Prisoners of powwwererer
I believe that all prisoners of the world are produced by power and are hostages of power.
Strength, authority, brutality, assassinations, genocide, oppression, slavery, exploitation, destruction, torture, mistreatment, the sadistic delight in pain, racism, violation, money, corruption and abuse are examples of what is power. The same power that’s disguised as the absolute truth, as religion, as democracy, as other authoritarian systems, which continue their existence and the government of our lives.
Power is an enemy of solidarity and freedom, that is why it is our enemy. An enemy that we need to fight until it has disappeared, because it keeps us all like prisoners and it is destroying humanity as well as our planet.
Prisons are the power’s camps of concentration, exploitation and extermination. They are power’s most cruel spaces, were torture, mistreatments and assassinations are their basic principles.
Prisons are the worst environment for the fight against power. The main fight of prisoners is the fight for the respect of human dignity. In prison, they destroy you as a person and they even get away from you any lust for living.
Fighting inside prison is very difficult, but I believe that it is important to fight in those spaces. Fighting inside prison gives you strengh to continue living, or at least to die fighting power and defending solidarity and freedom.
That is why I am against prisons, because I am against power.
SOLIDARITY AND FREEDOM FOR ALL THE PRISONERS OF THE WORLD!
DOWN WITH ALL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WWWALLS!
A revolutionary hug Laudelino Iglesias Martinez
Ex-prisoner of the F.I.E.S isolation units in Spain #3 / 325collective.com [email protected] REPLICATE ORGANISE RESIST
The reformist forces of Capital, as appears to us, to be the most well as the leftist variants, seek to effective. prevent the radical transforma- tion of society. These counter- We begin with specific situations of points of power and recuperation existing tension and struggle, are failing to prevent, in all areas within the conditions of our own of society, a general disdain and rebellion, and act with commit- hatred for hierarchy of all kinds. ment. This revolt which is more difficult to control, and is beyond The desperate situation of the reach of the familiar bodies of ongoing environmental collapse suppression and mediation, uses means there is a direct necessity the tools of decentralisation and for attacks on the institutions and autonomy, acting within the scope conduits of finance and industry, of the larger struggle. Welcome to the 3rd issue of 325, an occasional this necessity has never been so zine of incendiary images & text. Since the last vital and urgent. In the relentless Despite the growing technological issue we've had a few different problems with operations of the State against control of the State, in these the State, and added to the increase in social the social movements and the struggle across Europe, this has meant this issue precious few years before auto- has come out much later than expected. Most of Earth, we can see the exposure of mated surveillance by machines is the information regarding ongoing prisoner and its essentially militaristic anti-life a widespread reality, people are legal situations changes quickly, check out the qualities; people, animals and all fighting back; taking themselves websites mentioned within our pages for updates material are the economic into conflict with the increasingly and recent developments. If you want to help us components of a social-machine unstable dominant powers, acting out, rob a bank and send us the swag. Riotous which coerces profit for the immediately for the world they thanks to all our contributors, distributors and co- already rich. want right now. Capitalism and its conspirators across the world. murderous policy of self-preserva- As State terror increases across tion will never tolerate any threat the world, as anarchists & anti- to its power, but we have to Editorial, June 2006 mp capitalists, we need to intensify overcome seizure with determina- our activities and our critique tion and act against the prisons, immediately. We need to courthouses, and bodies of In a world of dwindling energy resources, ecological accelerate the spread of informa- finance and privilege. collapse and growing total entrenchment of poverty tion amongst anti-state, anti- and exploitation, global resistance to capitalism is a capitalist groups and the base "Every act of police brutality, every reality. population, by letting our visible death in detention, every raid and blow direct action act as a vehicle of only increases our compulsion to arm Economic, political and environmental changes are communication and method open ourselves for revenge." sparking uncontrollable moments of popular revolt. to all. At the same time, we must The loss of social cohesion and advanced state of broaden the information gap climate chaos means it looks like the best option is between the State and ourselves, to examine with determination what actions we can ANTI-COPYRIGHT NETWORK and that means, of the forms of take, and how to act our dreams in a world where struggle we prefer; Informal, face- all factors are in transformation. to-face communication, auto- organised structure and direction As people fight for a better life amongst the adjust- ****** ments of global power, points of breakdown are occurring. The infrastructures of finance and war are unstable, and the bloody role of State and Capital is most acutely revealed in these times of crisis, ruthlessly protecting private interest and hierarchy. We need to be conscious of these moments of collaboration and participation, which are day-to-day occurrences in the 21st century.
As the governments bring forces to bear against the growing international movements of participa- tion and solidarity, our attempts to build a successful anti-market and anti-system critique and practice, alongside the suppression of traditional forms of dissent, assembly and expression, means that many previous leftist methods of struggle and organisation are redundant, along with the world that is rapidly aging with them.
. a data network for direct action . . a media framework for social war . . the refusal of fixed territory . Here we present some news of resistance and rebellion from the months November ‘05 to June‘06.
June 6, Brasilia, Brazil Around 300 May 29, Seine Saint Denis, context which leads to massive arrests of protestors broke their way into parliament France Around a 100 youths fought without papers. We point out that the conditions demanding the redistribution of land. They with police and set fire to cars and of this centre were denounced for the human broke open the doors with stones, sticks and dumpsters, in a suburb of Paris in the rights abuses: arbitrary abuse, overpopulation, a small Fiat car was used as a battering ram. north of the capital. There were also insalubrity, violences… The attack was broadcast live on television. incidents in the neighbouring area of Hundreds of demonstrators were detained. Clichy Sous Bois, where last year's riots May 8, Athens, Greece Riots erupted The president condemned the action and began after two boys died while they during the European Social Forum march in accused demonstrators of "committing a were fleeing police. We know the fire Athens. For a period of three hours following a serious act of vandalism against the parlia will burn again! 2km route, 2500 anarchists in small groups of ment." 4 500 attacked banks, large department May 28, Titnore Woods, UK At stores, police cars, government buildings, the June 2, Cuneo, Italy At night, 2 dawn people occupied some endan police headquarters, riot police, riot police bombs exploded within 15 minutes of each gered woodland to defend it from buses as well as "Z team" policemen (motor other, in front of a Carabinieri (Military police) destruction, in a bid to halt a massive cycle team). They attacked the US embassy, headquarters and college. The bombs were house building and road widening the Hilton hotel, the Italian embassy, and the timed to cause possible causalities to police operation. The squatters remain on site, riot police guarding the house of parliament. 20 responding to the scene. The anarchist group vowing to defend the woods. people were arrested 17 of them are charged "20 July Brigade" (date of the murder of with multiple felony charges. Carlo Giuliani) claimed responsibility. No one May 21, Bern, Switzerland was injured. Incendiary attacks against police May 6, Burgos, Spain Sabotage in headquarters at 11.40 pm in several solidarity with Ruben & Ignasi and all prisoners May 29, Athens, Greece A powerful locations. No police were hurt and the in Spain. 7 'Caixa Sabadell' Banks and their bomb was placed under a car 200 metres damage was contained. No one was ATMS were destroyed. "Stones against glass from the house of Greek Minister of Culture, arrested and there are no leads at and sulfuric acid against the automatic tellers George Voulgarakis. It caused damages but present. The centre accommodates the have been the method used this time in order no fatalities when it exploded. Voulgarakis is police command and the regional police to translate the anger from the words to the despised by the anarchists and the left, for barracks. facts, in order to transmit to a luminosity and cooperating with British secret agents in concise message: 'There will be no peace'. orchestrating a wave of abductions, torture May 18, Barcelona, Spain The only language that the managers of the and interrogations against immigrants in the German Cultural Institute attacked in terror and the repression are able to under wake of the 7 July London bombs. He is also solidarity with Aachen 4. A fire bomb stand is one of stones and benzine, the linked to a wiretapping scandal which has was used to damage the 'Goethe' libertarian direct action... An easy language, rocked Greece. The group ‘Revolutionary institute, it was placed at the front door that anyone who has blood in their veins can Struggle’ claimed the bomb, declaring “We of the building and detonated. "Attack do. A language that will always be available for aimed to kill him.” to the Goethe institute of Barcelona, us to use.. .Salud y anarquia" dawn of Tuesday 18 we have placed an incendiary device to the May 1, Helsinki, Finland Riots broke out front of the Goethe institute downtown: “..Alltogether tens of windows were in calle Manso of Barcelona. broken, including Ministry of Defense; Confed This action is in solidarity eration of Finnish Industries EK; logging giant with the anarchist compan UPM Kymmene; Halonen, a clothing store ions Gabriel, Jose and Bart involved in fur industry and fast food joint who are in Germany. Carrols. A group of yuppies having their lunch LIBERTAD PARA TODXS in a super elitist restaurant got their share of LXS PRESXS!, class hatred when the window next to which CARCELES they were sitting was smashed. Even thou DEMOLICION!, Y VIVA LA there is a lot to criticise in the politics of the ANARQUIA!" precarity/EuroMayDay crew, we don't mind parades like this. Spontaneous destruction of May 17, Paris, France the property of capital, state and animal Approximately 50 prisoners without abusers by a large group is something we have May 28, Athens, Greece Anarchists papers in the detention centre on the experienced in Finland not nearly enough" use Molotov cocktails to destroy a Greek street Dunois (Paris) put themselves in Insurrectionary Anarchists of Southern Finland National Bank. hunger strike. They wanted to thus protest against their conditions of April 15, Parma, Italy Forza Italia offices retention and the repressive ultra smashed up and daubed with red paint and
4 anarchist slogans. The fascists were carried out in city officals of having spent the relief money. described the actions as response to the deaths 'methods which do not scare of the three prisoners at March 11, Milan, Italy 300 anti fascists us'. Korydallos. One person set fire to cars and a building in Milan's was arrested in the shopping district after police tried to disperse April 11, Barcelona, Spain clashes and faces their demonstration against a fascist pre Letter bomb sent to a several serious criminal election rally. A nail bomb injured 9 pigs and Barcelona Judge claimed by the charges. She is facing at least 45 people were detained. 25 people anarchist 'Brigadas de la charges for complicity in remain detained on the charge ‘devastation Colera'. The device was found explosion, construction and pillage’. The fascist rally that sparked the in a mail room at 9am and and possession of two hour pitched battle was led by the deactivated without incident. The explosives, offending a Tricolour Flame, a right wing extreme group. sender was written as 'Fran national symbol, resisting cisco Ortiz' the name of an anarchist arrest and damages to March 11 Vancouver, BC To mark the militant who died in the jail of Badajoz 3 years property. The young woman is being International Day Against Police Brutality, ago. The device was similar to another remanded in custody. At the same time about 50 people marched down Hastings explosive device that was sent to the offices of around 50 people got on top of the Street from Victory Square to the cop shop on the C.I.R.E, an institution responsible for University of Economics and started Main Street. An unmarked police vehicle was prison labour and affairs, and there was throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. pelted with many eggs and a journalist was another device sent to the Subdireccion attacked as well. The Main Street police General of the Policia Autonomica of March 27, Athens, Greece Bomb station was hit with a bunch of paint bombs Barcelona. It was of handicraft fabrication, against bank claimed by anarchists. The and a bottle was thrown at the court building composed from one small amount of explo explosion caused damages to the next to the police station. sive, probably dynamite, and had some cables building but no victims. Half hour before and one battery. "..The package was the explosion a caller had telephoned a March 11 Salem, OR, USA Three addressed to the Judge Juan Antonio Ramirez newspaper to announce the outbreak. A newly constructed luxury homes were Suner, for his special zeal in persecuting the square of policemen formed itself vandalized with pro environmental slogans. anarchical and antiauthoritarian dissidence. around the place and isolated the zone. We remember that Mr. Ramirez Suner has March 8, Barcelona, Spain Attack with maintained the arrests for 2 months, in 2004, March 19, Solomon Islands, fire against a branch of the Caixa bank on of 4 boys from Hospitalet, has sent in jail South West Pacific Riots broke out plaza Libertad, in the barrio of Gracia. “This various militant anarchists after a manifestation injuring several Australian and New action has been done in memory of the dead in support of the Italian comrades in the Zealand cops, cars and buildings were companion Joelle Aubron after she spent 17 summer of 2005, and now he has made the set on fire after a corrupt politician was years in prison. We want also want to arrest of Ruben and Ignasi, of which one elected. Angry crowds threw stones and remember our companions stopped in continuously remains within. We're displaced other projectiles at the parliment September 2003 who will be processed that the package didn't reach its destination, building, in a protest against the election shortly, therefore like Sergio L.D., the boys of we'll improve and we encourage all the and the Australian domination of the Hospitalet and Ruban and Ignasi in preventive rebellious ones that they have something in region. prison from 9 February... We will succeed, their veins to face the dominion. You’ll join us those that make it happen, falls who falls we in the equipment of the rage. ‘You will never March 16, Paris, France Anti continue. Viva la anarquia.” take us. We are the seated man or woman CPE protesters clashed with police at next to you, with the rage in the mind and a the end of a march by several thousand gun in the pocket ‘ B.C. “ university and high school students in Paris and later outside the Sorbonne Apri 15, Haslar, UK More than 120 university. A kiosk was set ablaze, detainees in Haslar detention centre, several shop windows were smashed Protsmoth, have gone on hunger strike in and cars were set on fire. Police used a protest againts arbitrary detention and in water cannon and tear gas against the solidariety with the detainees in Colnbrook also angry young people who are protesting on hunger strike. In protest at their inhumane a proposed labour law, CPE, which treatment by security guards during a No would have made it easier to fire Borders demonstration on Saturday 8th April, workers under 26. The law was over 150 detainees in Colnbrook detention amended after substantial popular centre went on hunger strike. rebellion.
April 10, Treviso, Italy An explosive March 14, San Vicente, Argen March 7, France Day of action during the device which failed to detonate was found next tina 3,000 farmers set fire to the city widespread protests against the CPE youth to Army barracks in Treviso. In a claim left at hall of San Vicente and attacked the employment plan. Students picketed entrances the site by 'Libertarian Group', they de police station in the northeastern at several of the country's more than 80 nounced the electoral campaign of Italy, the Argentine town during protests that left universities. The Sorbonne Universtity was Italian prison system and the Army. Searches at least 32 people, most of them police occupied for 3 days, before CRS riot police of known dissidents in the area by a joint officers, injured. The attack on city hall, stormed the building and evicted the students. police and army team were conducted, but which was reduced to rubble, could not An university administrator said the protesters these have been fruitless. be prevented by about 100 police wanted to turn the university into "a battle officers in riot gear who fired tear gas field", not only against the jobs measure "but April 1, Athens, Greece Anarchists and rubber bullets at the protesters but also against all of the social problems" that fought police, set bins on fire and attacked a could not stop them. The 400 farmers France is facing. In Tours, 200km southwest bank and an office of the Hellenic Telecommu are demanding the distribution of funds of Paris, several hundred students moved onto nications Organization (OTE). A post on for growers affected by the drought in tracks at the railway station, stopping trains for Athens Indymedia claimed that these actions the region. The farmers accuse corrupt three hours. Many workers also went on strike
5 Korea, the base will triple in size smashed and graffitied. ”For every by 2008. prisoner, an answer, for every answer, a smile!” March 3, Palestine Violent confrontations erupted between February 24, Madrid, Spain Israeli security forces and people Estate agency 'Tecnocasa' and the against the construction of the BBVA bank attacked in solidarity with security fence near the towns of Ruben & Ignasi. "A kick in the face Beit Sira and Abud. Two Border to all those that say that 'Madrid is Policemen were lightly wounded dead and nobody does nothing'. when they were pelted with rocks. Much love!” Four others were wounded as well. February 24, Lugo, Galicia, Spain Two Catalan banks, a March 3, Tuscany, Italy An Banco Sabadell and a LaCaixa, were ATM attacked with fire, the action attacked with two Molotov cocktails. is claimed by anarchists. "Not every aggression, kidnapping or murder rests unpunished. We know March 1st, Zurich, Switzer you're used to it, that you feel rulers land A French Diplomatic car torched in all over France to protest, and rioting broke of the world in your power and memory of Joelle Aubron. "..For the Captive out. misery. You keep the no life, you're prisoners of Action Directe, the evening of 1 terrorists that spread fear and March 2006 we have burnt a diplomatic car of March 9, Brazil 2000 peasants from the destruction all over the world, making the French Agency for the International international 'Via Campesina' farm workers business with people's existence to Investments to Zurich: Solidarity to Ibrahim group destroyed over a million saplings, and maintain this brutal domination Abdallah and the prisoners of Action Directe. wrecked a genetic modification laboratory, in system. You're enemies of the world Honor to the comrade Joelle Aubron who is an area 1200km south of Sao Paulo. 15 that attack people and their dreams. dead." years' worth of genetic research was ruined, So we're going to attack your losses amounting to millions of dollars were properties in answer to that, we're February 27, Leicester, England Arson caused. The raid was timed to coincide with going to take your benefits off, at a Swann Systems warehouse. The smoke International Women's Day, the majority of the destroying them, so you can play no and fire caused extensive damage in the tens peasants who took part in the sabotage were more with them." of thousands of pounds to most of the factory's women. stock. Swann Systems UK manufactures February 24, Guadalajara surveillance hardware and information March 6, Ogoni Delta, Nigeria Rebels Demonstration in support of anarchist technology including CCTV systems. Fire wrecked a large Shell Oil pipeline. Several oil prisoners. A massive police force blaze! flow stations and pipelines have been blown surrounds the demonstration. up by the militants, and it is not clear how long Slogans were shouted such as February 25, Maroussi, Greece Bomb it will take the company to restore production. 'freedom for anarchists prisoners' attack against the Bnp Paribas bank, causing The armed militants are fighting for control of 'Death to the State, viva la anarquia' structural damage to the front of the building the delta's oil resources and a restoration of 'Down with the prison walls' People and cars parked outside. the ruined environment. They have taken a were let out the demonstration in handful of Shell Oil workers hostage and have small groups of three. A secret police February 24, Barcelona, Spain 14 been able to repel Nigerian army attacks. officer who was inside the demon cash points were sealed in the neighborhood of stration arrested one person. Gracia in solidarity with Ruben and Ignasi, March 6 Seoul, South Korea Some imprisoned anarchists of Barcelona (the '9th 1,100 riot police clashed violently with people February 23, Barcelona, Spain Feb' prisoners) "We want to make clear that occupying land outside the U.S. Army’s Camp A BBVA bank office was attacked in the arrests of these two comrades isn't an Humphreys. Riot police were on hand as the neighborhood of Clot, in solidarity isolated thing, since it's something related to about 60 officials served a mandatory eviction with the anarchist prisoners in Spain, the global (temporary as well as geographi notice. The government took control of about Italy and Germany, the comrades of cally) repressive momentum. All of our support 2,000 acres of farmland outside Camp September 2003 (Barcelona 6) and goes to the rest of imprisoned anarchists, the Humphreys in 2005 so the U.S. military Ruben and Ignasi. young guys from Hospitalet and Sergio L.D. eventually could transform the post into its which are facing trials next week. Zigor, Laura, main installation in South Korea. Under an Diego and Juanra, the 'three of Gracia', etc.. agreement between the U.S. and South to all people repressed for their daily struggles. Until we're all free. A thousand fists, a unique voice."
