The Saloniki counter demonstration against the European Summit conference in Chalchidiki on July 21 2003 attracted the interest and expectations of thousands of anarchists well before the event. Representatives of the European political mafia had chosen this country characterised by an anarchist movement envied both for its numerical strength and the sustained combativeness of comrades in the social struggle, including revolutionary solidarity with rebels all over the world.
Expectations were great both inside Greece and in other countries.and in fact, thousands of anarchists turned up in Thessaloniki to make sure that the enemy’s plans would not go undisturbed.
Many comrades have expressed the desire to examine this encounter critically. If they consider the present document in that vein, they will be seriously disappointed. While not intending to emulate the event, we also do not wish to dissect and analyse it, something which, in our opinion, must be done within a critique of the very concept of ‘summits and counter summits’ itself.
What we are doing here is therefore a simplification. The summit took place, the demos took place. We were there, we share responsibility for what happened before, during and after. We are letting some of the events speak for themselves within the context of the demonstration as a whole, and above all, the solidarity afterwards with the arrested comrades during their protracted hungerstrike. This is not because we are against critical examination of our actions as anarchists, on the contrary, that is an essential part of the latter which, having no blueprint or ideological premise, are always something unique and irrepeatable in the great experimental laboratory of the struggle.
It is precisely through the continuation and deepening of the social war and its demands that moments such as counter summits reveal their ephemeral nature in terms of outlets for a real attack on capital. What remains is the undissectable part, the solidarity, the love of one's comrades, the little hoaxes against power, and above all the unquenchable, burning desire not to simply to ruin their parties but to reduce the whole edifice of capital and the State to rubble without delay.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
WE ARE NOT WELCOMING OUR ENEMIES
Because we don’t plan to be simple spectators of another show by the European Union’s criminal company.
Their integration means unification of their institutions and mechanisms. And this means the strengthening of repression and exploitation.
It’s been a year and a half since the economic unification of European countries and the planning of European authoritarians concerning federal structures are rapidly moving on.
Already, in the name of social peace, defence and the anti-terrorist crusade, the united European Information Agency has been created (which, besides its political action within the E.U., will act abroad along with European Union’s Military Commission), the united development of European Justice known as EUROJUST has been formed and the EUROPOL is being transformed into European FBI.
What’s left for them is to agree to compose a European constitution, which they will go for during the summit in Thessalonica. At the same time they continue to move towards building a war machine (European army), which will allow them to apply their political decisions for new looting and slaughter.
We are not welcoming our enemies.
And we don’t forget that the wannabe fixers will take the place determined by the rulers yet again. All those who have participated in open and non-open negotiation aimed at not disrupting the regular functioning of the summit. All those who talk about an alternative globalization, giving their credentials, declaring that it is time for demonstrations to stop…
So, while the enemies are gathering outside the city, the fixers will be playing a strategic game as supporters of resignation of every kind appear, willing to enter the political game and silently contribute to order. It’s the pomposity of the slave who applauses slavery, at the same time as terror in every form is becoming the means for every form of slavery to prevail in the new “globalization era”.
However, from Amsterdam to Seattle, from Prague, Genoa and Evian, the summits of G8, IMF, World Bank, NATO, E.U. and WTO, were faced for what they really are. A gathering of all those come to seal up the extermination and poverty of all the people on the planet. All those who, during the 90’s, strangled in blood the hundreds of “hunger revolts” from Kinshasa to Jakarta, from Chiapas and Argentina, to Pakistan and India. All those who, after the end of the so-called “cold war” and the 11th September attacks continue their crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq, and not only, this time through the crusade against “terrorism”. An enemy, invisible as they say, without borders, an enemy to which they don’t even grant the “title” of “belligerent”.
They’re not just unwanted, they are enemies.
That’s why we don’t plan to go with the logic of defeatism and silent compromise, leading to new slaughters, tighter chains, thousands of refugees.
That’s why we will continue to refuse to tolerate politics that muzzle and guide fiery tempers who confront anything that preserves and reproduces repression and exploitation with all means.
Because we believe that the “new age” is vainly trying to wipe out the words revolution, rebellion, social self-defence.
The Greek State, attuned with the above logic, goes on fighting so-called terrorism (arrests of fighters, torture, military courts for the action of the revolutionary organization November 17th and the Revolutionary Popular Struggle), trying to sow fear and defeatism, and continues to attack society as a whole. The Greek State’s integration with the E.U. and the notorious development of the Greek economy has passed through the expulsion and merciless persecution of immigrants. It is passing through the tension of social inequality, thousands of homeless and outcasts of the “development miracle”.
Since remorse won’t stop them however,
LET SOCIAL RAGE STOP ‘EM
June 12th 2003
Anarchists’ Coil
Their integration means unification of their institutions and mechanisms. And this means the strengthening of repression and exploitation.
It’s been a year and a half since the economic unification of European countries and the planning of European authoritarians concerning federal structures are rapidly moving on.
Already, in the name of social peace, defence and the anti-terrorist crusade, the united European Information Agency has been created (which, besides its political action within the E.U., will act abroad along with European Union’s Military Commission), the united development of European Justice known as EUROJUST has been formed and the EUROPOL is being transformed into European FBI.
What’s left for them is to agree to compose a European constitution, which they will go for during the summit in Thessalonica. At the same time they continue to move towards building a war machine (European army), which will allow them to apply their political decisions for new looting and slaughter.
We are not welcoming our enemies.
And we don’t forget that the wannabe fixers will take the place determined by the rulers yet again. All those who have participated in open and non-open negotiation aimed at not disrupting the regular functioning of the summit. All those who talk about an alternative globalization, giving their credentials, declaring that it is time for demonstrations to stop…
So, while the enemies are gathering outside the city, the fixers will be playing a strategic game as supporters of resignation of every kind appear, willing to enter the political game and silently contribute to order. It’s the pomposity of the slave who applauses slavery, at the same time as terror in every form is becoming the means for every form of slavery to prevail in the new “globalization era”.
However, from Amsterdam to Seattle, from Prague, Genoa and Evian, the summits of G8, IMF, World Bank, NATO, E.U. and WTO, were faced for what they really are. A gathering of all those come to seal up the extermination and poverty of all the people on the planet. All those who, during the 90’s, strangled in blood the hundreds of “hunger revolts” from Kinshasa to Jakarta, from Chiapas and Argentina, to Pakistan and India. All those who, after the end of the so-called “cold war” and the 11th September attacks continue their crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq, and not only, this time through the crusade against “terrorism”. An enemy, invisible as they say, without borders, an enemy to which they don’t even grant the “title” of “belligerent”.
They’re not just unwanted, they are enemies.
That’s why we don’t plan to go with the logic of defeatism and silent compromise, leading to new slaughters, tighter chains, thousands of refugees.
That’s why we will continue to refuse to tolerate politics that muzzle and guide fiery tempers who confront anything that preserves and reproduces repression and exploitation with all means.
Because we believe that the “new age” is vainly trying to wipe out the words revolution, rebellion, social self-defence.
The Greek State, attuned with the above logic, goes on fighting so-called terrorism (arrests of fighters, torture, military courts for the action of the revolutionary organization November 17th and the Revolutionary Popular Struggle), trying to sow fear and defeatism, and continues to attack society as a whole. The Greek State’s integration with the E.U. and the notorious development of the Greek economy has passed through the expulsion and merciless persecution of immigrants. It is passing through the tension of social inequality, thousands of homeless and outcasts of the “development miracle”.
Since remorse won’t stop them however,
LET SOCIAL RAGE STOP ‘EM
June 12th 2003
Anarchists’ Coil
AGAINST THE SUMMIT OF THE E.U. LEADERS…
OPEN SPACE FOR ANARCHIST-ANTIAUTHORITARIAN MEETING IN THE UNIVERSITY, ABOVE METEOROSKOPIO
The E.U. summit in Thessaloniki is promoting the strengthening and entrenchment of Fortress-Europe, in order to intensify the capitalist assault and state terrorism inside and outside its borders. To organize and secure the looting in the peripheries of capitalism with economic and military means. To increase class exploitation and social oppression on the inside, deepening social injustices and modernizing repression, for crushing any form of resistance. And finally, in order to fortify in a murderous way its borders against refugees and immigrants.
The summit of the 25 criminal and murderous E.U.-leaders will take place within an unprecedented provocative occupation and militarization of the whole city, that has been turned into a red zone of suffocating control.
As anarchists and antiauthoritarians who fight everyday on every front that authoritarian projects are imposed, we are in Thessaloniki to advance the explosion of social resistance in the place that these projects are to be symbolically and spectacularly signed.
To hinder in the barricades the advance of domination that spreads misery, poverty, persecution and death.
To meet in the streets with all those who dispute the rulers’ legitimacy to define the future of the world, and there promote the passage from protest to revolt.
To confront those who, facing state and capitalist ferocity, are seeking ways to return to past authoritarian models or to humanize the present one.
To advance the antiauthoritarian, anticapitalist and anti-patriotic discourse, against the propaganda of the regime, the manipulation of the media and reformist rhetoric.
To promote self-organized direct action in contrast with mediation and the imprisonment of social rage in the limits of state legality.
We are not interested in the salvation of the global system of domination through proposals on how to manage it alternatively. We are interested in the con-tinuous struggle to subvert it as the only perspective for social liberation, for a world without prisons, borders and states.
That is why, with the aim of having a distinguishable anarchist-antiauthoritarian pre-sence, we chose to transform the place above the Meteoroskopio of the University into a space for counter-information, a point of reference for continuous convergence, interaction and communication. It will be open to anyone who wants to come in contact with a space that shows the reasons and issues that brought us here. The place will be used in order to self-organize our needs and desires through anti-hierarchical assemblies based on solidarity and mutual respect in order to define in common the terms for a strong social presence in the streets and to diffuse radical speech and subversive action against the State and the Bosses.
Discussion: Thursday, June 19, 2 p.m., outdoors above Meteroskopio
Open Assembly of Anarchists and Anti-authoritarians Against the Summit of the E.U. Leaders
June 19, 2003
Note: The text above was drawn up by the open assembly of anarchists-antiauthoritarians called in the open space of Meteoroskopio in the university by collectives and individuals who left from the occupied Philosophy Department, because of the pointless and insupportable actions that took place there, undermining the squat, disdaining and in fact cancelling its goals and perspective.
Anarchist Bulletin 24
The E.U. summit in Thessaloniki is promoting the strengthening and entrenchment of Fortress-Europe, in order to intensify the capitalist assault and state terrorism inside and outside its borders. To organize and secure the looting in the peripheries of capitalism with economic and military means. To increase class exploitation and social oppression on the inside, deepening social injustices and modernizing repression, for crushing any form of resistance. And finally, in order to fortify in a murderous way its borders against refugees and immigrants.
The summit of the 25 criminal and murderous E.U.-leaders will take place within an unprecedented provocative occupation and militarization of the whole city, that has been turned into a red zone of suffocating control.
As anarchists and antiauthoritarians who fight everyday on every front that authoritarian projects are imposed, we are in Thessaloniki to advance the explosion of social resistance in the place that these projects are to be symbolically and spectacularly signed.
To hinder in the barricades the advance of domination that spreads misery, poverty, persecution and death.
To meet in the streets with all those who dispute the rulers’ legitimacy to define the future of the world, and there promote the passage from protest to revolt.
To confront those who, facing state and capitalist ferocity, are seeking ways to return to past authoritarian models or to humanize the present one.
To advance the antiauthoritarian, anticapitalist and anti-patriotic discourse, against the propaganda of the regime, the manipulation of the media and reformist rhetoric.
To promote self-organized direct action in contrast with mediation and the imprisonment of social rage in the limits of state legality.
We are not interested in the salvation of the global system of domination through proposals on how to manage it alternatively. We are interested in the con-tinuous struggle to subvert it as the only perspective for social liberation, for a world without prisons, borders and states.
That is why, with the aim of having a distinguishable anarchist-antiauthoritarian pre-sence, we chose to transform the place above the Meteoroskopio of the University into a space for counter-information, a point of reference for continuous convergence, interaction and communication. It will be open to anyone who wants to come in contact with a space that shows the reasons and issues that brought us here. The place will be used in order to self-organize our needs and desires through anti-hierarchical assemblies based on solidarity and mutual respect in order to define in common the terms for a strong social presence in the streets and to diffuse radical speech and subversive action against the State and the Bosses.
Discussion: Thursday, June 19, 2 p.m., outdoors above Meteroskopio
Open Assembly of Anarchists and Anti-authoritarians Against the Summit of the E.U. Leaders
June 19, 2003
Note: The text above was drawn up by the open assembly of anarchists-antiauthoritarians called in the open space of Meteoroskopio in the university by collectives and individuals who left from the occupied Philosophy Department, because of the pointless and insupportable actions that took place there, undermining the squat, disdaining and in fact cancelling its goals and perspective.
Anarchist Bulletin 24
THESSALONIKI: SOLIDARITY MESSAGE FROM INSIDE THE POLICE-SURROUNDED UNIVERSITIES
In the besieged city of Thessaloniki because of the E.U. leaders summit, certain spaces inside the university were chosen by anarchists and anti-authoritarians as places for meeting and communication between comrades from Greece and abroad, as a place to stay and for sending out counter-information.
Throughout the days leading up to and during the summit assemblies, discussions, film-shows, etc were held inside and there were self-organized groups for food, medical and legal support.
During the demonstration of June 21 against the summit of the 25 E.U. criminal and murderers, after the clashes between the black bloc and the police in the centre of the occupied city, the massive use of tear gas and even the use of rubber bullets that led to injured, the police proceeded to beat people and make mass arrests and beating people.
At the end, riot police squads surrounded the space of the universities where the people from the demo were withdrawing, and fired tear-gas inside, while the campus authorities had a meeting about whether they would allow the police to invade.
At this moment, the universities that continue to host activities of counter-information and assemblies are still encircled by a police army.
We, comrades who continue to stay inside, demand that all police forces who conserve an atmosphere of keeping the people hostage retreat now! We demand the immediate release of all the arrested from the June 21 demo and we call everyone to mobilize in solidarity.
FREE THE ARRESTED OF THE JUNE 21 DEMONSTRATION!
assembly of comrades still staying inside
dawn of Sunday, June 22
Throughout the days leading up to and during the summit assemblies, discussions, film-shows, etc were held inside and there were self-organized groups for food, medical and legal support.
During the demonstration of June 21 against the summit of the 25 E.U. criminal and murderers, after the clashes between the black bloc and the police in the centre of the occupied city, the massive use of tear gas and even the use of rubber bullets that led to injured, the police proceeded to beat people and make mass arrests and beating people.
At the end, riot police squads surrounded the space of the universities where the people from the demo were withdrawing, and fired tear-gas inside, while the campus authorities had a meeting about whether they would allow the police to invade.
At this moment, the universities that continue to host activities of counter-information and assemblies are still encircled by a police army.
We, comrades who continue to stay inside, demand that all police forces who conserve an atmosphere of keeping the people hostage retreat now! We demand the immediate release of all the arrested from the June 21 demo and we call everyone to mobilize in solidarity.
FREE THE ARRESTED OF THE JUNE 21 DEMONSTRATION!
assembly of comrades still staying inside
dawn of Sunday, June 22
NO MILITANT HOSTAGE OF THE STATE!
At the Summit of the 25 E.U. criminals, Chalkidiki and Thessaloniki are infested with thousands of cops guarding Europe’s political bosses resulting in the military occupation of the city.
Before the summit started, State propaganda, reproduced by the media, was intensified with a number of scenarios concerning the forthcoming devastation and slander of anarchists in order to extract social consensus for police repression during the mobilization, and to isolate the most radical part of demonstrators, cultivating a feeling of fear in the local people so that they won’t participate in the demonstrations.
At the same time, they emphasize the large numbers of cops and the police plans for immediately confronting any move that goes beyond the limits of a peaceful march. All the preceding days, police have been making controls in the streets and ID controls in police stations.
During the week of the summit, anarchist collectives and comrades have discussions, open assemblies, film shows, exhibitions of posters and publications inside the university campus, in order to promote the struggle against the globalization of domination. A self-organized kitchen, medical and legal groups also settled inside. Aiming to break down the terrorist atmosphere created by state propaganda, there were initiatives from inside the university to make counter-information actions in the city, with posters and flyers against the bosses’ summit. All these activities created a common ground for encounter and communication between comrades from many Greek cities and abroad who met in the place.
While the 25 leaders prepare to ratify decisions for the consolidation of Fortress-Europe, the development of the “anti”terrorist campaign”, the capitalist looting of territories in the western peripheries and the murderous confrontation of immigrants, in Thessaloniki 4000 anarchists and anti-authoritarians demonstrate in solidarity with the immigrants, passing through poor neighborhoods and the city centre on June 19. This demonstration was very dynamic, with people shouting slogans and distributing flyers.
On the 20th of June, when the summit began, a number of international anarchists and anti-authoritarians did a solidarity demo at the Greek-Macedonian border, where 700 Roma gypsies from Kosovo were being held in miserable conditions in a camp on the border guarded by border cops as the Greek state won’t allow them into the country. Another group of demonstrators attempted to attack the red zone in Chalkidiki. The police blockades stopped them far from the Porto Caras hotel where the summit is taking place and cops charged them with a rain of tear gas, other chemicals and plastic bullets.
Saturday, June 21. Thessaloniki is completely occupied by police. Banks and big stores were boarded up days ago and the city centre looks “sterilized”. Stalinist and reformist parties and organizations delay the beginning of their marches and search for alternative routes so as to avoid any contact with the black bloc. They want to isolate it from the rest of the demo in order to facilitate the work of the police and not risk the pacifist character of the march, thus giving a guarantee of legality to the state.
The black bloc, numbering 2500 persons, begins from the university campus and marches towards the city centre. Wild clashes with the police and attacks against State and capitalist targets break out. The bloc is “bombarded” with tear-gas and other chemicals, plastic bullets are used also, demonstrators get arrested and beaten by riot police (MAT).
The State’s reply to the confrontations taking place in the streets of Thessaloniki unveils the democratic mask of the modern dictatorship. Many demonstrators reach the university, where already a number of people have retreated, and the clashes with the police continue until the campus is surrounded by dozens of riot police squads.
The arrested were taken to ‘concentration camps’ created especially for that purpose in Thermi and Diavata and there they suffered humiliation and torture (beaten and deprived of water) by varieties of forces of repression. As a result of the violence and pressure exercised upon them, many of the arrested were forced to sign fabricated confessions. Finally, 29 of them were indicted on various charges. Riot police attacked a solidarity concentration by anarchists and anti-authoritarians outside the courthouse the next day, injuring some comrades who were taken to hospital. 22 of the 29 people facing charges were released on bail or parole and 7 are imprisoned until trial. The climate of State terrorism Thessaloniki continues for the next days, with ID controls in the streets and beatings, while two more comrades arrested were convicted by the court and got released until the appeal trial.
Cooperating excellently with the police, the Media attempt a complete distortion of the events in Thessaloniki, aiming to de-politicize them and the people who took action and to criminalize social resistance, while suppressing the reason for the confrontation: the provocative summit of the 25 European bosses.
The fascist nature of the state, in a period where the Greek version of the “antiterrorist crusade” has unfolded, was overtly revealed in Thessaloniki: repression, torture, arrests, imprisonment. But the clashes with the paid State-murderers and attacks on banks and multinationals were actions of resistance to the plans of the bosses of Europe, to the world of order, submission and death. It was a moment of the militant resistance expressed in Seattle, Prague, Genoa, Barcelona, Evian. Against all illusions for Capitalism’s humanization, against any conciliation with the bosses or any mediation, the actions in Thessaloniki were, as much as possible, an answer to the State watchdogs, to local and international bosses and a message of solidarity for all people fighting anywhere in the world. Solidarity with those who are now hostages of the State is part of that same struggle against the State and the borders, the struggle for a free society.
Anarchist Synpraxis - Anarchists in Solidarity
July 2003
FREE THE 7 IMPRISONED FIGHTERS
SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE PERSECUTED
for the actions of resistance
against the E.U. summit
in Thessaloniki
Before the summit started, State propaganda, reproduced by the media, was intensified with a number of scenarios concerning the forthcoming devastation and slander of anarchists in order to extract social consensus for police repression during the mobilization, and to isolate the most radical part of demonstrators, cultivating a feeling of fear in the local people so that they won’t participate in the demonstrations.
