Call for Solidarity
Thursday 23rd November: All over Greece,
demonstrations against state repression,
police violence and the domination of
neoliberalism.
Salonica
14th November 1995: Four people are
detained during a demonstartion protesting
against the illegal detention of Kostas
Kalarmas who has been on hunger strike
since 11th November accused of having
participated in a bank robbery. There is no
evidence against him but the police are trying
to incriminate him beecause of his activities
and his anarchist ideas and his militancy in the
social resistence movemeent.
The 200 people who came together for the
meeting were discussing whether to have a
march/demo through the city or not (even
though they were completely surrounded by
200 anti riot police and other special security
forces!) and with no warning and no
provocation the police began to beat people
and then proceeded to grab and arrest four
people without the rest of the crowd being
aware of what happened.
The demonstrators soon regrouped and
sought refuge on the university campus some
500 metres away. They decided to occupy a
faculty and during the night the anti-riot squad
fired tear gas into the faculty terrace...
confrontations carried on throughout the
night.
15th November 1995: The occupation of the
faculty continued calling for the release of
Kalarmas and the four arrestees of the
previous day. People tried to leave the
building, distribute pamphlets and protest
against the repression but about 100 metres
from the exit, thee police launched an attack
and oncee more people were forced to seek
refuge on the campus... of course
througghout the whole affair the media never
ceased talking about 50 'masked men' who
were disturbing the police of a whole city (...)
for no reason!
16th November: The occupation ends
without achieving its aims.
18th November: The juridicial farce begins
for the four defendants. They are: P. Sofos,
E. Hatzili dis, I Anagnostou and a young
woman (17 years of age) whosee name was
not divulgeed by the police. She was unable
to stay in the court due to continual fainting.
After a medical examintaion she was taken to
hospital for the head injuries she received due
to the 'treatment' she received from the police
who were holding her.
The trial of the other three continued with a
mountain of lies from the prosecution and the
desperate efforts of the Attorney to link the
detentions to the confrontations and the
events which then took place in the faculty
despitee statements and the televisual
evidence which showed clearly that they had
already been detained when the faculty
occupation began...
20th November: The trial continues
Heavy penalties were imposed - beyond
imagination. Two of the accused were
charged with 'subversion and revolt', 'resisting
the forces of the state' and 'insults' and were
given three and a half years imprisonment
with no chance of remission or bail. The third
'only' accused of 'subversion and revolt' was
given two and a half years. One must note
here that such penalties for similar
accusations have not been given for more
then 25 years, under the dictatorship and
even earlier...
The court and its corridors were packed with
anti riot police and special branch who
moreeover tried to arrest some of those who
had come together in solidarity with the
arrestees, shouting slogans such as '... shame,
shame on you! This is a dictatorship! This is a
dictatorship!'. The trial of the young woman
was put off until the 27th November.
Athens
17th November: (Anniversary of 17th Nov
1973, when the uprising against the military
dictatorship ended in violence with the arrival
of a tank at the poytechnic terracee where for
three days people, mainly young people, had
been demonstrating against the dictatorship
and repression in general) A few months ater
the junta fell and so this date is seeen as a
symbol of resistance and protest and a
historic anniversary when members of the
government and other officials lay wreaths
and give solemn speeches...
'The polytechnic was an uprising, a class
struggle, not a party!' So every year 1 or 2
thousand people occupy the the Polytechnic
and pay hommage in their own way to the
fact whilst having to face the riot police. The
media always play their role (illegible) the
viewers with their lies about 50 or 100
'masked men' and hooligans insulting the
memory of the polytechnic, the republic and
destroying public property.
Also this year there were 1500 people, more
or less, who entered the faculty to
demonstrate against the travesty of the feeling
of the 17th february - against any form of
oppression, against illegal detentions and
police set ups leading to the potential death of
Kostas Kalarmas who is on hunger strike.
Some people managed to get out when they
saw the special security forces approaching.
Those who remained had a dreadful night.
On the one hand was the police helicopter
and the riot police who continually launched
tear gas and other chemical products (whilst
the people defended themselves with molotov
cocktails and lighting fires to protect
themselves from the smoke) and on the other
hand the university seenate had convened to
decide whether to give up the right of asylum
and thus allow the police to have access to
and evacuate the school...
The people inside continued to call for
assistance and medical aid. The result was
that 25 people were detained around the area
- people who wanted to demonstrate their
solidarity - Meanwhile those ambulances that
the police had allowed into the faculty were
transporting more than 20 people to hospital
who were suffering from breathing problems.
Of course all of them were immediately
arrested at the hospital.
Finally the university gave the green light and
at eight in the morning the riot police invaded
the faculty. The occupiers gave no resistance
and coming out in an orderly fashion were
taken away by the policee in such a way that
the whole of Greece was able to see that the
supposed '50 or 100 masked men' were in
reality more than 500 people both young and
old, workers and umemployed, minors and
adults, 'normal' people going by the (illegible)
of society and not people with psychological
problems or other lies as had been put about
by the media.
Out of 518 people who were arrested (this is
the first time the number has been so high),
100 have been detaned for racist reasons,
whilst the others were realeased after two
days after being told the date of their trial.
The first 100 are still in prison. They are
denouncing the brutality of the forces that be
which have deprived them of all basic human
rights during the period of their interogation
and detention... The trial is set for 22nd
November.
23rd November A demo against brutality and
repression. The Republic is taking off its
'social' mask.
SOLIDARITY WITH THE DEETAINEES
IN SALONIKA AND ATHENS!
SOLIDARITY WITH KOSTAS
KALAMERAS, ON HUNGER STRIKE
SINCE 11TH OCTOBER! SOLIDARITY
WITH ALL THOSE TAKEN HOSTAGE
BY THE STATE! DOWN WITH THE
JUDICIAL DICTATORSHIP
Salonica Anarchists. Radio Utopia.
FREEDOM PRESS
http://www.lglobal.com/TAO/Freedom