February 24, Madrid, Spain In solidarity with Ruben and Ignasi, the Barcelona 6, and the Aachen 4, 3 bank offices were attacked in Alcobendas. Their locks sealed, as well as their cash points, their windows
6 attack on a French cultural centre. German Action Directe sympathisers claimed responsi bility for the attacks on French targets in Berlin, in solidarity with AD prisoners, in a letter to the press. "Renault is an inescapable element in France's industrial military structure," the group wrote in it's communi que, adding that the defaced cultural centre represented the French state as a "cultural and political" institution. The German group said the action was carried out in "anti imperialist and communist" solidarity for the liberation of AD prisoners.
February 17, Shropshire, Wales, UK Ten thousand pounds of damage was caused to cars at a Shropshire Royal Air Force base after unknown persons set them on fire. There have been up to eight arson attacks at the RAF base at Cosford during the past few months. One of these fires was set near a gas main though it did not explode. Two months ago three other vehicles were attacked.
February 8, Viareggio, Italy ATM set on fire in solidarity with the imprisoned anarchists of Lecce, and all detained February 22, Lisbon, Portugal February 20, Tucson, Arizona, immigrants everywhere. Spanish Institute 'Cervantes' attacked with a USA Five homes under construction firebomb in solidarity with anarchist prisoners were destroyed by fire. Authorities February 8, Guadalcanal Plains, in Spain and Italy. "To the dawn of Wednes suspect the fires were intentionally set. Solomon Islands The newly established day, 22 February 2006, we have given one The homes are part of a fast growing head office of Guadalcanal Plantation Palm Oil full benzine bottle to the Cervantes Institute, area in Tucson, about 20 miles south of was burnt to the ground. The office was calle de Saint Marta, Lisbon... We have not the city's downtown. The homes were established at the request of a palm oil made it in order to scald the cold night, but in in Rancho Sahuarita, a massive company from Papua New Guinea and local order to remember that your culture lies in development that has been a primary landowners. the cells of 'democracy'.. we will not rest area of recent construction projects. while you torture our family! For the freedom Damage is estimated at 100 thousand February 8, Maranhao State, Brazil of those who have been arrested in last the dollars for each home. Indians from the Guajajara tribe in the 2 weeks in Barcelona (Ruben & Ignasi). And northeastern state of Maranhao took hostage it is at the same time our opinion on the February 20, Catalunya, Spain four workers from the world's leading iron ore 'Cervantes' process in Italy: FIRE TO THE An explosive was detonated on a miner to press demands for better public CULTURE OF THE REPRESSION!" satellite signal antenna close to the city of Molins de Rei, which destroyed it. health care. This came after they blocked the Carajas to Sao Luis railway earlier that day. February 21, Napo Province, Ecua This action was made in solidarity with The line carries iron ore, manganese, pig dor Hundreds of people stormed the Ruben and Ignasi. iron, soybeans and 1,000 passengers daily Sardina pumping station, 55 miles east of to the port of Ponta da Madeira. Last Quito, forcing the closure of the OCP February 20, Nantes, France A November, Indians invaded a town near the pipeline. They are demanding the release of group of several dozen people is important Carajas iron ore mines threatening millions of dollars by the government to the currently occupying the trees which are to paralyze production, and in early Decem surrounding communities of the impovershed on the future site of the E.P.M. (a ber they blocked an iron ore export railway Napo region. Some 24 pipeline workers prison for minors) d'Orvault, near the line in central Minas Gerais. were kidnapped but later managed to slip city of Nantes (France), in an attempt to away while soldiers tried to negotiate with the stop the construction. February 7, Quito, Ecuador Ecuador's people barricading themselves inside the state oil company Petroecuador stopped station. Since protests began on Monday at February 18, Athens, Greece pumping oil through the Trans Ecuadorean least five people have been wounded, Five banks in central Athens and the pipeline after hundreds of people occupied a including two policemen, after the insurgents suburbs of Argyroupolis, Halandri, pumping station demanding the company be tossed rocks and dynamite at military forces Peristeri and Nea Smyrni were kicked out of the country as well as an end to who responded with gunfire and tear gas. damaged by homemade devices made free trade agreements. The company said it In an attempt to restrict further disruptions, with cooking gas canisters. The attacks will keep this 380,000 barrels per day authorities have declared a state of emer appear to be carefully coordinated. The pipeline shut until the occupation ends. gency in Napo, detaining several people they explosions occured at branches of claim are leaders. Government officials were National Bank, Bank of Cyprus, February 7, Las Heras, Argentina also pushing for an end to the general strike Emporiki Bank and American Bank of Two hundred oil workers armed with sticks, in the province in hopes of settling the conflict Albania, damaging ATM machines, fire bombs and guns broke into a police with negotiation. Also, another pumping windows and sparking fires. station, killing an officer and injuring 14 others station owned by Petroecuador, the state oil in an attempt to free a union leader. Five company, was damaged, forcing it to shut its February 16 17, Berlin, Ger policemen were shot with bullets. Over the main pipeline and suspend exports for several many Cars set on fire at a subsidiary hours. of French car maker Renault and graffiti
7 Rijksgebouwendienst by Ursem February 3, Dongshigu, China Bouwsystemen Ltd. Policemen beat and arrested a man who helped villagers file a lawsuit January 24, Brasilia, Brazil Six accusing local officials of forcing them to people died in a prison riot in northwestern undergo abortions or sterilization. Four Brazil and inmates took the penitentiary's hundred villagers reacted by overturning director and head of security hostage. The three government cars and fighting riot in the Agenor Martins de Carvalho hired thugs. prison in the state of Rondonia, which borders Bolivia, started on Monday evening February 2, Dege, Tibet An after an armed breakout attempt from the animal slaughter house was burnt down prison's infirmary. One guard and two by Tibetan nomads. Six people who inmates were killed in a shootout. Anti riot were suspects were jailed and tortured. police units have circled the prison to prevent past two weeks they have put up roadblocks in One of the six was released after he escape attempts but said storming the prison demand for higher wages. lost both his eyes after beatings by was out of the question due to the hostage Chinese prison officials. In the begin situation. February18, Ogoni Delta, Nigeria ning, more than 160 Tibetans were Rebels kidnapped 9 foreign workers from a detained after hundreds of people January 24, Athens, Greece An Shell Oil subcontractor after a brief gun battle stormed and set fire to the Chinese anarchist group, 'Anti State Justice', claimed with Nigerian security forces. They were freed owned slaughterhouse. They freed all responsibility for two homemade devices later in the month. the animals contained there. exploding at one of the ruling New Democ racy Party's branch offices and at a post February 5, Val di Susa, Italy The January 30, Osaka, Japan office. This was the group's third attack this Olympic torch relay met again with resistance in Homeless people and their supporters year. In a phone call to the media they the Susa valley. A police car was kicked by resisted an eviction of their self stated that these most recent bombings demonstrators, who tried to put out the flame by organised camp in Utsubo Park. were in solidarity with three anarchists in jail throwing a banner on it. Many people in the accused of attacking policemen and stealing Susa valley have been attacking plans to build a January 30, Rustavi, Georgia their equipment and in support of suspected high speed rail link between Turin and Lyon, Prisoners tried to stage a riot after the anarchists involved in a bank robbery in France. police unit of the Penitentiary Depart Athens last week. ment of the Justice Ministry, started February 4, Chanteloup les Vingnes, carrying out a search in the prison cells. January 23, Turin, Italy Workers from France Sixty youths armed with pick handles One prisoner and one guard were Italy's state airline Alitalia are on wildcat attacked a police station and steered a blazing wounded. strike after their union called off an official car into its courtyard in this western Paris 24 hour strike. Hundreds of cancellations of suburb. They were reacting to the police killing a January 28, Osaka, Japan Self national and international flights have already man from Chanteloup during a robbery in Paris Organised homeless people and their been made. Workers are against the last week. Firemen who came to the station to supporters invaded the City Hall and company's restructuring plan. put out the blazing car were pelted with stones. staged a brief skirmish with police and Eventually, more police arrived and three youths officials, demonstrating against a wave January 23, Turin, Italy A small were arrested. of repressive evictions. number of anarchists manage to snatch the Winter Olympic torch from relay runners, at February 3, Athens, Greece Anarchists January 27, Ho Chi Minh City, the start of the proceedings. They were use molotov cocktails to burn down a branch of Vietnam Workers in the city's arrested, one of them, Massimo had this to the Greek National Bank. southern industrial parks and say to the court: export processing zones have "Monday, in the evening, we were located been engaging in spontaneous, between the patrols, agents, and carriers of illegal strikes without authorization the torch, with the purpose of preventing the from trade unions. The govern passage of the Olympic flame and unmask ment has been trying hard to ing in this way its true nature, a point which attract foreign investment by I will return to. We had a megaphone, offering a cheap and secure flyers, one banner, and flags against the labor environment. But increasing TAV (high speed rail being built in the area). inflation and a rise in the cost of As was foreseeable, the agents responded living has caused tens of by trying to push us away. In that moment thousands of workers to walk off of confusion, a companion made the the job over the past month. The spontaneous, athletic, and audacious strikes are reported to be gesture of seizing the torch and running. spreading quickly. There was no violence. I, who until that moment was speaking through a mega January 27, Zaabdam, phone, took part when I saw that the agents Holland 40 activists of the were going after three companions. Then I action group 'Migrants Welcome' was arrested. This gesture has been occupy with lock ons two prison described as 'dishonorable' and 'unqualifi boats being built in Zaandam. able'. Unqualifiable for me is the hypocrisy The boats are intended for that defines these Olympic Games as a locking up 'illegal migrants' and peace event and as a brotherhood between asylum seekers. The floating peoples. In ancient Greece, during the prisons, each with 150 two Olympic games the wars were suspended. person cels, are built for the Now, not only is the Italian government, in Ministry of Justice and the the name of the Italian people, at war in
8 Iraq and Afghanistan, but one of sponsors of the Olympic Games is the Finmeccanica company, one of the great world wide tycoons of the production of weapons. But that is not all. For these games they have been building, spending million of euros, gigantic structures of devastating environmen tal impact. And as far as the talk about the 'Olympic spirit', go ask the Chinese workers about their jobs in the construction yards of the Susa Valley, at two thousand meters, for five euros a day. Or ask the inhabitants of the valley who defend their territory from progress, from money and from the profits that would be made from the destruction of the valley with the project of the high speed train. I vindicate the action of Monday with head held high."
January 23, Jayapura, West Papua Two hundred people stormed the parliament building in this capital city. They pushed past police guarding the building, shouting "Indonesian troops get out of West Papua!" Two policemen were injured in the melee. not register, nor do we vote. With this Security forces fired on a group of protesters action, we greet the pseudo socialist January 15, Bayelsa State, Nigeria outside a police station in Paniai in the central president and her refuge of salary Twenty people, including 13 soldiers, were Highlands of Papua last week, killing one. criminals. Against them, we confront feared killed as suspected militant youths blew them. Our attack will be incessant and up the Shell Petroleum Development January 20, Zurich, Switzerland A every time more violent." Company's Benisede platform using dynamite, bomb went off at the home of a management leading to a fire that consumed the boat house consultant and a building belonging to a January 17, Strasbourg, France and platform. In the previous week four of the technology company. The action was linked to Thousands of dock workers hurled company's expatriate staff were kidnapped and opposition to the upcoming World Economic rocks, logs and metal fences at the taken hostage aboard an oil vessel off the Forum set to begin in Davos next week. European Parliament building. They Atlantic Ocean. Recent violence and sabotage in Demonstrations took place in cities all across smashed windows and attacked riot Nigeria has cut that nation`s crude oil production Switzerland. cops as they protested plans for further by 10 percent. A unit of the Royal Dutch Shell liberalisation of port services across the Group pulled hundreds of workers from the January 20, Quito, Ecuador Students European Union. Meanwhile, strikes, Benisede and neighbouring flowstations destroyed property and attacked police with pickets and go slows caused havoc to (Opukushi, Ogbotobo and Tunu) after continued sticks, stones and homemade bombs. The cargo handling at several EU ports. kidnappings and sabotage resulted in a loss of students were protesting against the pro Police fought pitched battles, charging about 220,000 barrels per day of oil produc posed Free Trade Agreement of the the demonstrators and using water tion. Americas, and also wanted the government cannons and tear gas, trying and failing to cancel its contract with the Occidental to keep them away from the EU January 9, Cagliari, Italy In the night a Petroleum Corporation. About 100 students legislature building. Earlier in the day, bomb exploded at the Carabinieri station of were detained. dockers in yellow vests set off smoke Vallemorsa in the province of Cagliari. The bombs and waved banners saying building was damaged, but did not catch fire. January 19, Athens, Greece Revolu "Victory to the dockers" during a defiant tionary Liberation Action claimed responsibility march through the city center. Accom January 7, Edingburgh, Scotland A for three explosions across the city, with panied by marching bands, protesters closed circuit television surveillance van monitor police suspecting a link to a recent bank set cars on fire. Police fired pepper gas ing the area around a government housing robbery that left three people injured and one into the crowds and the port workers complex in the Pilton area was attacked by a of the robbers in custody. The bombings returned fire with flares, canisters, group of youths. They smashed the windows occured at a branch of the National Bank in glasses and stones. At least a dozen of and threw a molotov cockatail at it while two city central Athens, a district office of the ruling the body armour clad robo cops employees were inside. Two 15 year olds were New Democracy party in Zografou and under suffered injuries. Over 6,000 workers arrested in connection with the fire bomb attack. a municipal car in Nea Ionia, northern from all major European ports, including Athens. Before the blasts, anarchists had Liverpool, Rotterdam, Antwerp, and January 6, Athens, Greece A petrol sprayed slogans reading: "Banks are the true Hamburg. Apparently people also came bomb was thrown at a branch office of the robbers" outside the bank that had been from as far as Australia and the United ruling New Democracy party in Exarchia in targeted in a robbery a few days before. No States to take part in the massive central Athens, a few blocks away from the local one was injured in the attacks, though they protests organized by several trade Police Department, causing minor damage. An caused extensive damage. unions. While this was going on, hour later, a bomb made of gas canisters went workers closed down cargo handling in off outside a branch of Aspis Bank in the city January 18, Santiago, Chile Bomb Antwerp, Belgium Europe's second center, damaging the front entrance and the explodes at the National Intelliegence Agency. biggest port and also in Portugal, ATM. Responsibility has been claimed by a The group Leon Czolgosz Autonomous and Germany and Denmark and Sweden. group called "Insurrection Flame" in solidarity Destructive Forces claimed the action and Victory was at hand when the European with three jailed anarchists accused under the wrote in a statement, "...The elections are a Parliament rejected the proposed plans anti terrorist law for an attack against the Greek cycle of ignorance; they only perpetuate the to liberalize cargo handling at EU system of the rich. To combat them, we do seaports. 9 stration at the company's factory site and setting automobile tires on fire, December 22, Barcelona, Spain closing down the Tehran Saveh road Anarchists attacked a fur store with incendiary near Tehran. devices causing damage to the door. The action was claimed in solidarity with prisoners. December 30, Trikala, Greece Two Greek policemen shot dead with December 19, Barcelona, Spain their own weapons during an escape. Centre d'Iniciatives to per la Reinsercio Two prisoners had requested a toilet (C.I.R.E) attacked with firebomb in solidarity stop, but then seized the officers' with Italian anarchists and all prisoners riot police and the taking of their riot gear. weapons and opened fire on them. A everywhere. (C.I.R.E is an institute respon massive search for the prisoners, sible for forced prison labour in connection January 5, Hong Kong, China 12 of the involving helicopters and special police with private companies) 14 WTO Political Prisoners launched an forces, was launched following the indefinite hunger strike to highlight the injustice attack, but they were not found. December 17, Setubal, Portugal On of their detention and the free trade policies Monday night at three in the morning, people implemented by the WTO. December 30, Gualeguaychu, attacked the police station in the Bela Vista Argentina Hundreds of protesters neighborhood in the city of Setubal. In the January 4, Istanbul, Turkey Anarchists angry over Uruguay's plans to build two attack, molotov cocktails were thrown at the destroyed a bank ATM , in an attack against major paper mills on the river it shares windows of the station and at squad cars money and civilisation. with Argentina blocked three interna parked outside. tional bridges Friday. The protesters January 3, Petroupolis, Greece blocked bridges in Gualeguaychu, not December 16, Brockley, England Anarchists claimed responsibility for placing a far from the sites of the proposed Animal Liberation Front cut out huge firebomb under the car of a Finnish diplomat's plants, as well in Colon and Concordia. stretches of fencing at Manor Farm, which car in the city. The bomb exploded at 3am The bridges are heavily traveled routes breeds and kills deer to produce venison. under the vehicle. The car was destroyed and for vacationers heading to Uruguay's Some 80 to 100 deer were given the four others parked nearby were damaged. This Atlantic beaches in the southern chance to run free. was one of two co ordinated attacks on this hemisphere summer, and a key trade evening. corridor for Argentina, Uruguay and December 16, Athens, Greece nearby Brazil. Anarchists in Athens staged five arson attacks January 3, Athens, Greece Three in two and a half hours. An automobile makeshift bombs went off targeting cars and the December 26, Molland, England belonging to the Church of Greece was New Democracy Party's offices in three different In a second attack on the same meat among the targets destroyed. 15 cars were Athenian neighbourhoods. The group farm, the ALF liberated 100 wild boar burned at three Italian automobile dealerships "Antikratiki Dikeosini" (Anti State justice) claimed by cutting down 500 meters of the in Athens. They also attacked a pair of police responsibility for the attacks, which were in farm's fence. officers and disarmed them, taking their support of anarchists Kalaitzidis, Aspiotis and pistols. Acting on a tip, police raided an Karasaidis, who are held in prison charged with December 25, Tehran, Iran apartment, but it had been vacated prior to arson and other offences. Tehran's bus workers went on strike in their arrival. They did recover a police response to the arrest last week of a officer's service revolver. At the same time, 2005 dozen members of the Union of anarchists in Thessaloniki bombed two Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Eurobank branches with gas canister devices. December 31, Paris, France Members Company in armed police of the unemployed people associations and raids on their homes. entertainment workers overpowered police Further arrests were made officers to enter 'Le Bon Marche' shopping during the strike itself. center where they held a demonstration called Around 4,000 bus drivers "the unemployed people's New Year's Eve spent the night at the depot supper." in Tehran's transport Region 6 refusing to run bus lines. December 31, Madrid, Spain The ALF liberated 28 beagles from the Faculty of December 25, Queluz, Veterinary Medicine at the Independent Portugal Cars and University of Madrid. The action was undertaken dumpsters set on fire by in memory of ELF prisoner Bill Rodgers who rioting youths angry about was found dead in his jail cell in Flagstaff, social exclusion and police Arizona on December 22, 2005. control.