At the same time, they emphasize the large numbers of cops and the police plans for immediately confronting any move that goes beyond the limits of a peaceful march. All the preceding days, police have been making controls in the streets and ID controls in police stations.
During the week of the summit, anarchist collectives and comrades have discussions, open assemblies, film shows, exhibitions of posters and publications inside the university campus, in order to promote the struggle against the globalization of domination. A self-organized kitchen, medical and legal groups also settled inside. Aiming to break down the terrorist atmosphere created by state propaganda, there were initiatives from inside the university to make counter-information actions in the city, with posters and flyers against the bosses’ summit. All these activities created a common ground for encounter and communication between comrades from many Greek cities and abroad who met in the place.
While the 25 leaders prepare to ratify decisions for the consolidation of Fortress-Europe, the development of the “anti”terrorist campaign”, the capitalist looting of territories in the western peripheries and the murderous confrontation of immigrants, in Thessaloniki 4000 anarchists and anti-authoritarians demonstrate in solidarity with the immigrants, passing through poor neighborhoods and the city centre on June 19. This demonstration was very dynamic, with people shouting slogans and distributing flyers.
On the 20th of June, when the summit began, a number of international anarchists and anti-authoritarians did a solidarity demo at the Greek-Macedonian border, where 700 Roma gypsies from Kosovo were being held in miserable conditions in a camp on the border guarded by border cops as the Greek state won’t allow them into the country. Another group of demonstrators attempted to attack the red zone in Chalkidiki. The police blockades stopped them far from the Porto Caras hotel where the summit is taking place and cops charged them with a rain of tear gas, other chemicals and plastic bullets.
Saturday, June 21. Thessaloniki is completely occupied by police. Banks and big stores were boarded up days ago and the city centre looks “sterilized”. Stalinist and reformist parties and organizations delay the beginning of their marches and search for alternative routes so as to avoid any contact with the black bloc. They want to isolate it from the rest of the demo in order to facilitate the work of the police and not risk the pacifist character of the march, thus giving a guarantee of legality to the state.
The black bloc, numbering 2500 persons, begins from the university campus and marches towards the city centre. Wild clashes with the police and attacks against State and capitalist targets break out. The bloc is “bombarded” with tear-gas and other chemicals, plastic bullets are used also, demonstrators get arrested and beaten by riot police (MAT).
The State’s reply to the confrontations taking place in the streets of Thessaloniki unveils the democratic mask of the modern dictatorship. Many demonstrators reach the university, where already a number of people have retreated, and the clashes with the police continue until the campus is surrounded by dozens of riot police squads.
The arrested were taken to ‘concentration camps’ created especially for that purpose in Thermi and Diavata and there they suffered humiliation and torture (beaten and deprived of water) by varieties of forces of repression. As a result of the violence and pressure exercised upon them, many of the arrested were forced to sign fabricated confessions. Finally, 29 of them were indicted on various charges. Riot police attacked a solidarity concentration by anarchists and anti-authoritarians outside the courthouse the next day, injuring some comrades who were taken to hospital. 22 of the 29 people facing charges were released on bail or parole and 7 are imprisoned until trial. The climate of State terrorism Thessaloniki continues for the next days, with ID controls in the streets and beatings, while two more comrades arrested were convicted by the court and got released until the appeal trial.
Cooperating excellently with the police, the Media attempt a complete distortion of the events in Thessaloniki, aiming to de-politicize them and the people who took action and to criminalize social resistance, while suppressing the reason for the confrontation: the provocative summit of the 25 European bosses.
The fascist nature of the state, in a period where the Greek version of the “antiterrorist crusade” has unfolded, was overtly revealed in Thessaloniki: repression, torture, arrests, imprisonment. But the clashes with the paid State-murderers and attacks on banks and multinationals were actions of resistance to the plans of the bosses of Europe, to the world of order, submission and death. It was a moment of the militant resistance expressed in Seattle, Prague, Genoa, Barcelona, Evian. Against all illusions for Capitalism’s humanization, against any conciliation with the bosses or any mediation, the actions in Thessaloniki were, as much as possible, an answer to the State watchdogs, to local and international bosses and a message of solidarity for all people fighting anywhere in the world. Solidarity with those who are now hostages of the State is part of that same struggle against the State and the borders, the struggle for a free society.
Anarchist Synpraxis - Anarchists in Solidarity
July 2003
FREE THE 7 IMPRISONED FIGHTERS
SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE PERSECUTED
for the actions of resistance
against the E.U. summit
in Thessaloniki
SOLIDARITY IS THE PEOPLE'S WEAPON! - Viki
Solidarity is the
People’s Weapon!
Idon’t remember how we got to Aristotelos. When we reached Aristotelos Square and as soon as we began to feel better we realized that we were about 150 people and the police were trying to surround the square. The people in the square began to run straight towards the police and they receded leaving an open road, so we went down one of the side streets towards the sea. A group of about 15 people (including ourselves) tried to get back to the university to meet the others. We strated running and burning garbage containers to clean the atmosphere of the chemicals and to keep the police away (some threw molotovs). As soon as we reached Navarimou street we tried to go into a side street where a demonstration was taking place but the police were chasing us and we were surrounded so the only thing we could do was to go into a block of flats. We started to run inside the block of flats and ring the bells hoping that someone would open the door. Three of us managed to enter an apartment as someone opened the door and let us in. At first he and his friends were very friendly and offered us water and juice and let us rest in their kitchen to wait for the police to leave. About fifteen minutes later a girl standing on the balcony came in and spoke to the owner of the house (maybe the police had said something to her) He opened the door and began to shout and push us out. He slammed the door and the police came to the 4th floor and arrested us.
As soon as we were arrested the police pulled our hair and took us down out of the block of flats and pushed us against the wall (we had handcuffs on). The lawyers from the legal team 2003 saw us, approached and began to ask the police what they found in our bags. They said we all had molotovs and catapults but they hadn’t searched us, they just threw some bags next to us that we had seen for the first time. A group of people came out from the demonstration that was passing in a nearby street sand started trying to hit us shouting, ‘Put them in jail, they’ve burned the city!!!’ and things like that. At this point one of the girls arrested with us fainted and the cops pushed the people who were trying to hit us away because the lawyers were watching. They put us into a van, pushing the bags towards us because they wanted us to touch them and get our fingerprints on them. The police were taking photographs of us all the time and suddenly I realized that one of the people who had been in the block of flats with us and was wearing a mask and pretending he was one of us, was a policeman. They took us to Diavata. There more cops started swearing at us and hitting us with their truncheons. They searched us and put us in cells and when we told them we had the right to make a phone call they didn’t pay any attention. They didn’t give us any food or water that night and only early in the morning someone from the next cell gave us bottles of water and the lawyers sent us some sandwiches. At noon on Sunday we were transferred to the court but were kept at the general police station for some hours because there were about 300 people demonstrating for us outside the court. Later we were transferred to the basement of the court through the back door so as not to be seen by the people outside. Then the police attacked the people outside the court and arrested 2 of the medical team. We didn’t go to the prosecutor that day but went back to the general cop station.
On Monday morning we were transferred again to the court. The situation was horrible, they gave us nothing to eat while the police were outside the cell eating sandwiches. We were taken to the Prosecution and they announced our charges which had been changed.
On Tuesday noon they let us free after we saw the prosecutor again and he told us how much money we should pay and how often we must show up to the police station in our town of residence while awaiting trial.
They imprisoned 5 people – Suleiman Daktout (Castro), immigrant from Syria, Carlos and Fernando from Spain and Simon from the UK and Spiros, Mihalis and Dimitris from Greece. (About Sunday there was a tape showing the police changing Simon’s bag with another but the police only said they would talk about that in court and sent him to prison.)
Carlos’ hair was cut by the police and when he showed this to the prosecutor he said to keep it for the court but the cops took it from him.
All the people arrested were hit and sworn at by the cops with great savagery. None of us ever saw a doctor, some had very bad injuries, with broken hands, broken legs and bruises to their faces and all over their bodies.
The only thing that gave us strength is what the lawyers told us had happened outside, the people demonstrating outside the court demanding our freedom, the solidarity between us and the slogans we were shouting from the cells to the other prisoners.
SOLIDARITY IS THE PEOPLE’S WEAPON1
Viki
People’s Weapon!
Idon’t remember how we got to Aristotelos. When we reached Aristotelos Square and as soon as we began to feel better we realized that we were about 150 people and the police were trying to surround the square. The people in the square began to run straight towards the police and they receded leaving an open road, so we went down one of the side streets towards the sea. A group of about 15 people (including ourselves) tried to get back to the university to meet the others. We strated running and burning garbage containers to clean the atmosphere of the chemicals and to keep the police away (some threw molotovs). As soon as we reached Navarimou street we tried to go into a side street where a demonstration was taking place but the police were chasing us and we were surrounded so the only thing we could do was to go into a block of flats. We started to run inside the block of flats and ring the bells hoping that someone would open the door. Three of us managed to enter an apartment as someone opened the door and let us in. At first he and his friends were very friendly and offered us water and juice and let us rest in their kitchen to wait for the police to leave. About fifteen minutes later a girl standing on the balcony came in and spoke to the owner of the house (maybe the police had said something to her) He opened the door and began to shout and push us out. He slammed the door and the police came to the 4th floor and arrested us.
As soon as we were arrested the police pulled our hair and took us down out of the block of flats and pushed us against the wall (we had handcuffs on). The lawyers from the legal team 2003 saw us, approached and began to ask the police what they found in our bags. They said we all had molotovs and catapults but they hadn’t searched us, they just threw some bags next to us that we had seen for the first time. A group of people came out from the demonstration that was passing in a nearby street sand started trying to hit us shouting, ‘Put them in jail, they’ve burned the city!!!’ and things like that. At this point one of the girls arrested with us fainted and the cops pushed the people who were trying to hit us away because the lawyers were watching. They put us into a van, pushing the bags towards us because they wanted us to touch them and get our fingerprints on them. The police were taking photographs of us all the time and suddenly I realized that one of the people who had been in the block of flats with us and was wearing a mask and pretending he was one of us, was a policeman. They took us to Diavata. There more cops started swearing at us and hitting us with their truncheons. They searched us and put us in cells and when we told them we had the right to make a phone call they didn’t pay any attention. They didn’t give us any food or water that night and only early in the morning someone from the next cell gave us bottles of water and the lawyers sent us some sandwiches. At noon on Sunday we were transferred to the court but were kept at the general police station for some hours because there were about 300 people demonstrating for us outside the court. Later we were transferred to the basement of the court through the back door so as not to be seen by the people outside. Then the police attacked the people outside the court and arrested 2 of the medical team. We didn’t go to the prosecutor that day but went back to the general cop station.
On Monday morning we were transferred again to the court. The situation was horrible, they gave us nothing to eat while the police were outside the cell eating sandwiches. We were taken to the Prosecution and they announced our charges which had been changed.
On Tuesday noon they let us free after we saw the prosecutor again and he told us how much money we should pay and how often we must show up to the police station in our town of residence while awaiting trial.
They imprisoned 5 people – Suleiman Daktout (Castro), immigrant from Syria, Carlos and Fernando from Spain and Simon from the UK and Spiros, Mihalis and Dimitris from Greece. (About Sunday there was a tape showing the police changing Simon’s bag with another but the police only said they would talk about that in court and sent him to prison.)
Carlos’ hair was cut by the police and when he showed this to the prosecutor he said to keep it for the court but the cops took it from him.
All the people arrested were hit and sworn at by the cops with great savagery. None of us ever saw a doctor, some had very bad injuries, with broken hands, broken legs and bruises to their faces and all over their bodies.
The only thing that gave us strength is what the lawyers told us had happened outside, the people demonstrating outside the court demanding our freedom, the solidarity between us and the slogans we were shouting from the cells to the other prisoners.
SOLIDARITY IS THE PEOPLE’S WEAPON1
Viki
.....FREEDOM! - Spiros
Saturday afternoon, June 21, a black block of about 3,000 comrades, anarchists, antiauthoritarians and rebels, forms inside the university grounds. The first actions as soon as the demo is underway along Egnata street is an attack with flares on the media positioned in a block of flats at the beginning of the route. Cops in the first side street are attacked and they begin to shoot teargas. Most of the shops and banks along the route have been boarded up. A fascist bookshop is burned. Corrugated metal is pulled down and the banks are attacked. Many riot cops are positioned down the side streets. They come up to the main street and fire tear gas at point blank range. Some demonstrators’ masks are blown off with the impact. In any case the gas is so strong that masks are of little protection and in the space between Aristotelous Square and Camara Square, in an instant the black block is cut in half. One half moves forward towards Aridstotelous Square, the other backwards to the university. When this happens my comrade and I are confused because people begin running back very fast, so we start walking quickly (I can’t run as a result of an accident, but that’s another story…).
We decide to go into the first block of flats, open the door and dive in to find many comrades there already lining the stairs of the six-floor building. They are struggling to breathe and giving each other first aid. We are about 20 people. I realise that we know some of the comrades well and that there are also people from other countries. My immediate reaction is to try to protect them. The only good thing I remember from this situation is that there is not too much panic. The only problem is the gas that is making it difficult for us to breathe. One comrade we know very well has 2 or 3 bottles of Malox to apply to the skin and this has an immediate effect. At this point my experience from the past comes into my mind. Because of the problems I have with my body following an accident, I find myself doing something I would never even have considered once in Greece. I know that the worst thing you can do in such a situation is to go inside a building, it’s a trap. The people living in the building can give you problems, and it’s easier for the police to arrest you. But I realise how lucky we were that among us, sitting on the stairs and behind the main door, are people who actually live in the flats. And for at least one hour they don’t say a word to us, either to help us or to tell us to piss off.
During all this time hundreds of cops passed the building, many stopping outside. I still can’t believe our luck, that they didn’t imagine the scene behind the door, of comrades lining the stairs.
After a long time, about an hour and a half, I and my comrade decide to come out to see what the situation in the streets is. What we see is impossible to describe. In front of us in … Street one half of the road is white, the other black. We look left to see a huge cloud of white smoke in the sky, to the right is a great cloud of black smoke. We don’t know exactly where the black smoke is coming from, but imagine it is from burning shops or banks. Also, the street is full of t-shirts, scarves, masks, gloves, hundreds of broken molotovs, and about50 metres away you can see rows of cops, ambulances and fire engines.
We decide to cross the road and take a side street. We are tired and I have so much pain in my body. We walk and walk until we stop outside a coffee shop and decide to sit and rest and drink a coffee. About 50 metres away is a group of cops, as there had been at many points along the road. Two young passing comrades come and sat with us. As soon as the cops see them they come over and order us to stand and have our bags searched. On finding our gas masks, they immediately declare us under arrest and order us to follow them. They march us to the van, I am the last of the four because I can’t walk fast. The pain in my knees is excruciating and I am limping. At this point one of the cops, special riot cops, starts to hit me hard on the back of the neck. We walk to where the police vans are parked and are pushed inside one. I’ll never forget the scene at a nearby coffee shop where cops were sitting with nazis who begin shouting, ‘Kill the bastards! Kill the anarchists! Beat them up!’
Then they put all of us into a big van, telling us we’d have to wait for a while for a car to arrive. All this time, about half an hour, they are very friendly, making me think that something serious is going to happen to us. The moment is approaching. The cop car is here: it is the small van that takes prisoners. They put the four of us in and I see it has two tiny mesh-covered windows. On the way, we don’t know where, they stop and bring another guy inside. We realise he has also been arrested. He seems scared, and has terrible pain in his mouth where they’ve hit him. Me and my comrade try to talk to him in various languages, but all we can understand is his name, Fernando, and the only language he can speak is Spanish. A couple of minutes later the van stops and we are taken out.
First, they line us up – the two Greeks, the guy from Spain, my comrade from Scotland and last, me. I can’t believe my eyes. 2 lines of cops, about 20, and the one nearest me hits me on the head saying ‘Why are youlimping motherfucker?’ I realise that this cop is from a different department. I see special riot cops with shields, prison cops and normal cops. We go into the building the most disgusting, dead place, black with dirt, and the 2 Greek comrades are made to get down on their knees and face the wall, their heads touching the wall. Me, I am standing by the table of the boss in charge. He screams ‘You, get on your knees and put your head against the wall’. I’ll never as long as I live forget my comrade trying all the time to look at me as they order her to look away, because she knows what will happen to me if they hit my body. When the cop tells me to get on my knees and face the wall, I take down my trousers to reveal my scars and injuries. The fucking cop pats me on the back, ‘Don’t worry my little friend, the others are going to take the beating for you’. And at the same time one of the cops with the special green uniform takes position and runs and jumps with both boots on the back of one of our comrades. Another starts to hit a comrade on the back. They also hit them on the neck over the carotid. For three or four minutes 4 or 5 cops attack the two comrades without stopping. I can’t make it any longer, I put down my head as tears fill my eyes. It’s the first time in my life I’ve witnessed such a scene, it makes me think of the fascists in Turkey. The violence is total, they are all in agreement.
Then the old prison boss cop arrives wielding a big stick that comes to a pencil point. It is painted in the colours of the Greek flag. He loses no time in trying to ram it into the arse of one of the comrades. Then they start to scream obscenities to my companion, saying very bad things to her in Greek. I’m very happy she doesn’t understand, as they are deciding to take her upstairs to rape her and are asking each other who this fucking woman is. I immediately call out ‘she’s my woman, she’s with me’. They are confused for a moment and shut up. They get the other two to stand up and lock us in the first very small cell with dirty straw on the floor. I touch my friend, we hug, then I turn to the other guys and ask them how they are but they answer ‘Don’t worry, and don’t forget the solidarity between us is so strong they can’t break us.’ The other comrade has terrible pain in his ankle (it is broken) but he says, ‘Don’t worry, we’re going to make it.’
During the night they bring some more young people into the cell. We are about 9 or 10, it is already full. Time passes and at about 11 or 12 o’clock they bring in a guy who is about 25/30 years old. I can see him because I am standing at the bars of the cell. He has stitches in his forehead and two big, hairless bumps on his head, you can’t tell whether it is stitches or blood from having his hair pulled out. He is wearing a salopette with a t-shirt underneath that is red all over. The cops scream and scream at him and go up to him holding their noses saying ‘you smell like a fucking dustbin’ telling him to take all his clothes off which he doesn’t understand and starts to say something in English. When he takes his trousers off I see that half of them are white and realise in horror that the red colour is his own blood. When he takes all his clothes off I can see his torso is covered in huge bruises like burns, and one of the cops asks ‘What did he do, this piece of shit?’ A cop answers ‘Go and look at the black bag on the table’. He opens it, and inside is a hammer and a plastic bag containing 2 or 3 molotovs. He immediately goes to this guy, catches him by the hair and hits his face against the bars, splitting his nose which starts bleeding. And all he can do is raise a clenched fist and say ‘…Freedom!’.
After they make him sign a piece of paper he can’t understand. I try to say something, but he can’t understand. Then they take him to another cell...
Spiro
We decide to go into the first block of flats, open the door and dive in to find many comrades there already lining the stairs of the six-floor building. They are struggling to breathe and giving each other first aid. We are about 20 people. I realise that we know some of the comrades well and that there are also people from other countries. My immediate reaction is to try to protect them. The only good thing I remember from this situation is that there is not too much panic. The only problem is the gas that is making it difficult for us to breathe. One comrade we know very well has 2 or 3 bottles of Malox to apply to the skin and this has an immediate effect. At this point my experience from the past comes into my mind. Because of the problems I have with my body following an accident, I find myself doing something I would never even have considered once in Greece. I know that the worst thing you can do in such a situation is to go inside a building, it’s a trap. The people living in the building can give you problems, and it’s easier for the police to arrest you. But I realise how lucky we were that among us, sitting on the stairs and behind the main door, are people who actually live in the flats. And for at least one hour they don’t say a word to us, either to help us or to tell us to piss off.
During all this time hundreds of cops passed the building, many stopping outside. I still can’t believe our luck, that they didn’t imagine the scene behind the door, of comrades lining the stairs.
