
metal hooks in place without being killed by the 25,000-volt power
lines.

After a further act of sabotage was reported Monday in southwestern France,
a decision was made to group individual investigations under the direction
of France's centralized counter-terror operation in Paris, which collated
all the information police and intelligence services had related to the
inquiries. Within 24 hours, officials had narrowed their scope down to a
group of "autonomous anarchists" whose radical positions and increasingly
restless activity — including protesting during a G8 summit in Poland
last year — had led French intelligence services to place some of its
members under surveillance.

"They speak a very radical language, and have ties to groups abroad," said
French Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie in announcing the arrests
Tuesday. "Since becoming minister, I've noted the risks of the resurgence of
a violent radical left (given) the radicalization we've observed in it over
the past three or four years."

French terrorism expert Roland Jacquard thinks Alliot-Marie is right to be
concerned — especially given similarities between the accused anarchist
group and Action Directe, which carried out the unit's robberies,
assassinations, and machine gunning attacks. "Like Action Directe, these
anarchists set themselves up in out-of-the-way, rural communities where no
one would suspect them of anything more troubling than perhaps a general
ecologist lifestyle," Jacquard says. "Like Action Directe, these anarchists
used that cover for their plots, and fled back under cover once operations
were over. But like Action Directe, that escalation of activity — and its
success — raised the potential of it sooner or later evolving into more
violent strikes targeting individuals or groups of people." (See pictures of riots in France.)

Guillaume Pepy, chairman of France's state-owned SNCF rail company, didn't
go so far as to speculate about what else the group might have done had it
not been arrested. But he did say the "central role of rail travel as a
collective means of travel that France has made a priority" was also what
made it an inviting target for saboteurs seeking "to strike a blow at a
well-functioning French society."

If so, France's counter-terrorism organizations may not have seen the last
of belligerent behavior by extreme leftist groups that have largely been
dormant since Action Directe was smashed in 1987. "The economic and
financial crisis the world is now experiencing is a dream come true to the
extreme-left, especially with mainstream leftist political parties unable to
mount any real opposition to ruling conservatives," Jacquard notes. "That
brings the possibility of social unrest radical leftists may seek to exploit
— or even provoke through violence of their own."

Belgium: Two Comrades Arrested

Sunday 9 November 2008

In the night of the 6th of October, Jürgen Goethals didn’t come home. He was picked off the streets by cops, put in front of a prosecutor and locked up in the prison of Ghent.

Earlier that day, a gang of fascists were hosted once more by the tolerant city of Ghent. Something, which, was apparently not appreciated by everyone. In several places, people expressed their discord by causing damage to symbols of this capitalist society. We found out later that Jürgen is alleged of having participated in these protest actions.

The following days, several people are harassed by cops. A week and a half later, a house search takes place at the house of Paolo Melis. He is requested to report two days later at the police station for an interrogation. On this day, the 21st of October, he is arrested in the afternoon on his way home. He as well, disappears behind the bars of the Nieuwe Wandeling.

On the 9th of November, the detention of Jürgen and Paolo was confirmed. The file was sent to the correctional court; they will appear before the judge within two weeks.

We will not rest until we can embrace our comrades, how and when we want to.

Jürgen and Paolo free!

Against every form of imprisonment!

For the destruction of prison and its world.

To write letters of support:

Jürgen Goethals Nieuwe Wandeling 89 9000 Gent Belgium

Gian-Paolo Melis Nieuwe Wandeling 89 9000 Gent Belgium

For financial support: 000-3244460-04 with the mention J+P

Ghent, the night of 6 on 7 October:

Splintered glass, dripping paint. The justice palace is damaged by vandals. Ten thousand euros worth of damage according to the court. What inspired the burst of fury against one of the pillars of democracy? Destructive flames are licking the plastic garbage bins all over the centre of Ghent. Money spitting ATMs, there for the comfort of the permanent consumer, are affected by the fire. Firemen and police are running everywhere at once. Chaos and sirens on all sides.

Regional television also reports that a few rightwing students are treated with a dose of physical demoralising critique (the president of the fascist student organisation NSV receives a few well directed punches). On the St-Pieterssquare, the KVHV [catholic rightwing student organisation] organises a debate on Islam in Europe. A clique of persistent rightwing “democrats”, among others Dewinter, Dedecker etc [rightwing politicians], countered by the Islamists of AEL [Arab-European League]. A few blocks away, in a university in the Voskes avenue, the NSV (the unofficial student club on the Vlaams Belang, fascist party), celebrates the beginning of the academic year. Last year, the NSV organised a debate with Filip Dewinter as speaker. The university building where this debate would have taken place was occupied by antifascists. An attack of the fascists, led by Führer Filip was countered. The obstruction of this alleged right of free speech for fascists was not to be repeated.