December 31, Granada, Spain An December 23, Athens, Greece explosive device blew up in the sales lot of a A bomb went off at the Ministry of December 13, Hong Kong, China FIAT car dealership. The attack was undertaken Development and Commerce, hours For a second day, thousands of South in solidarity with Italian comrades being before Greece's parliament passed the Korean farmers clashed with police outside prosecuted in the "Operation Cervantes" case. budget for the upcoming year. The the harborfront conference center. Protesters A communique also claimed solidarity with bombing, reported be be triggered by punched, kicked and tried to break through a anarchist prisoners in Italy, Spain, Greece and an alarm clock, was claimed by the police line, and security forces fought back Germany. group Revolutionary Struggle. It was the with pepper spray, clubs and shields. The second bomb attack on a government farmers, dressed in matching red vests and December 30, Tehran, Iran Hundreds of building in six months. In June the same chanting, "Down, down WTO," struck police workers from the Miral Glass factory protested group bombed the Labour Ministry in with bamboo sticks and tried to ram through 10 months unpaid wages by staging a demon the heart of the city. a police road block. 10 December 12, Athens, Greece A homemade explosive device detonated in the middle of Syntagma Square, in front of the Economy and Finance Ministry in the center of Athens. Three people were injured by flying shrapnel and extensive damage was caused in the square. The organisation 'Revolutionary Struggle' claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it was perpetrated against the government's economic policy. In their statement of claim, the group criticized the Greek police for not acting quickly was violently evicted by paramilitary police when a phone warning was made prior to the already cut up by a major highway and Tuesday. 20 people were reportedly blast. railway, and the proposed high speed line will plow through a mountain which hospitalized after clashes, including five police officers. Earlier in the day, residents December 7, Santiago, Chile At the Juan contains asbestos and uranium. had blockaded the major highway that runs Gomez Millas campus of the University of Chile, through Val di Susa and barricaded streets masked attacked police with firebombs and During a solidarity demonstration in in the valley town of Bussoleno. stones. Propaganda was spread (through Turin, a railway depot was blockaded, shouting, leaflets, banners, and graffiti) indicating and anarchists attacked the car of the that the main reason for this direct action was the President of the upcoming elections which perpetuate exploitation Piemonte region, two and domination by the rich. Some slogans and police cars, and an graffiti messages used in relation to this direct Olympics store. In action: "Because we have nothing, we will addition, a bank was destroy everything," "Because the vote only smashed up, a bonfire makes the rich powerful, we've chosen violence" was set in the streets, and "Against the election of future exploiters." and graffiti messages were left on walls December 6, Val di Susa, Italy Angry denouncing the residents blockaded the major highway that runs Olympics and declaring through Val di Susa and barricaded streets in the solidarity with the valley town of Bussoleno, acting against the resistance in Val di Winter Olympics and the planned 'TAV' high Susa. One cop was speed rail link that will destroy much of the injured when he was environment in the mountains. Workers also went hit in the head with a on strike in the nearby city of Turin in solidarity bottle. "Extreme left with the struggle. An occupation camp of wing groups, from protesters which was preventing the construction antagonistic and of the railway line between Italy and France was anarchic insurrectionist December 5, Jehanabad, India violently evicted by paramilitary police. 20 people wings are trying to extend the unrest Hundreds of prisoners were freed in one of were reportedly hospitalized after clashes, from Val di Susa to Turin, Rome, Milan, the most audacious revolutionary armed including five police officers. Residents of the and various other cities," said Silvio actions India has seen in recent decades. valley have been demonstrating, blocking roads, Berlusconi. 200 members of the Maoist 'Peoples and launching strikes against the railway project Guerrilla Army' were involved in seizing the for weeks, opposing the environmental destruction December 6, Shanwei, China town of Jehanabad for two and a half the rail line could cause. Graffiti messages against Chinese police opened fire on protesters hours. The police claimed they had faced a the railway line and the police occupation of Val di in the southern province of Guangdong, contingent five times that size. While the jail Susa have proliferated throughout the area. Val di shooting dead at least two people. was the main target, police facilities and the Susa links Turin, host city of the 2006 Winter Police tried to disperse up to 1,000 district administration office also came under Olympics, to the Alps, where many Olympic demonstrators near Shanwei whoe heavy fire. The authorities reported that events were held in February. The valley is were angry because they had not been compensated for land taken by the 389 prisoners escaped, including, they government to build a said, 119 Maoists and supporters. Along power plant. There have with several police, the guerrillas also been an ever growing reportedly killed two leaders and members number of riots in China, of 'Ranvir Sena', an upper caste private many of which are focused militia set up by local feudal forces. The two on industrial developments. 'Ranvir Sena' leaders killed had led many massacres of lower caste women and December 6, Val di children over the last decades in an effort to Susa, Italy An terrorize the rural poor. Two days before occupation camp in Italy's the Jehanabad jailbreak, the PGA had northern Susa Valley (Val attacked an army training centre in Giridih in di Susa) which was the neighbouring state of Jharkhand, seizing preventing the construction as many as 185 firearms. After the attack, of a high speed railway line police and six companies of the Indian between Italy and France
11 Central Paramilitary Force accompanied by helicop ters swept through scores of villages in the district where Jehanabad is located and the neighbouring districts, considered hotbeds of rebel activity. After ten days of these operations the authorities had not reported any significant gains.
December 2, Seoul, South Korea Striking workers and angry farmers clashed with police in front of the National Assembly in Seoul. The workers recently began a nation wide general strike calling for better conditions and more job security for temporary workers. The strike is being observed by only about 10% of the country's labor unions. The farmers have been demonstrating daily in opposition to new World Trade Organization (WTO) endorsed legislation that is expected to devastate small South Korean rice farmers. “..Doesn't it give you a certttain sense of pleasure to think howww, some day soon, you will be able to treat like human beings those cops December 1, Manama, Bahrain Rioters whom it will not have been necessary to kill on the spot?” burned cars and set off explosives improvised out of (Ratgeb/R.V.) gas canisters in the third straight night of unrest since a committee for Bahrain's unemployed began parked outside the chemistry protests against joblessness and to demand an official department at Athens University. November 12, Athens, Greece roughly investigation into the case of Moussa Abdaali. Abdaali The policeman inside managed to 100 anarchist youths demonstrated outside the is a committee member who was beaten by unidenti escape the van, which was set on French Embassy in downtown Athens. The fied men believed to be armed security officials. fire and totally destroyed. protestors carried banners and shouted slogans Rioters attacked police with stones and molotov in support of the riots in the French ghettos. cocktails before burning two police cars. November 15, Thessaloniki, Greece A group of individuals November 11, Athens, Greece A group December, Thessalonoki, Greece Firebomb threw Molotov cocktails at seven of 30 40 individuals wearing hoods and attack against a subsidiary of genetic experimentation parked cars belonging to a motorcycle helmets threw stones, smashed firm 'Dupont' causes 80,000 euro damage. Renault dealership. At nearly the windows, and spray painted slogans in support same time, an improvised of the French rioters on the walls of the French November 29, Pacific Beach, CA, USA 7 incendiary device consisting of Language Institute in the Kolonaki area. The luxury SUV's set on fire in showroom causing four gas canisters and one plastic anarchists attempted to set the Institute on fire $167,000 damage. container of flammable liquid before being thwarted by police. exploded outside a supermarket. November 18, Athens, Greece Four impro November 10, Thessaloniki, Greece vised incendiary devices exploded at an American November 14, Athens, Approximately 40 hooded and masked persons brand car dealership in the Athens suburb of Greece A group of around 20 attacked the French Institute with crowbars and Peristeri. Two of the devices were placed underneath persons came from the Polytech threw stones, shattering numerous windows. SUVs, subsequently destroying the vehicles. A third nic School campus located in vehicle, parked near the SUVs, was also damaged. Zografou and lit the base of a November 2, Bologna, Italy A parcel The other devices were placed next to an electrical traffic camera on fire after bomb, made up of a battery operated detonator generator. An unidentified individual later phoned the dousing it with a flammable liquid. and 50 grams of gunpowder, was sent to the Greek newspaper 'Eleftherotypia' and claimed Mayor of Bologna, Sergio Cofferati. The device responsibility for the attack. The caller claimed the November 13, Athens, was discovered and defused by experts before attack was an act of solidarity towards Michalis Greece A group of 40 it could detonate. A group calling themselves Kaltezas, an anarchist who was killed in a police individuals wearing hoods and the "Fire and Fire related Cooperative" warned shooting in 1985. This incident occurred on the 20th motorcycle helmets used Molotov of the device in a leaflet. Anniversary of Kaltezas' death. The caller also stated cocktails to attack a German make that the dealership was attacked as a symbol of car dealership and a French consumerism and implied the anarchist movement will make car dealership in continue. Ambelokipi, burning a total of 24 cars. Four additional cars were November 19, Athens, Greece A group of burned as the group dispersed approximately 15 individuals wearing hoods attacked toward the Exachia area of the branch offices of three Greek banks in the Athens. Monastiraki section of downtown Athens. The individuals smashed the windows of the banks and November 13, Athens, threw Molotov cocktails inside causing significant Greece Approximately 70 damage. An unidentified caller phoned Eleftherotypia persons gathered in Ilion and and claimed responsibility for the attack. Also on demonstrated against the recent Saturday, a group of approximately 30 anarchists closure of a factory. The wearing hoods attacked the offices of a local Greek protestors spray painted the walls right wing organization with Molotov cocktails. and windows of several shops and banks in the area with November 16, Athens, Greece A group of slogans supporting the French anarchists attacked an occupied unmarked police van riots. 12 Translated from action-directe.net 25/7/2005 with Valerie C
Jean-Marc Rouillan is a prisoner in - In the morning, I work, I France who is serving time for involve- write. I wake up very early. At 10 : Negatively- ment in Action Direte, a militant group O’clock, I come down to the phone. The rest of the day I practice sport and I read. - They are today in the Courts of behind a series of high-profile assassi- appeal. nations and attacks in France in the : Today what do you think about the 1980s. He and other members of AD; coming examination of your request by : What are the conditions for your liberation? Nathalie Menigon, Joëlle Aubron and the court? Georges Cipriani, were handed life - A home and a job. sentences in 1989 for the murder of the - I don’t have any illusion about former head of the French car giant the system. I think that the political : And do you have both? Renault, and in 1994 for five other decision to free us hasn’t been taken, so terrorist attacks in the 1980s. Aubron no judge will go against the will of the - Yes. Normally, without accident or an power, so I go there with no illusions. explicit will to refuse without examining my was freed from jail in June 2004 for situation, the next commission will defer the health reasons, and has recently died. : How is your health? examination of my file, since no investigation has been performed about the workplace. Action Directe was a leftist militant group - Normally, perfect. that attacked symbols of the French state in : So, it is not done according to the rules. a similar way to the RAF in Germany, with : What does this mean, “Normally, which it had links. Before it was finally perfect”? You have recently had a check -In fact, at the moment, if they follow crushed in 1989 after the arrest of its core, it up. the normal procedure, they will defer. was thought to have been behind as many as - For one year, the doctors : Mr. M was telling me that they first gave a date 80 attacks, some of them murders. thought I had lung cancer, and eventu- that then was deferred to September and then ally, check up after check up, the changed back to July… Valerie C: situation stabilised itself. Then, they expressed a totally opposite view. - At first it was scheduled for the 18th I am going to ask a few details, direct responses. of July, but the 18th was a normal commission How old are you? : So, now you are considered… for small sentences. So with the agreement of the lawyers, it was deferred to September. Jean-Marc Rouillan: - treated for nothing at all, so Eventually, faced with the 6 month deadline, normally, my health is perfect. they didn’t want to make an exception, they had - 53 years old on the next 30th of to consider the request, or at least bring the file august. : Since when are you able to request for to the court. a release on parole? : Today, what makes you think that the request is : Since when have you been detained? - Since the 26th of February, I not considered properly? have been parole-able, as we say in jail. -February 1987 - The only fact is that Nathalie : Is it the first time you request it? Menigon who was very sick like George Cipriani : How long have you been in Lannemezan has been answered negatively on the grounds of Prison? - It is the first time. It has been political considerations. delayed to the extreme limit: the request - I did a first period from 1994 to for a release on parole must be consid- : What are these political considerations? 2000, and I am back since the evacuation from ered within 6 months. I have requested Arles, 7 month ago. on the 28th of February. The other ones - Disavowal of our political involve- have already been considered, and ment. See the text that I sent to Marseille for : In which quarter are you staying? answered. the support meeting of the 18th of July*. Since the courts have stressed political reasons for the - I stay in Building A, standard quarter. : When you say “the other ones” you denial, then it is a collective answer for every- mean other inmates? one. We can’t imagine how the answer would be : Have you been put in isolation in positive for some of us and negative for others. Lannemezan? - The other inmates Nathalie The three of us are still considered on the same Menigon and Georges Cipriani who basis. - No, never. were arrested at the same time as me. Their requests have already been : So you think it is definitely a conscious attitude : Currently, how do you fill your days? considered, and answered. from the courts. How do you explain that this taboo still exists? 13 - I think that nowadays the taboo is attack. Our targets were always chosen - When you have spent 20 years in regaining strength. What we could say two beforehand. We always attacked people jail, in a time that has completely stopped… I years ago about our cases, e.g. that we were in charge, powerful people in their think I will be faced with a situation in which I waiting for the end of our “security period”, field. We never touched any civilian. don’t know the rhythm at all. etc… etc… is now much more difficult to Despite all our bomb attacks, and there express. Today, we can clearly state that they were many; there never was any dead : Do you think you will get back to activism… have revived the political dialogue we had at or wounded civilian. The only civil or maybe have you never stopped? the beginning of our detention, i.e. freedom complainants we had in court were in exchange of an official disavowal with wounded policeman or the families of - I never stopped… publicity, which means us expressing to the General Audran and Mr. Besse**. revolutionary movement that all forms of : So you absolutely keep on your struggle… struggle, like the ones we used, are useless : The actual targets. and even dangerous. -I am still a communist activist. I -So this is a fundamental think I will remain so. : And for you, this is out of question. difference. : Is violence still something you can put - This is out of question… : About your motivations as well, forward? because your approach was very, very : Why? politicised. Currently we are in a - Personally, my health is good, but - Because we think that the purely religious terrorism, which has for my two sick comrades, it was already a communist position is still valid. Armed nothing to do with what you were definitely obsolete perspective. The problem is struggle has to be done in objective condi- doing… that they use against us the fact that in 1981 tions. Maybe these conditions are not here when they discharged us (from prison) we anymore. I have been disconnected, in prison - We indeed don’t have anything to do started again. We didn’t start again, we have for almost two decades, so I won’t say that the always done it. At that time, when we got out, conditions are met now; that we have to take there was our organisation with dozens of arms, no. However, what we did seems to be clandestine people. When we found ourselves valid. outside, we very naturally took back our place in the struggle. What is happening today is that : So, There is no disavowal, this famous the situation has completely changed, our repentance that they demand? organisation doesn’t exist anymore, and there is no armed communist organisation anymore. - No. It would be pure voluntarism to do anything in that direction. : So what is your stance towards what happened? You do not disavow it, but with with religious organisations. The only : What arguments do you plan to tell the some distance, how do you see it? problem is that today the American and judge? English imperialist forces are aggressive - One has to speak with some against the Arab world, and thus they - Absolutely none. distance. History changed a lot. We were reap the fruits of their policy. fighting at a time when there existed the : You let your lawyer speak! Soviet Union, the Berlin wall, at a time when : Is this how you read it? the confrontation was totally different from -No, not even that. We will listen to today. It is obvious. Indeed, in order to -Yes, yes, and so does what they have to say. I make Mr. Etelin my strengthen their blackmail, the “courts of the mayor of London! lawyer out of respect for the court that has implementation of the sentence” tell that never, until now been aggressive towards me. Action Directe still exists, but it is total : So you don’t believe that you will get However I won’t give any explanation, craziness. They mix it up with the support out… because I gave the home and the job details, movement. The organisation Action Directe which is what is required from prisoners who hasn’t existed for at least 16 years. - It will be deferred or request release on parole. denied. I will appeal. I will go to the : What are your views on the current court of appeal in Pau and then there : Does you behaviour inside the jail plays terrorist attacks? Do you consider yourself as will be 18 months and our request will against you? having committed terrorist attacks and what be considered again by a commission. difference do you see between what you did The examination of our next request - No, no, nothing inside can and what is currently happening? of release on parole will happen exactly interfere with a release. during the 2007 French elections. -There is a fundamental difference: : Do you plan to live in Auch if you get out? we never committed any massacre-type : A time of changes… - Of course. - So, obviously we will defer our : At your mum’s place? requests because they are political and we - This the town I was born in, I grew don’t want them to be up there. I still have roots in this town. used politically. : You expect to stay for a while. Do you have a : What do you imagine hope to get out within the next few months? after you get out? Do you sometimes think - Definitely not. After they deny the about it?
14 : Indeed, the image is very powerful. I Action Directe prisoners have finished. Do you want to add anything? Georges Cipriani 4364/1239 M.C. d'Ensisheim 49, - No, no, but you will find in rue de la 1er armée 68190 our texts some answers to this last Ensisheim question. France Nathalie Ménigon 2173 j Jean-Marc Rouillan 1829, CD Bapaume 204 rue des saligues BP 166 65300 Chemin des Anzacs 62451 Lannemezan Bapaume cedex France France
Régis Schleicher 9484 QI release, we can’t request a release before 18 *See www.action-directe.net. **Both were killed in Action Directe C.P. Clairvaux 10310 months, so it adds up to at least two more years of operations, Besse was the CEO of Fiat, Ville sous la Ferté, prison. and Audran was a French miltary general. France ***French Interior Minister. : That makes it very long, do you thing about a life sentence? Solidarity demos with - I think that French authorities are strongly attracted by the American justice. Action Directe prisoners
: What do you mean? I didn’t understand. Three gatherings were held Saturday February 25, 2006 in front of the prisons - By reforming laws like the pleading- where the militants of Action Directe guilty one, etc… one can see it also in jail. There and George Abdallah, Arab communist is a temptation to make it happen for some militant are detained. All of them should prisoners, without telling it. have been released a year ago, after 17 years in prison and more. : This famous life-sentence? “Greetings and A hundred people under snow at solidarity from -The real life sentence Ensisheim and as many at Bapaume, nearly 250 in Lannemezan.There was your comrades.. : As a matter of fact, the timing of your request is also a demonstration in Barcelona for the not very good, because Sarkozy*** just re- prisoners. Fireworks, detonators, Do not forget that you are not launched the debate about release on parole. We balloons flying over the centers of forgotten. Your rage and spirit is are in the middle of a period of terror attacks… detention, the three processions reaffirmed the requirement of the alive and well inside of us all here in the UK. The repression in Italy, - We are not recidivists. None of us has release of the prisoners of direct Action Spain and Greece, and the social ever been convicted before by a criminal court. and George Abdallah, hostages of the French State. insurrection in France has fired our rage and anger to new levels of : Do you think this debate will play against you? The supporters collective denounces the awareness. The time for reactive solidarity and meaningless - Yes, yes, everything plays against us, eternal blackmail of "repentance for rhetoric is over, this becomes more there very few positive things. Although the release". In Lannemezan, Charlie Bauer, obvious everyday. The situation prisoners who struggled with us in Belgium are ex-prisoner, summarizes the situation amongst those of us who share free, In Germany almost all of them are free, the well: "The State keeps in prison the your love of what we should be, three last ones should be freed this year. In Italy, militant comrades of Action Directe, not and not what they would have us the big majority of the comrades arrested there for what they did, since the sanction be, means that our relationship are now free. We sometimes get into brusque was carried out, but for their ideas. The has changed dramatically. And situations: For example, the perpetrator of the State asks them to be disavow, to spit this is how it should be. No longer deeds for which Regis Schleicher is jailed for on what they were, on what they are must we wait for them to come for complicity was liberated 6 years ago whilst he, the still today " us, in the night with dogs and accomplice, is still in jail. These demonstrations gathered the old truncheons, reaction is no longer, and never was, a solution. : Why do you say that over the past few months ones of Action Directe, militants coming we came to a situation that plays against your from the Basque-Country, from Belgium, The fight must be taken to them, liberation? How do you explain it? from Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Lebanon and Palestine. Personalities and on our terms, every minute of every day, in the spirit not only of - Because we personalise a struggle that representatives of the CNT, and other solidarity, but of pro-active became an agreement between a far left who trade-unions, and also people from the solidarity. We are with you always gave up its goals and a power that became political and associative world also - in head, in heart and by any extremely tougher. We are symbols. It is as clear attended, as well as many signatories of means possible, as that, and in the same time we are these sorts of a petition requiring the release of the beasts… A bit like the Roman Empire showed up prisoners of Action Directe. In love and in rage x” its defeated opponents. They put a ring through our nose at the end of a chain, and they make us from a letter to a comrade residing turn a little in front of cameras, saying: “Look in the cells of the Italian state. how tough they are, look how ferocious they are.” Destroy the Prisons
15 BreakingBreaking outout ofof thethe Ghetto:Ghetto: Lessons from the CPE struggle France was aflame with saw a spate of anti police, anti State following is a brief look at the nature of violence over the space of 3 weeks these changes. insurrectionary fervour again following the death of two banlieu* kids earlier this year as over 20 who were running, innocently, to One of the most significant aspects of this million people made perfectly escape an ID check by les keufs (cops); last uprising, which reflected the events of these controles are becoming increas '68, was the widespread contribution of clear their displeasure at the ingly racist and increasingly common. the student body. They formed the increasingly repressive social The most notable uprising is undoubt backbone of the entire movement, with edly the infamous events of May 1968, virtually every university and a large and economic policies of the which ignited insurrectionary waves all number of lycee being occupied and French State. over the world, and whose (situationist) reclaimed as space from which revolution ary propaganda was propagated and some sometimes quite complex direct action against the State was planned.