After a long time, about an hour and a half, I and my comrade decide to come out to see what the situation in the streets is. What we see is impossible to describe. In front of us in … Street one half of the road is white, the other black. We look left to see a huge cloud of white smoke in the sky, to the right is a great cloud of black smoke. We don’t know exactly where the black smoke is coming from, but imagine it is from burning shops or banks. Also, the street is full of t-shirts, scarves, masks, gloves, hundreds of broken molotovs, and about50 metres away you can see rows of cops, ambulances and fire engines.
We decide to cross the road and take a side street. We are tired and I have so much pain in my body. We walk and walk until we stop outside a coffee shop and decide to sit and rest and drink a coffee. About 50 metres away is a group of cops, as there had been at many points along the road. Two young passing comrades come and sat with us. As soon as the cops see them they come over and order us to stand and have our bags searched. On finding our gas masks, they immediately declare us under arrest and order us to follow them. They march us to the van, I am the last of the four because I can’t walk fast. The pain in my knees is excruciating and I am limping. At this point one of the cops, special riot cops, starts to hit me hard on the back of the neck. We walk to where the police vans are parked and are pushed inside one. I’ll never forget the scene at a nearby coffee shop where cops were sitting with nazis who begin shouting, ‘Kill the bastards! Kill the anarchists! Beat them up!’
Then they put all of us into a big van, telling us we’d have to wait for a while for a car to arrive. All this time, about half an hour, they are very friendly, making me think that something serious is going to happen to us. The moment is approaching. The cop car is here: it is the small van that takes prisoners. They put the four of us in and I see it has two tiny mesh-covered windows. On the way, we don’t know where, they stop and bring another guy inside. We realise he has also been arrested. He seems scared, and has terrible pain in his mouth where they’ve hit him. Me and my comrade try to talk to him in various languages, but all we can understand is his name, Fernando, and the only language he can speak is Spanish. A couple of minutes later the van stops and we are taken out.
First, they line us up – the two Greeks, the guy from Spain, my comrade from Scotland and last, me. I can’t believe my eyes. 2 lines of cops, about 20, and the one nearest me hits me on the head saying ‘Why are youlimping motherfucker?’ I realise that this cop is from a different department. I see special riot cops with shields, prison cops and normal cops. We go into the building the most disgusting, dead place, black with dirt, and the 2 Greek comrades are made to get down on their knees and face the wall, their heads touching the wall. Me, I am standing by the table of the boss in charge. He screams ‘You, get on your knees and put your head against the wall’. I’ll never as long as I live forget my comrade trying all the time to look at me as they order her to look away, because she knows what will happen to me if they hit my body. When the cop tells me to get on my knees and face the wall, I take down my trousers to reveal my scars and injuries. The fucking cop pats me on the back, ‘Don’t worry my little friend, the others are going to take the beating for you’. And at the same time one of the cops with the special green uniform takes position and runs and jumps with both boots on the back of one of our comrades. Another starts to hit a comrade on the back. They also hit them on the neck over the carotid. For three or four minutes 4 or 5 cops attack the two comrades without stopping. I can’t make it any longer, I put down my head as tears fill my eyes. It’s the first time in my life I’ve witnessed such a scene, it makes me think of the fascists in Turkey. The violence is total, they are all in agreement.
Then the old prison boss cop arrives wielding a big stick that comes to a pencil point. It is painted in the colours of the Greek flag. He loses no time in trying to ram it into the arse of one of the comrades. Then they start to scream obscenities to my companion, saying very bad things to her in Greek. I’m very happy she doesn’t understand, as they are deciding to take her upstairs to rape her and are asking each other who this fucking woman is. I immediately call out ‘she’s my woman, she’s with me’. They are confused for a moment and shut up. They get the other two to stand up and lock us in the first very small cell with dirty straw on the floor. I touch my friend, we hug, then I turn to the other guys and ask them how they are but they answer ‘Don’t worry, and don’t forget the solidarity between us is so strong they can’t break us.’ The other comrade has terrible pain in his ankle (it is broken) but he says, ‘Don’t worry, we’re going to make it.’
During the night they bring some more young people into the cell. We are about 9 or 10, it is already full. Time passes and at about 11 or 12 o’clock they bring in a guy who is about 25/30 years old. I can see him because I am standing at the bars of the cell. He has stitches in his forehead and two big, hairless bumps on his head, you can’t tell whether it is stitches or blood from having his hair pulled out. He is wearing a salopette with a t-shirt underneath that is red all over. The cops scream and scream at him and go up to him holding their noses saying ‘you smell like a fucking dustbin’ telling him to take all his clothes off which he doesn’t understand and starts to say something in English. When he takes his trousers off I see that half of them are white and realise in horror that the red colour is his own blood. When he takes all his clothes off I can see his torso is covered in huge bruises like burns, and one of the cops asks ‘What did he do, this piece of shit?’ A cop answers ‘Go and look at the black bag on the table’. He opens it, and inside is a hammer and a plastic bag containing 2 or 3 molotovs. He immediately goes to this guy, catches him by the hair and hits his face against the bars, splitting his nose which starts bleeding. And all he can do is raise a clenched fist and say ‘…Freedom!’.
After they make him sign a piece of paper he can’t understand. I try to say something, but he can’t understand. Then they take him to another cell...
Spiro
CALL FOR SOLIDARITY WITH THE PRISONERS OF THESSALONIKI 21.06 DEMONSTRATIONS
On the 20th till 22nd of June EU summit took place in Porto Carras 120 kilometers from Thessaloniki, Greece. Anarchist/antiautoritarians mobilized for actions against the summit. Already a few days before parts of Aristoteli University in Thessaloniki has been squatted by anarchists in order to create space for discussions, counterinformation and preparing actions. On Thursday 18th of June there was an anarchist/antiauthoritarian demonstration of 4000 in solidarity with the immigrants. The anarchist demonstration on Saturday 21st of June, rejecting dialoge with both authorities and reformist groups, chose an offensive strategy of targeting symbols of power and capital, as well as confronting police forces. During the demonstrations in the centre of Thessaloniki over one hundred persons were detained, beaten, some tortured by police and forced to sign the blank papers to be used for the juridical frame-up. Twenty-nine of those have been charged. On Sunday 22nd a solidarity demonstration with about 200 participants took place in front of the Thessaloniki court. At the same time the media and politicians have been praising police tactics as a demonstration of the “real democracy of Greek presidency”. They attempted to depoliticize the anarchist demonstration defining it as “an act of vandalism “, because it was the only part of the protest to attack the democratic status quo based on dialogue with power and the State. On Wednesday 25th the public prosecutor and interrogating judge held seven of the detainees in provisional imprisonment (maximum 18 months before trial). The other 22 have been released (some of them on very high bail) but are still facing charges and will be put on trial. At this moment two Spanish, one British, one Syrian political refugee living in Greece and three Greek comrades remain in prison. All the prisoners are supposed to be held separate from each other and the three Greek comrades have been put in the juvenile prison known for the terrible conditions. There is a need to extend actions of solidarity all over the world for our imprisoned comrades.
Solidarity is a weapon! By all means necessary!
International anarchists
June 27, 2003
Solidarity is a weapon! By all means necessary!
International anarchists
June 27, 2003
FERNANDO IS IN A SERIOUS CONDITION
Fernando, the activist from Burgos, Spain, detained on the 21st of June in the demonstration against the EU of Thessalonica, is now in a serious situation, according to information that his lawyer gave to La Haine , www.lahaine.org.
Eleceodeotipia, one of the main corporate Greek newspapers, has mounted a media campaign against him with headers like “ Basque anarchist sought internationally” and has published that “has pending court cases in 23 Countries”.
The judge, who in principle accused him of “ possession of incendiary appliances” (a flare a molotov cocktail), has arbitrarily changed the charges, accusing him of “membership of armed band”. The press media have created the social opinion that during the demonstration the police had acted “passively, while the demonstrators destroyed the city”, and are using this case to stress the fact that among those demonstrators there was an “international leader of an armed band”. The lawyer of F. believes it very possible that they give him preventive prison of 18 months and a prison sentence of several years. It is urgent to develop an extensive campaign of solidarity in the Spanish
State and internationally for his support.
La Haine expects to be able to offer more details on the case in the next hours. In the same way, they will open a space so that organ-
isations of solidarity can upload their calls for support for the victims of repression in Thessalonica. The two activists frm Austria who were also arrested on the 21st of June were released today at 12.30 o’clock.
translation from www.la haine.org
Eleceodeotipia, one of the main corporate Greek newspapers, has mounted a media campaign against him with headers like “ Basque anarchist sought internationally” and has published that “has pending court cases in 23 Countries”.
The judge, who in principle accused him of “ possession of incendiary appliances” (a flare a molotov cocktail), has arbitrarily changed the charges, accusing him of “membership of armed band”. The press media have created the social opinion that during the demonstration the police had acted “passively, while the demonstrators destroyed the city”, and are using this case to stress the fact that among those demonstrators there was an “international leader of an armed band”. The lawyer of F. believes it very possible that they give him preventive prison of 18 months and a prison sentence of several years. It is urgent to develop an extensive campaign of solidarity in the Spanish
State and internationally for his support.
La Haine expects to be able to offer more details on the case in the next hours. In the same way, they will open a space so that organ-
isations of solidarity can upload their calls for support for the victims of repression in Thessalonica. The two activists frm Austria who were also arrested on the 21st of June were released today at 12.30 o’clock.
translation from www.la haine.org
LETTER FROM KASTRO SULEIMAN DAKDUK, SYRIAN POLITICAL REFUGEE AND ACTIVIST
Letter from Kastro Suleiman Dakduk, Syrian political refugee and activist living in Greece for the last 18 years)
Comrades and friends,
I send you and convey you the militant greetings of all those arrested in the demonstration against the Summit of inhuman capital, the professionals of war and the responsible for the misery of many peoples.
Today, in Diavata prison there is a gentle breeze. Last days it was very hot. If one doesn’t take a shower at least three times a day it is impossible to stand it, especially after the doors lock. In each cell 10 people are huddled, in 5 bunk beds. Fortunately, before some time, prisoners made a hunger strike and managed to be let have small fridges inside the cells.
They have split us in three floors. Fernando Perez and Tsitsas are on the first floor, in different cells, me and Carlos Martin are on the second floor, again in different cells, Simon from England is on the ground floor. He is the only one with whom we have no contact. I hear his name when the lawyer comes to visit and I would like to know how he is doing, because he was badly injured from the beatings. Two others were taken to another prison- I would like to learn their news also.
The four of us, without Simon, communicate with difficulties. And I inform you that your solidarity, your support and the struggle you are doing for our freedom gives us strength and patience, because solidarity is stronger than their weapons, stronger than the violence, repression, prisons against any struggle, any resistance.
As for those who are not stating their support to the imprisoned fighters with various excuses, e.g. that they (the prisoners) were in some blocs of the demonstration with which there is disagreement in the form of action and the way they function, or that we told this person to come to our bloc and he didn’t come etc, for myself I say that I was in one bloc that is the whole demonstration, and the arrested are arrested of the whole demonstration. This moment we are locked inside as an example of intimidation for every militant who wants to resist. Solidarity and support, when it is only for our political-party-comrades, or only for those who agree with us, or only for those that are doing what we want, then they lose all their meaning and importance.*
In a period where war is legitimized and resistance is criminalized, where a demonstration is considered as guilt and felony, the movement has to choose: either resistance or compromise. And when within such a period, that the war of the powerful is legitimized with the slaughter, the miseries and the humiliation of the entire humankind, while resistance of the powerless is criminalized, the movement compromises with the logic of the powerful, then we can kiss everything goodbye (...)
Solidarity must be shown to all hostages of the state, to all victims of any dictatorial expression of inhuman regimes. To all those who resist, to all those who dare. To all those who are ready to die for a moment of freedom and dignity, than living a life of humiliation, oppression and slavery.
And as one passer-by from the history of struggle used to say: “When the Nazis arrested one Jew, I said I’m not Jew, I don’t care. When they arrested the neighbour for being a communist, I said I am no communist, I don’t care. Now that I am arrested, there is nobody to care for me”. The good thing with this example is that all “militants” remember it in various discussions and concentrations. Probably they like it as a nice text, as a good writing piece.
So, today there is a gentle breeze and we manage to take a breath - the last ten days the cell was hot as an oven.
THE STRUGGLE DOESN’T STOP WITH PRISON, OPPRESSION, VIOLENCE, REPRESSION AND DICTATORSHIP. THESE ARE REASONS FOR THE STRUGGLE TO BECOME STRONGER.
FREEDOM FOR ALL THE SOCIETY, FREEDOM FOR ALL THE WORLD
July 6, 2003 Diavata Prison, Kastro
(transl.* Referance to the absence of solidarity by the majority of Left, or to the “selective solidarity” shown for him by leftists, who talk about Kastro’s imprisonment and don’t say anything about the other demonstratorsarrested. )
Comrades and friends,
I send you and convey you the militant greetings of all those arrested in the demonstration against the Summit of inhuman capital, the professionals of war and the responsible for the misery of many peoples.
Today, in Diavata prison there is a gentle breeze. Last days it was very hot. If one doesn’t take a shower at least three times a day it is impossible to stand it, especially after the doors lock. In each cell 10 people are huddled, in 5 bunk beds. Fortunately, before some time, prisoners made a hunger strike and managed to be let have small fridges inside the cells.
They have split us in three floors. Fernando Perez and Tsitsas are on the first floor, in different cells, me and Carlos Martin are on the second floor, again in different cells, Simon from England is on the ground floor. He is the only one with whom we have no contact. I hear his name when the lawyer comes to visit and I would like to know how he is doing, because he was badly injured from the beatings. Two others were taken to another prison- I would like to learn their news also.
The four of us, without Simon, communicate with difficulties. And I inform you that your solidarity, your support and the struggle you are doing for our freedom gives us strength and patience, because solidarity is stronger than their weapons, stronger than the violence, repression, prisons against any struggle, any resistance.
As for those who are not stating their support to the imprisoned fighters with various excuses, e.g. that they (the prisoners) were in some blocs of the demonstration with which there is disagreement in the form of action and the way they function, or that we told this person to come to our bloc and he didn’t come etc, for myself I say that I was in one bloc that is the whole demonstration, and the arrested are arrested of the whole demonstration. This moment we are locked inside as an example of intimidation for every militant who wants to resist. Solidarity and support, when it is only for our political-party-comrades, or only for those who agree with us, or only for those that are doing what we want, then they lose all their meaning and importance.*
In a period where war is legitimized and resistance is criminalized, where a demonstration is considered as guilt and felony, the movement has to choose: either resistance or compromise. And when within such a period, that the war of the powerful is legitimized with the slaughter, the miseries and the humiliation of the entire humankind, while resistance of the powerless is criminalized, the movement compromises with the logic of the powerful, then we can kiss everything goodbye (...)
Solidarity must be shown to all hostages of the state, to all victims of any dictatorial expression of inhuman regimes. To all those who resist, to all those who dare. To all those who are ready to die for a moment of freedom and dignity, than living a life of humiliation, oppression and slavery.
And as one passer-by from the history of struggle used to say: “When the Nazis arrested one Jew, I said I’m not Jew, I don’t care. When they arrested the neighbour for being a communist, I said I am no communist, I don’t care. Now that I am arrested, there is nobody to care for me”. The good thing with this example is that all “militants” remember it in various discussions and concentrations. Probably they like it as a nice text, as a good writing piece.
So, today there is a gentle breeze and we manage to take a breath - the last ten days the cell was hot as an oven.
THE STRUGGLE DOESN’T STOP WITH PRISON, OPPRESSION, VIOLENCE, REPRESSION AND DICTATORSHIP. THESE ARE REASONS FOR THE STRUGGLE TO BECOME STRONGER.
FREEDOM FOR ALL THE SOCIETY, FREEDOM FOR ALL THE WORLD
July 6, 2003 Diavata Prison, Kastro
(transl.* Referance to the absence of solidarity by the majority of Left, or to the “selective solidarity” shown for him by leftists, who talk about Kastro’s imprisonment and don’t say anything about the other demonstratorsarrested. )
LETTER FROM CARLOS MARTIN, CNT MILITANT FROM SPAIN
To the Assembly of Thessaloniki
Dear comrades,
Thanks to your persistence and willfulness, you give us hope to continue with firmness and dignity for the case of our imprisonment. A big salute to all you comrades and especially Celina, Antonia, our lawyer Haris, my father Juan Carlos, my brother Ignaki and my girlfriend Nerea, who are probably with you these days. I am sending you one more letter if you want to read it at the manifestations. It is not anything important, but if I don’t manage to take something outside of me I will explode. In the beginning I thought to tell you by the phone, but I am sending it with post. I don’t know if it will come in time.
We know your interest in us and the international cooperation that is realized this moment. For all these, and for many more, I thank you.
Here, in prison, or to say it better in this floor, since you can’t see anything else, time passes very - but very - slow, and the colour of the walls and of the ceiling is grey, pale and everywhere the same. Often, I see Kastro who is in the same floor with me but in a different cell. With Fernando I communicate some times in the yard that is full of people and there is sun all day long. For the others I have no idea, they separated us and scattered us. It is the most they could do to hurt us and they did it.
It would be good for us if you fight not only to get us out of this hole, but also to get us out all together.
We eat two times a day, even if I force myself to eat, and only to prepare for the possibility of an indefinite hunger strike. This prison is full of immigrants, the majority is from Albania, Russia, Turkey. It is obvious from this example what the Greek state is preparing for the immigrants. Until now, all I know and can tell to my comrades is that the more excluded are those who have the best attitude towards us. The first day, the guards have beaten Kastro, the moment he got in prison, because he refused to cut his beard and his hair, while they were threatening him at the same time. Also, I know that none of us has received the things we asked for. Kastro hasn’t got the money you sent him and many other things didn’t reach their destination.
Without any other words, I send you my revolutionary greetings. Carlos
Dear comrades,
Thanks to your persistence and willfulness, you give us hope to continue with firmness and dignity for the case of our imprisonment. A big salute to all you comrades and especially Celina, Antonia, our lawyer Haris, my father Juan Carlos, my brother Ignaki and my girlfriend Nerea, who are probably with you these days. I am sending you one more letter if you want to read it at the manifestations. It is not anything important, but if I don’t manage to take something outside of me I will explode. In the beginning I thought to tell you by the phone, but I am sending it with post. I don’t know if it will come in time.
We know your interest in us and the international cooperation that is realized this moment. For all these, and for many more, I thank you.
Here, in prison, or to say it better in this floor, since you can’t see anything else, time passes very - but very - slow, and the colour of the walls and of the ceiling is grey, pale and everywhere the same. Often, I see Kastro who is in the same floor with me but in a different cell. With Fernando I communicate some times in the yard that is full of people and there is sun all day long. For the others I have no idea, they separated us and scattered us. It is the most they could do to hurt us and they did it.
It would be good for us if you fight not only to get us out of this hole, but also to get us out all together.
We eat two times a day, even if I force myself to eat, and only to prepare for the possibility of an indefinite hunger strike. This prison is full of immigrants, the majority is from Albania, Russia, Turkey. It is obvious from this example what the Greek state is preparing for the immigrants. Until now, all I know and can tell to my comrades is that the more excluded are those who have the best attitude towards us. The first day, the guards have beaten Kastro, the moment he got in prison, because he refused to cut his beard and his hair, while they were threatening him at the same time. Also, I know that none of us has received the things we asked for. Kastro hasn’t got the money you sent him and many other things didn’t reach their destination.
Without any other words, I send you my revolutionary greetings. Carlos
FROM KASTRO
I was sixteen years old when they coercively cut all my hair and tortured me for the first time.
It was again because I was saying NO to the racist oppression by the military-dictatorial regime of Syria, that is called Arab Republic of Syria. I didn’t find it strange: it is a dictatorial regime, the army governs, so the police can do whatever they want, unobstructed.
In these conditions many people are forced to look for other countries, for more humane conditions -and I was one of those who were saying that a democratic country where I could live and where human rights are respected is Greece.
After 18 years, in the country that is called Greek republic, this time in a regime that co-decides who will be the next peoples to die, who will starve and who will migrate, after 18 years that maybe in Syria they have forgotten this kind of behaviour, I was found along with all the other arrested, again for saying a NO, coercively shorn and shaven. I experienced and I saw such violence that I had not seen before, not even in the dictatorial regime, and faced threats of rape by the police (“we will you throw you in a cell with the gypsies to rape you”).