So, this year, an impressive police force was deployed to let the promoters of the Vlaamsche democracy do their thing without being bothered. Since a gathering on the place and time set by them would only fall flat against a blue wall, this year, the reaction took different forms. The parties didn’t go unnoticed; Ghent was startled by a spontaneous and wayward eruption of chaos.

The political advance of extreme right in Flanders is not a coincidence. The fact that fascist organisations such as the NSV and the NSA [National Socialist Action] get a free game and are zealously protected by the police forces has deep implications.

The extreme right tosses up all sorts of “problems” that have no factual base. All over the world, the rupture line between a small, superrich elite and the masses that fight daily to survive is becoming deeper every day. Everywhere, the protectors of this elite are more and more elaborated and better equipped. Hence the colourful variants of the cops who dirty our streets (grey, purple, black, …uniforms, each of them with their specialisation). Their working method ranges from a velvet ‘social’ way to hard repression.

The discourse of the extreme right; presenting Islam as a threat for the “lightened” western world, presenting people on the run for a miserable existence as parasites, not-working as scroungers,…is meant to deviate the attention from the daily war that repeats itself between the rich and the poor.

This story is brought to us by the media who act as mouth-piece of the ruling elite and continue to distract us with “tittytainment” on television and the internet, the cult of health and such. Flanders public opinion seems to have appropriated this discourse. At the bar as well, racism is never far away. The “others” are the enemy, not the puppeteers who manipulate this theatre.

The aftermath:

Justice and the government are of course not very pleased with expressions of resistance as were demonstrated that night. For a public opinion dominated by rightwing actors, somebody has to pay. That night, one person was arrested and accused of several arsons. Two weeks later, another person was arrested on similar charges.

Communique on the three day arsonist rampage (Athens-Thessaloniki, 2-3-4/11/2008)

Communique on the three day arsonist rampage (Athens-Thessaloniki, 2-3-4/11/2008)

The Conspiracy of Cells of Fire claims responsibility for the arsonist rampage that took place from Sunday night to Tuesday afternoon in Athens and Thessaloniki. Namely, in Athens, we set on fire a military jeep of the Nave at Halandri (something the cops hidden out), vehicles of the navy in the entrance of the building of Naval Command on Klafthmonos square, the company of digital systems ACE HELLAS at Agia Paraskevi that cooperates with the greek army, the club of retired army officers on Halkokondyli street, the union of retired army officers on Harilaou Trikoupi and Akadimias street corner, the political office of the minister of national defence Vaggelis Meimarakis.

In Thessaloniki we set on fire the club of reserve officers of the Armed Forces at Evosmos, a military private school on Margariti street and an ATM of Geniki Bank that cooperates with the army, at Kalamaria.

We also take responsibility for the attack at the military courthouse at Rouf on Tuesday October 28.

POLEMIC OF ECONOMY

In our era, as always, the military branch of every state consists an indivisible part of the development of its geo-political and economic interests. Conducting wars is an inevitable outcome of the intense economic crises of the capitalist system. A typical example of this condition was the exponential growth of the war industry in the beginnings of the 20th century and the economic crash of 1929 at the USA, accompanied with a long-term crisis of the world market, facts that contributed to the process of the first and the second world war, respectively. Military operations and management of the economic interests are an all-time, all-state direct relation in the route of human history.

From the NATO bases in european ground, to the "pacificatory" interventions in the middle East, army has the role of an essential force to maintain and expand the economic interests of the western states. To feed the machinery of war and the war industry it is needed to keep social peace inside the mitropoles of the western states. War and peace, two different faces, two different expressions of the capitalist dominion.

MILITARY-POLICE COMPLEX

When, a few decades ago capitalism was less stylish and more unconcealed there was some class resistance. Since even the most pittyful man when deprived of the nothing he posseses and considers of his own, in his face, fights with teeth and claws. To tame him back, and take out his eye teeth, the capitalist think tanks, came with the idea of the providence state. Social care, public medical care and supplies, retirement plans, popular politics, benefits and whatever could tame the "disordered" proletariat.