The major tactic employed, along with the use of blockading major roads and train stations, was that of the traditional demo, or manif. Every Tuesday a Greve Generale, or General Strike was called, which, although it did not quite live up to its name consisting at best of a large proportion of the public sector, but hardly any significant amount from the private sector of the workforce was still an impressive and formidable spectacle.
From the very beginning of the anti CPE movement an important and unfortunate influence could still be seen amidst the split was evident, and nowhere could this TTThe pretext this time was the introduction smouldering cars and graffiti which be more plainly seen than during the of new labour laws, and two in particular littered France again this year. weekly manifs. The split was along the the CPE and CNE, which threaten to usual lines and is one that is surely ‘liberalise’ the economy, moving power These new employment laws, of which doomed to hinder any true insurrectionary away from the employee and shifting it into there are actually several, mark a new movement. On one side there were the the hands of the employer. This will end the era in the relationship between 'fluffies' the reformists, the bourgeois, the employment rights and the ‘right to work’ individual, society, State and Capital in left liberals and communists les pacifistes; that many of those demonstrating saw their France. The most notorious are the on the other were the 'spikies', those parents and grandparents fight to win on CPE or First Employment Law, and the committed to real change and those with the picket lines of industrial relations during CNE or New Employment Law. The nothing left to lose, the anarchists, the 60’s to 80’s. majority of the anger manifested in the insurrectionists, anti capitalists and the March/April riots was directed primarily other disempowered and disaffected This widening of the notion of precarity the at the CPE, which in turn was directed enemies of the totality les casseurs (the shifting of power from the individual to the at young people under 26. This law breakers). company, of emphasising in law a entitled an employer to sack any company’s right to profit over the individual’s employee aged 26 years or under, At the beginning of the movement, and right to a salary, demonstrates yet again without divulging the reason, at any time during the first strike/demo, the ranks of Capitalism's raison d’etre, its wish and during the first two years of their les pacifistes formed the majority of those ability its need to conquer every dimension employment. For the first time in many demonstrating against the CPE. The of social space in the pursuit of progress years both the workers’ unions and reformist opinions of the majority unions and profit. students’ unions, both with a strong held sway, and the political line emerging tradition of organising in France, came from the student unions was equally The current shift to the right and out in open defiance to the government, reformist. There was a small anarchist/ authoritarianism under the guise of social along with the unemployed and insurrectionary/ situationist faction, which democracy has been taking place in otherwise generally disaffected, who made its presence felt amongst the manifs France, as in many other ‘Western’ also have a strong history of organising with a scattering of black and black/red countries, since the late 1960’s. Accompa although in a markedly different flags. The syndicalists, in the guise of the nying civil unrest, as people become more manner. The nature of this battle set in CNT, are still popular in France, although and more alienated and atomised, as the social landscape was extremely this school of anarchist thought is slowly on Capitalism attempts to transform them from interesting in terms of the ongoing the wane as the general anarchist critique spontaneous social animals into regulated struggle against all aspects of authority comes to terms with industrialism's role units of production and consumption, has and control, with both sides (a reduc within the Totality. Propaganda, the sprung up intermittently during this time. tionist term, used for simplicity in this majority of which was also anarchist or The most recent was last November, which context) evolving in a tactical sense coming from an anti State or anti Capitalist within their individual paradigm. The stance, was rife; being distributed by a 16 even that visible during the march itself, just wide selection of groups covering the This perception was, as always, making their presence felt at any junctions student, worker and anarchist/situationist reinforced by the mainstream media and intersections along the route (although milieux. The general political feeling however, who portrayed any form of physical footage viewed later makes it clear that not at the beginning of the movement, was assertion as the work of the usual only was the final assault itself planned, but definitely reformist. The main critique, the minority of rent a mob (although there was a massive amount of undercover main political question being posed, was on interestingly the French media are not police infiltrated amongst the marchers, all the issue of precarity; people could see that as want as their UK contemporaries to masked up and blatantly there in the role of political power was being taken from them by use the word 'anarchists' in the agent provocateur, not simply in a observing the State under the guise of 'opening up the pejorative tabloid sense), demonising or preventative role). market' and the general response was that any tactic outside of those deemed the State must be made to scrap these new acceptable, ie controllable, by the So, as people congregated at the end of laws that the 'right to work' must be bourgeois media and the State. Once the march,and slowly started to dissipate, protected. this paradigm has been created, named and represented (in this case as les lines of fully tooled up CRS (riot squad) and BAC (Brigade Anti Criminelle) appeared Amongst the workers and the majority of the casseurs), the concept becomes yet around the remaining demonstrators.Then, students this concept of 'work' was sacro another form of control to be used by sanct. The notion of a safe, secure job with an adequate salary protected by law, the rights that were bitterly fought for and won towards the end of the last century were the main bone of contention. People saw that the CPE would take away this security and the anti CPE movement was launched with these criteria in mind: people came out on strike, people occupied their places of work and of learning, in order to demand the right to remain a wage slave! Initially this was as far as peoples' critique went that the CPE would take away their right to negotiate the terms of their own economic enslavement.
This determination by the leftist workers' unions and students' unions to use only peaceful civil disobedience to convince the government to change the law led to some rather disturbing scenes on the Tuesday of the first strike. There were several reports of students and union stewards/'officials' intervening in situations involving property after a brief provocative wait and period of damage and detaining comrades until they the State, media or any other interested taunting on both sides, the inevitable missiles could be given over to the police. Basically, party. Les casseurs were presented as began sailing through the heady afternoon under some sort of twisted sense of social the same 'mindless thugs' who created atmosphere. Suddenly the air was full of the morality and worker ethics the left acted as a havoc at the end of last year torching dull thud of bricks and shrill staccatto laugh proxy police force, doing the State's job for countless cars, businesses and State of breaking bottles raining down from one it. There were several reports of this sort of buildings an uncontrollable mob from side, and the 'zip, zip,zip' of numerous CS incident taking place, usually occuring when the ungovernable banlieus* with no gas canisters trailing their graceful arc from somebody attempted some form of actual valid political stance, racaille (scum) the other, all interspersed with the random direct action, or simply manifested their according to Sarkozy, for whom the only ear shattering cacaphony of disorientation anger, rage or frustration into any form of solution is a taste of the police baton grenades. action outside of the passive protest deemed and the prison cell. This interpretation sufficient by the reformist left. People were was gladly adopted by the left who took People reacted quickly to this sudden detained and handed to the enemy for up the chant, 'casseurs, cassez vous!' change; some were obviously awaiting this throwing stones or for attempting to damage (rioters, get lost!) at the sight of any very turn of events, although the amount of or burn private property, usually under the real confrontation with the forces of law people screaming and running around like misguided notion that property damage was and order. headless poulets showed that the majority in some way harmful to the 'workers'. The were caught off guard, creating the very author personally witnessed students putting However, at the end of the manif, after situation that les keufs desired total out a fire which anarchists attempted to start a fairly peaceful march with flags and confusion and the destruction of any form of in a JCB as a diversionary tactic three times banners waving, and anti government existing organisation on the side of the with the reasoning that burning the JCB was chants chanted, the police changed their demonstrators. However, many produced bad because it belonged to the workers, tactics and upped the ante in a move masks and joined their already covered because it would put somebody out of a job. expected by many of us who under comrades. Existing street furniture was Many of the students seemed to be pos stand the nature of these games, but a requisitioned crowd control barriers, sessed of this mentality, but it was mainly the move which seemed to take the majority wheelie bins and makeshift barricades old guard of the leftist unions, particularly the of students and unionists by surprise. thrown up, sometimes being set alight, to stewards, with their high vis vests and After all had they not just played by the slow the advancing police lines. This gave walkie talkies, who were blatantly making the rules demonstrating peacefully in a people time to adapt to the change in most of their deemed and self imposed peaceful, orderly manner? I refer of circumstance, to avoid the snatch squads authority during the march. course to the inevitable police assault. As is usually the way on demonstrations which were suddenly active, to get their on the continent, the police were not bearings and decide whether to join in the
17 confrontation or to leave the field, safely and of the public. What under their own volition. happened next I don't know, as our group The police soon settled into an obviously well decided that that was a practiced routine, after all they had just good time to leave. manufactured a 'hot' situation where they Luckily there was a they could put their paramilitary tactics into Metro entrance inside real time practice. They would line up 20 30 the kessel which metres in front of a barricade, lob in a volley provided a quick of tear gas, wait for the gas to disperse escape route, and not slightly, and advance rapidly up to the a flic in sight although barricade whilst sending out snatch squads to I'm not sure whether mop up any stragglers. In this situation the this was an oversight barricades served mainly to slow the police or a deliberate ploy by advance rather than as a device to hold onto the police. a piece of land for any amount of time. Certainly, this development of the tactics and matured into its second and third weeks, The development of the police tactics during of the French police is interesting, and so did the level of critique. As people actually the main 3 4 weeks of the disturbances was this slow transition towards something came into real, direct contact with the true particularly interesting. There was a marked similar to UK policing makes me wonder nature of the State in the form of the police/ change between their approach at the whether there were advisors there from CRS, and as the masses of street propaganda beginning and at the end. At the start of the London's Finest. became more critical of the entire status quo, movement the police tactics could be viewed the general feeling surrounding events became as 'conventional' continental style the police Another new tactic employed by the more revolutionary. This change of feeling kept a low profile during the march, only to police was the use of fluorescent pink manifested itself in many ways; it is hard, if not turn up at the end and face off the marchers paint balls to mark individuals deemed to impossible, to actually pin it down to any single in a head on confrontation which resulted in be 'troublemakers', and there was also criterion or phenomenon. For example, by the classic stylee running battles. By the second the usual plethora of video cameras, second 'general' strike many more students week police lines were appearing at the sides both with the officers on the ground and appeared masked up, a week or more of in a sort of pincer movement, causing any at strategically placed vantage points in exposure to police tactics whilst posing as gathered crowd to disperse quickly and first floor windows. Interestingly there pacifistes convincing them to become casseurs; reform elsewhere. By the third week, was no use of helicopters. the influence of the unions appeared to have however, the polices tactics appeared to dwindled; and the voice of the banlieus began develop into something more akin to UK style The generally reformist and leftist view to make itself heard, with some kids as young policing. At the place where the march was held by those comprising the anti CPE as 11 or 12 just blatantly fronting up lines of supposed to end there was the usual movement did appear to slowly dissipate CRS and attacking them. The chant on the concentration of troops; however this time somewhat during the few weeks of its street also changed to 'pacifistes, cazzez they were not only blocking the direction in existence. As previously noted, the vous!' which the march was heading, but were critique held by the majority was, at already in place in large numbers down the first, largely aimed at the issue of Another important phenomena were the sides aswell. Then, as soon as all of the precarity, and was directed toward the 'general assemblies'. These appeared to be demonstrators had caught up with the main end of forcing the government to not the main method of mass consensus decision body, the police also formed up at the rear, implement the new liberalising labour making and were used all over the country, surrounding the march by forming the classic laws, but to instead keep the current some centred in the occupied universites, some kessel, or kettle. Anybody inside the kessel ones. In this respect the movement was elsewhere. Essentially non heirarchical in form, was then refused permission to leave, the largely reactive and conservative. some decisions involving thousands of people, police making no distinction between those from all sectors of the community, were made who were demonstrating and other members However, as the movement progressed in this way. A statement of action would be posed, then discussed in small autonomous groups in the assembly and any questions or queries raised against it, if possible the statement of action, or plan, would then be modified to accomodate. Although not perfect, this system worked remarkably well for some of the more rapid decisions that needed to be made and there was something quite exhilirating about participating in decisions made in this way.
Unfortunately, one of the initial strengths of the movement, the students, was also its downfall. After the unions had been bought off with some minor concessions in the law, many of the students who formed the movement followed conceding defeat whilst attempting to cry victory. But it was a phyrric victory, if at all. The government delivered its concessions just before the final exams of some students, and with a small change in the law to ease their conscience they held ballot box elections,
18 decided to end the strike (the vote was extremely close in Le Manifesto de les Etudientes et some areas, leading to several violent confrontations between l’autres de ‘les emeurtttes those for and against the occupation), and returned to their ivory towers to graduate and perpetuate the very system they de ‘Ripas’ et l’autre villes en Frrrance had just denounced. - Mars et Avrvrvril 2006:- A broad overlook of the unrest shows that a strong similarity can also be drawn with the Thatcherism of the 1980’s in the - Toppling the Crumbling World - UK. Back then the British government played the same game, destroying community values, dismantling the unions, There is no such thing as a gratuitous act of destruction or criminalising dissent and handing power over to the private violence. sector through the privatisation of the economy. Interestingly it was only after one wave of particularly effective strike action Granted, certain acts are stupid or non-strategic, but all of them by the miners in 1981 caused the Conservative government express and display a rage and a determination which for many to back down, that Thatcher asserted herself and the British years had seemed to be quelled and tamed. government finally took off the gloves and changed the British social and economic landscape for once and all in 1984. An We want to talk- and more; we want to expand and give depth to the analogy can be drawn here, I suggest, with current events in current movement. France. Although the last wave of unrest could be argued to be successful from a reformist point of view in that it forced We must not repeat the conditions and errors of the previous move- the French government to change the terms of the CPE, the ments which have failed. We can’t seperate ourselves from the world fundamental terms, criteria and goals of the new laws that surrounds us; we won’t try to establish an impossible, fallacious remain the liberalisation of the economy. And it could be connection between us and ‘the workers’: we refuse to be drawn into argued that these changes were only forced because of a fulfilling these roles; we won’t hide the world that we bring in our relatively weak political situation because of a prime minister, hearts; we won’t allow the media and the public to stigmatise some Dominic Villepin, who has a reputation for being rather soft, ‘violent minority’. We refuse to let executive orders and special mea- effete and ineffectual when it comes to imposing both sures cower us into submission. To do this we must clarify the posi- discipline and his own will. tions and sides that we have taken.
However, waiting in the wings of French politics we also have So what if Villepin has retracted his law- let him! Let him persist Nicholas Sarkozy (Sarko), an extremely authoritarian right today, tomorrow, for weeks- this is what we all desire: to keep the wing politician with an unbridled thirst for power. Sarko was, struggle alive, to develop and amplify the discussions that we have quite shrewdly, rather quiet during the recent troubles, being started....and finally to make everyone take a position either for or quite happy to let Villepin, his arch rival, take the flak. This against this world that we are being offered, a world that brings Machiavellian solipsist is an expert in the modern political art suffering to those who are most vulnerable, to those who can’t take of media spin, manipulating the media to ooze slimy charis anymore of the shit that constitutes their jobs, their bosses, their matic spectacles like those of his contemporaries Blair and entire everyday lives. Everywhere, more and more, we can feel sup- Berlusconi. He is also quick to utilise the full power of the port for our cause and for our comrades, both in the air and in the state in order to achieve his political ends; he being respon words, in the daily atmosphere and gossip: we sense an inquiry, a sible for the recent zero tolerance approach to tackling crime, growing hunger for change, a secret desire to blow it all up; to destroy the current explosion in new prisons (esp. youth prisons), and it all!!! the protagonist of the French equivalent of the Criminal Justice Act which virtually wiped out free party culture in We are searching for a place (or places) that could become a rallying France with the brutal suppression of parties and teknivals by point, a place of convergence, where everyone- whether they be strik- the paramilitary CRS. Sarko’s seemingly direct approach to ers, precarious workers, unemployed, activists, anarchists, or any- politics, i.e saying what he is going to do and doing it without body else, could meet and share their experiences, their suffering, wrapping everything up in rhetoric, has won him the confi their hopes, their dreams, and leave with a desire to persevere, to dence of the French people. He is also standing in the push further, to expand and extrapolate the struggle that has began. Presidential elections next year. If he wins this election he can be expected to perform the same role as Thatcher, We want a general strike: the machine must stop, the routine must 'modernising' the French state to fit better within the global be broken. We can already see the smiles and the joy beaming from hegemonic neo liberal project. If he wins we can also expect the faces of those who just can’t take it anymore- those who are the banlieus, where he is a figure of hate, to explode. already in struggle. We see the hatred for the union leaders In conclusion then: although mainly reformist, these recent who are proposing yet another events opened lots of eyes, and spread the idea of resistance day of symbolic strike action. to the totality of capital and civilisation, not just resistance and We also see the disgust that reform inside of it. New links were made both in France they provoke in those who are between students, anarchists and those from the banlieus most angry- whether they be and between other countries who can all see the product of union members or not. these forms of policies both in the US and the UK. In effect both sides come out stronger the police have more practice We recognise each other in at urban warfare as do the insurgents, but les casseurs have the streets without knowing built many bridges between different forms of struggle. Expect each other: we are not anony- the next round soon mous anymore. Without turning the riot into myth, we perceive the concrete expression of our strength binding us together more and more with each and every confrontation. * banlieus ghettoes of high rises and poor quality housing on the edge of the city centre where immigrants and the We don’t want leaders or spokespeople. We don’t even recognise underclass are dumped to keep them out of the way the ones that already exist. Those who sit at the table with the govern- ment will be disavowed, or worse should the turncoats still consider 19 themselves to be one of our number. We have nothing to ne- gotiate and everything to take. This we now know, now this is more clear, better than ever.
Chirac was elected against Le Pen, his majority was victorious because the voters on the left abstained. Therefore all the laws, decrees and ordinances which have been applied since are illegitimate; as, for us, is the succession of all governments.
Everthing that has been passed: those policies that at- tack the weakest and the most oppressed (the sans-papiers, the unemployed, those on pub- lic assistance), these policies have all generated real grass- roots opposition movements - retirees, the reform Fillon - and, in turn, every exceptional police policy emanating from the state’s response to these legiti- mate protests has become en- trenched, has become the norm. We lived through the State of Emergency and the repression of the October-No- vember 2005 riots. We were passive then. This will not hap- pen again.