I don’t want to disappoint the people who fought for democracy and paid for this fight with imprisonment and exile, but maybe I will embitter them, leaving them with the question whether this is a justice state or a police state.
The public prosecutor and the interrogation judge didn’t hear any of the accused, but only the testimonies of the police who were giving the orders. And the dismal justice was applied, without any doubt, despite that many testimonies of the police are obviously fake and ridiculous, if someone looks at them better.
They stated for me and one Spanish that we had the same bag with the same things: 2 slingshots, 3 screws and 1 coil of copper-weir, but they charge us for molotov, resistance et.c.
The prosecutors and interrogators keep us in prison, and not only in different cells but also in different floors. I don’t know if they really believe they are being just, or if they execute orders. ...What is prison and what is medieval treatment... I hope this is happening only in the prison of Thessaloniki, and that the reason for this is that it is so close to dictatorial Turkey. Endless violence, psychological and physical, from the moment of our arrest until now.
I have some hope in the small possibility that Greece is a state of justice and make (such) trial, because what we have seen us, the foreigners, is only police state and such mediaeval situations, that every citizen would be ashamed for.
From Diavata judicial prison
Thessaloniki
27 June 2003,
It was again because I was saying NO to the racist oppression by the military-dictatorial regime of Syria, that is called Arab Republic of Syria. I didn’t find it strange: it is a dictatorial regime, the army governs, so the police can do whatever they want, unobstructed.
In these conditions many people are forced to look for other countries, for more humane conditions -and I was one of those who were saying that a democratic country where I could live and where human rights are respected is Greece.
After 18 years, in the country that is called Greek republic, this time in a regime that co-decides who will be the next peoples to die, who will starve and who will migrate, after 18 years that maybe in Syria they have forgotten this kind of behaviour, I was found along with all the other arrested, again for saying a NO, coercively shorn and shaven. I experienced and I saw such violence that I had not seen before, not even in the dictatorial regime, and faced threats of rape by the police (“we will you throw you in a cell with the gypsies to rape you”).
I don’t want to disappoint the people who fought for democracy and paid for this fight with imprisonment and exile, but maybe I will embitter them, leaving them with the question whether this is a justice state or a police state.
The public prosecutor and the interrogation judge didn’t hear any of the accused, but only the testimonies of the police who were giving the orders. And the dismal justice was applied, without any doubt, despite that many testimonies of the police are obviously fake and ridiculous, if someone looks at them better.
They stated for me and one Spanish that we had the same bag with the same things: 2 slingshots, 3 screws and 1 coil of copper-weir, but they charge us for molotov, resistance et.c.
The prosecutors and interrogators keep us in prison, and not only in different cells but also in different floors. I don’t know if they really believe they are being just, or if they execute orders. ...What is prison and what is medieval treatment... I hope this is happening only in the prison of Thessaloniki, and that the reason for this is that it is so close to dictatorial Turkey. Endless violence, psychological and physical, from the moment of our arrest until now.
I have some hope in the small possibility that Greece is a state of justice and make (such) trial, because what we have seen us, the foreigners, is only police state and such mediaeval situations, that every citizen would be ashamed for.
From Diavata judicial prison
Thessaloniki
27 June 2003,
THE FIRE IS SPREADING EVERYWHERE
On June 19, 20 and 21 the summit of the European Union was held in Saloniki. A meeting of almost 5,000 rebels came together, occupied the university and decided together to face the presence of the European ministers and the militarisation of the city in a decided and offensive way. Separate as much from the pacifists as from the partisans of ‘another world is possible’: this world is to be destroyed!
If some pigs were wounded with knives and molotovs, 73 demonstrators were also arrested some of whom on June 22 at a demo outside the court. Seven people are still in prison (among whom an English comrade, a Spanish comrade accused of ‘terrorism’, and a Syrian comrade who will be sentenced to death by the regime of his country of birth if he is extradited).
The Greek media have clearly done their dirty work by presenting these clashes as a form of terrorism or vandalism. When 5,000 people meet to squat a place, discuss together and together face the assassins in uniform in the streets, living a variety of human passions it is clear that it is a question of a lot more than journalistic categories: it is the reappropriation of life, it is rebellion against what crushes us every day.
But it is not only on the occassion of riots against these great ceremonies that life can express itself. We certainly don’t wait for the symbolic meetings of these clowns to strike power in its daily manifestation. In fact every day each one is immersed in a world that does not want to give any choice other than submission and resignation: is it necessary to sell oneself to a boss in order to have a roof over one’s head? One must count every penny in order to eat, or else drink what our palates desire? One must thank the pigs - police of every category - who invade the streets so that everything stays under control? One must beg crumbs from a State that is nothing more than an instrument in the hands of the bosses against the exploited?
Repression, like rebellion, is to be found everywhere, not only in Seattle, Saloniki or Genova. It is possible to go beyond the daily routine of little submissions to meet in the streets, but do it every day of one’s life with means that are available to everyone.
Beautiful like a prison in flames.
Solidarity to the prisoners of every prison.
Leaflet given out by anarchists in Rovereto, Italy.
If some pigs were wounded with knives and molotovs, 73 demonstrators were also arrested some of whom on June 22 at a demo outside the court. Seven people are still in prison (among whom an English comrade, a Spanish comrade accused of ‘terrorism’, and a Syrian comrade who will be sentenced to death by the regime of his country of birth if he is extradited).
The Greek media have clearly done their dirty work by presenting these clashes as a form of terrorism or vandalism. When 5,000 people meet to squat a place, discuss together and together face the assassins in uniform in the streets, living a variety of human passions it is clear that it is a question of a lot more than journalistic categories: it is the reappropriation of life, it is rebellion against what crushes us every day.
But it is not only on the occassion of riots against these great ceremonies that life can express itself. We certainly don’t wait for the symbolic meetings of these clowns to strike power in its daily manifestation. In fact every day each one is immersed in a world that does not want to give any choice other than submission and resignation: is it necessary to sell oneself to a boss in order to have a roof over one’s head? One must count every penny in order to eat, or else drink what our palates desire? One must thank the pigs - police of every category - who invade the streets so that everything stays under control? One must beg crumbs from a State that is nothing more than an instrument in the hands of the bosses against the exploited?
Repression, like rebellion, is to be found everywhere, not only in Seattle, Saloniki or Genova. It is possible to go beyond the daily routine of little submissions to meet in the streets, but do it every day of one’s life with means that are available to everyone.
Beautiful like a prison in flames.
Solidarity to the prisoners of every prison.
Leaflet given out by anarchists in Rovereto, Italy.
ARTICLE FROM GREEK NATIONAL DAILY ELEFTHEROTYPIA
26th June 2003.
POLICE CHARGE BRITISH MAN WITH MOLOTOVS
They were taken to prison, yesterday, after their statement to the investigator, 7 accused of the vandalism that took place on Saturday in the centre of Thessaloniki during the summit of Chalkidiki.
The 3 Greeks and 4 foreigners (2 Spanish, 1 Syrian and 1 British) were detained as the district attorney and the investigators agreed, because they were considered liable to escape or to commit another offence, according to article 282 of the Penal Code. Their case stood out from the that of the other 20 arrested since the beginning. They were also accused of felony but were later set free under restriction orders. The detained seven, according to the legal brief, were in possession of Molotov cocktail bombs when the police arrested them.
Although, the attorney showed the Authorities photographs and video footage from ET3 that show the 30 year old Briton Simon Chapman carrying a blue bag when he was arrested and not the black one full of Molotov cocktails which is claimed to be his.
In the video one can see the policemen collecting the black bag with seven Molotov cocktails, putting two axes in it and putting it into his hand. This incident was denounced by the Greek Social Forum, which said that the Briton was beaten during his arrest as well as some others that were arrested. At the same time, they are asking that the Syrian-born Souleiman Dagdouk Kastro not be extradited to Syria but go to the Greek court because his life is in danger. He is a unionist immigrant, member of the Construction Worker’s Union of Hania. He has been living in our country for the last 13 years and although he has been arrested in Crete before he wasn’t extradited because of the mobilization of the local community. Kastro claims that when he was arrested he was giving out leaflets concerning the immigration issue, a long distance from were the events were held.
Yesterday outside the court house of Thessalonica about 50 people went to show their solidarity with the arrested and they put up two banners written in Greek and Spanish: “ Solidarity to the arrested, against the summit”. Yesterday the Three-member Magistrate’s court of Thessalonica sentenced 26 year old Frenchman V.P. and a 24 year old Italian woman A.V to two years’ imprisonment with 3-year bail, with the accusation of holding weapon illegally. They had been arrested last Sunday night in Thessaloniki because they were found to be in possession of nuts, torches, hammers, gas masks etc.
Translated by a Greek comrade, amended slightly for grammar. nb. The article does not mention the American, Jonathan ‘Slug’ Crowell, who was arrested, released and later re-arrested, when he returned to the police station to collect his passport.
POLICE CHARGE BRITISH MAN WITH MOLOTOVS
They were taken to prison, yesterday, after their statement to the investigator, 7 accused of the vandalism that took place on Saturday in the centre of Thessaloniki during the summit of Chalkidiki.
The 3 Greeks and 4 foreigners (2 Spanish, 1 Syrian and 1 British) were detained as the district attorney and the investigators agreed, because they were considered liable to escape or to commit another offence, according to article 282 of the Penal Code. Their case stood out from the that of the other 20 arrested since the beginning. They were also accused of felony but were later set free under restriction orders. The detained seven, according to the legal brief, were in possession of Molotov cocktail bombs when the police arrested them.
Although, the attorney showed the Authorities photographs and video footage from ET3 that show the 30 year old Briton Simon Chapman carrying a blue bag when he was arrested and not the black one full of Molotov cocktails which is claimed to be his.
In the video one can see the policemen collecting the black bag with seven Molotov cocktails, putting two axes in it and putting it into his hand. This incident was denounced by the Greek Social Forum, which said that the Briton was beaten during his arrest as well as some others that were arrested. At the same time, they are asking that the Syrian-born Souleiman Dagdouk Kastro not be extradited to Syria but go to the Greek court because his life is in danger. He is a unionist immigrant, member of the Construction Worker’s Union of Hania. He has been living in our country for the last 13 years and although he has been arrested in Crete before he wasn’t extradited because of the mobilization of the local community. Kastro claims that when he was arrested he was giving out leaflets concerning the immigration issue, a long distance from were the events were held.
Yesterday outside the court house of Thessalonica about 50 people went to show their solidarity with the arrested and they put up two banners written in Greek and Spanish: “ Solidarity to the arrested, against the summit”. Yesterday the Three-member Magistrate’s court of Thessalonica sentenced 26 year old Frenchman V.P. and a 24 year old Italian woman A.V to two years’ imprisonment with 3-year bail, with the accusation of holding weapon illegally. They had been arrested last Sunday night in Thessaloniki because they were found to be in possession of nuts, torches, hammers, gas masks etc.
Translated by a Greek comrade, amended slightly for grammar. nb. The article does not mention the American, Jonathan ‘Slug’ Crowell, who was arrested, released and later re-arrested, when he returned to the police station to collect his passport.
DAY OF INTERNTIONAL SOLIDARITY WITH THE THESSALONIKI PRISONERS
In Athens, 600 anarchists and antiauthoritarians demonstrated at the offices of the European Union with the banner ‘FREE THE 8 PRISONERS - SOLIDARITY WITH ALL THOSE PERSECUTED FOR THE EVENTS AGAINST EU SUMMIT IN THESSALONIKI’ and ‘ANOTHER WAR IS POSSIBLE, SOCIAL-CLASS WAR’, many red and black flags, shouting slogans THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM IS STRONGER THAN ALL PRISONS, with great dynamic and passion. The demo, with a strong police presence in the area, passed in front of parliament and reached the EU offices that were heavily guarded by police forces. The walls all the way were covered with graffiti. The demo finished in Propylea, in the centre of Athens where the day before (July 9) there had been a solidarity concert for the Thessaloniki prisoners, which 1000 people attended. Both actions in Athens were called by Open Assembly of Anarchists-Antiauthoritarians against the EU summit and for Solidarity with the Prisoners.
There are 8 prisoners, because one American demonstrator, who was first released together with other 22 still facing charges but free until trial, was recaptured, this time by the ‘Foreigners Police’ when he went back to the police station of Thessaloniki to take his things. He has been in custody since then (June 24) awaiting deportation.
On Sunday, 6 July, 100 anarchists, antiauthoritarians and autonoms gathered outside Avlona prison for minors (50kms from Athens), where 2 of the Thessaloniki demonstrators are being held. The people took the guards and police by surprise and made a demo around the prison shouting slogans that the prisoners could hear, waving red and black flags above the walls and writing FREEDOM on the gate and walls.
There are 8 prisoners, because one American demonstrator, who was first released together with other 22 still facing charges but free until trial, was recaptured, this time by the ‘Foreigners Police’ when he went back to the police station of Thessaloniki to take his things. He has been in custody since then (June 24) awaiting deportation.
On Sunday, 6 July, 100 anarchists, antiauthoritarians and autonoms gathered outside Avlona prison for minors (50kms from Athens), where 2 of the Thessaloniki demonstrators are being held. The people took the guards and police by surprise and made a demo around the prison shouting slogans that the prisoners could hear, waving red and black flags above the walls and writing FREEDOM on the gate and walls.
COMMUNIQUE OF THE ASSEMBLY
Their world stinks
as much as their tear-gas
From June 19th to 21st the summit of the European Union took place in Chalkidiki, Greece. While the echo of the war on Iraq was still raging the lords of Europe met in order to intensify their “counter-terrorist crusade” inside and outside Europe, to organise more effectively their scope of expansion and to fortify the borders and the authoritarian structure of the enlarged E.U.
At the same time, in Thessaloniki, various left and social-democrat political entities, using money donated by the Greek government - which they claim to oppose - organised a number of counter summits, camp sites, concerts, “joyful” demonstrations, proposing some kind of “alternative globalisation” without attacking the existing system. Those self-proclaimed spokes-men of the so-called “anti-globalisation movement” couldn’t fail to perform a limited violent confrontation with the police forces at Chalkidiki in order to project a “militant” image of themselves within the “movement”, that was born and has grown mainly out of the violent clashes with capitalism in Seattle, Prague, Gothenburg, Genoa, Evian and elsewhere.
Yet in contrast to the summit of European rulers as well as the reformists’ counter summits, in the occupied grounds of Aristotle University a large number of anarchists, anti-authoritarians and subversive individuals got together to show in action that the bosses of Europe were not only unwelcome but were also considered enemies, and to make a step from protesting to rioting, as has happened at all the previous rendezvous of the international ruling elite. During those days the university became a place full of life where events, assemblies, video projections and numerous other activities were held. Tuesday 6/19 saw a demo of about 4000 people, convoked by anarchist and anti-authoritarian collectives, in solidarity with the immigrants. Next day 250 anarchists/anti-authoritarians gathered at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Florina - where they were blocked by riot cops, border police and the army - in order to express their solidarity to 700 Roma refugees from Kosova denied entrance to the Greek territory - and to actively call into question the existence of borders. At the same time other anarchists/anti-authoritarians chose to go to Marmaras village so as to clash with the police forces blocking access to the place where the summit was to be held. On Saturday about 3000 people formed a black-block, which, autonomous and distinct from the other blocks, marched towards the city centre attacking capitalist symbols (banks, multinationals etc.) and clashing with the forces of repression.
In answer to those who were spoiling the party, police used large quantities of tear-gases and chemicals, as well as rubber bullets. They made scores of arrests and detentions using the old Greek method ‘after you are arrested you obtain a sack full of molotovs as a present by the police so that they can prove your being guilty’. On Sunday the cops savagely attacked demonstrators gathered in front of the court in solidarity with the arrested, causing injuries to many. At the present time 7 demonstrators are being held in prison just because they chose to be on the streets during those days.
Apart from the physical and mental abuse they got through (battering, sexual harassment by the cops etc.), the prisoners faced the smear campaign of the media talking about ‘vandals’ and ‘hooligans’ who deserve exemplary punishment. Unlike what happened a few days ago when the same media made reference to ‘militant demonstrations’ in Evian, this time they used mudslinging in order to deprive the outburst of resistance which flooded the streets of a fortified and police-ridden city, of any political or social content.
Those of us who met in Thessaloniki during these days of action take as given that our struggle is not restricted to ‘revolutionary three-days’. Our struggle continues until all the demonstrators held in prison are set free. Our struggle continues where we live, in the neighbourhoods, universities, work places until social liberation.
Solidarity to the demonstrators arrested in Thessaloniki on June 21.
Immediate release of the 7 arrested remanded in custody.
Open Assembly of Anarchists and Anti-authoritarians against the summit of the E.U. leaders and in solidarity to the demonstrators arrested in Thessaloniki (Athens)
as much as their tear-gas
From June 19th to 21st the summit of the European Union took place in Chalkidiki, Greece. While the echo of the war on Iraq was still raging the lords of Europe met in order to intensify their “counter-terrorist crusade” inside and outside Europe, to organise more effectively their scope of expansion and to fortify the borders and the authoritarian structure of the enlarged E.U.
At the same time, in Thessaloniki, various left and social-democrat political entities, using money donated by the Greek government - which they claim to oppose - organised a number of counter summits, camp sites, concerts, “joyful” demonstrations, proposing some kind of “alternative globalisation” without attacking the existing system. Those self-proclaimed spokes-men of the so-called “anti-globalisation movement” couldn’t fail to perform a limited violent confrontation with the police forces at Chalkidiki in order to project a “militant” image of themselves within the “movement”, that was born and has grown mainly out of the violent clashes with capitalism in Seattle, Prague, Gothenburg, Genoa, Evian and elsewhere.
Yet in contrast to the summit of European rulers as well as the reformists’ counter summits, in the occupied grounds of Aristotle University a large number of anarchists, anti-authoritarians and subversive individuals got together to show in action that the bosses of Europe were not only unwelcome but were also considered enemies, and to make a step from protesting to rioting, as has happened at all the previous rendezvous of the international ruling elite. During those days the university became a place full of life where events, assemblies, video projections and numerous other activities were held. Tuesday 6/19 saw a demo of about 4000 people, convoked by anarchist and anti-authoritarian collectives, in solidarity with the immigrants. Next day 250 anarchists/anti-authoritarians gathered at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Florina - where they were blocked by riot cops, border police and the army - in order to express their solidarity to 700 Roma refugees from Kosova denied entrance to the Greek territory - and to actively call into question the existence of borders. At the same time other anarchists/anti-authoritarians chose to go to Marmaras village so as to clash with the police forces blocking access to the place where the summit was to be held. On Saturday about 3000 people formed a black-block, which, autonomous and distinct from the other blocks, marched towards the city centre attacking capitalist symbols (banks, multinationals etc.) and clashing with the forces of repression.
In answer to those who were spoiling the party, police used large quantities of tear-gases and chemicals, as well as rubber bullets. They made scores of arrests and detentions using the old Greek method ‘after you are arrested you obtain a sack full of molotovs as a present by the police so that they can prove your being guilty’. On Sunday the cops savagely attacked demonstrators gathered in front of the court in solidarity with the arrested, causing injuries to many. At the present time 7 demonstrators are being held in prison just because they chose to be on the streets during those days.
Apart from the physical and mental abuse they got through (battering, sexual harassment by the cops etc.), the prisoners faced the smear campaign of the media talking about ‘vandals’ and ‘hooligans’ who deserve exemplary punishment. Unlike what happened a few days ago when the same media made reference to ‘militant demonstrations’ in Evian, this time they used mudslinging in order to deprive the outburst of resistance which flooded the streets of a fortified and police-ridden city, of any political or social content.
Those of us who met in Thessaloniki during these days of action take as given that our struggle is not restricted to ‘revolutionary three-days’. Our struggle continues until all the demonstrators held in prison are set free. Our struggle continues where we live, in the neighbourhoods, universities, work places until social liberation.
Solidarity to the demonstrators arrested in Thessaloniki on June 21.
Immediate release of the 7 arrested remanded in custody.
Open Assembly of Anarchists and Anti-authoritarians against the summit of the E.U. leaders and in solidarity to the demonstrators arrested in Thessaloniki (Athens)
SOLIDARITY MESSAGE FROM VANCOUVER ANARCHISTS
to the Prisoners Arrested in Thessaloniki during the Actions Against the European Union Summit, June 20-22, 2003
We send a message of solidarity to the comrades who are imprisoned in Thessaloniki by the State of Greece, in connection to the insurgency in the streets during the summit of the elite of the European ruling class.
