Counterinformative 'zine Issue 47 Sept '95
Translated from Castillian by Luis J. Prat (thanx!)
Part 5
Ateneo Libertario
Apdo. 3141
50080 ZARAGOZA
sPAIN
Centro Social Autogestionado Angel Chueca
Coso, 186, bajos
E-Mail: cual@maser.unizar.es
Tel: ++34-76-383673
Fax: ++34-76-255298
*** SHIPYARD STRUGGLE ***
The national shipyard's (AESA) reconversion plan involves the lay-off of
5200 out of 10,000 workers. This restructuring affects shipyards in Sestao,
Cantabria, Puerto Real, Cadiz and Sevilla.
Worker's mobilization has not waited long: strikes and 10,000 workers
demonstrating in several cities. In Cadiz and Sevilla, where shipyards are
scheduled to close, the actions have been hard hitting. Human chains in the
sea blocking access to harbors, destruction of company property, barricades
at the Junta de Andalucia, blockaded expressways. The most serious incidents
took place on september 14 and 15 in Cadiz where, after a demonstration,
PSOE's headquarters was assaulted and wrecked, with streetfights continuing
for two nights. The workers of Puerto Real blocked the bridge at Carranza
leading to Cadiz with burning barricades and confronted the police.
This time the Puerto Real shipyard is less affected. In this shipyard the
CNT enjoys great status. In 1987 a reconversion was attempted and the
struggle by the CNT accomplished the acceptance of workers' and the
population's [conditions]. There were two months of mobilizations and fights
in the streets and from homes against the anti-riot police, on top of whose
vans were thrown washer machines and butane gas tanks. Finally the ministry
of industry was forced to meet and negotiate with the CNT and the
reconversion was stopped.
*** NEW PENAL CODE ***
At the beginning of July it was submitted to the Senate for its definitive
implementation the new penal code that has already been named democracy's
penal code. For starters it is being sold to us as democratic and
progressive although, like all laws, it hides a multitude of loopholes and
many of its aspects make it a nominally "progressive" code, but reactionary
in its contents. Here go some of its goodies though we recommend a thorough
reading, it is very long and you'll surely find something to comment on.
It continues to give undue weight to "crimes" that question the established
order and the pillars of the state, the clearest example being one that
affects us people of the libertarian persuasion, that of insumision. It
continues to consider insumision as a crime, ignoring the opinion of the
majority and it attempts to put another band-aid (the fifth so far) to stop
the antimilitary opposition to the army and the state. It discriminates
insumisos based on their whether their refusal is to military service or to
substitute service, keeping jail sentences for the former and severe
inhabilitation sentences for the latter. It also penalizes squats, even if
it is for living quarters, with punishments consisting of daily fines and in
case of non payment jail sentences.
Otherwise it keeps intact laws such as the Corcuera law or the
anti-terrorist legislation that become the harshest in Europe, giving more
room for arbitrary detentions with law enforcement bodies whose performance
grows more unchecked, thanks to a Ministry of Interior and Justice that
houses both its own chiefs those that must judge them.
Although the apparent changes that would be undertaken in regards to
penitentiary politics would lead one to believe that the duration of
sentences could be less in certain cases the truth is that they are going to
become much longer. The concept of redemption of sentence dissapears, it
used to allow for the shortening of sentences for some convicts in return
for work done for the prison. Instead, it will be handed down in especial
cases, thus directly fostering total submission of the inmate to the imposed
regime, snitching and more tense relations among inmates. Inside the prisons
the fairy tale of a redemptive penal code that would free thousands of
prisoners is being sold, with the goal of getting a peaceful period at the
same time that the penal structure is completely renovated with more cells,
harsher prisons of great capacity (the macroprison at Zuera). The prisoner
better be good since the law holds in its hands the serving of the complete
sentence.
This hardening is in contrast to the benevolence granted to white collar
crimes such as corruption, trafficking of leverage etc. that have lower
penalties although it tries to give the impression that they're higher. As
an example, the amount that a high placed state worker has to steal to be
jailed increases. With this new law Mariano Rubio wouldn't have to go to jail.
Now that a large part of the members of government and high state officials
have pending cases or are under suspicion of having committed crimes it
looks like the new penal code, tailor made, comes at the right moment to
spare them from going to prison and, at the same time, to lock up and
eliminate with impunity all those who don't want to be part of the sheep's herd.
*** COMMERCIALS ***
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* Postage stamps 17 ptas denomination to Aptdo. 3141 / 50080 Zaragoza / sPAIN
Kike - C.S.A. Angel Chueca
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cual@maser.unizar.es
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