We want more than just putting a stop to things this one time, to try to prevent each new wave of repression. We oppose the values of this world and its realities. We condemn school and education, wage slavery, We know that industrial society, growth, ‘full employment’, there is no longer progress and its trail of destruction. We reject the a left alternative for roles that society wants to force us to play: we refuse 2007, we know that be heartless cynics, winners ready to crush everbody the ballot boxes will only else at any cost, to be passive consumers and slaves. bring us fresh disappoint- ments, we know that our only We are fighting not only against economics and social in- hope is to make it all happen stability, we are fighting against exploitation and forced work. right here, right now, autonomously, We know that there are many who have no other choice but than without relying on the false illusions of to refuse these conditions. They don’t have a CPE (First Employ- unions or political parties. ment Law), or a CNE (New Employment Law) to protect them as workers even if they wanted one- they only have the hollow prom- We have absolutely no confidence in the media and will do everything ise of an insecure, precarious contract. The multiplication of the we can to expose the lies that they spread. It is by speaking out, by means to force us into work such as the CPE, CNE, RMA, and the writing on the walls and in the subways, by word of mouth, and by monthly controls for those on the dole represent an idealogical alternative media that we will validate the truth, to make real connec- attack in favour of the ‘value of work’, of work for work’s sake. They tions and convergence. We will use our actions, whether they be prop- provoke a resistance to being enslaved, a resistance to the daily erty damage or fighting the cops, to prove that we have matured. humiliation of those forced to constantly seek work or to actually work for some form of capitalist enterprise, be it public or private. The movement that we have launched should not stop: those arrested and charged during the last insurrection, and those of last November, We must refuse to let them use us thus! and of all the social movements in recent years need our total support and solidarity. By continuing the struggle today, and every day, we will We are fighting for our dignity, trampled and shattered on the keep up the fight against repression. The cops sent a union member altar of capitalist competition and productivism. The continual hard- into a coma. We are thinking of him and his community and we are all ship of making ends meet each month, the impossibility of planning calling for vengeance. any form of security for the future is now the daily reality that many of us are forced to share. These hardships are the direct We will nottt abandon anyyyone!! consequence of the continuous reorganisation of labour.
20 This is a report from the frontlines of last year’s the edge of escape. Increased through sheer force of numbers. However, the Czech teknival, held the first weekend of August communication amongst the member raver convoy stayed in one lane of the 05. It is an updated and elongated version of an States of the EU begins with police motorway, enabling further police vehicles to join article that first appeared the week after teknival agencies. Perhaps the Czech authorities their colleagues. These secondary vehicles were in ‘Scandaloso’, a free party zine produced in looked to their EU counterparts in visible by their lights from a great distance before English and translated into as many languages as England, France, Germany, Holland, they had passed the entire convoy. It would possible where applicable. To get current copies and Italy when composing their strategy have been easy to block them, but we weren’t etc, contact >[email protected]< for dealing with tek travellers: show willing to put ourselves and our homes at risk by them who’s boss with a demonstration being the only ones to block the motorway. of premeditated violence, and then In the absence of quick communication and TEK IT UP impose harsh laws that garner support decision making up and down the line, we from the programmed and pacified waited and did nothing. The vibrancy of the culture and the majority of the population. beauty of the country have had party By morning a section of fence was down and a heads coming to CzechTek since 1994. Perhaps foreseeing problems, and few more vehicles had gained access before The culture and music festival has grown from hoping to stay one step ahead of the the police once more jumped in and plugged small beginnings; two years ago at the largest authorities, the organisers of this year’s the gap. From the very start people were able CzechTek so far there were around 30 40,000 teknival decided to follow a legal route to sneak onto site by foot. The convoy was participants including dozens of sound systems. and hire land. While this concession has then asked to leave, but this was only its merits giving the authorities one communicated to some. Many dispersed of From the first the travelling circus of sound less reason to intervene their their own accord. Those who remained were systems and artists connected with local youth disapproval of possible drug taking on a met with heavy force. Relatively quickly, police after a time of revolution and the re drawing of mass scale and more simple bigotry were already amassing large numbers: we saw physical and mental maps across Europe. against a way of life they perceive as some 60 vans, 30 cars, a couple of trucks Teknivals occur as an extension of the age old different overshadow such an attempt. mounted with water cannons, and an all terrain festivals and markets where people meet up for The sheer potential size of teknival its vehicle with a satellite dish. days and even weeks for a host of reasons: from drawing power and the seemingly sharing ideas and having fun to making money casual disdain for laws that the The rest of friday was spent driving endlessly and thickening plots. At their best, teknivals are a authorities hold dear make a threat that along country lanes only to encounter road powerful expression of common creative may be more imagined than real. blocks, or sitting tight and messaging info back impulses. When a teknival ends and people go and forth. A storm hit the Czech Republic hard their separate ways, ideas and action can spread Those arriving for this year’s teknival that night, trees fell and blocked roads while in many directions. close to its intended start were handed the game of cat and mouse with the police was a flyer as they traversed the Czech illuminated by an awesome display of sheet and CzechTek 2004 had been broken up by police border. It warned party goers against a fork lightning. on the monday in a heavy handed way. Would range of offences they might break this repression of underground culture be through attendance. These ranged from In a later statement, police claimed that the stepped up in 2005? In 2006 the Czech selling and buying drugs to illegal contract with the landowner had been broken Republic joined the European Union. In recent camping. and therefore revoked. In fact the landowner years the EU has worked towards ‘harmonising’ backed up the teknival organisers, and the its policies, especially with regard to the On wednesday night, word of a meeting contract was shown to be legal. A meeting on treatment of minority groups such as refugees, point for sound systems at 4 am in Plzen saturday between organisers and police was immigrants and travellers. Most countries are was networked. The info quickly spread followed by a report in the media that the busy drafting and implementing new laws to beyond sound systems to other ravers Prime Minister was giving the Interior Minister better control their populations. Meanwhile, road and also the police. The first vehicles full power of authority and resources to stop networks are being extended for the transport of sped off, seemingly forgetting the basics teknival by any means necessary. Police further goods to facilitate unchecked ‘free trade’, with of a successful convoy driving slowly claimed their reason for the shut down was that borders opening wider to those who buffer the bumper to bumper so that no vehicles land surrounding the site was being damaged system, and attempting to close them to those at can break up the line. And so the by ravers on foot (a consequence of the police germinal party was blockade of vehicles). Again, many locals in fact stretched out along supported the teknival. In one nearby village, the motorway. Few the inhabitants drew up a petition asking for the vehicles made it police to grant ravers unimpeded access to site onto the site near by the original entrance right by the motorway. the village of This would have prevented large numbers of Mlynec, before vehicles passing through, though many villagers police barricaded were still all smiles and waved. the site, causing an 8km tailback. Not One Czech man I picked up hitching said he had very many police been taken to a police station and told he could vehicles blocked the pay his way to safety for Kc1000 (£20). After convoy, some felt handing over the money he was beaten, and we could have burned with lighters and matches. He showed made them move me the scars on his arms. 21 On Saturday morning, with the discovery of an unguarded track through the woods, more freak mobiles bounced onto site greeted by cheers. When police intervened they were initially held at bay During the clearing of site, the police line had passed through people by hastily deployed barricades before once their tatting down, who thinking the action more taking control of access. participation, was over stayed on site. That night, feeling that their under cover of darkness and with less Some 6,000 ravers were enjoying teknival presence was being co opted chance of being filmed, police attacked when approximately 1,000 police made their for the gain of others. move to close down the event at 4.30 pm on again. CS gas canisters were thrown into tents and vehicles as people slept, saturday. The brutality of what followed During this week, police mostly kept out of the beatings following any attempt to shocked many. Police made a line and picture. With hindsight, it became ever more escape. showered tear gas and disorientation grenades obvious that they had acted illegally in into the crowd, gradually clearing site over the restricting people’s movement, infringed on a Although this was the first time someone course of five hours. Individual ravers were legal contract between the teknival organisers has been killed at a teknival due to the randomly attacked by groups of police who and the landowner, and of course essentially actions of police a truly horrible event wrestled them to the ground and beat and murdered a man. Their actions artificially that many will never be able to forget kicked them. Others were hit by CS canisters escalated the true nature of the situation, and violence on this level is not a new in the face. Resistance by ravers took the form they acted above the law. Of course, the police phenomenon. Three years ago, a of a barrage of projectiles, hand to hand heavies are pawns and acted on orders from party goer’s hand was blown off in combat, and a refusal to immediately concede above. The Czech President criticised the Brittany, France; Dutch police have space to seriously tooled up stormtroopers in crackdown, but Prime Minister Paroubek said released dogs onto site; attacks with body armour. Water cannons aimed at dance techno enthusiasts were “no dancing children truncheons and gas have occurred floors pushed back the crowds and surely but dangerous people “. damaged sound systems. regularly at teknivals across Europe in the last ten years. Taking a wider Since we left the Czech Republic, there have perspective, police kill people in custody A Czech internet server, visions.cz, issued the been further demonstrations, but despite with terrible regularity, and attack following description: ‘There were hundreds of worldwide attention on CzechTek 2005 minorities on the basis of race or way of injuries, including cuts, bruises, burnings, mainly due to the level of violence and the life every day. broken arms and shock. Many people were in international make up of the party goers shock still the next day afternoon with red faces nothing much has probably changed. Neither With no rave to attend, people from tear gas. Police intentionally damaged the Interior Minister nor the Prime Minister attempted to park in the local area, cars, electronic equipment and other property. have been forced to step down or felt the need where they encountered similar police Attack was led with clear intention to cause to do so of their own accord. Promises have pressure. Small gatherings still injuries. People were forced to go to near the been made about changes to how the police occurred, we can’t actually be stopped highway, which was closed several hours and deal with such situations. Probably more from making contact. In the aftermath then the waiting trucks were allowed to go people have been ‘politicised’, hopefully this will many people and vehicles ended up at dangerously among the disoriented people. be translated into effective action. Police confirmed the death of a young man Strahov in Praha, and sound systems set up. Disappointment and anger at attending the festival. Reportedly he was killed Protests make an appeal to those who hold what had happened was turned into an by a truck which left.’ power and exert authority, the protestors impulse to be active. request change through an attempt at At the time we heard that the police had re ‘democratic processes’. As such the authorities On sunday, tuesday, thursday and opened the motorway, and while escaping determine how much of a threat is posed and saturday of the following week from the site onto the motorway the man was whether change benefits the system, and make thousands of people protested outside run over by a truck (which had nothing to do a decision to either placate the protestors to the Interior Ministry in Praha. Several with teknival). Photographs since released some extent, or to carry on regardless. sound systems demonstrated with loud seem to show the police running over at least Protests vary, from demonstrations music and packed dancefloors, including one person. Whether these show the same a show of numbers based one 12v rig on a wheel barrow and incident is unclear. In the days following on reasonable teknival the death was the subject of endless another in a rucsac. Much of the music speculation and rumours. At one point a played kept within the bounds of second person was supposedly reported dead. conventions established fifteen years Looking at articles on the internet at the time of ago or more, though some are seeking this rewrite, there is no mention anywhere of to break with the past musically and in at least one person dying. Why? If this death other areas of activity also. Over the was a result of negligence on the part of the four days of protest, political interests police – which was caused by a response to made their presence increasingly felt, people dancing and enjoying themselves – the and many sound system people, perpetrators are unlikely to be brought to travellers, and party goers withdrew justice.
22 appeal to direct action which ranges from a more concerted effort to exert pressure on KONSHUS SOUNDS: perceived wrong doers and their legislative/ Rather then spend money printing bullshit controlling agencies, to bypassing ‘the system’ leaflets that no one reads, Konshus altogether and living relatively autonomously. Litmus is a non-profit record label Perhaps the key is to be outside the system Sounds is committed to putting out which began in May 2004 with a and attack it at weak points it cannot absorb. Konshus political musik for as long as we To make the jump and stay one step ahead. can. Our next project is a 15 track CD series of shows on Reverb FM. that will have a 12’’ also, its themed Playing new, unreleased and Maybe at the political level what happened was ‘living in a police state’ and will be mostly experimental music from Brighton, a one off points scoring political decision, the hip hop (with at least one Palestinian UK. The show launched over 40 new Prime Minister’s attempt to gain support group), a couple of ragga tunes, some local bedroom producers. The for his administration with a fresh and breezy spoken word and some squat party profits from live nights and album display of minority bashing. However, tinged musik. It’s coming out in 2006 with sales are used to fund free music experience has shown that those in power can production and recording work- more or less do what they like. a rewritten version of the 'No Komment' booklet that will be aimed not at shops. The workshops, which take For what it’s worth, much of the press came ‘activists’ but at street level heads and place weekly in East Brighton are out in favour of the ravers, polls suggesting distributed at gigs and wherever. Money run by Litmus artists and open to that up to 70% of the Czech public were from the CD/12’’ will go toward all. To date we’ve worked with a opposed to the police action. Teknival also grassroots musik projects in Palestine, a total of 60 acts. Artists can go on brings money into the economy. According to a 'dealing with the cops' education initiative to perform at live events (no DJ's! police statement, the crackdown cost Kc31.35 in London and future releases of Konshus All live sets!) and feature on million (approx. £750,000) of which damage anti-political and uncompromising musik. Litmus radio shows and CD to police property amounted to Kc1.93 million releases. Litmus has a total (approx. £50,000). We released the ‘Fuck The G8’ EP which came out in June 2005 just before the voluntary staff of around 30. There is apparently talk among some Czech G8 summit. It was a coming together of Workshops and open evenings are sound systems of buying land to stage future people from the UK Hip Hop scene with funded entirely by memberships events; it remains to be seen whether this is a people from the squatter/traveller/ so if you like the sound of what viable solution. Some might say that one of the anarchist scene. 500 vinyl copies were we do, join! Members receive free key aspects of free parties is our intervention produced (it’s still available on the net & CDs, newsletters, e-mail updates to take back space responsibly and put it to in underground outlets) and loads of and much more for only £10 a better use than chemical farmers, road burnt CD copies went out for free to year. For a taster, download some builders, industrialists etc. random kids on the streets of Glasgow & tracks from our website or order a copy of the new compilation - The events during and after CzechTek 2005 London. have shown that our spirits cannot be "Test 2", which comes out on 23 dampened and that our resistance and parties Further info: June - dub, jungle, glitch, gabba, will continue. Hopefully the positive aspects of Konshus Sounds breaks! Czech culture will once more draw people here 62 Fieldgate St, London E1 from all over Europe to get together and party. konshussounds(at) graffiti.net and Litmus is by the people and for www.konshussounds.com (up soon) the people. The project’s nothing without you so get in touch and * Victims of the police’s illegal intervention get involved! who want to file charges against the police can contact the League of Human Rights’ lawyers on +420 608 719 535 or [email protected]. contact: Witnesses should contact the same address as [email protected] soon as possible. [email protected] [email protected] * Links: [email protected] www.policejnistat.cz www.czechteknival.freetekno.org www.litmus.org www.llp.cz
Terry Ordo and accomplices EEEuuurrrooopppeeeaaan Alllttteeerrrnnnaaatttiiivvveeesss RRReeesssiiissstttaaannnccce in thhhe ARRREEEA!A!A! On Saturday 15th April there was a big street parade in Strasbourg. 3000 people from all across Europe united to demonstrate their love of sound-system culture, and against the repression of the counter-culture; the clampdowns on free parties, festivals and squats - and in particular last summer's brutal attack by Czech riot police against the Czechtek tekno festival. United Against Repression! You Might Stop The Party But You Can’t Stop The Future!!!!!