We are not particularly suprised by the brutality of the police, the false criminal charges and faking of evidence, or the torture that various comrades have been subjected to. In the field of the social war, violent repression is always the response of the exploiters to any and every form of active resistance. We see the imprisonment of rebels as a crucial part of the capitalist system of exploitation and exclusion. For this reason, we also see it as another institution of the enemy that must be attacked and eliminated.
We recognize the struggle of the imprisoned comrades as part of our own struggle. We understand the importance of active class solidarity, and we think this solidarity should take the form of insurrectionary action against capital and the State.
To show solidarity to the comrades imprisoned in Greece, to fight to free them from the confinement of the State’s police, must mean more than simply expressing our anti-authoritarian principles. Solidarity must take a practical, material form.
Through conflict with the class enemy we can express both mutual aid to our comrades in jail and our own subversive struggle against all forms of oppression.
Vancouver Anarchist Struggle
Vancouver, Canada
June 25, 2003
We send a message of solidarity to the comrades who are imprisoned in Thessaloniki by the State of Greece, in connection to the insurgency in the streets during the summit of the elite of the European ruling class.
We are not particularly suprised by the brutality of the police, the false criminal charges and faking of evidence, or the torture that various comrades have been subjected to. In the field of the social war, violent repression is always the response of the exploiters to any and every form of active resistance. We see the imprisonment of rebels as a crucial part of the capitalist system of exploitation and exclusion. For this reason, we also see it as another institution of the enemy that must be attacked and eliminated.
We recognize the struggle of the imprisoned comrades as part of our own struggle. We understand the importance of active class solidarity, and we think this solidarity should take the form of insurrectionary action against capital and the State.
To show solidarity to the comrades imprisoned in Greece, to fight to free them from the confinement of the State’s police, must mean more than simply expressing our anti-authoritarian principles. Solidarity must take a practical, material form.
Through conflict with the class enemy we can express both mutual aid to our comrades in jail and our own subversive struggle against all forms of oppression.
Vancouver Anarchist Struggle
Vancouver, Canada
June 25, 2003
LETTER FROM SIMON CHAPMAN FROM THESSALONIKI PRISON
I am sitting in my cell - shared with 9 others (Greeks and Albanians). The other people arrested for the EU Summit are on the floor above so I only see them when the lawyers visit - as far as I know they are well, as well as can be expected.
I’m not sure if people know what happened before/after my arrest so I’ll quickly outline it here. The march set off in militant style and soon the air was filled with the sound of breaking glass. The first gas came in and in the crowd surge I lost sight of X. Me A and B continued on to a square where the gas started raining down - so far my goggles and
half-face gas mask were working fine. The crowd surged again and I lost A and B, so I headed over to the rest of my affinity group. We ended up all squashed together with maybe 600 people, with clouds of gas coming from front and back, and my skin was starting to burn, my eyes were streaming.
The crowd was all crushed together, people wailing for water for their eyes, pushing this way and that. Though I knew the safest place in that type of situation was in the middle of the crowd, I decided to go to the edge to see if I could see X, A & B. Then a huge cloud of gas enveloped me and I couldn’t see a thing. So I’m at the edge choking, blind, on the edge of panic - a voice inside me is saying “be cool, be cool” and I kept it together. And then CRUNCH - everything went black and sparks of light shone in the darkness. At first I thought a badly aimed brick had hit me, but only a second later there was another bone-crunching blow to my head and I knew it was cops. I go to run but I’m already falling, scrabbling along the wall through broken glass, still blinded by gas; as I move the batons are raining down, sometimes 3 or 4 hitting simultaneously across my body. I feel boots kicking me as well. I thought I could crawl back to the crowd, but when I look up all I see is an empty smoky street and cop boots coming towards my face. BANG go my goggles and glasses, and I realise I am in deep, deep shit. I try to get up but at that moment a hand comes down and pulls my cap and gas mask off and a final blow smacks me where my hair meets my forehead; I feel a splash of blood run down my face and everything goes black. I was only unconscious for a few seconds I think. I’m dragged to my feet, and boots and batons are still coming, mainly at my shoulders and legs. 5 cops have hold of me, dragging my rucksack off my back. They hold me and search it, then take me to the side of the road and sit me down. A cop comes up behind me and smacks me across the back with his baton, then kicks me at the base of the spine. This STILL hurts! My face is a sea of blood - I can feel it leaking from several places, running down my neck. C and D would have seen what happens next, the cops bringing the bags of molotovs to me. I can feel a fit-up coming on!
The next 2 hours are truly terrifying - I am cuffed with 2 bags of molotovs strapped to me. Some are leaking. The cops lead me into the road where rocks and molotovs are landing among us and present me to the rioters like I am a trophy. If one of these molotovs lands too close to me I would be a ball of flames faster than you could say “human rights”.
Over the next 2 hours I am beaten with batons, fists, a hammer; whacked across the head twice with a length of wood, headbutted, kicked, slapped and constantly exposed to teargas. I could hardly walk or breathe. The whole left side of my back was purple, yellow, black, blue and I was covered in cuts, bruises and lumps. So it was quite rough! I never thought I would be so glad to finally get stuffed - well kicked - in a cell where 10 other demonstrators were languishing! Oh thanks be to God - I’m in jail! Safe from the psycho cops!
The rest of the story can wait, but I must say the solidarity of the prisoners kept me going. As far as I know, 5 of the 7 prisoners now on remand were in that cell with me, and we all supported each other. All things, food, water, cigarettes, phone cards - were held in commllon. I would not have kept my head together without them.
THANKS TO EVERYONE -
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY -
NO PRISONERS -
I’m not sure if people know what happened before/after my arrest so I’ll quickly outline it here. The march set off in militant style and soon the air was filled with the sound of breaking glass. The first gas came in and in the crowd surge I lost sight of X. Me A and B continued on to a square where the gas started raining down - so far my goggles and
half-face gas mask were working fine. The crowd surged again and I lost A and B, so I headed over to the rest of my affinity group. We ended up all squashed together with maybe 600 people, with clouds of gas coming from front and back, and my skin was starting to burn, my eyes were streaming.
The crowd was all crushed together, people wailing for water for their eyes, pushing this way and that. Though I knew the safest place in that type of situation was in the middle of the crowd, I decided to go to the edge to see if I could see X, A & B. Then a huge cloud of gas enveloped me and I couldn’t see a thing. So I’m at the edge choking, blind, on the edge of panic - a voice inside me is saying “be cool, be cool” and I kept it together. And then CRUNCH - everything went black and sparks of light shone in the darkness. At first I thought a badly aimed brick had hit me, but only a second later there was another bone-crunching blow to my head and I knew it was cops. I go to run but I’m already falling, scrabbling along the wall through broken glass, still blinded by gas; as I move the batons are raining down, sometimes 3 or 4 hitting simultaneously across my body. I feel boots kicking me as well. I thought I could crawl back to the crowd, but when I look up all I see is an empty smoky street and cop boots coming towards my face. BANG go my goggles and glasses, and I realise I am in deep, deep shit. I try to get up but at that moment a hand comes down and pulls my cap and gas mask off and a final blow smacks me where my hair meets my forehead; I feel a splash of blood run down my face and everything goes black. I was only unconscious for a few seconds I think. I’m dragged to my feet, and boots and batons are still coming, mainly at my shoulders and legs. 5 cops have hold of me, dragging my rucksack off my back. They hold me and search it, then take me to the side of the road and sit me down. A cop comes up behind me and smacks me across the back with his baton, then kicks me at the base of the spine. This STILL hurts! My face is a sea of blood - I can feel it leaking from several places, running down my neck. C and D would have seen what happens next, the cops bringing the bags of molotovs to me. I can feel a fit-up coming on!
The next 2 hours are truly terrifying - I am cuffed with 2 bags of molotovs strapped to me. Some are leaking. The cops lead me into the road where rocks and molotovs are landing among us and present me to the rioters like I am a trophy. If one of these molotovs lands too close to me I would be a ball of flames faster than you could say “human rights”.
Over the next 2 hours I am beaten with batons, fists, a hammer; whacked across the head twice with a length of wood, headbutted, kicked, slapped and constantly exposed to teargas. I could hardly walk or breathe. The whole left side of my back was purple, yellow, black, blue and I was covered in cuts, bruises and lumps. So it was quite rough! I never thought I would be so glad to finally get stuffed - well kicked - in a cell where 10 other demonstrators were languishing! Oh thanks be to God - I’m in jail! Safe from the psycho cops!
The rest of the story can wait, but I must say the solidarity of the prisoners kept me going. As far as I know, 5 of the 7 prisoners now on remand were in that cell with me, and we all supported each other. All things, food, water, cigarettes, phone cards - were held in commllon. I would not have kept my head together without them.
THANKS TO EVERYONE -
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY -
NO PRISONERS -
CALL TO FIGHT FOR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES AND SOLIDARITY WITH THE KIDNAPPED COMRADES FROM VALENCIA (SPAIN)
As always, determined to keep the attention of my friends and relatives on the War that is taking place everyday, where everyone has to play a role and choose a side, although some people insist on denying it (the cowards) and others on hiding or distorting it (power and its means to construct idiots).
You can´t keep either looking the other way or denying what is obvious; someone on your side, with many other comrades was tortured, insulted, bled and humiliated in democratic police stations, just like all the fighters who are State prisoners and are tortured, insulted, bled and humiliated in all the police stations of the world; and being watched, repressed and spied upon during their life on parole (where they are not in jail at last). You can deny the evidence, talking about an “exceptional situation”, saying that we knew we could be in trouble and that only a little group of policemen do those things and Justice will punish them, continue thinking this is the best of a bad world! Or, on the other hand you can defy power and be brave. You must know that until everyone is able to be free and refuses to be a slave, we won´t let those who prevent us from being free and compel us to be slaves take a breath. That´s the reason the Capitalist State has built those “beautiful” places called Prisons for “society’s imperfections”.
The only way to be free and prevent our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends from finishing the rest of their lives behind bars is by attacking and destroying this rotten society of misery, boredom, slavery, imperialist wars, ecological ‘disasters’, prisons... DEATH.
Any struggle you attempt (although it could be with the best of intentions), between the imposed limits of the State-Capital (press conference, social forums...) is far away from the real struggle, you just follow the game of democracy and we all know who made the laws of their game.
I wouldn´t be the one to tell you how that fight must be, everyone knows what their body wants... from leaflets, squatting, debate and little acts of sabotage to the actions of Russian anarchists at the end of the 19th century. They are all valid if we know who our enemy is and all the forms it can use to cofuse us (fascism, democracy, militar dictatorship, state capitalism,... different faces of the same monster: the State-Capital.
It´s not only just, but necessary to destroy the bases of the old world of merchandise, money, exploitation, authority, torture,...
... to build a world where solidarity won´t be christian charity, equality a bad interpretation of some women who want to be as stupid as men (prison guards, policewomen, soldiers...), happiness is to retire at the sixties, and freedom just a flat rate in internet.
However, we can´t distinguish between “good” anarchists and “bad” anarchists. All anarchists are bad and ugly, the only difference is how tired we are of this hole and the methods of struggle we choose in a given moment of our life, all of them valid if they don´t fall into reformism and if they are not recoverable by the system as I said before. With this, what I want to explain is that those who have excuses to avoid solidarity with the comrades of Valencia must finish their solidarity with me because their struggle is my struggle.
GO AHEAD THOSE WHO FIGHT!!
LONG LIVE ANARCHY!
Fernando Perez,
Diavata Prison
July 25
You can´t keep either looking the other way or denying what is obvious; someone on your side, with many other comrades was tortured, insulted, bled and humiliated in democratic police stations, just like all the fighters who are State prisoners and are tortured, insulted, bled and humiliated in all the police stations of the world; and being watched, repressed and spied upon during their life on parole (where they are not in jail at last). You can deny the evidence, talking about an “exceptional situation”, saying that we knew we could be in trouble and that only a little group of policemen do those things and Justice will punish them, continue thinking this is the best of a bad world! Or, on the other hand you can defy power and be brave. You must know that until everyone is able to be free and refuses to be a slave, we won´t let those who prevent us from being free and compel us to be slaves take a breath. That´s the reason the Capitalist State has built those “beautiful” places called Prisons for “society’s imperfections”.
The only way to be free and prevent our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends from finishing the rest of their lives behind bars is by attacking and destroying this rotten society of misery, boredom, slavery, imperialist wars, ecological ‘disasters’, prisons... DEATH.
Any struggle you attempt (although it could be with the best of intentions), between the imposed limits of the State-Capital (press conference, social forums...) is far away from the real struggle, you just follow the game of democracy and we all know who made the laws of their game.
I wouldn´t be the one to tell you how that fight must be, everyone knows what their body wants... from leaflets, squatting, debate and little acts of sabotage to the actions of Russian anarchists at the end of the 19th century. They are all valid if we know who our enemy is and all the forms it can use to cofuse us (fascism, democracy, militar dictatorship, state capitalism,... different faces of the same monster: the State-Capital.
It´s not only just, but necessary to destroy the bases of the old world of merchandise, money, exploitation, authority, torture,...
... to build a world where solidarity won´t be christian charity, equality a bad interpretation of some women who want to be as stupid as men (prison guards, policewomen, soldiers...), happiness is to retire at the sixties, and freedom just a flat rate in internet.
However, we can´t distinguish between “good” anarchists and “bad” anarchists. All anarchists are bad and ugly, the only difference is how tired we are of this hole and the methods of struggle we choose in a given moment of our life, all of them valid if they don´t fall into reformism and if they are not recoverable by the system as I said before. With this, what I want to explain is that those who have excuses to avoid solidarity with the comrades of Valencia must finish their solidarity with me because their struggle is my struggle.
GO AHEAD THOSE WHO FIGHT!!
LONG LIVE ANARCHY!
Fernando Perez,
Diavata Prison
July 25
WHY DO THEY IMPRISON US? - Fernando
Communique by Fernando, imprisoned anarchist in Thessaloniki (Greece)
[18-10-03]
Because we aren´t satisfied with a life full of stupid illusions, nor are we happy with a life of “we’ll see when the holidays come...”, “let´s see when the bell rings and another day of torture is over at last...”, “let´s see when the weekend comes...”, “let´s see if I can win the lottery...” ; because we´ve learned we’re born to be free and happy; because they can´t continue to cheat us and keep us submissive with their democratic lies; because we are disputing this society from its foundations, the function of the prisons, the existence of the police, the necessity of work...; because we don´t draw a distinction between what we want and what we desire; because we strike the State with all our rage and without scruples just as it does us; because we have taken notice of the deceptive ways permitted by those who want us to just walk, feigning being offensive: left wingers, NGO´s, all kinds of syndicalists, base Christians...; because we refuse that road to nothingness, because we want everything, because we want it now, because we are anarchists and our love of freedom is presented as a terrorist crime.
Because of that, the State captures its hostages and this time it was our turn. We know what we are exposed to when we try to break our chains, also when we remove the band that covers our eyes which makes us hit our heads against the wall. The band of permitted protests, of the useless and self-defeating reforms, tied by the same people that want to bargain with our oppressors.
There´s nothing to bargain with power, nor can we keep accepting this role of satisfied spectator-slave any more as they want. Nor we can let them deviate our attention on to the causes of the conflict like a puppet show, keeping our ideas under control, shouting what they tell us and as they tell us and ignoring what is happening below because there is a sandpaper band covering our eyes.
It´s hard to see and feel repression, torture and humiliation, but it is even harder to ignore it. We must be curious, naughty children. Solidarity between us, the exploited, as I understand, must be the continuation of the struggle in which we have been captured. Only the end of prisons, therefore the end of Capital and the State will prevent the risk of falling in prison.
While there are prisoners, there´s no freedom (or peace).
Long live anarchy! Long live freedom!
“Things are what they can and must be, they are what the fatality of existence and we ourselves have done with them. Life is a war; the social struggle is a mercilessly battle, and when we are defeated, we mustn’t spill teasr but begin again”.
Alexander Marius Jacob
Anarchist, professional robber
[18-10-03]
Because we aren´t satisfied with a life full of stupid illusions, nor are we happy with a life of “we’ll see when the holidays come...”, “let´s see when the bell rings and another day of torture is over at last...”, “let´s see when the weekend comes...”, “let´s see if I can win the lottery...” ; because we´ve learned we’re born to be free and happy; because they can´t continue to cheat us and keep us submissive with their democratic lies; because we are disputing this society from its foundations, the function of the prisons, the existence of the police, the necessity of work...; because we don´t draw a distinction between what we want and what we desire; because we strike the State with all our rage and without scruples just as it does us; because we have taken notice of the deceptive ways permitted by those who want us to just walk, feigning being offensive: left wingers, NGO´s, all kinds of syndicalists, base Christians...; because we refuse that road to nothingness, because we want everything, because we want it now, because we are anarchists and our love of freedom is presented as a terrorist crime.
Because of that, the State captures its hostages and this time it was our turn. We know what we are exposed to when we try to break our chains, also when we remove the band that covers our eyes which makes us hit our heads against the wall. The band of permitted protests, of the useless and self-defeating reforms, tied by the same people that want to bargain with our oppressors.
There´s nothing to bargain with power, nor can we keep accepting this role of satisfied spectator-slave any more as they want. Nor we can let them deviate our attention on to the causes of the conflict like a puppet show, keeping our ideas under control, shouting what they tell us and as they tell us and ignoring what is happening below because there is a sandpaper band covering our eyes.
It´s hard to see and feel repression, torture and humiliation, but it is even harder to ignore it. We must be curious, naughty children. Solidarity between us, the exploited, as I understand, must be the continuation of the struggle in which we have been captured. Only the end of prisons, therefore the end of Capital and the State will prevent the risk of falling in prison.
While there are prisoners, there´s no freedom (or peace).
Long live anarchy! Long live freedom!
“Things are what they can and must be, they are what the fatality of existence and we ourselves have done with them. Life is a war; the social struggle is a mercilessly battle, and when we are defeated, we mustn’t spill teasr but begin again”.
Alexander Marius Jacob
Anarchist, professional robber
A LETTER FROM CAROL, FROM THE PRISON OF BRIEVA
This is Carol’s letter, which refers to her arrest as well as that of her four comrades in Barcelona in September. All of them are accused of being members of an anarchist armed organization aimed at committing various assassinations.
After many weeks in custody in the hands of the ‘guardia civil’ (military police) with no possibility of communication even with their lawyers, the prisoners have been dispersed to different prisons in Spain, where they are being detained under the orders of 3rd degree F.I.E.S.
The F.I.E.S. (standing for ‘inner files of special supervision’) of the 3rd degree are imposed on prisoners who are accused of being members of armed organizations. The ‘special conditions of custody’ include complete solitary confinement (only half an hour in the prison yard with limitations), daily inspection of cells, supervision of any kind of communication and removal from one’s own area and environment.
The charges against them refer to different actions against the F.I.E.S. regime and the prisons, while there are also attempts to link them with Claudio Lavazza (one of the Italian comrades arrested for killing two cops following a robbery in Cordoba in 1996) as well as with other comrades in struggle.
They are accused of the assassination of journalists, politicians, bosses of companies, banks and police and the posting of an explosive device to the Greek embassy in Madrid to manifest Solidarity with those arrested in Thessaloniki, as well as for setting the explosives. A revolver, a gun, a carbine, explosives and anarchist informative material found in their home and car was produced as evidence.
If they are found guilty they could be sentenced to 20 to 30 years’ prison.
But these arrests, as well as any repressive attack by the State and the authorities, didn’t happen by chance at that moment, which is how they try to protect themselves from those who don’t submit.
The struggle against the F.I.E.S., the prisons and against any form of domination continues with the hunger strike of Claudio Lavazza, Gilbert Ghislan, Roberto Catrino and Danial Ramirez (from 1 November), as well as with the struggle of comrades all over the world.
SOLIDARITY IN DEED
FREEDOM TO THE PRISONERS
BRIEVA, October 30 2003
Dear friends and comrades
I’m here again, on barricade no 13 of the front line of Avila.
You see, my jail is no 13. Though I have never been superstitious, now I want to believe that this detail will bring me luck.