Simultaneously the hard machinery, the back bone of repression, police and military, developed though without being able to relief their "vulgar" past. In Greece they remained as social figures to the popular sense as the copper and the junta pig. One after another face-lifts, they are trying to get closer to the citizen. The gendarmerie and the city police got united and military service reduced, but in the mean time a new military-police complex appeared in the streets of the metropolis, the well known MAT and MEA (note: greek riot police units). In the midst of the 90es in during their second half, bosses and the state, are almost reassured that the workers do not pose a threat to the system anymore. The new religion of individualist-idiocy is established for good inside the heads of the new class of petit-owners, dissolving every imaginary workers front - That's for good, since illusions come always with a bitter taste in the end. The steam engine of neo-liberalism is motivated with a fast tempo and the "popular" politics is replaced by privatization. Thus the state becomes from a wild animal tamer to a mere appartment building manager, having every lodger as proprietor, working together for their "common" interest. But, what guarantees the existant isn't just the wilful servitude of the individual idiots. The state enriched with the experience of the past will always have a place for the iron whip of repression, since the carrot has convinced the proletarians and the coach is being draught, it can now reinforce its guards.

Today the state is militarized, by this time it "wears" plain clothes. The memory of an army causing coup-d-etats has now given its place to a new and improved image of professional greek army with mercenaries with shinny smiles. Besides, after September 11, militarization of the western world responds to the currency of a social demand for safety. Where the threat of islamic terrorism doesn't convince enough to legalize socialy the descend of the army in the metropoles, then the issue of illegal immigration or of the criminality of the immigrants will be enroled, as in Greece. The application of the border guard patrol in the borderline isn't random, and it corresponds to the best image of what we call military-police complex.

The army meets society not anymore in terms of repression, but to accompany it in its decadence, becoming from the drudgery of yesterday, the professional career of today. Military service is democratized, reduces, given as a right to woman to participate, police and military schools are a first class option, the old obedience process, as a method to subordinate the youth is useless anymore, since youth are already subordinated to the internet, tv, mobile phones...

So the army changes its face and becomes more dangerous. Besides an unwieldy army, with illiterate servicemen, heavy duties and pack drills, as well as a police with fat ass cops, doesn't correspond to the new aesthetic order and even more to the modern standards.

Professional militarism means smooth image, specialization, education, high tech systems, sence of safety on the citizen's side.

It is a new proposal for life. So, the "pacificatory" missions of the greek army with the humanitarian aid, of rapes, pillaging, arms, drugs and women trafficking, beyond the vast economic benefits for the state is translated by the mercenaries participating as an extreme sport, something that, beyond the money they are paid for, can take pride in. The army is marching today beyond the state borders to establish the murderous peace of the bosses, the lawful proprietors, the silent majority and in the same time getting ready to defend this same peace inside the metropoles, by any means. This is why the military-police complex lurks incognito having signed contacts of strategic importance. It isn't by accident that the ministry of public order became sub-ministry under the protective shield of the ministry of domestic affairs, while the place of the "field marshal" Polydoras was taken by a genuine army man, and ex chief of the general commandment of the army Hinofotis (recently our cells in Thessaloniki "saluted" the new minister, setting on fire the police station on Dodekanisou street.

SUICIDE IN SLOW MOTION

The army creates conditions where the individual isn't allowed to think as an individual, but as a wheel of the coach, as a stone of the building, a part of a complex. The existance of the individual is planned to be transformed into existance of the complex with a way that the complex would overcome in value the ego. A culture of annihilation of the self is cultivated, pulveriation of the ego, inforced by the screams of the superior, the pack drills, and the drudgery. In this culture, people that possibly had never developed a critic to the army (neither positive nor negative), people without personal will, unable to make decisions without someones advice, suffocate and drawn inside themselves. People that never cared of any nation, or did that with light heart, the army destroys their personal substance in such a degree, sinks their ego so low they lose every personal desire, they are carried with a surgeon's accuracy to suicide. It is childisness to consider responsible only the pack drill or the officer screaming brutally. The army is responsible, with its uniformity, obedience, national absorbsion, fanatism, turns humans into dispensable units of subgroups.

Some of them desert towards death, undersigning a swan song of egoism, that isn't enough for enything: I define my self absolutely, at least in suicide. This act may seem as the most ideal solution, as a last shelter for human dignity.

How ironic: the desire the explore the ego happens simultaneously with its total loss.