23 Basque prisoners suicided On 12 Basque political activists have lost their lives at Since the last issue there has February 28, Basque political prisoner the hands of the State. More than 700 Basque been a lot of repression against Igor Angulo was found dead hanging political prisoners are kept in 80 prisons all from his cell window in Cuenca Jail at around France and Spain suffering beatings, anarchists and other rebels across more than 600 kilometers from the isolation, medical mistreatingt, dispersal and Basque Country. He was the only denying of most basic rights like studying and Europe and elsewhere, we are Basque political prisoner in Cuenca. speaking in Basque... If the Spanish and French Because of the Spanish dispersal policy governments are to be considered seriously not able to cover it all, but we before he was transferred to Cuenca in about their aims towards a political resolution of present here a small selection of 2001 he was kept in six different jails all the conflict they have to change radically their around Spain. He was locked in his cell crudel policy against Basque political prisoners the news items that have come to for 18 hours a day. He was tortured and stop treating them as political hostages. when he was arrested in 1996. He is Thousands took to the streets to remember the our attention..... the third Basque political prisoner to be prison dead, but were heavily suppressed by Update on youths from Barcelona found dead in his cell in the last year police. Source: Irish Basque Commitee charged with Gracia molotov attack and we want to make clear to every Last October 4th, three youths were body that this is a consequence of the arrested under suspicion of having partici merciless and brutal Spanish and The case of Ruben & Ignasi, anarchist pated in the petrol bomb attack at the French governments' prison policy prisoners in Barcelona Thursday 9th of Gracia police barracks. The three youths against Basques. Although the official February, 3 anarchist comrades were arrested in were brought to court two days after having version said he was hanging from his Barcelona, Spain. The arrests started at 8 in the suffered aggressions, tortures and vexations cell window and that he committed morning when one of our comrades was coming within the different police barracks they went suicide neither his family nor the Basque out of work, he was arrested by balaclava through. That day, on the 7th, the judge in people believe it. The forensic said he wearing Mossos d'esquadra (a police force Barcelona, Mr. Ramirez Suner, decides to was laying on the bed (first contadiction) belonging to the local government of Catalonia). let one of them go, a neighbor of Cornell and his hands were tied by leather shoe Later on as another comrade was leaving his del Llobregat (Barcelona), on bail. The laces (forbidden by the prison authori home in the center of the city he was also other two were imprisoned based on the ties). His girlfriend was speaking with arrested. Later in the afternoon the third to be self blaming statements the police obtained him through the phone just few hours arrested was released without charges, after from them after having ill treated them before his death and they were making being asked many questions about the Italian physically and psychologically. A fourth youth plans for the future. He had no reason anarchist movement. For the moment the other was also called to give statement a few days to committ suicide and the post mortem two are being charged with arson and public after and was charged but allowed to go doesn’t provide any proof of suicide. disorder. The charges are related to attacks on until the trial date. The ones imprisoned, Another prisoner, Roberto Sainz the company C.I.R.E. , a public enterprise who's from Hospitalet del Llobregat (Barcelona), (Bilbao, 1965) felt bad during the business it is to make a profit from prison labor in spent two months in the jail for youths morning of Friday the 3rd of March the Catalonian prison system, and a sabotage on Trinitat (Barcelona) until December 3rd, while holding a protest for Political a Banco Sabadell, a local bank that has been when they were released with the obligation Status in the Spanish prison of Aranjuez prosecuting a activist for breaking windows in a to sign on in court every week. (300 miles from the Basque Country). demonstration. On Saturday the 11th our During this year three formal complaints for Later on his comrades were told he comrades finally had a bail hearing, where they tortures have been submitted, two of which died from a heart attack at the prison were told that they would have to wait for trial in have been put away while the third is still hospital. His lawyers and family prison. This decision will be appealed. As our open and we are awaiting for the policemen denounced medical mistreatment as he comrades were leaving the court to be trans to give statement. Demonstrations, didn’t get apropiate help. Their funerals ferred to prison the police attacked the demon information talks, gigs and many solidarity and popular protests actions arrived from around the State and were brutally attacked abroad in solidarity with the three youths by the police. More than arrested, this has shown that solidarity has 700 Basque Political no boundaries and thats why we are still Prisoners are hostages here. At the moment the Barcelona court in more than 80 number 22 is accusing the youths of: Spanish and French damage and public disorder a total sum of gaols hundreds of miles 8.5 years in prison and 6.000 euro for away from home. 12 damages of the police barracks and urban prisoners were killed in property. Solidarity has no boundaries. If the last 20 years and you are young and rebel you are a target. more than 20 relatives Salut and Resistance to those who fight & were killed on their way resist every day, Prison bars won't silence to visit them. ETA have our rebel voices. not killed anybody as a result of their campaign in the last three years, 24 Simone Del Moro and Massimo sented an appeal to have Marina freed from stration of about 50 of their supporters Leonardi, were cleared. Tombolino was house arrest, whilst the prosecution argued she outside.In the scuffle that followed one of the sentenced to 9 year imprisonment (the be sent back to jail. At the next hearing on April demonstrators was beaten to point of public prosecutor had proposed 16 21, the jury rejected the appeal. Annalisa, who requiring stitches on his face. years during the previous hearing) and is on bail, could soon be back in prison as the found guilty of having sent a mail prosecution is seeking her preventive detention. Ignasi has now been released on 3000 Euro explosive device in 2003 that caused a At the end of the hearing on May 5, a proper bail, more money is needed to secure the cop to lose two fingers while opening it. discussion started. Public prosecutor Lino legal situation, and solidarity actions are vital Simone Del Moro was sentenced to 6 Giorgio Bruno claimed that the 'subversive in preventing the State burying these year imprisonment, the court found him association', which our comrades were arrested comrades alive. guilty of having carried out an explosive for, still existed. He added that Salvatore, To contact Ruben: attack against the court in Viterbo in Saverio, Cristian, Marina were the founders of 2004. Massimo Leonardi was sen the association, whereas the other anarchists Ruben Masmano Bernel tenced to 3 years imprisonment (the on trial were simple members. As the hearing (Modulo 1 de C.P. Brians) public prosecutor had proposed 12 finished, seven comrades took their shirts off C.P. Can Brians years for him) and accused of having and showed white t shirts that all together made Apartado 1000 attacked a McDonald’s store. the writing LIBERI SUBITO (FREEDOM NOW) 08760 Martorell None of the accusations justifying the on the front and NO CPT (no immigration Barcelona sentence against Tombolino, Simone detention centres) on the back. From inside Spain and Massimo are proved by reliable their cages, Salvatore and Saverio enjoyed the evidence. Tombolino and Simone are show a lot, which on the contrary was not at all Funds are under house arrest, whereas Massimo appreciated by the judge. urgently needed was taken to prison. At the moment we for the legal cost: don’t know his address. The lawyers will Other solidarity actions were organised during (International appeal. the week: Bank account number) IBAN May 3. The site of the Red Cross in Lecce was ES52 0182 Court updates of the Lecce 6, occupied for a few minutes. Banners were hung 4209 47 Italy Regular hearings concerning the on the balcony and leaflets were distributed 0201518073 anarchists investigated in the operation among the emoployees inside the building and 'Nottetempo' are taking place in Lecce. among passers by outside. The Red Cross is (Bank international code) The jury are wasting a lot of time in responsible for the management of various BIC BBVAESMM discussing bureaucratic questions, and detention centres for immigrants (CPT) in Italy. the defence lawyers don’t get many In the evening a number of anarchists inter For a full .pdf file in english about the case chances of presenting any requests in rupted a conference held by Marco Travaglio (a until now, check out favour of the accused, particularly those well known leftist journalist) in Casarano, the who are still in jail. Saverio and town where Marina is under house arrest and www.presosalacalle.tk Salvatore, two of the accused, are from where Salvatore was taken to prison. As placed on trial in two different closed leaflets were distributed and a banner was cages in the courtroom. The trial is a unfold, and one of the comrades explained the Basque extradition from London to farce. Marina, who is under house reason for the anarchists'action. Madrid February 27, Basque Inigo arrest, couldn’t attend one court hearing Makazaga was extradited to Spain, where he because the judicial police failed in May 4. The prisoners in Borgo San Nicola in will face charges relating to his political taking her to the court. The Lecce Lecce were greeted by a noisy group of friends activities while a member of the Basque anarchists are on trial accused of who gathered in front of the prison late in the Students Union. Inigo had been fighting actions taken against immigrant night. extradition since he arrived in Britain 5 years detention centres, and also for taking ago, and he was held at Belmarsh Prison, part in solidarity actions for Mapuche May 5. Solidarity march in the streets of Lecce. London. His fiance Ainhoa had arrived at people in Chile. On the occasion of the Belmarsh for a normal prison visit with him trials, anarchists from all over Italy come May 6. Anarchists disrupted a big catholic event to be told he had been extradited several to Lecce and take part in a great in Piazza Duomo in Lecce at the presence of hours earlier. Heis currently imprisoned in the number of solidarity initiatives. A lot of Francesco Ruppi, archbishop of Otranto and central penitentiary in Madrid awaiting trial. comrades have recently been charged boss of Cesare Lodeserto (ex director of Inigo can be written to there, and cards and with 'subversive propaganda' (article Regina Pacis) and of Angelo Sodano, the letters are much appreciated. All correspon 272) for carrying leaflets and papers in pope's right hand. Thousands of little pieces of dence should be posted to: support of the Lecce 6, others have paper, each one holding a slogan against the been charged with a fine of 3,000 church and the CPTs, were thrown among the Inigo Makazaga euros for blocking the traffic during an crowd and in every corner. One of the Centro Penitenciaria action on January 19. Meantime the comrades shouted through a megaphone our Ctra. Comarch 61128791 order of censorship on Salvatore’s mail anger towards Ruppi, Lodeserto and all the Soto del Real has been removed, but public prosecu jailers. Madrid, Spain. tor Lino Giorgio Bruno has started a new investigation on conspiracy (article 270bis) against Salvatore and six Outcome of the Operation ‘Cervantes’, people who had written to him while he Italy The final hearing concerning the was submitted to censorship. On April operation 'Cervantes' took place in Rome on 11 there was another court hearing February 28. The main charge, ‘subversive which was to establish the legal status association’ (articles 270 and 270bis) was of the priest Don Cesare Lodeserto, dropped and all the investigated anarchists, who is the ex director of the immigrant apart from Tombolino (Marco Ferruzzi), prison San Foca. The defence pre
25 The sixth hearing of the trial against the Lecce Saverio Pellegrino anarchists took place on May 19. First of all Casa Circondariale the judge claimed that five people, who had Via Prati Nuovi 7 shown T shirts that all together composed the 27058 Voghera (PV) words ‘FREEDOM NOW’ at the end of the Italy previous hearing, are banned from attending any future hearing of the trial. Then the first and those on house arrest: witness, the chief of the Digos (political police) in Lecce, was questioned by the public Marina Ferrari prosecutor. The latter, who wanted to Via XXI Aprile 29 demonstrate at all costs that the defendants 73042 Casarano (LE) were dangerous to society, tried to make the Italy Digos chief say things that he was unable to articulate, with the result that the officer offered Cristian Paladini a very poor performance, like a student who Via Don Gnocchi hasn’t done his homework properly. 73100 Lecce Garzon, as he has condemned to sentences of 7 Italy 6 years self declared militants of the armed The Digos chief went on to claim that anarchy revolutionary anti fascist organisation GRAPO. At was initially a pacifist doctrine, which became the same time and without regret, he condemns subversive and dangerous after the introduction Anarchist Extradited from Spain militants of the political communist organisation of the concept of ‘affinity group’. The defen to Italy Francesco Gioia has been PCE(r) to sentences of 5 4 years, and dants at the trial, said the Digos chief, were extradited from Spain. He was arrested sentences of 2 years to internationalist militants of representative of the subversive aspect of last May in Barcelona after he had the SRI. At the reading of the sentences neither anarchy, as proved by 24 booklets written by escaped from house arrest. Franceso Josefina Garcia Aranburu (she has fractured Alfredo Bonanno that had been found in the was one of the libertarians in Pisa being bones, from ill treatment during the trail in houses of the arrested anarchists. Alfredo accused of 'subversive association' December 2005) nor Marcos Martin Ponce were Bonanno, an anarchist comrade who was once under the infamous article 270 BIS. present. All the material taken away (computers, identified as the ‘leader’ of a non existent He's being charged with memembership printers, books, money, etc.) won't be returned. organisation, is, the chief of the Digos stressed of a Marxist group called Celulas de Much of that material and money was personal to underline, a pluri graduated philosopher Ofensiva Revolucionaria (Cells for and used in solidarity and international relations ….also graduated in philosophy! Offensive Revolution). His trial occurs in with prisoners and relatives, nothing to do with When asked by the judge if those 24 booklets early October. the development of the revolutionary armed were copies of the same text or 24 different struggle.Meanwhile, at the National Audience in texts, the chief Digos was unable to answer. Francesco Gioia Madrid the show trials against another 13 For his part, the public prosecutor revised the Via Maiano, 10 militants of the AFAPP, SRI, PCE(r) and GRAPO illustrative case of the Marini trial, claiming that 06049 Spoleto has continued. Of course, it is not a casualty that the latter had unveiled and dismantled a Italy Paris has applied such hard sentences around dangerous subversive organisation. It must be the communist and solidarity movement, Its so pointed out, as the defensive will certainly do at the Spanish State can also use the tail of the next hearing, that the Marini trial, in spite Show trial for communist and 'everything is armed struggle' in their court of Marini’s intention, did not prove the anti fascist militants concludes in rooms. For all these reasons, and now more existence of any organisation because the Paris. January 12th 2006, than ever, we demand an amnesty for these aforesaid organisation was a pure invention of Sentence Against SRI, PCE(r) & fighters of the popular cause. (Source:SRI) the prosecution. GRAPO in France: Finally, the jury accepted the appeal of the SRI International Red Aid defence concerning Annalisa, who had once PCE(r) Communist Party of Spain Fugitive anarchist gives herself up in again been put under house arrest. Annalisa (reconstituted) Amsterdam On January 16, Italian anarchist was therefore released on bail again, but GRAPO A Militant Anti Fascist fugitive was arrested. Rose Ann Scrocco gave uniquely for reasons concerning her health and Communist Group herself up citing personal reasons. She had been extraneous to the trial. On the contrary, the on the run after Italian authorities sentenced her jury refused the request for Cristian to get The French Tribunal has made public to 30 years in jail in her absence. Mrs Scrocco permission to work and for Marina to get the verdicts against the 9 militants of the was on the list of the 30 most wanted Italian permission to attend university classes (Marina SRI, PCE(r) & GRAPO tried during absconders and was wanted from 1991, for and Cristian are under house arrest). November and December 2005 in kidnapping, subversive association, homicide and Paris. membership of an armed band. The Italian After one year from the beginning of the government considered her the link between the operation, Salvatore and Saverio are still in jail, Belen Lopez: 18 months sentence most radical wing of the anarchist insurrectional whereas Marina and Cristian are under house Marcos Regueira: 4 Years groups and Sardinia's bandits who organised arrest. After each court appearance Salvatore Fernando Hierro Chomon: 7 Years kidnappings. The trial in which she was sen and Saverio are moved to Sulmona and Xaquin Garrido: 5 Years tenced was the infamous 'Marini' trial, where Voghera prisons respectively, but are incarcer Josefina Garcia Aranburu: 5 Years many anarchists were locked away on fabricated ated in Lecce for the Trial appearance itself. Marcos Martin Ponce: 6 Years evidence. More information: www.frameup.tk Maria Angeles Ruiz Villa: 6 Years Here are the addresses of the Lecce anar Gema Rodriguez Miguel: 5 Years chists under arrest since May 12 2005: Antonio Lago Iglesias: 2 Years Action Directe militant dies Joelle Aubron, 46 years of age died on the 1st of March from Salvatore Signore On the sentences, the tribunal has cancer.Joelle Aubron was a militant of the left Casa circondariale underlined the thesis about 'All are organization Action Directe. She had been Borgo S. Nicola GRAPO' elaborated by the Spanish condemned to life imprisonment for participating 73100 Lecce Guardia Civil and their cohort Judge in the assassination of the director of the Renault Italy
26 automotive company, Georges Besse. She turning a blind eye to the illegal activites ‘Barcelona 6’ sentencing demands never denounced her comrades or regretted her in Anarko Penya. The young people announced The demands of the State involvement in the anti capitalist struggle. Aubron tried to enter the building but were prosecution against the imprisoned anarchist had been released from a French jail in 2004 refused entry by the people inside. comrades the 'Barcelona 6' have been because of terminal cancer. Three other When they tried to leave, the police announced. The 'Barcelona 6' are accused members of Action Directe are in jail, con blocked their way and instructed them to of belonging to an armed anarchist cell that demned to life imprisonment: Nathalie Menigon, leave by a different route. When they carried out actions in solidarity with people Georges Cipriani and Jean Marc Rouillan. tried to dispute this, a heated argument arrested at the European Summit in ensued during which they were Thessaloniki in 2003. Inigo has been subjected to racial abuse by the officers. declared a "trial rebellion" because he is still More suspicious deaths on the hands of As things got more heated, the police on the run. Comrade Teo is being tried for a Londons policeforce On January 10th West started to beat them. Three of them 9 million pesetas fine and a demand of 5 to Yorkshire Police raided a house in Plumstead, were beaten so brutally that they ended 10 years in prison. Comrade Roger who is South East London, looking for a suspect in up on the ground at which point one on bail, is being tried also for a massive fine connection with the shooting of Pc Sharon officer instructed another to arrest them. and more than 50 years of prison. The Beshenivsky. Allegedly the robbers who shot the By the end of the incident, nine young other imprisoned comrades (Rafa, Carol, Pc have links to the Somali community in the people had been arrested and one Igor and Joaquin) are also demanded toֽ Woolwich/Plumstead area. When the police police officer was unconscious on the pay a fine and some of them are looking at raided the house, alone inside was Nuur Saeed ground. The officer was moved to more than 100 years of prison... who was unconnected to the accused but later hospital where he remained in a coma. There is no doubt that this grief is not more found outside seriously injured. He fell head first The story of what happened to this than the lynching of our comrades and an from a second story balcony. He died on officer has changed twice, to fit in with attack against the anarchist movement as a January 22nd from a massive brain injury. the charges against Rodrigo and Alex. whole. We cannot allow them to get away Another man, Paul Coker died on the floor of a The story initially, as reported to the with this and we should mobilize to show our cell in Plumstead police station last year. His media by Barcelona Mayor Joan Clos, firmness in our convictions and in the mother and sister attended a demonstration at was that he had been hit by a flower solidarity towards our imprisoned comrades! Plumstead police station where several hundred pot thrown from a balcony of Anarko people gathered to express their anger over Penya. 16 hours later, the police issued Contact them: Nuur Saeed's death. "They are experiencing a new version of events in which the the same unaccountable wall of silence that the officer could have been hit by any object Carolina Forne Roig de Menezes family are so angry about. The thrown from the building. The following C.P. Avila. family of Nuur Saeed have all this to come." day, a police spokesman claimed that Ctra. Vicolozano Brieva, s/n Right now they are still coming to terms with the the officer had been hit by a stone .05194 ֱ Brieva, Avila death of a loved one. His friends and the local thrown from the streets by three Spain community are furious. detained young men. This has remained the official version of events. Clearly, if Rafael Tomas i Gaspar [email protected]. the first version of events is true, then it C.P. de Topas Ctra. n 630, www.uffc.moonfruit.com is impossible for Rodrigo, Juan and Alex km. 314, to be the perpetrators, since they were 37799 Topas (Salamanca) never in the building. It appears that the Spain Squatters arrested and tortured in story changed in order to fit the arrests Barcelona In the early hours of Saturday, that were made. When the three Igor Quevedo Aragai 4th February, on the streets of Barcelona, the appeared in court, their clothes were C.P MADRID VI Aranjuez police violently arrested 9 people. Three of them drenched with blood. One had head Crtra Nacional 400 km 28 remain on remand in Barcelona prisons. Two of injuries and one had both arms broken. Apdo 2000, 28300 Aranjuez them, Rodrigo Lanza and Alex Cisternas, are Two have received hospital treatment Madrid charged with attempted murder and the third, since being detained, but were told by Spain Juan Pintos, with conspiracy against the police officers as they went in that if authorities. Rodrigo, Alex and Juan left the they told anyone where they got their Joaquin Garcias Villacampa home of some friends along with a group of injuries, the officers would wait outside C.P. Navalcarnero. Ctra. Nacional V, km others around 6am on Saturday 4th February for them and kill them. 27,7. 