In spite of the clouds and cold my morale is high and my spirit free… And I want you to know that your letters manage to jump over walls and pass through the bars. I don’t know if I receive all of them, but some of them reach me… Your words make me smile, give me strength, while the silent ones, those that we haven’t said or haven’t written but only sensed, those reach the depth of my soul.
You and we know well that it is always worth fighting and that the resistance isn’t a matter of choice any more but has become necessity and pleasure.
We are united by this certainty so much that no centre of extermination, no regime of isolation, no sentence is able to separate us even though we may be forbidden to embrace one another or look into each other’s eyes for many years to come.
The jail where I have been put isn’t big, but here inside I feel you so close by. Anyway, this is the only visit that they could never control or forbide, or even interfere with in any way. That is exactly how I feel and I hope that you who are outside can feel me next to you, in each step, because step by step (even stumbling) the magic of our struggle will manage to make anarchy real. The reality that has already begun to take place in our hearts, in our attitudes and in our everyday lives. It isn’t simply an illusion; I could see in my comrades’ eyes at the moment they cast me into prison. Still without being able to see it now, I continue to feel it in your and their eyes.
We have decided to break the chains and to take our lives into our hands again, and the consequences of such a decision, however hard and difficult they may be, can never make us slaves, but on the contrary they set us free… Wherever we are, even in the cruelest prison, freedom is inside us. If not, it’s because we have never discovered it…
I know that the comrades imprisoned in Thessaloniki began a hunger strike on October 5. I, from this prison, wish to send them my support with all my heart. They know that there aren’t any distances or walls able to keep us apart and I feel them next to me.
I read that the official press exploits our struggle of solidarity with the prisoners under the order of F.I.E.S. in order to present us as dangerous and ‘subversive’ elements. So according to the press we have visited the prisoners of GRAPO, as well as Claudio, the anarchist who is considered to be ‘the brain and responsible’ for whatever happens. Maybe those professional liars have consulted the IIPP and they know that’s not true. In fact, such visits were never allowed to us for ‘safety reasons’. Despite this trivial detail, yes, we took part in the struggle for abolishing the system of F.I.E.S., as well as in other claiming actions. And naturally we continue and we will continue to do that.
As you already know, we are imprisoned under the regime of 3rd degree F.I.E.S.. This fact, although it is reported in my prisnoer’s file, hasn’t in any way been announced to me up to now. It indicates that the conditions under which we are kept are rather special though we are in prisons of 2nd degree, as is mine. These conditions differentiate from prison to prison but in Brieva they include seclusion in personal cells, while it’s forbidden to keep persons under the regime of the F.I.E.S. in the neighbouring cells, just as we can’t participate together in different workshops (of course for ‘safety reasons’), while they can search especially our cells and supervise any kind of communication (oral visits, written words or phone calls).
The motivation for this supervision, according to the announcement is ‘the eventuality of criminal action and the dangerousness of the prisoner, evident in the case of accusation for terrorism, which is imputed to her, her possible participation in a terrorist organization and the possibility of transmitting information that could endanger the security of the Centre and its employees through her communication’.
So the letters we are allowed to send are restricted to two a week. For the rest, the conditions of imprisonment and the schedule are the same as those for the rest of the prisoners. The most visible difference is that our warders have to watch us, to analyze our reactions, our mood, our relationships and transmit this information. These are the elements that compose our files. Already more than one of my fellow prisoners, who are not registered in F.I.E.S., have been warned that they keep ‘bad company’ (I suppose that’s me).
I should say that my relationship with my fellow prisoners is good and the support that we give one another is important for our survival. Well, that is the way things are going in this little prison of Brieva. You will continue to learn my news as I think that I will be here for the time being.
Solidarity to Fernando, Carlos, Amanda, Eduardo and to all the imprisoned anarchists. I want to send my warm greetings to my comrade prisoners!
Health, anarchy and the destruction of all prisons.
Carol
WE DO NOT ASK FOR PERMISSION TO BE FREE
NEITHER WILL WE ASK THEM TO EXCUSE US FOR EXISTING
After many weeks in custody in the hands of the ‘guardia civil’ (military police) with no possibility of communication even with their lawyers, the prisoners have been dispersed to different prisons in Spain, where they are being detained under the orders of 3rd degree F.I.E.S.
The F.I.E.S. (standing for ‘inner files of special supervision’) of the 3rd degree are imposed on prisoners who are accused of being members of armed organizations. The ‘special conditions of custody’ include complete solitary confinement (only half an hour in the prison yard with limitations), daily inspection of cells, supervision of any kind of communication and removal from one’s own area and environment.
The charges against them refer to different actions against the F.I.E.S. regime and the prisons, while there are also attempts to link them with Claudio Lavazza (one of the Italian comrades arrested for killing two cops following a robbery in Cordoba in 1996) as well as with other comrades in struggle.
They are accused of the assassination of journalists, politicians, bosses of companies, banks and police and the posting of an explosive device to the Greek embassy in Madrid to manifest Solidarity with those arrested in Thessaloniki, as well as for setting the explosives. A revolver, a gun, a carbine, explosives and anarchist informative material found in their home and car was produced as evidence.
If they are found guilty they could be sentenced to 20 to 30 years’ prison.
But these arrests, as well as any repressive attack by the State and the authorities, didn’t happen by chance at that moment, which is how they try to protect themselves from those who don’t submit.
The struggle against the F.I.E.S., the prisons and against any form of domination continues with the hunger strike of Claudio Lavazza, Gilbert Ghislan, Roberto Catrino and Danial Ramirez (from 1 November), as well as with the struggle of comrades all over the world.
SOLIDARITY IN DEED
FREEDOM TO THE PRISONERS
BRIEVA, October 30 2003
Dear friends and comrades
I’m here again, on barricade no 13 of the front line of Avila.
You see, my jail is no 13. Though I have never been superstitious, now I want to believe that this detail will bring me luck.
In spite of the clouds and cold my morale is high and my spirit free… And I want you to know that your letters manage to jump over walls and pass through the bars. I don’t know if I receive all of them, but some of them reach me… Your words make me smile, give me strength, while the silent ones, those that we haven’t said or haven’t written but only sensed, those reach the depth of my soul.
You and we know well that it is always worth fighting and that the resistance isn’t a matter of choice any more but has become necessity and pleasure.
We are united by this certainty so much that no centre of extermination, no regime of isolation, no sentence is able to separate us even though we may be forbidden to embrace one another or look into each other’s eyes for many years to come.
The jail where I have been put isn’t big, but here inside I feel you so close by. Anyway, this is the only visit that they could never control or forbide, or even interfere with in any way. That is exactly how I feel and I hope that you who are outside can feel me next to you, in each step, because step by step (even stumbling) the magic of our struggle will manage to make anarchy real. The reality that has already begun to take place in our hearts, in our attitudes and in our everyday lives. It isn’t simply an illusion; I could see in my comrades’ eyes at the moment they cast me into prison. Still without being able to see it now, I continue to feel it in your and their eyes.
We have decided to break the chains and to take our lives into our hands again, and the consequences of such a decision, however hard and difficult they may be, can never make us slaves, but on the contrary they set us free… Wherever we are, even in the cruelest prison, freedom is inside us. If not, it’s because we have never discovered it…
I know that the comrades imprisoned in Thessaloniki began a hunger strike on October 5. I, from this prison, wish to send them my support with all my heart. They know that there aren’t any distances or walls able to keep us apart and I feel them next to me.
I read that the official press exploits our struggle of solidarity with the prisoners under the order of F.I.E.S. in order to present us as dangerous and ‘subversive’ elements. So according to the press we have visited the prisoners of GRAPO, as well as Claudio, the anarchist who is considered to be ‘the brain and responsible’ for whatever happens. Maybe those professional liars have consulted the IIPP and they know that’s not true. In fact, such visits were never allowed to us for ‘safety reasons’. Despite this trivial detail, yes, we took part in the struggle for abolishing the system of F.I.E.S., as well as in other claiming actions. And naturally we continue and we will continue to do that.
As you already know, we are imprisoned under the regime of 3rd degree F.I.E.S.. This fact, although it is reported in my prisnoer’s file, hasn’t in any way been announced to me up to now. It indicates that the conditions under which we are kept are rather special though we are in prisons of 2nd degree, as is mine. These conditions differentiate from prison to prison but in Brieva they include seclusion in personal cells, while it’s forbidden to keep persons under the regime of the F.I.E.S. in the neighbouring cells, just as we can’t participate together in different workshops (of course for ‘safety reasons’), while they can search especially our cells and supervise any kind of communication (oral visits, written words or phone calls).
The motivation for this supervision, according to the announcement is ‘the eventuality of criminal action and the dangerousness of the prisoner, evident in the case of accusation for terrorism, which is imputed to her, her possible participation in a terrorist organization and the possibility of transmitting information that could endanger the security of the Centre and its employees through her communication’.
So the letters we are allowed to send are restricted to two a week. For the rest, the conditions of imprisonment and the schedule are the same as those for the rest of the prisoners. The most visible difference is that our warders have to watch us, to analyze our reactions, our mood, our relationships and transmit this information. These are the elements that compose our files. Already more than one of my fellow prisoners, who are not registered in F.I.E.S., have been warned that they keep ‘bad company’ (I suppose that’s me).
I should say that my relationship with my fellow prisoners is good and the support that we give one another is important for our survival. Well, that is the way things are going in this little prison of Brieva. You will continue to learn my news as I think that I will be here for the time being.
Solidarity to Fernando, Carlos, Amanda, Eduardo and to all the imprisoned anarchists. I want to send my warm greetings to my comrade prisoners!
Health, anarchy and the destruction of all prisons.
Carol
WE DO NOT ASK FOR PERMISSION TO BE FREE
NEITHER WILL WE ASK THEM TO EXCUSE US FOR EXISTING
CHRONOLOGY OF SOLIDARITY WITHOUT BORDERS
19-21 Saloniki –
21/6 – 500 ANARCHISTS IN Copenhagen demonstrate in solidarity with demo. During demo an agency involved in immigrant deportations is attacked.
22/6 – Gathering outside Saloniki court attacked by police.
23/6 – Solidarity demo in Gradz, Austria.
24/6 – In Berlin 9 activists occupy Greek embassy and are subsequently arrested.
27/6 – Berlin - demo outside Greek embassy.
28/6 – Berlin - concert and discussion.
25/6 – Madrid - concert in front of Greek tourist office by Anarchist Black Cross.
26/6 – Crete, Rethymno (town where Castro lives) – solidarity demo of immigrants, refugees and anarchists from all over Crete.
27/6 – Valencia - solidarity public meeting with music, banners, fliers etc.
27/6 – Patras - same thing.
28/6 – London
28/6 – Lesbos island - concert, benefit.
28/6 – Xante, Greece - demo.
28/6 – Kavala, Greece - concert.
28/6 – Arta – demonstration.
30/6 – Milan - demo in front of Greek consulate.
30/6 – Iraclio, Crete - Discussion and video at Evangelismos squat.
3/7 Saloniki – arson attack with gas canisters on car belonging to social security office. Claimed with these words ‘Prisons burn bodies and souls but enraged hearts will stay alive. Free the 7 prisoners of Saloniki June 21’.
4/7 – Argostoli – outdoor meeting with banners, music system, counter-information etc.
4/7 – Amsterdam - symbolic attack against Greek tourist offices. Red paint thrown, ‘Free Saloniki prisoners’ sprayed.
5/7 – Amsterdam - During the night the windows of above offices were broken. Fliers were left taking responsibility and promising to proceed to direct action if prisoners are not released.
5/7 – London - solidarity gig.
6/7 – Avola - Demo outside Avola juvenile prison. 100 anarchists, antiauthoritarians and autonoms gather outside Avlona prison for minors (50kms from Athens) where 2 of Thessaloniki demonstrators are being held. They take the guards and police by surprise, make a demo around the prison shouting slogans that the prisoners could hear, waving red and blackflags above the fences and writing FREEDOM on the gate and walls.
7/7 Saloniki, Ayos Pavlos, ‘anarchist commando group’ claim responsibility for Molotov attack on cash machine outside town hall. ‘The struggle for the 7 prisoners continues’.
8/7 – Athens, Saloniki 2003 movement march to Pasok building.
8/7 - Solidarity benefit in Villa Amalias.
8/7 – Turin- Discussion and benefit at the Asilo.
12/7 – Turin - discussion and benefit at San Maurizio squat.
9/7 – Solidarity benefit concert in Propilia square, in the centre of Athens.
9/7 – Saloniki - concert inside university by anti-authoritarian solidarity assembly.
10/7 – Day of international solidarity.
Athens - ‘proletarian solidarity’ arson attack using gas canisters against offices of ‘management of community resources’ institute which manages financial packages from the European Union.
Turin – 150 people surround Greek consulate.
Rome – concert outside Greek tourist offices and embassy.
Buenos Aires – demo to Greek embassy.
Burgos, Spain – demo outside local government building.
Madrid - 150 people demonstrate outside foreign ministry.
London – Demo outside tourist office and Olympic airways.
Gradz – march in Austria
Majorca – demonstration.
Leon, Spain – demonstration.
Demos outside embassies and consulates in Bilbao, Brussels, Malaga and Palermo.
Anversa - leafletting in streets by Anarchist Black Cross.
Triests - leafletting in streets by Germinal group.
Greece:
Eraclyte – meeting in piazza with music, banners, leafletting etc.
Patras – banners outside courthouse ‘No hostages in the hands of the State, Solidarity with Saloniki prisoners’.
Saloniki – motorbikes and cars make noisy demo to the prison.
Athens – demo to European Union building.
Cyprus – concentration with banner, leaflets.
11/7 – Barcelona – demo outside Greek consulate.
Alicante, Valencia, solidarity demo for Saloniki and Valencia prisoners.
13/7 – ‘As long as police fabricate stories and convict innocent people they will find us in the way.’ Accompanies Molotov attack against Z Group garage for fixing police motorbikes.
16/7 – ‘Anarchist enrages’ claim responsibility for attack on Alpha bank, Athens, saying the action is in solidarity with prisoners in Saloniki. ‘State repression won’t remain unanswered. Freedom to all hostages of the State.’
16/7 – Trieste – Manifesto ‘The Fire is Spreading Everywhere’ distributed in Trieste, Italy.
19/7 – Rovereto, Italy – Distribution of material on the Saloniki summit, prison and repression ‘To the Insurgents of the Will to Live’. ‘Out now those arrested in Saloniki. Solidarity with those who struggle against power. May the barricades of the social revolt spread. Violence to the violence of the State.’
End of July – Paris – solidarity concert attacked by police.
International solidarity day no 2.
2’8 – Saloniki – ‘Uncontrolled pyromaniacs’ claim arson attack on Aspis Security car in solidarity with 7 prisoners and revolutionaries of 17 November and ELA.
22/8 - Athens – ‘Circle of Rage’ arson attack on agency of national bank in suburbs of Nea Philadelphia. ‘Free the Saloniki prisoners’
29/8 – Commercial bank agency’s cash machine and bank entrance destroyed in arson attack ‘in solidarity with arrested in Saloniki’.
29/8 – Arson attack against bank in Perissos suburb claimed by ‘children of fire’, in solidarity with Saloniki prisoners and popular fighters of 17 November. They also claim responsibility for burning the National Bank on August 13.
29/8 –Saloniki - anarchists occupy radio stations and read messages of solidarity.
3/9 – Saloniki - spontaneous demo.
4 – Saloniki - public meeting with music, banners etc
5 – Saloniki - demo with motorbikes and cars to prison.
6 – Saloniki - big demo in city centre. 500-strong anarchist block in mobilisation against prime minister’s speech at annual opening of international expo.
13/9 – Athens – Banners, leaflets, music, speeches in public meeting in Propilia square. Meeting at university.
6/9 – Saloniki – attack with molotovs against Eurobank in Saloniki by ‘June 21’ group. ‘We demand the immediate release of the prisoners of June 21’.
16/9 – Barcelona – comrades arrested, accused, among other things of sending a letter bomb to the Greek embassy in Madrid on 8 September.
20/9 – Kavala – solidarity demo. 30 anarchists and anti-authoritarians occupy radio station Kavala antenna.
20/9 – Patra – anarchists show Turkish film about isolation cells ‘Silent Death’.
21/9 – Kavala - outdoor meeting with banners etc, film shown about Saloniki.
21/9 – Patra – solidarity demo.
19/20/21 Barcelona, 3 days solidarity actions:19/20 Film, food at Makabra and Lokeria squats; 22/9 – demo outside Greek consulate, street blocked. Savagely attacked by police.
19/20/21 – Madrid – Theatre, puppets, demo on 21st.
21/9 – Malaga – solidarity organised by CNT.
21/9 – Sofia, Bulgaria – National Solidarity day. Anarchist demo to Greek embassy.
21/9 – Gradz, Austria – solidarity benefit.
21/9 – demo of anarchist assembly to Avlona prison for minors where 2 of the 7 are being held.
22/9 – Saloniki – Fire caused by gas canisters at entrance to Phoenix Security Company. Group called ‘uncontrollable Nuclei’ call for release of the 7 prisoners. 24/9 – Komotini, near Greek border. Concentration. Banners in Greek, Russian and Turkish.
23/9 – Athens West – concentration in suburb Liosia.
25/9 – Athens - Demo of anarchist assembly – thousands of anarchists present.
26/9 – Amsterdam – huge solidarity concert.
26/9 – 25 anarchists in San Francisco march to Greek consulate and occupy reception.
29/9 – Helsinki – solidarity demo to Greek embassy.
20/9 – Mitilini, Lesbos – solidarity concert.
21/9 – Xanthi – discussion and veidoe.
Lamia – concentration in public square, banners, music, etc. Letters from prison read out.
21/9 – Saloniki, university anti-authoritarians and anarchists organise assembly with films, video and concert.
27 – Anarchist block in solidarity with 7 inside mobilisation against war in Irak.
30/9 – Kavala – solidarity concert and benefit.
30/9 – Athens – Association of Workers for Social Revolt carry out ‘Post-midnight slalom in solidarity with the prisoners in Saloniki and the fighters of 17 November and ELA’ claim a succession of firebomb attacks on political parties premises, the house of an MP, a university professor’s house – five attacks one after the other in protest against the Olympics and demanding the liberation of the comrades arrested during the counter-summit and the 6 Spanish anarchists arrested. Solidarity with 17th November and Revolutionary Popular Struggle prisoners is also expressed. Later, fire from 5 gas cannisters and can of petrol devastates home of TV journalist Anna Panayiotarea Plakawho excelled herself in sensational reporting of the latter
1/10 – exhibition of Kastro’s paintings from prison in a café, then at Facta Non Verba group’s place.
2/10 – Chania, Crete – Crete solidarity initiative occupy Prefecture of Chania in solidarity with prisoners and Kastro’s hunger strike. Stayed from morning till 6 p.m., ending with demo in the city centre.
4/10 - Malaga – CNT organise solidarity actions.
5/10 – Fernando, Carlo and Simon begin hunger strike. ‘The comrades held hostage by the Greek State during the meeting of the ministers of the European Union last July 21 in Saloniki have decided to begin from today an unlimited hunger strike in protest against the arbitrary duration of their imprisonment. As has already been said on other occasions, a hunger strike does not make sense if it is not supported outside by a situation of permanent conflict. The present repressive situation can only be overcome by clashing, face to face, with the structures and individuals who produce this repression. Victimism, the distinction between good and bad anarchists, the gossip in the bars of the alternative ghetto and other bullshit, are all part of the repressive mechanism put into act by the State and Capital. […] Let us show them that they are not alone. Social war for anarchy.’ Anarchist groups and individuals of Burgos, Spain.
5/10 – London – action at Tower Bridge where ‘magician’ David Blaine is suspended from a crane in a glass box, fasting for44 days for the sum of 4,000,000 pounds. They dropped a banner over the other side of the bridge, upon which media rushed to film it. Later that day the film of police substituting Simon’s bag for a sack of molotovs was transmitted on national TV.
6/10 – CNT militants and members of solidarity committee announce they will begin relay hunger strikes in front of foreign ministry.
6/10 – London – demo outside Greek embassy.
8/10 – ?Saloniki 50 anarchists occupy State radio station.
8/10 – Spiros begins hunger strike in Avata prison.
