A-Infos (en) Greece, athens solidarity with Thessaloniki prisoners & Kastro and Carlos prison letters

[anar anar <all_anar@hotmail.com>]

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1. information (solidarity actions in Athens)
2. communique of the Open Assembly of Anarchists-Antiauthoritarians
against the EU summit and for Solidarity with Thessaloniki prisoners
3. Letters from Prison by 'Kastro' and Carlos for the day of
international solidarity
1. JULY 10 - DAY OF INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY TO THESSALONIKI PRISONERS
In Athens, 600 anarchists and antiauthoritarians demonstrated to
the offices of European Union with banner "FREE THE 8
PRISONERS - SOLIDARITY WITH ALL THE 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, much dynamic
and passion. The demo, with strong police presence around,  passed
in front of the parliament and reached the EU offices that were
heavily guarded by police forces. The walls in all the way were
covered with graffiti. Demo finished in Propylea, in the center of
Athens where the day before (July 9) there was solidarity concert
to Thessaloniki prisoners, with 1000 people attending. Both actions
in Athens were called by Open Assembly of
Anarchists-Antiauthoritarians against the EU summit and for
Solidarity with the Prisoners.
some fotos:
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php?lang=el&article_id=123315

The prisoners are 8, because one American demonstrator, who was
first released together with other 22 still facing charges but free
until trial, was recuptured, this time by "Foreigners Police" when he
went back to police station of Thessaloniki to take his things. He is
in their custody since then (June 24) for deportation.

On Sunday, 6 July, 100 anarchists, antiauthoritarians and autonoms
gathered outside Avlona prison for minors (50kms from Athens),
where 2 of Thessaloniki demonstrators are held. The people took the
guards and police by surprise, made a demo around the prison
shouting slogans that the prisoners could hear, waving red and black
flags above the fences and writing FREEDOM on the gate and
walls.


2 The communique of the Assembly:

Their world stinks as much as their tear-gases

 From June 19th to 21st took place the summit of the European
Union in Chalkidiki, Greece. While the echo of the war on Iraq was
still raging the lordships of Europe met in order to intensify their
“counter-terrorist crusade” in and outside Europe, to
organise more effectively their expansion scope and to fortify the
borders and the authoritarian structure of the enlarged E.U.

At the same time in Thessaloniki different left and social-democrat
political entities, using money donated by the greek government
–which they claim to oppose- organised a number of counter
summits, camping-sites, concerts, “joyful” demonstrations,
proposing some kind of “alternative globalisation” without
fithing the existing system. Those self-proclaimed spokesmen of the
so-called “anti-globalisation movement” couldn’t do
differently but perform a limited violent confrontation with the police
forces at Chalkidiki, in order to project a “militant” image of
themselves in the interior of that “movement”, that was born
and 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, on the occupied grounds of
Aristotle University a great number of anarchists,
anti-authoritarians and subversive individuals got together in order
to show in action that the bosses of Europe were not only
unwelcomed but also considered as enemies and to make a pass
from protesting to rioting, like what happened to all past 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 actively call into question the existence
of borders. In the same time other anarchists/anti-authoritarians
chose to go to Marmaras village so as to clash with the police
forces that were blocking access to the place where the summit
was held. On Saturday about 3000 people formed the 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.

As an answer to those spoiling the party, police used large
quantities of tear-gases and chemicals, as well as rubber bullets,
and made scores of arrests and detentions using the old greek
method “after you’ve been 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 of justice in solidarity
with the arrested, causing injuries to many. Presently 7
demonstrators are 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 mass media talking about “vandals”
and “hooligans" that deserve to be exemplary punished. Unlike
what had happed few days ago when the same media referred to the
militant demonstrations of Evian, in the present case they used mud
sliding in order to deprive this outburst of resistance, which flooded
the streets of a fortified and police-ridden city, of any political or
social content.

Those of us that met in Thessaloniki during these days of action
take as granted that our struggle is not restricted to
“revolutionary three-days”. Our struggle continues until all
demonstrators held in prison are set free. Our struggle continues
where we live, in the neighbourhoods, universities, working places
until social liberation…

Solidarity to the demonstrators arrested in Thessaloniki on June 21

Immediate release of the 7 arrestees 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)


3. LETTERS FROM PRISON FOR THE DAY OF
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY TO THESSALONIKI
PRISONERS


I. 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 the arrested
in the demonstration against the Summit of the 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, we 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, eg. 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 slaughters, the miseries and the humiliations 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 neighbor 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 demonstrators arrested. )



II. 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 color 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.

published on thessaloniki.indymedia.org, July 10.

_____________

So far we know of solidarity actions (July 10) in Thessaloniki (demo
to Diavata prison), Brussels, Burgos, Bilbao, Buenos Aires, Leon,
London, Madrid, Mallorca, Malaga, Palermo, Rome,Torino...

SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!
VIVA L'ANARKIA!

solidarios
www.geocities.com/anar_gr
all_anar@hotmail.com


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