28600 Navalcarnero Madrid. Spain after a night of partying. When they arrived at the street Sant Pere mes Baix they came face to RODRIGO ANDRES LANZA www.presosalacalle.tk face with a city police vehicle, parked outside the HUIDOBRO “teatro de la Anarko Penya Cultural” (an illegal C.P. Jovenes club under the guise of a squatted social centre C/ Padre Manjon 2 Spain White Noise Torture in but without any connection to the wider squatter 08033 BARCELONA Langraitz Prison for expressing movement). Until this moment, the street SPAIN solidarity Several days ago, at the disgust appeared calm and the police appeared to be at the assassination of the two Basque JUAN PINTO GARIDO political prisoners Igor and Baru, I refused to C.P. Jovenes take food in my prison cell and wore a sign C/ Padre Manjon 2 around my neck in solidarity and against their 08033 BARCELONA deaths which the prison director took SPAIN exception to. Then because my rejection to take it off, the head screw pulled it off and ALEX RUBEN CISTERNAS AMESTICA ordered my immediate removal to an Apartado de Correos 20 isolation wing, and it has now been a week C.P. La Modelo ago when I was released from it. 08080 BARCELONA It was a provisional measure until they SPAIN decided just what to do the following day however they didn’t require such a long time, www.karcelona.revolt.org as ten minutes afterwards I was informed to 27 pack up my belongings, as the decision was zerland 5 right wing extremists Free Antonletta, Paul and Ivano! 3 already taken: ‘I will be able to carry on with attacked 3 young people in Lenzburg, comrades were arrested in Nuoro, Italy, on a normal life but it will be only in this on the 27th April. The fascists were April 3, accused of 'subversive association' for Department of Isolation’. I asked to talk with four Germans and one Swiss between the attempted attack of 22 March against the the Director but I was refused by the head of 16 and 24 years, their victims were offices of fascist group 'National Alliance'. The the screws, which had the last word on the three Swiss young people. After being 3 companions were for a long time followed by matter. The Prison Directors have yet to hit in the face, two victims succeeded to Digos that had placed in the car of one of come forward so therefore I assume that escape. But the third has severly beaten them a bugging device. Other comrades have they are legally the persons responsible and hospitalised. The five extremists been denounced and questioned. There was a detaining me in isolation for my actions. have been seized by police and are in banner held in the public square, the police The sanction was not to put me in tempo detention awaiting trial. tried to snatch it unsuccessfully. "The fascist rary isolation but to confine me to this repression still hits, but we do not surrender! Department. There are very special people Antonietta, Paul, Ivano! Solidarity!" passing through here, psychologically very Italy Fire against squatted deteriorated, its enough to spend one night social centre 'Red Zone’ in or several weeks in isolation. You can Naples Two fires were set by Call to mobilize for the trial against the continuously hear people that cry, that unknown malicious individuals, destroy 6 anarchists arrested in Barcelona, scream, that kick the door because they have ing all the seats, chairs, computers and September 2003, from Aachen4 soiled the bed or want to smoke, you can equipment of a collective self organised prisoner Bart de Geeter “Since Septem hear them being handcuffed and how they go project. Any materials not wrecked by ber 2003, 4 of the 6 accused anarchists from and how others come. fire were siezed by police. The Barcelona are on remand. Last month the To hear all this going on in the next cell inhabitants of the squatted project were punishments demanded by the prosecutor for creates a feeling of impotence, a lot of anger lucky to escape with their lives. the 6 have been made known. Punishments but also a lot of tension. Recently they had "Anyone, single or group, simple idiot which go till 117 years, for accusations of to take me away with a crisis of anxiety and pyromaniac or simple frustrated bundle, being part of a terrorist organisation, unlawful palpitations. This is the sanction that must know that the hard work, the possession of weapons and explosives, … . Langraitz imposes for condemning the enthusiasm and the anger of all will not Again, anarchists are standing before the court assassinations of the Basque comrades, a be extinguished from flames. Our as it was constantly in the last few years and sanction that I denounce as ‘White’ noise engagement is one to construct a social again we have nothing to expect about the torture. experience and political will that possible outcome. stretches to join, to combine, to hold A special embrace for Igor & Baru. For tight all those who in our zone are I do not want to stand still by the facts your struggle and your commitment. excluded," which are clear. I do not want to say again what has been said and written already so Jose Banos Andujar many times. It is clear that this Europe is Political Prisoner of GRAPO Anarchist arrested for miltary united to wipe out every possibility for subver Langraitz Prison, Spain. desertion at an anti prison sive action, to keep an eye on every brooding March 2006 benefit in Italy During an four day nest where revolutionary ideas are still alive, to anti prison initiative benefit in Genoa, a cast this system of bourgeois self satisfaction patrol of police officers identity controlled and save it from a future that endangers its New prison abolition organisation Marzio Muccittelli in order to execute an existence. launched in Britain On the 28 January arrest warrant for miltary desertion. We at seminar held at Conway Hall, London, emphasize that this arrest happens The question that poses itself is which many former prisoners, activists, academics, during an anti prison gathering and in dynamic can we develop against all this? What health and prison workers came together to solidarity to the prisoners in struggle. can we, honestly and within our possibilities begin cooperation on a new campaign This arrest seems, moreover, to and ideas, make happen so that they do not against prisons called 'No More Prison'. become part of a wide repressive have their hands totally free? What are our Calling for the end of prison building and campaign of the Italian State. Marzio priorities in this reality, not only towards the imprisonment, the organisation focuses on has refused for 15 years to serve the existent, but also towards imprisoned com the changes we need in society to prevent an Italian army. Currently he is in the jail of rades, towards each other, so that we can industry and culture of mass incarceration. Marassi... wake up in the morning and look each other in Britain locks up more people than any of the eyes with trust, can look forward? country in Western Europe, currently standing Marzio Muccittelli, at over 88,000 children, women and men. Piazzale Marassi 2, The minimum is complicity in revolution No More Prison wishes to distiguish itself as 16139 Genova ary solidarity, even If it is to show our com an abolitionist project apart from the prison Italy rades that they are not alone against this state reform groups which have been 'entangled violence. We may not know these comrades, with New Labour's law and order project', ignore their concrete history and experiences. but No More Prison will be an activist 2 more anarchists arrested for We can discuss about strategy/tactics organisation open to all who oppose mass direct action in Italy 2 anarchists and eventually about the trembling word incarceration. It was agreed that it was were arrested in Lucca on March 30th, ‘violence’, but does this stand in the way of the crucial that group remained as broad based for attempting to set fire to Forza Italia expression of solidarity and affection towards as possible and maximized the participation of offices. The men were followed back to anarchists who stand before this power, courts current and former prisoners. their residence by Digos (political police) and prisons, our natural enemies? and captured. They are being blamed www.alternatives2prison.ik.com for a series of incendiary attacks on Solidarity is one of the fundamentals in banks, ATMS, and electric/telecommu the active daily struggle of every anarchist. It nications boxes. is what gets us out of isolation, enriches us, Youths attacked by fascists in Swit and connects the struggles. All too often this responsibility is left to anti repression groups, while it is a responsibility of all of us. Everyone
28 of us has to familiarize him/herself with the thieves had escaped through techniques of repression, because tomorrow it (apparently through the kitchen is one of you who will be locked up, and then window) and asked them for the you have to know what you can expect from telephone number of the person in each other. How broader and more diverse charge of the flat. They left and left the solidarity, how stronger we stand, as well the light on and the door open. inside as outside of the walls. Think, consult, discuss and act. Blow life in the struggle. It Three days later, the neighbours begins with you. phoned Zigors father because they thought it was strange that nobody In some months will the trial against the had been in the flat after the facts 6 begin. After somewhat 3 years they will and that the door was still open. appear before the “Audiencia Nacional”, the Zigors father, along with the lawyer Supreme Court, in Madrid. Now it is the time Frances Arnau, called in the flat and to prepare, to spread information, to think realised about the irregularity of the situation, because nothing had been believe to have established that it is only about what to do. Those who have the chance through the intentional or grossly negligent or the possibility to go to Madrid, make lifted from the flat, except for a pair of sunglasses, a transport card and a set collusion of the European partners that this contacts… it is certain that you will be received 'web' was able to spread also over Europe," with open arms by comrades in the South. For of keys for the flat. All papers and books with political or alternative social the report said. "It is now clear although we all others, let yourself be inspired by the are still far from having established the whole creativity and variety of (direct) actions carried content had been touched and were laying everywhere on the floor, all mixed truth that authorities in several European out last years in solidarity with anarchist countries actively participated with the CIA in prisoners. so that it was not possible to know whether anything was missing or not. these unlawful activities," Dick Marty, the Swiss legislator leading the investigation, said in the In the end, this is a call to all those The window of the kitchen had been taken off from inside the flat and had report. "Other countries ignored them who still carry the anarchist struggle proudly knowingly, or did not want to know," he said in and generously in their hearts. For all those been left on the floor carefully. It is obvious that it is completely impossible the report's conclusions. Poland and Romania who know that the now does not wait for the are accused by the council of running secret future and that all change demands that some supposed thieves had used it as their way in. All these reasons make detention centres on behalf of the US Central movement. This is for all who feel themselves Intelligence Agency. The report lists Sweden, concerned with this human struggle for us doubt that anybody broke in, but rather they point to an illegal police raid, Bosnia Hercegovina, Britain, Italy, Macedonia, freedom which this Europe wants to declare Germany and Turkey as countries "respon dead and bury under lock and key. This is a since it is difficult to understand why the Mossos would leave the flat the way sible, at varying degrees ... for violations of call to a movement that knows to honor its the rights of specific persons." The document prisoners and realizes that we only have each they did (open and without telling the owners), and that nothing valuable is also says seven other countries that "could be other and that this is our strength in the face held responsible for collusion active or of the state. missing. A denouncement has been presented to the Mossos d'Esquadra, passive" Poland, Romania, Spain, Cyprus, but it is being dealt with in a very dodgy Ireland, Portugal and Greece. The report Let an anarchist storm blow through documents 14 individuals subjected to their castles of justice! Let them know that way, without any kind of explanation or investigation. Moreover, they have "extraordinary rendition" with alleged Euro their systematic repression will not stop this pean collusion. They include an Egyptian cleric movement of revolt! insinuated that the denouncement will be put aside. On behalf of Zigors abducted by a CIA squad in Italy and six Solidarity with all who struggle for freedom and Bosnians of Algerian origin now held at the US dignity! parents, and with the support of Rescat, we intend to take this de detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. The Strasbourg based Council of Europe was set Solidarity with the Barcelona 6! nouncement to wherever it is necessary so that the facts become clear and to up after World War II to promote democracy Solidarity with Igor, Rafa, Carol, Joaquin, and human rights across the continent. Roger and Teo! make this police body assume its For Anarchy!” responsibility and explain the reasons of this illegal raid. New anarchist prisoner in UK British eco anarchist, Garfield Gabbard, Bart De Geeter (founder of the prisoner advice group PAVAN) March 2006 Rescat (Collective in support of political prisoners) Barcelona, 23 Feb 2006. has been sentenced to 21 months imprison J.VA. Dusseldorf ment for "Affray" (after he jumped onto the bonnet of a car and then kicked a secuity www.escapeintorebellion.info European nations aided illegal guard who pulled him off the car, whilst on an CIA terror network 14 European anti vivisection demonstration). For those who countries including Britain, Italy and don't know Garfield, he is an anarchist punk Rescat statement on the illegal raid of (in his 40s now) who is involved with a lot of an activists flat by the Mossos Germany colluded with the CIA in operating secret prisons and transferring different things including anti fascism, trade d'Esquadra (regional police of unionism, social justice, squatting, earth/animal Catalonia) In the morning of 9th February suspects for interrogation, a European rights group said on Wednesday 7 lib, hunt sabbing, etc. Previously Garfield has the Mossos d'Esquadra appeared at Zigors been imprisoned (in the mid 1990s) for flat, where his partner lived, telling the June. A report by the Council of Europe identified a "spider's web" of landing kidnapping & beating up a rapist. Then, in the neighbours they had received a report of a early 2000s Garfield was jailed for setting fire break in. Four individuals in uniform arrived at points around the world used by the US authorities for the practice of "extraordi to a police riot van durring an anti capitalist/ 5am asking the neighbours to open the door anti globalisation protest (1999 N30 protests). of the building and they entered the flat nary rendition", the secret transfer of security suspects to third countries or Garfield was masked up when he set fire to without forcing its door (it is not known the police riot van, but another so called whether they had the key for the flat or a US run detention centres, where torture and murder routinuely occur. "The protester decided to take a dislike to Garfield's Skeleton Key). When leaving, they asked the action and removed his mask, allowing the neighbours to go in the flat to see where the United States ... actually created this reprehensible network. But we also police to clearly identify him. 29 Garfield is an outspoken anarchist/activist and Leaks reveal US & UK intelli someone who is well worth supporting. Last gence agencies trained Greek At the moment the demonstration started the time he was inside he spent a lot of his time secret services to spy on both protestors tried to destroy a surveillance camera trying to drum up, from his own supporters, the prime minister and the of the police, by attempting to throw down the support for Mark Barnsley and other anarchist anarchists! "The surveillance 12 meter high pylon on which the CCTV was prisoners. He is also on trial for allegedly scandal which was ‘revealed’ in Greece attached. Immediately the police attacked with a threatening to kill a member of the neo nazi is actually nothing new. The new fact is few riot police squads and a new type of British National Party. that it is coming to confirm with the most chemical which causes dizziness and disorienta loud way that the ‘Big Brother’, the tion. The demonstrators clashed with the riot Garfield Marcus Gabbard, TB4271 surveillance police state society in other cops and the attack was blocked successfully HM Prison Moorland (Closed) words, is a regular condition and not an allowing the march to continue, even if the Bawtry Road error of the global established regime. attempt to destroy the CCTV was unsuccessful. Hatfield Woodhouse The media were shocked and they are No arrests took place and there was one injured Doncaster still playing the story, mainly because riot cop. Later, on the way, a Vodafone store DN7 6BW among the list of the 100 tapped mobile was spray painted. England phone numbers there were the personal mobiles numbers of ministers, other On the same day a similar demonstration took Garfield welcomes all letters of support, but is state employees and of the prime place in Athens as well. concerned that some of his mail is not minister himself. Of course the continu reaching him. If you've written to Garfield ous play of this scandal by the main We have already said, and we declare it once and not received a reply, please write again. stream media and the State has more that the real sense of this case is that the another purpose: To hide the fact that parasites of authority, who live by exploiting the surveillance against society, either society and by assaulting the social fighters, must More fascist murders in Russia 16th through phone bugging or through receive a response by the community of all who of April, a 19 year old anti fascist Aleksandr surveillance cameras or even through are part of the social struggles, a response by ‘Shtopor’ Ryukhin was murdered near club ‘secret’ agents or civil cops, didn't begin the people who don't compromise and refuse to ‘Planeta Lda’, where German punk hardcore before the Olympics and it will not finish sell out their existence and dignity to the band ‘Tackleberry’ was about to play later in now with this ‘revelation’ as long as mechanisms of authority, to the bosses and to the evening. Aleksandr was approaching club there are exploited and exploiters. the state. In this category belong the three with his friend, when jumped by 6 8 Nazis. Whoever is surprised by such ‘news’ is imprisoned social fighters P. Aspiotis, P. There was not any fight, Aleksandr was either unable to understand the social Karasarinis and G. Kalaitzidis, and we will immediately stabbed in the heart and died and class war that is going on, or he is continue to struggle for their final release. before paramedics arrived 30 minutes later. on the side of the authority. All these His friend was also wounded to head, but not tapped mobile numbers belong to the . . . the struggle goes on . . .” seriously. The fascists wore special gloves Vodafone multinational company and it and were clearly prepared to kill. But unlike was ‘revealed’ that the surveillance DIGNITY with murder of Timur Kacharava in November began a few months before the Olympic SOLIDARITY of 2005, fascists were not targeting any Games. The installation of the spy RESISTANCE particular person. Despite his anti fascist software was done in the software of sympathies and the fact that police discovered Vodafone's main servers, and the AGAINST THE "BIG BROTHER" POLICE anti fascist stickers in his pockets, it is likely Vodafone antennas which were used for STATE that he was targeted first of all just as a spying are located around the region of random guest of a punk hardcore concert as the USA embassy in Athens. Greece, 10/02/06 he is not a political activist. Such a tactic of Antiauthoritarian Movement (Assembly of indiscriminate terror is also applied against On the same moment the Overseas Thessaloniki) immigrant groups and foreign students. Security Advisory Council that operates Currently there are no arrested suspects. in the USA embassy of Athens is declaring openly its purpose of existence ‘Il Silvestre’ collective targetted after Just 3 days before the murder, there was a (http://www.osac.gov/about/ attack on power lines Ten anarchists major fascist pogrom in the city of Volzhk of mission.cfm) and continues to monitor associated with the group'Il Silvestre' in Pisa, Volgograd region, known for its active anti the activities of the social resistance who produce the publication ‘Terra Selvaggia’ fascist movement. 20 30 people attacked movement and especially the anarchists were arrested on May 4 on the order of public local Roma community, murdering two and (http://athens.osac.gov). prosecutor Angela Pietroiusti from Florence, who wounding at least two others. is also leading the infamous 'C.O.R.' investiga In the list of the tapped phones there tion is targetting the collective. 5 of the arrested 7th of April another fascist murder in St. were the names of four comrades from anarchists are held in prison, whereas four are Petersburg made headlines, when student the Antiauthoritarian Movement: Grigoris under house arrest. The accusations are: and member of ‘African unity’, Senegalese Tsilimantos, Argiris Mouratidis, Attila Conspiracy to overthrow the State (article Lanzar Samba, born 1978 was shot dead Ihtiar and Marina Meintani (who used to 270bis), possession of explosives and attack with a shotgun 6 AM where returning home be a member of the antiauthoritarian against a nuclear power line (an event in with friends from nightclub ‘Apollo’. The newspaper "Babylonia"). On the 9/02/ September 2005 which saw an electricity pylon murderers left a shotgun with a Swastika 2006 a demonstration was called by in the mountains near Pisa being damaged by written on it at the place of the killing. trade unions, political and social explosives). On the same day three anarchists organisations, against surveillance and were arrested in Rome on order of public "Big Brother" type society. We prosecutor Salvatore Vitello. It seems that these participated by forming a block in this arrests are in connection with public prosecutor demonstration. The march began from Pietroiusti's investigation in Florence, but the the Aristotelous Square and passed three are actually accused of stealing a car. The from the USA embassy, UK embassy day after their arrest, two of the comrades were and finished at the local Ministry. given house arrest (no phonecalls, no visits, etc).
30 'Carpi'. This is the latest in a wave of new prisons for kids that are springing up around France.