8/10 – intervention inside technical college by anarchist pupils.9/10 – occupation of Macedonian press agency.
9/10 – Heraclito, Crete, radio station occupied.
15/10 – Athens – Journalists’ union premises occupied, banners hung, unsuccessful attempts to send faxes and emails. Next day national dailies report action and publish leaflets in full.
9/10 – Heraclio – 40 comrades occupy ‘Radio Crete’ station. In Salonika antiauthoritarians take over the Macedonian news agency and cut the power supply in the building thus interrupting the sending of information. The piece written by the occupation is signed by ‘breakers of the social web’, ‘internal enemy’ ‘machine’, provocators of peaceful sleep and comrades. On the 17/10 there was an occupation of the youth information centre New Generation secreterral by the same groups.
10/10 – Karala – solidarity concert at the self-managed place at TEI (Institute of Technology).
18/10 – Chania – Antiauthoritarians in solidarity organise concert in the town market square.
21/10 – Heraclio at the Evangelismos squat, an event showing films and giving information on the hunger strike. The event was transferred the next day to the university in Knosou.
21/10 - Saloniki solidarity motorcycle demo of 150 comrades.
Anarchist and antiauthoritarian intervention for the seven in Patiskun Street, in front of ASOE university in Athens. Leaflets given out, buses blocked and covered in slogans demanding freedom to the 7. A similar intervention was done 23/10 in Solonou Street, in front of the law school..
22/10 – comrades occupy the radio station 87.7 in Athens.
23/10 – The board for minor criminal offences declines bail for the seven.
21/23/10 – A three day solidarity event for the 7 organised at Villa Amalias. 1st day film showing and information at the squat, 2nd concert at the polytechnic and 3rd concert at Villa Amalias.
20-24/10 – Solidarity events and financial support in Vienna.
24/10 - CNT anarchists in Madrid continue their ongoing hunger strike that began 5/10 outside the foreign ministry. A symbolic hunger strike takes place at Aranguez.
24/10 ‘ Solidarity gathering in Saragosa and event at CNT space.
24/10 – Valencia - as a sign of solidarity to the imprisoned fighters of Salonica, unknowns seal with padlocks the entrances of police stations and a court house in Burgos.
25/10 – Gathering at Greek consulates in Barcelona and Kouronia by local CNT.
25/10 – Athens - Monastiraki, happening by autonomous meeting place and the group virus.
27/10 – London - gathering at the Greek embassy.
29/10 – Athens - Radio station Rock FM 96,9 occupied by 40 comrades. They transmit a solidarity and counter information program from CD for the imprisoned fighters lasting one hour.
Larisa – Athens - during a speech by the athletic vice-minister G. Liane at an event for the Olympics, 40 people hang a banner ‘Misery, drugs and concrete is the reason for the Olympics’ and ‘Freedom to the Saloniki 7’ and shout slogans. Police intervene, a small riot ensues.
30/10 – Solidarity gathering and counter information at Propilea (university administration) by Anarchist Initiative.
31/10 – Salonica - a 3 day hunger strike started by comrades of Kastro, Simon and Karlos (Antonia, Milen and Nerea) Their initiative is backed by other comrades, in solidarity with the hunger strikers. At Kamares there was music, speeches, leaflets handed out, street theatre, movies etc.
31/10 – Athens - student general meeting decide on occupation of the dept of communications as a token of solidarity to the Saloniki 7..
31/10 - Patras – Information gathering about the 7 by the autonomous anti-authoritarian group.
1/11 – Volos – Solidarity event for the 7 with briefing from the legal team showing movies from the ‘social doubt and common action’.
3/11 – Norwich - a week of solidarity events for the 7 begins with gathering at the town hall, leafletting and symbolic hunger strike.
3-4/11 – Hunger striker Karlos Martinez is transferred to St Pauls’ hospital in Salonica. There he is tortured by hooded cops of the EKAM and employees. During the night he was left ?? with handcuffs, naked in a room with window wide open and was hit every time he tried to sleep. Nest morning he was transferred to Hipokration hospital by EKAM with an armed escort of anti-terrorist vehicles. Due to his abuse and the refusal, by the police, to let him see his lawyers he refuses to be tested and is taken back to the prison.
3/11 – Barcelona - 70 entrances to 29 metro stations are sabotaged. At each point, leaflets saying ‘They are not alone’ are left. The doors are sealed in solidarity for the Salonica prisoners’ ‘Immediate Release’. The police arrest two comrades accused of possession of silicon. They are released the following day after being beaten at the police station and charged for damages.
4/11 - Gathering and solidarity march in Militilini.
4/11 - Rethymno video projection, poster display at the student centre and a march from the city town hall. Kastro’s drawings are exhibited at the Youth Centre on the 30-31/10, 3-4/11 and on 4,5,6,/11 at the Catholic Church in Chania.
5/11 – As a sign of protest for Karlos’ illtreatment 40 antiauthoritarians occupied the office of the hospital manager of St Pauls.
6/11 – Salonica 40 antiauthoritarian/anarchists occupy the ‘Athens 2004’ offices. Event at Macedonia university from the solidarity committee with participation of members of the Aragothes CNT, Wombles from London the legal team and the Rethimnos immigrants ‘steki’ (meeting place). The event is repeated with the same speakers in Athens on 8/11 by the anti-authoritarian movement, and the collaborators against State terrorism. March in Athens by leftist groups, the antiauthoritarian movement and other groups.
Hraklio – event at Evangelismos occupation and solidarity march.
Yasilis Georgates begins a 10 day hunger strike in solidarity with the 7.
7/11 – Saloniki – Two incendiary devices cause damage to a bank and a government car.
7/11 - Saloniki the 5 hunger strikers are transferred to Hipocratio and then to Papanicolau where they are treated in the same way under police surveillance.
7/11 march in Saloniki called by the antui-authoritarian general meeting of solidarity, the groups ‘inner enemy’ ‘machine and solidarity committee, with 1500 participating. Gantrer member of the antiauthoritarian movement occupied the coordination office of the research committee at the ATO Polytechnic.
- The anarchist general meeting in Kerkura organised events with video projection and briefing on the events of the EU summit, the imprisonment of the 7 and the hunger strike.
- Comrades from the solidarity initiative in Crete occupy the Heraklio town hall for many hours demanding the immediate release of the 7.
- 30 anarchists/antiauthoritarianas occupy the Karala town hall as a token of solidarity to the 7. 4 days later, a, OPKE cop beat a comrade whom he identified as one of the occupiers.
- 8/11 Solidarity march from Monastirak to Propilia called by anarchist collectives and comrades from Athens.
- 150 anarchist/antiauthoritarians block railway line at Agious Anargurous for 45 minutes, delaying the Athens-Saloniki train.
- Gathering outside the Greek ambassador’s house in London. In Sheffield and Indymedia event. Anarchists organise an event in Cardiff/Wales.
- Bilbao. The freedom collective of the country of Vaskon organised a two day event and march, while on 14-16/11 there was a symbolic hunger strike.
- 10/11 – Patras - occupation of Antenna and Sport FM radio stations.
- 10/11 – Prisoners at Avlona juvenil prison Michalis T. and Demetris F. begin a symbolic 7 day hunger strike.
- 10-17/11 – The 5 hunger strikers held at Papanicolau hospital did a one day thirst strike in protest against their conditions of detention. On 11/10, they were transfer commenced to Koridalos prison in Athens. 2 hunger strikers were transferred by ambulance, the other 3 in riot vans, where they were harassed by the police escort. The five were taken to the prison hospital at Koridalos and later Fernando was transferred to Nikea hospital. Outside the prisons 2 people were arrested on charges of filming. The one was held 14/11 and the other released with limiting conditions.
- The coordination office of Crete university is occupied in Rethymno.
- In Athens the rector’s office in Panteios university and in Icarala, the administration offices of TEI institute of technology are occupied.
- The same evening 80 anarchists/antiauthori-hhhtarians gathered outside the hospital Nikeas which was guarded by MAT platoons. Slogans were shouted in both Greek and Spanish sending the message of solidarity to Fernando’s room/cell. During the comrades’ departure, the MAT moved to disperse them. The motor demo returned to Athens and salogans were shouted outside the Pasok (main left wing party) at Tricoupis street.
- In London there was a gathering outside the Greek embassy, whilst at night a person in solidarity to the 7 infiltrated a reception by the Greek ambassador and the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, threw stink bombs and attempted to take the microphone during the speech of the cultural followers before the embassy security intervened.
- An event took place in Colchester.
8/11 - 9/11 - Saloniki - gathering at the hospital entrance which was surrounded by a platoon of military police. (MAT)
- 12/11 – 200 anarchists-antiauthoritarians make a demo with motorbikes and cars across the centre of Athens. The first stop is Koridallos prison, guarded by strong presence of riot cops, wherCarlos, Simon, Kastro and Tsitsas are held. They dismount and, waving black and red flags shout slogans of solidarity to be heard inside the prison. Next stop, Nikaia hospital, where Fernando is being held, almost in coma. Access to hospital is blocked by scores of riot cops. A brief demo is held there, shouting slogans, then the demo returns through the centre of Athens followed by 2 riot-police vans and motorcycle-police force “Z”. In Kolonaki, the most bourgeois part of the centre, the cops’ van got stuck in small streets and comrades made it to right outside the prime minister’s residence. The PM’s security panicked and started running around, while anarchists closed the street in front, shouting FREE THE 7 – DEATH TO THE BOSSES – FREE ALL PRISONERS – THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM IS STRONGER THAN ALL PRISONS. Passersby and neighbours were completely taken by surprise. Nothing like this had ever happened before. When the riot cops got to the spot – on foot – they started tear gassing, but comrades were already leaving so they ended up gassing each other.. As they left the rich Kolonaki area, anarchists stopped in front of the cafes shouting WE WILL EAT THE BOURGEOIS BOILED AND THE BUREAUCRATS ROASTED WITH POTATOES. This spontaneous event got vast coverage on radio and television and the case of the hunger finally reached the main news.
- . Kastro’s exhibition of paintings begun at Ash in Athens.
- In Salonika there was a solidarity gathering outside the courts where new claims for release were made.In Yianera anarchists intervened at a local radion station.
- 12-13/11 – Larissa. Intervention at TEI by anarchists and others in solidarity.
- 13/11 – Solidarity march in Patra. Occupation of radio station PMI in Lamia.
- In Rethymno there was an occupation of PM Team station. In Heraklio Alpla radio, in Chania EPA Chanian. In Komotini, there was a symbolic occupation of the dean’s building at DPO by the selforganised Komotini collective and intervention at the city’s main square.In Yianena the open solidarity meeting called for a gathering, while a symbolic hunger strike began in Nomarchia. In Volos there was an occupation of ‘Thesalia’ newspaper office.
- 14/11 Saloniki – 50 anarchists occupied the local Thasoic offices. During their departure they were attacked by the MAT who threw chemicals, beat up and arrested a comrade who was later released.
- In Rethimnas there was an occupation at the Town hall and a 4 day hunger began. In Xanthi the Cosmetia of the Polytechnic school was occupied and the local radion station ‘Pretty City’. Occupation in Volos of the local Pasok offices. Cops wrote down the details of the occupiers and led 2 of them to the police station. Counter-information intervention at the electricity station in Pireas.
- Anarchist gathering in different cities in Poland at the Greek embassy in Warsaw.
- Banner hanging in Istanbul by the earth liberation prisoners solidarity.
- Occupation of the Greek consulate in Paris by members of many solidarity groups from different countries and gatherings outside the Greek embassy and the Olympic offices. In London there was an event and a MarchAt the Greek embassy in Malta a ??? of collectives of artists and people asking for the release of the 7 is handed in.
- 15/11 Comrades ‘barged in’ courts in Herakleo and wrote slogans for the 7.
- March in Saloniki by 500 people with a banner saying ‘the right is on the side of the rebels’
- 16/11 – Herakleo – comrades open a banner during the opening of student halls of residence by the minister of eduction P. Evthimiou and threw eggs at him and his guard.
- Kanlos Martinez and Spiros Tsitsas are transferred to the generasl hospitsl Nikeas.
- 17/11 – solidarity actions (see pp. 3-4)
- 17/11 – Clashes in the evening outside the American embassy in Athens during a huge demonstration commemorating the insurrection at the Polytechnic in 1973 that marked the beginning of the fall of the dictatorship of the colonels. The police threw tear gas after demonstrators attacked platoons of riot cops.
- 18/11 Counter information intervention at Dafni. Soldarity actions in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- Karlos and Spiros are led back to the prison hospital in Koridalos.
- 19/11 – Anarchists occupied the Parartematas? Building at Patra university. In Chania 80 leftists and anti-authoritarians throw eggs at the minister of finance Christodoulakis, shouting slogans of solidarity to the 7. A good informative programme for the 7 at the alternative radion station Orange in Vienna.
- 20/11 – Athens – Ongoing occupation at the university admin building (page 6), solidarity march by leftists organisation antiauthoritarian movement and others. Solidarity group ‘visited’ the health ministry, threw red paint on the walls and wrote ‘the hunger strikers are dying, the ministry of health consents’. Even in Komotini.
- Spiros Tsitsas at Nikea hospital.
- 21/11 – Solidarity march in Barcelona. In Madrid a group of people in solidarity chained themselves to the entrance of the Greek embassy. 4 comrades were arrested and released the next day. In London there was an occupation of the Greek embassy and EOT offices. One person was arrested and indited for breach of the peace. Gathering at the Greek consulate in ?Gandi.In Monteal, in a march against the FTAA, comrades open a banner of solidarity to the 7. Demonstration in Chania.
- 22/11 – Organised antirepression march in Lausanne takes the character of solidarity to the 7.
- Karlos is transferred to Nikea hospital.
- 23/11 – In Dublin comrades announce that they will initiate a symbolic hunger strike. Event in Leeds, England.
- From the morning 20/11 the admin building at Propilaia was occupied, creating a residence of resistance and counter-information in the centre of Athens for the 7 and the dvelopments of the hunger strike.
- 3rd announcement, Sat 22/11
By decision of the general meeting, an occupation has commenced at the administration building in solidarity to the 7 imprisoned fighters of Salonika, requesting their immediate release has continued for a third day. 5 of the 7 prisoners awaiting trial, prosecuted for the events of resistance on March 21st June against the European Summit in Salonika have been on hunger strike for many days and their health is at a critical point. Fernando Peres and Karlos Martinez are on the 49th day of hunger strike, Spiros Tstitsas who is on his 46th day are being treated captives at the Nikea general hospital. From moment to moment Kastro … and Simon Chapman will be transferred to Koridalos prison who are on their 63rd and 49th days of hunger strike respectively. Their prolonged incarceration by the Greek State corresponds toan attempt of political and physical annihilation of fighters who are claiming their freedom, with their life as their only weapon. It is in addition a message to terrorise anyone who resists the nightmarish designs of authority, to the wars and ‘peace’ that distribute death, breed exploitation and repression. On moment of resistance against this reality were the incidences of resistance in June in the police held Salonika, where thousands of people acted against the fiesta of the political bosses of Europe, moving away from the logic of repression, (…)
21/6 – 500 ANARCHISTS IN Copenhagen demonstrate in solidarity with demo. During demo an agency involved in immigrant deportations is attacked.
22/6 – Gathering outside Saloniki court attacked by police.
23/6 – Solidarity demo in Gradz, Austria.
24/6 – In Berlin 9 activists occupy Greek embassy and are subsequently arrested.
27/6 – Berlin - demo outside Greek embassy.
28/6 – Berlin - concert and discussion.
25/6 – Madrid - concert in front of Greek tourist office by Anarchist Black Cross.
26/6 – Crete, Rethymno (town where Castro lives) – solidarity demo of immigrants, refugees and anarchists from all over Crete.
27/6 – Valencia - solidarity public meeting with music, banners, fliers etc.
27/6 – Patras - same thing.
28/6 – London
28/6 – Lesbos island - concert, benefit.
28/6 – Xante, Greece - demo.
28/6 – Kavala, Greece - concert.
28/6 – Arta – demonstration.
30/6 – Milan - demo in front of Greek consulate.
30/6 – Iraclio, Crete - Discussion and video at Evangelismos squat.
3/7 Saloniki – arson attack with gas canisters on car belonging to social security office. Claimed with these words ‘Prisons burn bodies and souls but enraged hearts will stay alive. Free the 7 prisoners of Saloniki June 21’.
4/7 – Argostoli – outdoor meeting with banners, music system, counter-information etc.
4/7 – Amsterdam - symbolic attack against Greek tourist offices. Red paint thrown, ‘Free Saloniki prisoners’ sprayed.
5/7 – Amsterdam - During the night the windows of above offices were broken. Fliers were left taking responsibility and promising to proceed to direct action if prisoners are not released.
5/7 – London - solidarity gig.
6/7 – Avola - Demo outside Avola juvenile prison. 100 anarchists, antiauthoritarians and autonoms gather outside Avlona prison for minors (50kms from Athens) where 2 of Thessaloniki demonstrators are being held. They take the guards and police by surprise, make a demo around the prison shouting slogans that the prisoners could hear, waving red and blackflags above the fences and writing FREEDOM on the gate and walls.
7/7 Saloniki, Ayos Pavlos, ‘anarchist commando group’ claim responsibility for Molotov attack on cash machine outside town hall. ‘The struggle for the 7 prisoners continues’.
8/7 – Athens, Saloniki 2003 movement march to Pasok building.
8/7 - Solidarity benefit in Villa Amalias.
8/7 – Turin- Discussion and benefit at the Asilo.
12/7 – Turin - discussion and benefit at San Maurizio squat.
9/7 – Solidarity benefit concert in Propilia square, in the centre of Athens.
9/7 – Saloniki - concert inside university by anti-authoritarian solidarity assembly.
10/7 – Day of international solidarity.
Athens - ‘proletarian solidarity’ arson attack using gas canisters against offices of ‘management of community resources’ institute which manages financial packages from the European Union.
Turin – 150 people surround Greek consulate.
Rome – concert outside Greek tourist offices and embassy.
Buenos Aires – demo to Greek embassy.
Burgos, Spain – demo outside local government building.
Madrid - 150 people demonstrate outside foreign ministry.
London – Demo outside tourist office and Olympic airways.
Gradz – march in Austria
Majorca – demonstration.
Leon, Spain – demonstration.
Demos outside embassies and consulates in Bilbao, Brussels, Malaga and Palermo.
Anversa - leafletting in streets by Anarchist Black Cross.
Triests - leafletting in streets by Germinal group.
Greece:
Eraclyte – meeting in piazza with music, banners, leafletting etc.
Patras – banners outside courthouse ‘No hostages in the hands of the State, Solidarity with Saloniki prisoners’.
Saloniki – motorbikes and cars make noisy demo to the prison.
Athens – demo to European Union building.
Cyprus – concentration with banner, leaflets.
11/7 – Barcelona – demo outside Greek consulate.
Alicante, Valencia, solidarity demo for Saloniki and Valencia prisoners.
13/7 – ‘As long as police fabricate stories and convict innocent people they will find us in the way.’ Accompanies Molotov attack against Z Group garage for fixing police motorbikes.
16/7 – ‘Anarchist enrages’ claim responsibility for attack on Alpha bank, Athens, saying the action is in solidarity with prisoners in Saloniki. ‘State repression won’t remain unanswered. Freedom to all hostages of the State.’
16/7 – Trieste – Manifesto ‘The Fire is Spreading Everywhere’ distributed in Trieste, Italy.
19/7 – Rovereto, Italy – Distribution of material on the Saloniki summit, prison and repression ‘To the Insurgents of the Will to Live’. ‘Out now those arrested in Saloniki. Solidarity with those who struggle against power. May the barricades of the social revolt spread. Violence to the violence of the State.’
End of July – Paris – solidarity concert attacked by police.
International solidarity day no 2.
2’8 – Saloniki – ‘Uncontrolled pyromaniacs’ claim arson attack on Aspis Security car in solidarity with 7 prisoners and revolutionaries of 17 November and ELA.
22/8 - Athens – ‘Circle of Rage’ arson attack on agency of national bank in suburbs of Nea Philadelphia. ‘Free the Saloniki prisoners’
29/8 – Commercial bank agency’s cash machine and bank entrance destroyed in arson attack ‘in solidarity with arrested in Saloniki’.