DOMESTIC HOSTILITIES

ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE SELECT TO ENLIST ANOTHER CAMP. THE CAMP OF REVOLUTION. WE SERVE THE DUTIES OF NEGATION AND CREATE MILITARY FACTIONS OF CHAOS. WE DON'T NEED THE DISCIPLINE OF AUTHORITY BECAUSE WE HAVE SELF-DISCIPLINE IN THE PROJECTS OF THE NIGHT. IN THE CAMP OF NEGATION AND DISOBEDIENCE WE FIND ON OUR SIDE OTHER COMRADES THAT SELECTED TO PAINT THEMSELVES IN THE COLORS OF WAR, WITH THEIR OWN WAYS.

WE DEDICATE THIS FIRE RAMPAGE, AS AN ACT OF WAR, TO THE FUGITIVE COMRADES DIMITRA SYRIANOU, KOSTAS HALAZAS, ILIAS NIKOLAOU. LASTLY, WE DON'T FORGET THE COMRADE GIANNIS DIMITRAKIS, WHO IS STILL KEPT CAPTIVE BY THE ENEMY.

PS. We send our signal of fire to the prisoners started a prison food strike since Monday 3 November.

NOTHING IS OVER-THE BATTLES RAGE-WE SEEK FOR ACCOMPLISHES

Conspiracy of Cells of Fire ATHENS-THESSALONIKI

ON THE PRISONER MOVEMENT AND THE HUNGER STRIKE ISSUE

Not many words are needed to describe the conditions that reign inside prisons. One word would fit: Dahaou.

Crushing incarcerations, equally exterminative penalties (the only ones really paying for the judge's racket scandal coming to light are the inmates), prolonged captivity through un unmeasured use of disciplinary charges, minimum or zero medical supplies (with the exception of constant drug pills dispensation, to produce Pavlov's dogs), overcrowding of the prisons (Concerning just the Dahaou of Ioannina where I am kept, more than 200 prisoners live in a prison built to "house" 80 persons. Prisoners are packed like sardines in a can, even in the corridors!).

This overcrowding could end with a few simple ways:

1) Reduction of pre-trial imprisonment
2) End of captivity of the vindictive disciplinary charges
3) Abolishion of the 4/5 of time rule for the drug cases (in Greece all drug addict prisoners are labeled as dealers, leading to the "dealers" being more than the users...)

Inside these miserable conditions we have millions of reasons to revolt, and none to remain passive. With full consciousness that whatever measures they take to disburden the prisoners are nothing more than painkillers, since for as long as this authoritarian/class society stands, the miserableness of prison will stand by it. I join forces with the prisoners struggle, as I did in solidarity with them, while I was outside the prison bars.

On the other hand, I can't keep to my self my disagreement on the weapon of hunger strike, that was suggested, and I regard as useful to express this disagreement open and in public. I regard as by NO means necessary to eliminate ourselves and move into actions that only waste our forces, the same time that there are still many other ways to resist and fight (as much for the inmates as for the out of prison bars solidarious). Our health, our bodies and our minds should be kept fit and strong our ENTIRE lives, and not surrender in a wilful decay.
Our clash with the society that gives birth to the prison misery should continue until we finally become food for the worms, and for this reason our full physical and mental health should be safeguarded as the apple of our eye.
Maybe a hunger strike will bring some short term positive results (draw some support, sensitizing), but in a long term it acts only as a deleterious effect. It's simply one step forward and two steps aback.

Moreover, it creates fighters of many levels. The same time that 50-100 persons in a self-sacrifice spirit risk their physical and mental health, thousands of other inmates will eat typically their "zwan" meat.

I consider more useful the decision making through collective processes, so that every means of struggle we use must concern EVERY prisoner in struggle.

By no means do I wish to break apart the unity that prevails among prisoners. This text was written aiming only to make clear my stance on the issue of the hunger strike (an issue the radical movement deals with for many years now) and not to criticise the comrades that selected this means. All I do is striving for the sportiness of words and actions I strived before my imprisonment, and nothing more than that.
It is obvious that I will put all my efforts in the prisoners fight for Dignity.

UNTIL THE DESTRUCTION OF EACH LAST PRISON

Polikarpos Georgiadis

(Ioannina Juridical Prisons) 31 Οκτωβρίου 2008 2:51 π.μ.

Incendiary attack against military courthouse of Rouf (Athens, 29/10/2008)

From the mass-media: Minor material damages were caused to the entrance of ROUF military courthouse at 2:35 in the night, after a combustion of an improvised incendiary device made of 10 home gas canisters. According to the first information, a fire erupted followed by an explosion breaking the entrances' glass windows. A little after 7:00 a.m. the police found near the barracks' entrance a hole in the fencing wire where the penetrators allegedly entered from. It is worth noticing that the arsonists weren't noticed, since the area is guarded by the army.