29/8 – Arson attack against bank in Perissos suburb claimed by ‘children of fire’, in solidarity with Saloniki prisoners and popular fighters of 17 November. They also claim responsibility for burning the National Bank on August 13.
29/8 –Saloniki - anarchists occupy radio stations and read messages of solidarity.
3/9 – Saloniki - spontaneous demo.
4 – Saloniki - public meeting with music, banners etc
5 – Saloniki - demo with motorbikes and cars to prison.
6 – Saloniki - big demo in city centre. 500-strong anarchist block in mobilisation against prime minister’s speech at annual opening of international expo.
13/9 – Athens – Banners, leaflets, music, speeches in public meeting in Propilia square. Meeting at university.
6/9 – Saloniki – attack with molotovs against Eurobank in Saloniki by ‘June 21’ group. ‘We demand the immediate release of the prisoners of June 21’.
16/9 – Barcelona – comrades arrested, accused, among other things of sending a letter bomb to the Greek embassy in Madrid on 8 September.
20/9 – Kavala – solidarity demo. 30 anarchists and anti-authoritarians occupy radio station Kavala antenna.
20/9 – Patra – anarchists show Turkish film about isolation cells ‘Silent Death’.
21/9 – Kavala - outdoor meeting with banners etc, film shown about Saloniki.
21/9 – Patra – solidarity demo.
19/20/21 Barcelona, 3 days solidarity actions:19/20 Film, food at Makabra and Lokeria squats; 22/9 – demo outside Greek consulate, street blocked. Savagely attacked by police.
19/20/21 – Madrid – Theatre, puppets, demo on 21st.
21/9 – Malaga – solidarity organised by CNT.
21/9 – Sofia, Bulgaria – National Solidarity day. Anarchist demo to Greek embassy.
21/9 – Gradz, Austria – solidarity benefit.
21/9 – demo of anarchist assembly to Avlona prison for minors where 2 of the 7 are being held.
22/9 – Saloniki – Fire caused by gas canisters at entrance to Phoenix Security Company. Group called ‘uncontrollable Nuclei’ call for release of the 7 prisoners. 24/9 – Komotini, near Greek border. Concentration. Banners in Greek, Russian and Turkish.
23/9 – Athens West – concentration in suburb Liosia.
25/9 – Athens - Demo of anarchist assembly – thousands of anarchists present.
26/9 – Amsterdam – huge solidarity concert.
26/9 – 25 anarchists in San Francisco march to Greek consulate and occupy reception.
29/9 – Helsinki – solidarity demo to Greek embassy.
20/9 – Mitilini, Lesbos – solidarity concert.
21/9 – Xanthi – discussion and veidoe.
Lamia – concentration in public square, banners, music, etc. Letters from prison read out.
21/9 – Saloniki, university anti-authoritarians and anarchists organise assembly with films, video and concert.
27 – Anarchist block in solidarity with 7 inside mobilisation against war in Irak.
30/9 – Kavala – solidarity concert and benefit.
30/9 – Athens – Association of Workers for Social Revolt carry out ‘Post-midnight slalom in solidarity with the prisoners in Saloniki and the fighters of 17 November and ELA’ claim a succession of firebomb attacks on political parties premises, the house of an MP, a university professor’s house – five attacks one after the other in protest against the Olympics and demanding the liberation of the comrades arrested during the counter-summit and the 6 Spanish anarchists arrested. Solidarity with 17th November and Revolutionary Popular Struggle prisoners is also expressed. Later, fire from 5 gas cannisters and can of petrol devastates home of TV journalist Anna Panayiotarea Plakawho excelled herself in sensational reporting of the latter
1/10 – exhibition of Kastro’s paintings from prison in a café, then at Facta Non Verba group’s place.
2/10 – Chania, Crete – Crete solidarity initiative occupy Prefecture of Chania in solidarity with prisoners and Kastro’s hunger strike. Stayed from morning till 6 p.m., ending with demo in the city centre.
4/10 - Malaga – CNT organise solidarity actions.
5/10 – Fernando, Carlo and Simon begin hunger strike. ‘The comrades held hostage by the Greek State during the meeting of the ministers of the European Union last July 21 in Saloniki have decided to begin from today an unlimited hunger strike in protest against the arbitrary duration of their imprisonment. As has already been said on other occasions, a hunger strike does not make sense if it is not supported outside by a situation of permanent conflict. The present repressive situation can only be overcome by clashing, face to face, with the structures and individuals who produce this repression. Victimism, the distinction between good and bad anarchists, the gossip in the bars of the alternative ghetto and other bullshit, are all part of the repressive mechanism put into act by the State and Capital. […] Let us show them that they are not alone. Social war for anarchy.’ Anarchist groups and individuals of Burgos, Spain.
5/10 – London – action at Tower Bridge where ‘magician’ David Blaine is suspended from a crane in a glass box, fasting for44 days for the sum of 4,000,000 pounds. They dropped a banner over the other side of the bridge, upon which media rushed to film it. Later that day the film of police substituting Simon’s bag for a sack of molotovs was transmitted on national TV.
6/10 – CNT militants and members of solidarity committee announce they will begin relay hunger strikes in front of foreign ministry.
6/10 – London – demo outside Greek embassy.
8/10 – ?Saloniki 50 anarchists occupy State radio station.
8/10 – Spiros begins hunger strike in Avata prison.
8/10 – intervention inside technical college by anarchist pupils.9/10 – occupation of Macedonian press agency.
9/10 – Heraclito, Crete, radio station occupied.
15/10 – Athens – Journalists’ union premises occupied, banners hung, unsuccessful attempts to send faxes and emails. Next day national dailies report action and publish leaflets in full.
9/10 – Heraclio – 40 comrades occupy ‘Radio Crete’ station. In Salonika antiauthoritarians take over the Macedonian news agency and cut the power supply in the building thus interrupting the sending of information. The piece written by the occupation is signed by ‘breakers of the social web’, ‘internal enemy’ ‘machine’, provocators of peaceful sleep and comrades. On the 17/10 there was an occupation of the youth information centre New Generation secreterral by the same groups.
10/10 – Karala – solidarity concert at the self-managed place at TEI (Institute of Technology).
18/10 – Chania – Antiauthoritarians in solidarity organise concert in the town market square.
21/10 – Heraclio at the Evangelismos squat, an event showing films and giving information on the hunger strike. The event was transferred the next day to the university in Knosou.
21/10 - Saloniki solidarity motorcycle demo of 150 comrades.
Anarchist and antiauthoritarian intervention for the seven in Patiskun Street, in front of ASOE university in Athens. Leaflets given out, buses blocked and covered in slogans demanding freedom to the 7. A similar intervention was done 23/10 in Solonou Street, in front of the law school..
22/10 – comrades occupy the radio station 87.7 in Athens.
23/10 – The board for minor criminal offences declines bail for the seven.
21/23/10 – A three day solidarity event for the 7 organised at Villa Amalias. 1st day film showing and information at the squat, 2nd concert at the polytechnic and 3rd concert at Villa Amalias.
20-24/10 – Solidarity events and financial support in Vienna.
24/10 - CNT anarchists in Madrid continue their ongoing hunger strike that began 5/10 outside the foreign ministry. A symbolic hunger strike takes place at Aranguez.
24/10 ‘ Solidarity gathering in Saragosa and event at CNT space.
24/10 – Valencia - as a sign of solidarity to the imprisoned fighters of Salonica, unknowns seal with padlocks the entrances of police stations and a court house in Burgos.
25/10 – Gathering at Greek consulates in Barcelona and Kouronia by local CNT.
25/10 – Athens - Monastiraki, happening by autonomous meeting place and the group virus.
27/10 – London - gathering at the Greek embassy.
29/10 – Athens - Radio station Rock FM 96,9 occupied by 40 comrades. They transmit a solidarity and counter information program from CD for the imprisoned fighters lasting one hour.
Larisa – Athens - during a speech by the athletic vice-minister G. Liane at an event for the Olympics, 40 people hang a banner ‘Misery, drugs and concrete is the reason for the Olympics’ and ‘Freedom to the Saloniki 7’ and shout slogans. Police intervene, a small riot ensues.
30/10 – Solidarity gathering and counter information at Propilea (university administration) by Anarchist Initiative.
31/10 – Salonica - a 3 day hunger strike started by comrades of Kastro, Simon and Karlos (Antonia, Milen and Nerea) Their initiative is backed by other comrades, in solidarity with the hunger strikers. At Kamares there was music, speeches, leaflets handed out, street theatre, movies etc.
31/10 – Athens - student general meeting decide on occupation of the dept of communications as a token of solidarity to the Saloniki 7..
31/10 - Patras – Information gathering about the 7 by the autonomous anti-authoritarian group.
1/11 – Volos – Solidarity event for the 7 with briefing from the legal team showing movies from the ‘social doubt and common action’.
3/11 – Norwich - a week of solidarity events for the 7 begins with gathering at the town hall, leafletting and symbolic hunger strike.
3-4/11 – Hunger striker Karlos Martinez is transferred to St Pauls’ hospital in Salonica. There he is tortured by hooded cops of the EKAM and employees. During the night he was left ?? with handcuffs, naked in a room with window wide open and was hit every time he tried to sleep. Nest morning he was transferred to Hipokration hospital by EKAM with an armed escort of anti-terrorist vehicles. Due to his abuse and the refusal, by the police, to let him see his lawyers he refuses to be tested and is taken back to the prison.
3/11 – Barcelona - 70 entrances to 29 metro stations are sabotaged. At each point, leaflets saying ‘They are not alone’ are left. The doors are sealed in solidarity for the Salonica prisoners’ ‘Immediate Release’. The police arrest two comrades accused of possession of silicon. They are released the following day after being beaten at the police station and charged for damages.
4/11 - Gathering and solidarity march in Militilini.
4/11 - Rethymno video projection, poster display at the student centre and a march from the city town hall. Kastro’s drawings are exhibited at the Youth Centre on the 30-31/10, 3-4/11 and on 4,5,6,/11 at the Catholic Church in Chania.
5/11 – As a sign of protest for Karlos’ illtreatment 40 antiauthoritarians occupied the office of the hospital manager of St Pauls.
6/11 – Salonica 40 antiauthoritarian/anarchists occupy the ‘Athens 2004’ offices. Event at Macedonia university from the solidarity committee with participation of members of the Aragothes CNT, Wombles from London the legal team and the Rethimnos immigrants ‘steki’ (meeting place). The event is repeated with the same speakers in Athens on 8/11 by the anti-authoritarian movement, and the collaborators against State terrorism. March in Athens by leftist groups, the antiauthoritarian movement and other groups.
Hraklio – event at Evangelismos occupation and solidarity march.
Yasilis Georgates begins a 10 day hunger strike in solidarity with the 7.
7/11 – Saloniki – Two incendiary devices cause damage to a bank and a government car.
7/11 - Saloniki the 5 hunger strikers are transferred to Hipocratio and then to Papanicolau where they are treated in the same way under police surveillance.
7/11 march in Saloniki called by the antui-authoritarian general meeting of solidarity, the groups ‘inner enemy’ ‘machine and solidarity committee, with 1500 participating. Gantrer member of the antiauthoritarian movement occupied the coordination office of the research committee at the ATO Polytechnic.
- The anarchist general meeting in Kerkura organised events with video projection and briefing on the events of the EU summit, the imprisonment of the 7 and the hunger strike.
- Comrades from the solidarity initiative in Crete occupy the Heraklio town hall for many hours demanding the immediate release of the 7.
- 30 anarchists/antiauthoritarianas occupy the Karala town hall as a token of solidarity to the 7. 4 days later, a, OPKE cop beat a comrade whom he identified as one of the occupiers.
- 8/11 Solidarity march from Monastirak to Propilia called by anarchist collectives and comrades from Athens.
- 150 anarchist/antiauthoritarians block railway line at Agious Anargurous for 45 minutes, delaying the Athens-Saloniki train.
- Gathering outside the Greek ambassador’s house in London. In Sheffield and Indymedia event. Anarchists organise an event in Cardiff/Wales.
- Bilbao. The freedom collective of the country of Vaskon organised a two day event and march, while on 14-16/11 there was a symbolic hunger strike.
- 10/11 – Patras - occupation of Antenna and Sport FM radio stations.
- 10/11 – Prisoners at Avlona juvenil prison Michalis T. and Demetris F. begin a symbolic 7 day hunger strike.
- 10-17/11 – The 5 hunger strikers held at Papanicolau hospital did a one day thirst strike in protest against their conditions of detention. On 11/10, they were transfer commenced to Koridalos prison in Athens. 2 hunger strikers were transferred by ambulance, the other 3 in riot vans, where they were harassed by the police escort. The five were taken to the prison hospital at Koridalos and later Fernando was transferred to Nikea hospital. Outside the prisons 2 people were arrested on charges of filming. The one was held 14/11 and the other released with limiting conditions.
- The coordination office of Crete university is occupied in Rethymno.
- In Athens the rector’s office in Panteios university and in Icarala, the administration offices of TEI institute of technology are occupied.
- The same evening 80 anarchists/antiauthori-hhhtarians gathered outside the hospital Nikeas which was guarded by MAT platoons. Slogans were shouted in both Greek and Spanish sending the message of solidarity to Fernando’s room/cell. During the comrades’ departure, the MAT moved to disperse them. The motor demo returned to Athens and salogans were shouted outside the Pasok (main left wing party) at Tricoupis street.
- In London there was a gathering outside the Greek embassy, whilst at night a person in solidarity to the 7 infiltrated a reception by the Greek ambassador and the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, threw stink bombs and attempted to take the microphone during the speech of the cultural followers before the embassy security intervened.
- An event took place in Colchester.
8/11 - 9/11 - Saloniki - gathering at the hospital entrance which was surrounded by a platoon of military police. (MAT)
- 12/11 – 200 anarchists-antiauthoritarians make a demo with motorbikes and cars across the centre of Athens. The first stop is Koridallos prison, guarded by strong presence of riot cops, wherCarlos, Simon, Kastro and Tsitsas are held. They dismount and, waving black and red flags shout slogans of solidarity to be heard inside the prison. Next stop, Nikaia hospital, where Fernando is being held, almost in coma. Access to hospital is blocked by scores of riot cops. A brief demo is held there, shouting slogans, then the demo returns through the centre of Athens followed by 2 riot-police vans and motorcycle-police force “Z”. In Kolonaki, the most bourgeois part of the centre, the cops’ van got stuck in small streets and comrades made it to right outside the prime minister’s residence. The PM’s security panicked and started running around, while anarchists closed the street in front, shouting FREE THE 7 – DEATH TO THE BOSSES – FREE ALL PRISONERS – THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM IS STRONGER THAN ALL PRISONS. Passersby and neighbours were completely taken by surprise. Nothing like this had ever happened before. When the riot cops got to the spot – on foot – they started tear gassing, but comrades were already leaving so they ended up gassing each other.. As they left the rich Kolonaki area, anarchists stopped in front of the cafes shouting WE WILL EAT THE BOURGEOIS BOILED AND THE BUREAUCRATS ROASTED WITH POTATOES. This spontaneous event got vast coverage on radio and television and the case of the hunger finally reached the main news.
- . Kastro’s exhibition of paintings begun at Ash in Athens.
- In Salonika there was a solidarity gathering outside the courts where new claims for release were made.In Yianera anarchists intervened at a local radion station.
- 12-13/11 – Larissa. Intervention at TEI by anarchists and others in solidarity.
- 13/11 – Solidarity march in Patra. Occupation of radio station PMI in Lamia.
- In Rethymno there was an occupation of PM Team station. In Heraklio Alpla radio, in Chania EPA Chanian. In Komotini, there was a symbolic occupation of the dean’s building at DPO by the selforganised Komotini collective and intervention at the city’s main square.In Yianena the open solidarity meeting called for a gathering, while a symbolic hunger strike began in Nomarchia. In Volos there was an occupation of ‘Thesalia’ newspaper office.
- 14/11 Saloniki – 50 anarchists occupied the local Thasoic offices. During their departure they were attacked by the MAT who threw chemicals, beat up and arrested a comrade who was later released.
- In Rethimnas there was an occupation at the Town hall and a 4 day hunger began. In Xanthi the Cosmetia of the Polytechnic school was occupied and the local radion station ‘Pretty City’. Occupation in Volos of the local Pasok offices. Cops wrote down the details of the occupiers and led 2 of them to the police station. Counter-information intervention at the electricity station in Pireas.
- Anarchist gathering in different cities in Poland at the Greek embassy in Warsaw.
- Banner hanging in Istanbul by the earth liberation prisoners solidarity.
- Occupation of the Greek consulate in Paris by members of many solidarity groups from different countries and gatherings outside the Greek embassy and the Olympic offices. In London there was an event and a MarchAt the Greek embassy in Malta a ??? of collectives of artists and people asking for the release of the 7 is handed in.
- 15/11 Comrades ‘barged in’ courts in Herakleo and wrote slogans for the 7.
- March in Saloniki by 500 people with a banner saying ‘the right is on the side of the rebels’
- 16/11 – Herakleo – comrades open a banner during the opening of student halls of residence by the minister of eduction P. Evthimiou and threw eggs at him and his guard.
- Kanlos Martinez and Spiros Tsitsas are transferred to the generasl hospitsl Nikeas.
- 17/11 – solidarity actions (see pp. 3-4)
- 17/11 – Clashes in the evening outside the American embassy in Athens during a huge demonstration commemorating the insurrection at the Polytechnic in 1973 that marked the beginning of the fall of the dictatorship of the colonels. The police threw tear gas after demonstrators attacked platoons of riot cops.
- 18/11 Counter information intervention at Dafni. Soldarity actions in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- Karlos and Spiros are led back to the prison hospital in Koridalos.
- 19/11 – Anarchists occupied the Parartematas? Building at Patra university. In Chania 80 leftists and anti-authoritarians throw eggs at the minister of finance Christodoulakis, shouting slogans of solidarity to the 7. A good informative programme for the 7 at the alternative radion station Orange in Vienna.
- 20/11 – Athens – Ongoing occupation at the university admin building (page 6), solidarity march by leftists organisation antiauthoritarian movement and others. Solidarity group ‘visited’ the health ministry, threw red paint on the walls and wrote ‘the hunger strikers are dying, the ministry of health consents’. Even in Komotini.
- Spiros Tsitsas at Nikea hospital.
- 21/11 – Solidarity march in Barcelona. In Madrid a group of people in solidarity chained themselves to the entrance of the Greek embassy. 4 comrades were arrested and released the next day. In London there was an occupation of the Greek embassy and EOT offices. One person was arrested and indited for breach of the peace. Gathering at the Greek consulate in ?Gandi.In Monteal, in a march against the FTAA, comrades open a banner of solidarity to the 7. Demonstration in Chania.
- 22/11 – Organised antirepression march in Lausanne takes the character of solidarity to the 7.
- Karlos is transferred to Nikea hospital.
- 23/11 – In Dublin comrades announce that they will initiate a symbolic hunger strike. Event in Leeds, England.
- From the morning 20/11 the admin building at Propilaia was occupied, creating a residence of resistance and counter-information in the centre of Athens for the 7 and the dvelopments of the hunger strike.
- 3rd announcement, Sat 22/11
By decision of the general meeting, an occupation has commenced at the administration building in solidarity to the 7 imprisoned fighters of Salonika, requesting their immediate release has continued for a third day. 5 of the 7 prisoners awaiting trial, prosecuted for the events of resistance on March 21st June against the European Summit in Salonika have been on hunger strike for many days and their health is at a critical point. Fernando Peres and Karlos Martinez are on the 49th day of hunger strike, Spiros Tstitsas who is on his 46th day are being treated captives at the Nikea general hospital. From moment to moment Kastro … and Simon Chapman will be transferred to Koridalos prison who are on their 63rd and 49th days of hunger strike respectively. Their prolonged incarceration by the Greek State corresponds toan attempt of political and physical annihilation of fighters who are claiming their freedom, with their life as their only weapon. It is in addition a message to terrorise anyone who resists the nightmarish designs of authority, to the wars and ‘peace’ that distribute death, breed exploitation and repression. On moment of resistance against this reality were the incidences of resistance in June in the police held Salonika, where thousands of people acted against the fiesta of the political bosses of Europe, moving away from the logic of repression, (…)
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