Update: According to "Eleftherotipia" newspaper(http://www.enet.gr/online/online_text/c=112,id=75353488), the «Conspiracy of Cells of Fire - Revolutionary Army cells» claimed with a phne call to "Eleftherotipia" the responsibility for the attack "in solidarity to Giannis Dimitrakis, who was facing a military jury on October 13".

Arson against national bank and communique (Thessaloniki, 29/10/2008)

Arson against national bank and communique (Thessaloniki, 29/10/2008)

In the night of Tuesday October 28, and by the time the dressed up with festivity national misery, we selected to turn into ashes for once again, the national bank on Venizelou street at Triandria, Thessaloniki.

Passing by quickly the dominant rhetoric of a financial crisis and the emergence of a new "socialism", the ashes we leave behind us yell that the mechanism of exploitation don't collapse on their own. Besides, the only ones losing in these occasional crisis are not the gangs of the big robbers and usurers that for centuries have been accumulating wealth and power, but the masses of the repressed. Just think of the millions of deads left behind at the second world war so as this wonderful capitalist system could recover from the '29's crash.

However, opposite to the financial colossi that kneel one after the other, stand the insurgents of the world. Opposite to the wage slaves that mind their own deposits stand with dignity the comrades Giannis Dimitrakis and Giorgos Voutsis-Vogiatzis that are found in prison for their selection to expropriate a few of what's stolen from us every day by the banks. Opposite to the generalized apathy and willful servitude the revolutionary action spreads.

Lastly, we can accept the national bank's gratitude for our help to reduce its subsidiaries, so as to strive accordingly to the crisis.

PS. We need to make clear that the actions offensive against the existant don't want nor need comrades in prison or on the run. We affirm though, that as long as this idiomorphic prison condition of I. Nikolaou, D. Syrianou and K. Halazas stretches, our rage overflows, with all that this may involve.

Attack against economics ministry office and claim (Athens, 27/10/2008)

A related report from the mass-media: "An improvised incendiary device with gas canisters, was placed by unknown persons the dawn of Monday, in an office of land property offices and American Express company, on Mesogion avenue, Holargos district. From the explosion, minor damages were caused to both offices. Police is investigating, while up to now there wasn't any claims from any organization".

Translation of a text sent via e-mail:


On 27/10/08 we selected to attack the offices of the ministry of economics on Mesogion Avenue at Holargos. Our target wasn't random.

The state's reorganization of economy, in complete harmony to the capital's order, is carried out to intensify even more the constraints, inequality and alienation.

The same moment we experience the totalitarianism of dominion and its acceptance, the lords of this country, in cooperation with the western states, report ready to provide vast amounts of money to save the prestige of the world financial system and the normal function of economy.

In this imposed normality, someones select servitude, some other idleness and some don't select at all. But, there are also others that select to assault. Our words are a testimony of soul: Negation. We don't ask for mildness, we don't give silence. We negate this world and all those helping it to stand. AS for us, we will always ride their dreams like ghosts, shadows in the delinquent underground.

This incendiary attack is just a block in the tower of aggresive solidarity and it is our own contribution to the crisis of the local and world capitalist system. We don't nurture illusions. The world won't change with arguements. Individuals are needed, ready to risk and set afire this world to shine. Violent revolutionary action will bring down every trace of compromise and peace within society.

This attack is dedicated to the comrade Giannis Dimitrakis who is found incarcerated for the expropriation of ETE bank on Solonos street.

WE ARM - WE AIM - WE FIRE...
BECAUSE WE ARE AT WAR

Black Fever Gang

Paints against "LAOS" party offices (Athens, 20/10/2008)

The fascist plague is crawling in the streets of the city and the neo-fascist party of LAOS tries to find its way opening offices in every neighborhood. Their offices appeared again at Kipseli, on the second floor of an appartment building, on Megistis street, where they hanged byzantine flags, and balloons (!), and also a banner with the ridiculous slogan "patriotic protectionism". Note that we 're talking for one of the most dense residential areas of Athens with a high population of african origin, and also balkanic, eastern european and asian. Many of those living in the appartments of the fascist LAOS party offices block are immigrants, and the local school is full of children from immigrants from all ovr the earth. On the occasion of Karatzaferis (translator's note: the party's "fuhrer") the fascists realised flyposting and sticter gluing around the area, spray painting "solidarity to greeks" (!!!) and other fascist and racist slogans. The posters and stickers of LAOS were destroyed, their slogans erased... And yesterday night, on Megistis street antifascist flyers were thrown and slogans as "KICK OUT THE LAOS FASCISTS", "SOLIDARITY TO IMMIGRANTS" and "FOREIGN WORKERS OUR BROTHERS!" and also red paints were thrown against the fascists' offices painting their walls and signs.
NEITHER IN KYPSELI NOR ANYWHERE - SMASH FASCISTS IN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD!

Arson against bank at Exarchia (Athens, 13/10/2008)

Today, October 13, the anarchist Giannis Dimitrakis faces jury at the martial court of Rouf, for his decision not to give away any of his time to the murderous machinery of the army.
That's why we decided to hit the subsidiary of Geniki Bank on Vatatzi street at Exarchia. He still remains imprisoned for the expropriation of Ethniki bank on Solonos street. An action of re-appropriation of all that the bosses rob us from daily, and of negation to the barbarism of work.

FREEDOM FOR GIANNIS DIMITRAKIS.
SOLIDARITY TO THE 3 FUGITIVES FOR THE EXROPRIATION OF ETHNIKI BANK.

"Group of Revolutionary Desertion"

Attack against hayward-police offices and claim (Athens, 13/10/2008)

Attack against hayward-police offices and claim (Athens, 13/10/2008)

According to the mass-media "A group of 20 hooded persons attacked a while after 9:15 in the morning of Monday (13/10) the building holding the headquarters of hayward police and that used to be the internal affairs office, on 83, Syggrou avenue. The perpetrators approached on foot, without being noticed by the guard, and threw molotov cocktails, paints and stones, causing damages to the buildings entrance, and parked cars. Police forces sieged the area and realised investigations, but didn't make any arrests. This attack caused a big noise, since it was realised in the morning in one of the capital's most central places".

A related video: http://video.e-go.gr/default.asp?catid=11334&subid=2&tag=8349&pubid=1716663



Communique sent via e-mail:

KIDNAPPERS OR HOSTAGES

"The alienated character of labour is apparent definetly in the fact that when there is no natural or other constraint, labour is avoided as a social nuisance. The alienated labour where human alienates himself, is the labour of self-sacrifice, of devitalization".

Karl Marx


On 21 of August, P. Georgiadis, V. Paleokostas and another comrade are arrested, while the prisoner G. Haralambidis is also accused for the kidnapping of the big industrialist G. Mylonas.

In an opressive system where compromise, apathy and servitude reign, snitching becomes a virtue and rebellion a crime. The bosses are the only kidnappers of our wasted work-hours, with the state being their accomplish in crime, and accessories all those legalizing this system with their stance and by aiding the police. A new witch-hunt is started against those fighting against them. Being taken as captives in society's prison cells, our comrades selected where and why to attack, selected to pay with the same currency...

And as for us, we selected to attack the internal affairs office on Syggrou setting the seal on our choise to stand on the opposite side, negating every other path and selecting the only way of negation and active solidarity. We do not oppose only to the state and the one or other action of its, nor only the bigger of all slavers, we also oppose to every kind of silence.

Our offensive solidarity will be keep them company while they are kept HOSTAGES of the state.

SOLIDARITY TO THE COMRADES

P. Georgiadis
V. Paleokostas
G. Haralambidis
V.H.

Our comradely regards to Giannis Dimitrakis that was today facing another jury on his choise to negate the army.
.

Latest news upate 14/10/08

Latest news upate 14/10/08

Vaggelis is free. We was released 3 days ago after his application. The reason that the authorities gave his release was lack of evidence. we don' t know yet the exact charges that vaggelis is going to trial with, if it is under the anti-terrorist law or not. Also, we are not able to know when his trial is going to happen. It could be in a year, it could be also in 3-4 years. Τhe 3 comrades are still wanted, so we must focus our efforts to put an end to their indicment.

27.9.08

Latest news Update 26/09/08

During the next period we expect the exact accusations of Vaggelis and the 3 comrades on the run. This will be a critical moment because it will be clear if Vaggelis and the 3 will be accused under the anti-terrorist law or not. The next few months we will also know the date of the trial. Without being sure about it, we are expecting the trial during the first months of 2009. Due to the greek laws the trial must happen in a period of 18 months after the day of the arrest. So it will happen until may 2009, in any other case they must release Vaggelis.

About the case

About the case

Vaggelis Botzatzis is a Greek Anarchist who has been remanded into custody since the end of 2007. He is accused of setting fire to 2 company cars belonging to the Greek national energy company, setting fire to a Greek bank, and of an arson to a French car dealership. Vaggelis was arrested at 26 november 2007. Due to Greece’s laws, he can be held in prison for up to 18 months prior to trial. For the same case three more comrades are wanted by the police and they are still on the run. They are all accused under the greek anti-terrorist law and if they get convicted they are facing huge sentences. Vaggelis is claiming that he is innocent and he says that the reason for his arrest is his participation in the anarchist movement. It is important to mention that the only evidences that the greek state has is a testimony of a security guard and a fake testimony of woman that it was taken under threats and psychological pressure from the police. This last testimony was withdrawn after several days with a public statement.
The days after Vaggelis arrest we experienced a huge police movement in the city. Several comrades were taken to the police station for questioning, houses got searched and riot cops surrounded the neighborhood that vaggelis and the 3 comrades were living. Also some media of the country published the photos of the 3 wanted comrades. Against this situation a big variety of solidarity actions rised up from the first days and they are still going on all over greece.
This case of state repression is one of the most important cases for the greek radical movement the last years. Because the greek state is trying to accuse people under the anti-terrorist law for practices like arsons, that previously were not defined as so. If they succeed now, they will continue. The states effort is to reduce the possibilities of uncompromising and radical resistance, to spread fear and weakness to the population. Also to sell the image of security. Finally to "trim" the population to the current necessities of capital. The criminalization of resistance is one of their methods, the huge media propaganda is another. There are many more. The world is turning more and more in a totalitarian way, in this process anti-terrorism is a tool, a name for a state's tactic to confront its internal or external enemies, to secure and extend its power. Anti-terrorism is global strategy with similarities and differences appearing in every country. But the discrimination of resistance, the extension of repression and surveillance mechanisms, the strong ideological propaganda, the offensive social demand for security and the militarization are things that we experience everywhere.
We have to understand it and to fight against it on a local and an international level as well. That is why we think that there is need for international solidarity for the case of vaggelis and the 3. During the next months they will be calls for national and international solidarity action days and they will be also announced from this blog. Keep in touch to get informed.

P.S. Letters can be sent to Vaggelis at the address below. Vaggelis can receive short messages of support written in English or in french. When writing to Vaggelis, please remember the authorities do censor his mail so please do not write anything that could be regarded by the authorities as “dangerous”.
Komotini Juridical Prison ("Dikastikes Fylakes Komotinis")
T.K. 69100
GREECE

Mike Rann, the Premier of South Australia has recently announced that Adelaide will be host to the Asia Pacific Defence & Security Exhibition on 11-13

The Governments of France, Germany, Israel, Italy, South Africa, UK and USA have already booked major exhibition space for their military corporations to come to Australia and take up Mike Rann's offer to "survey the terrific business and investment opportunities" that APDSE will provide. No doubt many other nations will join the throng in the coming year.

These seven countries are together the source of at least 80% of all military equipment, from bombers and warships, through to cluster bombs and depleted uranium munitions, down to the more mundane run-of-the-mill guns, boots, bullets and surveillance equipment used to in the dozens of wars around the world today.

They are responsible for 80% of all the pain & suffering caused by militarism. For the deaths, for the amputees, for the rapes at gunpoint, for the detainees and refugees, for the orphans and the parents denied the right of dying before their children. These people are the real terrorists.

In a cruel twist the organiser of this death fair, Alex Nicholl, who also organises similar atrocities in the UK, has set the date for APDSE as 11th November, the day we normally stop and reflect on the horrors of war. To these people the remembrance of war holds no horror, only profit.

The best we can hope for is that Remembrance Day reminds them of the last time the masters of war came to Australia to peddle their wares.

This is the first major weapons trade fair since the Australian people put an end to the AIDEX 89 & 91 exhibitions in Canberra. In coming months the campaign to stop Australia being turned into a shopping mall for the world's killers will begin in earnest. We urge you to join us in stopping this happening for another 17 years.

How a story that hasn't ended began for us

Wednesday morning, 23 April. We heard that a woman was run over by a prison van taking prisoners back from court to Brixton jail yesterday around 5.30pm. Rushed up to the area and got a newspaper.
“30 years old, she was drunk”, “she was always dancing”, the paper read.
Immediately I knew it – it was her, the girl who'd beckoned me to dance at 'food not bombs' in front of the Ritzy cinema a few weeks back, the day that K and L were arrested for giving away free food. The beautiful crazy black girl with the wide open smile! Some people enter your heart like a streak of lightening. Naomi was one of them.
Choking with pain and rage we reached the 'Brixton Oval' to find a shrine rigged up by her friends: the red Marlboro jacket she always wore, her beloved skates, a few furry toys, photographs, flowers, candle, joss sticks. Everyone was crying, men and women, young and old, black and white, tears of anger and despair pouring down their devastated faces. They are the people who hang out there like Naomi did, in that grassy area in the centre outside the Ritzy cinema. We hugged and cried together and all agreed – we were not going to sit still in a ritual RIP in front of candles. WE MUST ACT!!! NAOMI WAS MURDERED BY THE STATE!!! PORCO DIO!!!
The private cop driving a SERCO prison van had seen her dancing in the road and beating her fists on the van with its human cargo of eleven prisoners that he was in a hurry to unload. Don't take them to the prison!!! She had screamed.
He had seen her, yet, when the lights changed, he accelerated and knocked her down, drove over her and dragged her along the road. She died under the van, close to a friend who had crawled down to reach her. A crowd of about a hundred people gathered, stunned, screaming MURDERER!!! The windscreen of the van was smashed. Riot police were called to protect the killer, who is of course free on bail.
What is the life of a drunken black girl who always dances, to a brute in the service of State repression? As much as that of a comrade leaving a rock concert once was to a bus driver.
We need to scream our anger!! All of us!! Together!!
A quick dash to the local print shop and copies of the newspaper article are enlarged and laminated. They see the story and do more free. Passersby stop. People begin to arrive as the word goes round. A dive to Brixton market to get some cloth for a banner. The road is blocked as – vegans rejoice – a butcher has thrust an axe into a colleague's chest. Okay! 3 metres of black cloth. More people turn up. Quick! Some paint, brushes, sponges. Cloth is spread on pavement, a few steady-handed people set to it. The words, decided by Naomi's mates and agreed by all: AVENGE NAOMI, KILLED BY THE SYSTEM begin to emerge. 2 long sticks appear and the banner is rigged up. It's decided: up Brixton Road to the jail, block any prison vans along the way.
Tall black guys take the banner. They are in a hurry. Let's go! The march assembles hastily. Barely formed, it takes over the main road, some are straggling, others follow on the pavement. The heavy trafficof Brixton Road is forced to slow down to snail's place behind this motley crew of Naomi's friends, some clutching cans of beer, and a few anarchists, squatters, Rastafarians and punks: the 'scum' of Brixton out to denounce the KILLER of the System. For some people, this is their first ever demo. Cop cars arrive at the scene and follow the march. Shouts begin, tentatively at first: No justice! No peace! Then the whole march breaks out NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE, FUCK THE POLICE!!! The shouting gets louder and louder. Everybody in unison at the top of their voices. NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE, FUCK THE POLICE!!!! NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE, FUCK THE POLICE!!!! THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM IS STRONGER THAN THE PRISON!!! Hundreds of cars and buses pursue their slow journey up and down the road, traffic is nearly at a standstill, it is almost the rush hour. Cop vans are stationed discreetly in side streets, but the whole police operation keeps a low profile. Brixton is Brixton. People stare. Bemused black schoolchildren turn their heads. Fuck the police? Wow!
The march reaches the prison. It doesn't stop on the pavement but storms up the drive. Cop cars all around. Cops and screws form a line. A vanload of female ones arrives at the scene. Two emaciated women are staggering, almost falling to the ground. They throw out their anger and pain, screaming at the cops, who remain impassive. (All the Brixton cops knew Naomi. They know the score and clearly have been given strict orders.) Tears drench faces contorted by pain and alcohol. Naomi didn't need to die! It wasn't an accident! He could have stopped. She was murdered and the murderer is walking free! NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE, FUCK THE POLICE!!! NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE, FUCK THE POLLLICE!!! THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM IS STRONGER THAN THE PRISON!!! All sorts of flora and fauna emerge from within the prison area. Cops start to put on mild pressure, the march concedes, returns to the entrance on Brixton Road and stays there for ten minutes before taking over the main road again, walking slowly back down to the town centre, passing again over the spot where Naomi was callously crushed to death. The shouting continues all the way down to the centre.
The working day has ended and new people are gathering around the monument to Naomi, which is in evolution (there are more flowers and a Rastafarian flag has taken the place of the news article). Rows of cops try to clear the pavement without success and end up blocking it themselves. The inevitable local reporter has arrived, complete with cameraman. A group of authoritative people are lining up on the grass to be photographed and interviewed and Naomi's friends seem to be fading into the background. The atmosphere is changing and we're off, for now. Hugs to our comrades of the day. See you later.
J. and B. , proud to be 'scum'.