"Terrorist" prosecutions in Magdeburg (Germany) Update Feb '06 On 27.11.2002 in Magdeburg, a little town at the former border of East and West Germany, Marco Heinrichs and Daniel Winter were arrested. Since to form a “terrorist association” it is necessary, according to the infamous §129a law, to have at least 3 persons, so a third person, Carsten, was arrested, charged and imprisoned five months later, in April 2003. They were suspected of having committed several fire bombings in Magdeburg: on August 21, 2001 against the Daimler Chrysler concern (claimed by “Revolutionary Action Carlo Below is a list of all those who have been More arrests in Barcelona for Guiliani”), on February 18, 2002 against remanded as a result of the various raids/ actions against the prison indus several vehicles of the communication arrests. Former ALF prisoner, Sergio Maria try! On Tuesday the 9th of May four concern Telekom (claimed under the name of Stefani, is one of the people who was anarchist comrades were arrested in “Commando Global Resistance”), and on arrested in Rome and its been confirmed he Barcelona. Our comrades Pau, Kike, March 18, 2002 against the local public has been put under house arrests. Matteo Javi, and Alvero are being accused of prosecution office and, almost at the same Furcolo has been released, but got house destruction of property and of making time, an attempt to burn vehicles of the arrest. Here's the names and prison threats against the director of prisons in border police (both attacks claimed by addresses: Catalunya and against the boss of the “Commando: Liberation of all political union of prison guards. They are also prisoners”). Costantino Ragusa being accused of possession of material Casa Circondariale to make explosives even though the At the end of the summer of 2003, after via Prati Nuovi 7 searches of their homes turned up having been locked up in custody for almost 27058 Voghera (PV) nothing! one year, the trial happened against the Italy three young men suspected of having On the 11th of May the four were committed several fire bombings (against Silvia Guerini released on bail to await trial after Daimler Chrysler, Telekom, against the local Carcere "La Dozza" passing two days in police custody. state prosecution office and, an attempt to Via Del Gomito 2 They didn´t have to post bail to insure burn vehicles of the border police). They 40127 Bologna their release. Although we are very were also charged with "membership of a Italy happy to have our comrades on the terrorist association” (§129a) started: Marco outside with us we can´t forget Ruben got 2,5 years and all the costs of the trial, Federico Bonamici (who was recently denied bail again) or Daniel got 2 years, and Carsten was Casa di Reclusione our comrades arrested September 16th acquitted. Following appeal trials Marco is at via Nuova Poggioreale 177 2003 (Barcelona 6). The struggle the moment free, but will have to return to 80143 Napoli Poggioreale (NA) continues!!! prison soon to finish his sentence (around Italy one and a half years). Daniel will have also to serve a further prison sentence, while Giuseppe Bonamici French school closes to become Carsten stays free. Details will be available Nuova Casa Circondariale "San Michele" youth prison and police barracks from the ABC. Strada Casale 50/A On Wednesday 24 May, the local 15100 Alessandria council of Mantes la Jolie, whose mayor Italy is a close friend of Nicholas sarkozy the 5,432 immigrants in Greece ques notorious right wing preidential tioned in massive security sweep Benedetta Galante wannabe, announced the closure of a ochestrated by MI6 In July/August Casa Circondariale school in their area. Not only will this 2005 at the request of MI6, 5,432 Contrada Capo di Monte force the local kids into a recently built immigrants were "questioned", 2,172 via E. Novelli n1 new school (completed by 'Bouyges', a immigrants were "probed", 1,221 were 82100 Benevento (BN) company behind the ongoing building arrested for "other reasons" (other presum Italy project of prisons and other disciplinary ably than terrorism) and six of these were centres in France, and run along deported. The massive sweep across Greece To contact the group for solidarity, cash aid, 'reformed' lines i.e. semi privatised), was carried out by over 1,000 law enforce etc: but, to add insult to injury, the grounds ment units including state security, immigra of the old school and part of an tion and counter terrorism officers. According Il Silvestre adjoining sports ground are to be used to the Greek authorities, "The British sent a via del Coure no1 to build a new police station and a CEF, very long list of individuals seen as being 56100 a closed education centre, the current involved in the 7 July attacks". MI6 (the UK's Pisa french euphemism for a Borstal (UK external intelligence agency or Secret Italy slang for a youth prison). And to be Intelligence Service, SIS) had sent a request built by?? you guessed it 'Bouyges' to Athens about a specific Al Qaeda operative and their partners in crime 'Nexity' and with a Greek mobile number (a number 31 which had too many digits and might have questioning would have taken place at did not have extensive contact with other alleged been a "cryptographic" code, or simply police stations where they would have co conspirators. Block and Zacher, who have lived wrong). A number of other Greek mobile had the right to legal advice and regular together in Olympia for the past 6 1/2 years, face numbers supposedly linked to the suicide meals etc. They were not arrested but a minimum sentence of life plus 45 years in prison bombers of 7 July 2005 were also provided. abducted by intelligence agents, held if convicted on all counts. The 13 'Backfire' co Also 28 Pakistani men were abducted, held in incommunicado in secret houses, defendants are scheduled for trial Oct. 31 in secret houses, questioned and subjected to denied legal advice, and in a number of Eugene. In an hourlong hearing on Thursday, torture. Three of the men were interviewed cases suffered abuse and ill treatment." Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Engdall told Judge by the Athens News Gul Nawaz, Coffin that five co conspirators who are cooperat Mohammed Nazir and Mohammed Munir, The UK Home Office denies any ing with the prosecution have said Block and who were abducted from their homes in allegations of kidnapping and torture. Zacher advocated violence against individuals, and Petralona, Athens. that they practiced using firearms. The discussion of violence happened during secret "book club" They were driven to a house where they Case against the 'Gracia 3' filed meetings that the radical cell allegedly conducted were interrogated, fed once a day and slept (Spain) The Spanish National Court over an 18 month period in four states during on the floor for between two to six days has filed today the case against the which they studied firebomb construction, surveil before being released. Gul Nawaz said: “Gracia 3”. The three youths had been lance techniques, target selection and other topics, "They covered our eyes by pulling our shirts arrested in Gracia (Barcelona) in 2003, Engdall said. One co conspirator told investigators over our heads. They drove us blindfolded for for exploding a device in a bank office, that Block continuously advocated violence, Engdall about an hour and a half a long time.... after the confession of a youth who had said. "He had no moral opposition to killing Two times the policeman hit me. Then I been tortured by police. The ‘Gracia 3’ others," Engdall told the judge. Three co asked for some water and he punched me also suffered torture at the hands of the conspirators revealed that Block and Zacher hard in the face.. pigs. They were accused of being part helped spike 184 trees in the Judy Timber Sale of a subversive group, but the attorney near Cottage Grove in February 2001, Engdall Mohammed Munir said: "They questioned me has asked that the case be filed said. The spiking, which is not charged in the over five days, between one and three hours because of the lack of proof. In fact, indictment, put loggers and millworkers at risk of each time. They asked me lots of questions according to the collective 'Alerta injury because some of the spikes were hammered about London. They hit me very hard on the Solidaria', it is not the first time that the deeply and hidden, he said. In making his ruling, head." Frangisko Ragousis, a lawyer attorney of the Spanish National Court Coffin focused on allegations that Block and representing seven of those abducted, said tried to file the case, but the Judge of Zacher endangered people and advocated that his clients' testimony shows several Barcelona that dealt with it from the violence. Coffin said it was fortunate that no one foreign, English speaking agents were beginning persisted. The Supreme was injured or killed in any of the 18 incidents involved in the interrogations. Nawaz said one Court decided that it was not its cited in the indictment. Four 'Backfire' defendants of then was an English speaking black man. competence to sentence the case and have been released pending trial, six are being took it back to the Spanish National held and three are fugitives. Most of the accused Javed Aslan, President of the Pakistani Court, which in turn decided to are looking at life sentences, in what has been Community in Greece, said the men had been definitively file the case because of lack likened to a 'Green Scare' similar to the commu physically abused: "There was a dark of evidence and confessions produced nist witch hunts of yesteryear. Detained activist Bill skinned British spy who was apparently in through torture. For more than 4 years Rogers, 40, from Arizona, was found dead in his charge. One man was threatened with a pistol that the process has taken, the youths cell on the 21st December 2005, having that was shoved in his mouth, others were have received much support from the apparently commited suicide by placing a plastic hit." The Greek magazine Pro Thema broke people of Gracia and on 8th April a bag over his head. Bill was a long time community the story in December and named the MI6 demonstration was held in the activist from Arizona where he ran the 'Catalyst head of station in Athens as well as 15 Greek neighbourhood, in which more than Infoshop' book store out of his home. All the EYP agents the accuracy of the latter 2000 people took part. accused are charged with serious crimes in appears to be confirmed as the EYP said this defence of the earth and animal kingdoms, crimes endangered "the safety of its agents in the where not a single being was hurt, yet they face a field". Justice Minister, Anastasios USA 'Operation Backfire' court lifetime of prison. Many of the defendants are co Papaligouras, said that law enforcement latest Extensive repressive attacks operating with the authorities and have informed cooperation with the UK was based on a have happened against the environmen on their former comrades. As 325 comes out only "1961 law" providing for the exchange of tal, anarchist and animal rights once a year, and this is a fast changing ongoing evidence and court records. This appears to movement, and it's not over yet. A 9 situation, look out for further information, check be a reference to the 1959 Council of year investigation led by the FBI and out: Europe European Convention on Mutual involving a dozen police forces, paid Assistance in Criminal Matters (ratified by informants and media complicity, has www.ecoprisoners.org Greece in 1962). However, this Convention culminated in wide spread raids, prison www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk in Article 1.2 says: "This Convention does not and grand jury subpoenas. In the latest apply to arrests". The Convention applies to development of this situation, Nathan supplying evidence and records but not Fraser Block and Joyanna Lynn Zacher Moroccan police burned a Saharawi arrests and certainly not detention for have been denied bail and jailed detainee with benzene Moroccan police questioning. pending trial. Block and Zacher were burned a Saharawi man with benzene while arrested Feb. 20 and charged with submitting him to torture and interrogatation in the Tony Bunyan, editor of 'Statewatch', participating in arson at the former police station of the occupied capital of the commented: "The Public Order Minister Romania truck dealership in Eugene in Western Sahara, El Aaiun.The man was trans confirmed that the 28 men were not part of March 2001, and with arson at the ported in emergency to a hospital in the Moroccan the massive sweep last summer. It was clearly Biotech facility 'Jefferson Poplar Farm' city of Agadir (600 km in the north of El Aaiun) a separate in Clatskanie in May 2001. Defense where he was put under high medical care. Since intelligence agency lawyers for Block, 26, and Zacher, 28, the starting of the Saharawi intifada (peaceful operation carried argued that their clients allegedly were popular uprising) last May 2005, two persons out by EFY at the involved in only two of the 18 acts of were killed under torture, hundreds have been behest of MI6. If arson and sabotage covered in the wounded and hundreds detained, including 14 still they had been federal conspiracy case, and that they in custody in different Moroccan prisons. arrested the 32 Miniaturization and technological convergence are producing the latest 'must-have' items that perform many roles, and are fashioned for different consumers. As a society of cashless capitalism approaches, egged on by the dictates of multi-national business, transaction payments will force smaller retailers out of circulation, leading to greater market domination by a Smartcards are considered to be Economic reports from last year handful of companies who are well the future for credit transactions suggested the amount spent on prepared for the end of paper money. The disappearance of capital into the in a cashless society. They form cards in the UK was about to outstrip cash, and some analysts assert that information markets will be accompa- the basis of modern secure ID nied by re-composition of broad cards, because of their ability to 'it is only a matter of time before notes and coins become redundant'. Hong sections of the social machine, store complex amounts of data, Kong and Malaysia have a smartcard according to the desires of industry such as biometric readings. The which can be used for travel, ID and and government. From strikes and ability to fit the smartcard to other payments, and without resis- riots to glitches, hacking, computer other devices means that they tance, this will become more common viruses and sabotage; the basis of the are really flexible in use. Wireless in the future. Smart card companies economy is always unstable. As technology means that they can have been recent guests to meetings computer systems increasingly mirror function from a distance, speed- with the G8. The G8 consider this and organise physical worlds, social chaos is going to become more likely ing up time for the fast pace of product essential for poverty struck and widespread. This lends us to modern life. Africa, in the lucrative privatization of various State health, welfare and tentatively see greater opportunities social systems. within society for breakdowns in the Capitalism has created an environment system, class conflicts and other that is ideal for mass surveillance. uncontrollable incidents that lend Profiling of consumer habits, location, themselves to rebellion. credit transactions, voice and image recording, within expanding databases, The push for vast databases and mass means the individual consumer can be profiling is nothing short of the latest viewed as a point in a network where consolidation of progress and the relationships between people can heirarchy. The information society is be viewed, evaluated, travelled along. the computerisation of life and its Profilers are able to survey the con- physical basis requires the systematic sumption patterns and habits of broad destruction of the environment. ranges of people, for the purpose of developing markets and understanding Destruction of the economic and consumer opinion and anticipating technological apparatus of capital and losses. The State uses it to identify, industry is crucial in the disturbance of investigate and consolidate control. In March 06, the 'Oyster' smartcard the reigning order and its downfall. The information economy is the database Phones with creditcard smartchips are travel system used on public trans- port in London, and which could soon for prison society. We have to destroy used in Japan to pay for public trans- the infrastructure and the achitects of port and consumer items, many have be used to make payments, came crashing down for a few hours. Tens this terror. We must seize every the ability to take pictures, listen to immediate chance to wreck the social mp3's, check GPS location and surf the of thousands of pre-pay Oyster passengers in the capital had free machine. When the system of capital net. Police in London are increasingly disappears into the immateriality of the turning to 'Oyster' smartcards to track journeys in the morning rush hour after a software glitch stopped the information economy, it will remain in a criminals' movements. The 'Oyster' physical form - domination, but the ‘smart’ travel cards, each with a unique smartcard readers working. The fault occurred because the size of a possibility for its destruction identification number, are used by five remains. million Londoners and record details of computer file - sent every day with the each bus, subway or train journey latest information about which cards made by the holder over the previous had been disabled - had caused the eight weeks. The Metropolitan Police ‘Oyster’ readers to fail. With 2.3m said it was a "straightforward investiga- cards in the system as with any new tive tool". 229 of the 243 requests so technology of that size, things will far made by police to access records happen like this, there's no computer were granted, the figures disclosed system in the world which has zero under the Freedom of Information Act possibility of crashing. show. 33
I
This short text and its points came together in the course of a meet- B) Discussion on the different ing spread over 3 days, at a squatted social centre in the city of proposals about “information and its Barcelona. The meeting was attended by various individuals and circulation”: Methods broadly used so information is made visible in society as groups, discussing different aspects of the abolitionist struggle. well as in political milieus, and different Prisoner support was a major feature of the discussion, as was how experiences about that. This may relate to avoid becoming a reactive force, aiming our struggle at being a to very different situations depending on the country or even the different prisons pro-active threat to power and hierarchy. or prisoners
Amongst the people who attended, there - Analysis of the cases where - Letters are a very important were representatives of various Anarchist some situations or actions made in thing and needs to be a regular practice Black Cross groups from across Europe, The solidarity with prisoners seem since it is an effective weapon to break Barcelona support group ‘Presos a la calle’, positive, but sometimes end up isolation. also ‘International Red Aid, and other individu- having negative effects for the als and collectives. people imprisoned. There are - Difficulty of making available questions about what kind of for prisoners even the prison regulations, INFORMATION AND ITS SPREADINGGG information is being sent to them, as the facility tries to prevent even a and a point is made to clearly listen basic understanding. The State always A) To begin there was an introduction to the needs the prisoners have, controls over the people that visit of the different groups and people and small instead of us thinking “we know prisoners. Prisons keep a very close initial debate (different ideas people felt like what is good for them”. watch on all visits, especially the visits to talking about to maybe raise some questions political prisoners, as they often have for further debates) - It’s difficult to link political security-risk status. In Italy prisoners are and personal support. Difficult to divided into political prisoners and social - It’s important to not just keep in make the prisoners feel the debates prisoners and only the family can make mind political prisoners but also “regular that are happening outside. visits. ones” in the different aspects concerning information and its circulation. - Some “regular prisoners” - There is a need to make widely do not question the critique of available through informing people, how - Brief introduction about UK’s prison prison itself, nor think about the they can contact and keep in touch with system: private prisons, technologies and its' political analysis of situations. But prisoners. use with the goal of more social control, not having political discourse does prisons fully integrated into society. not mean they do not have a - In Italy (and elsewhere) there discourse against some concrete are demonstrations in front of prisons, so - We must not abandon the “assis- aspects of the prison-society, as to have a direct contact with prison- tance work” in the anti-prison fight. Assisting because they are living in a situation ers. There are problems trying to lead a the prisoners in legal, economic and daily life where it feels more important to continuous fight with prisoners that stay must not be done in an isolated way, but survive, than political action. in temporary prisons (detention centres, trying to work in the areas of the one impris- Through more solidarity between CPT's, etc) for immigrants. There has oned (in the neighbourhood, with friends, people on the inside and outside, been some success about getting the family and the like) whilst connected to the these political questions could start support of 'non-political' people and this overall strategy of working for a libertarian to rise in them. leads to planning more long-term society. Criticism of “assistance work” has campaigns. been always present within the anti-prison - In order to enter the social groups and amongst the prisoners them- aspects of the prison complex there Also it has been possible to shut some selves. People in the meeting talked about is no clear and defined methodol- centres because of abuses in them (e.g. respecting the different ways that people feel ogy. If we wanted to deepen in the the infamous ‘San Focca’ camp was comfortable working against the prison political causes of the imprisonment shutdown) system. There’s a need to tell society about its surroundings are not sufficient in the abuses that happen in prisons, and also the facility itself. Rebellions need There have been radical stands in some there’s the importance of the information or support from the outside, to disrupt reformist campaigns because people thoughts that the prisoners want to get to the the situation beyond the control of took part in them bringing onboard people outside. the authorities. radical points of view. Activists have gained from already existing realities to - It’s important to point out why we - The anti-prison fight must radicalize the conflicts. support prisoners. Prisoner support is made not be fragmented. This fight needs because there’s also a support for their fights to be raised to other kinds of and ideas, but sometimes not necessarily the collectives and political milieus. means they have used. 35 In the recent solidarity campaign with During the political campaigns against the which way influences its direction Italian prisoners many public talks were temporary detention centres of immi- and value. given, so as to reach more people with grants, some politicians made visits to first-hand information. This helped in prisons. Prisoners answered to those visits Who is information directed at? organising a bigger campaign. with protests since they understood that the people who keep them imprisoned Many times it is at ourselves. were the same that went to visit them to CCCAMPAIGNS take political profit of the existing climate. It is difficult to make waves of repression and their causes known -As a starting point, some people ex- -Questions raised and possible answers to other people and society. Usually plained how in Blanes (small Catalonian that were discussed in the debates there are only campaigns about 'our prisoners'. Information about city) there was some repression involving people of the autonomous movement. * What kind of information can be made ongoing campaigns are directed to They expected harsh repression, but what available to the rest of society to make close people and groups, because they didn’t expect was not getting support them aware of the prison problem? making it on a broader level just brings us frustration since our from the outside, feeling completely alone. From this starting point, people - Make relations between the anti-prison messages are usually misunderstood talked about the need for mutual aid and struggle and the personal: The conditions, or just plainly ignored. sharing. the abuses, the false solution to crime, the immigrants struggle, the private industry, -Since there will always repression, there the situation of poor people in prisons, - is of course a need for effective and prisons are a weapon of Capital. immediate solidarity, giving constant information on the causes of repression * What is being said in those messages more than just 'campaigning'. aimed at society to see if they have a real impact? -It seems that we do campaigns just to ourselves and we seem not to be able - We fail to profit from the to support more everyday problems. If government’s political mistakes that someone’s not into the social web that are very visible and obvious, like for connects to the different support and example, “the immigrant problem” solidarity groups, those people find it of Ceuta and Melilla. (Spanish difficult to ask for help. enclaves on the coast of North Africa, where there has been tragic -We should not define our fight as a consequences for many Africans reaction or answer to power and attempting to get into EU territory repression. We can’t have a merely illegally) defensive attitude. If we do so, our answer seems to have no ideological * How do we say things? How is content. language used, who is it aimed at? Is it understandable? Delinquency and its causes are generated by the way social life and -Ask ourselves about the aim of the campaigns we carry and the tools used for - We have to use a language that is system works. There’s a direct it, and what we want to accomplish with understandable without giving up our own relationship between poverty, them. views. People don’t feel like using official repression and prison. People don’t media because they are not available to us. feel like they can sometimes fall -Try to avoid empty incendiary language We should not lose our radical discourse, into the situation where they too that is merely empty catchy phrases and but neither can we be aggressive. can be potential future prisoners. They don’t believe the fact that rhetoric. When we try to make the messages people are imprisoned due to 'just' -In the sometimes exhausting work that available, we encounter problems. To economic or social causes. Many we lead to get money to finance the overcome these problems we can gain people in society don’t believe that campaigns, we sometimes forget what it from the mistakes in the system’s function- 'normal' people can be imprisoned. is for and even the struggle itself. ing. We need to make information available on a regular basis, because if not To obtain solidarity we have to be -Actions must be made understandable. we lose the opportunity to reach people. involved with other groups that Struggle must break the existent reality, We should be able to talk about prison focus on other questions. We can’t but solidarity can’t be isolated and must without always having to tell “the horrors isolate ourselves to a unique be long-lasting to be effective. of prison”. The use of sarcasm could also struggle. Anti-prison work has to be be helpful in our critique of prison. For integrated in other environments. -There are small groups that 'assume example, someone put out flyers about the prisoners', but there’s no common situation of temporary immigrant deten- Information must be made available strategy, and even less coordination. tion centres and subsequent repatriation in different ways depending on the There’s a need to create some kind of that used the aesthetics of flyers of travel means: posters, public talks... but common solidarity which should be valid agencies. mostly people think that the to all repressed people. We need to make information more information given first hand is the understandable, so people can be aware most effective. how prison is integrated into society and in 36 -Experience of people from the UK: Regarding the fundraising of persistent. Also, we have to be aware of There’s an ongoing campaign against campaigns, instead of asking for the what actions and methods lead to people prison labor slavery (C.A.P.S). It’s a non- money at the entrance (of parties or getting thrown in jail needlessly. reformist campaign fully aware and talks for example), tell people what critical of the prison-society we’re living the money will be used for. This is a -There’s a need to strengthen our self- in. This has helped the campaign to way to conscience people that they esteem and to value the persons that are have more contacts with prisoners, and aren’t paying for a service, but involved in struggle. even some contacts within the prison- donating in solidarity, it’s not an system have come forward to shame entrance fee, and it’s a way of -We must not assume the democratic the practices of the prison industry. helping and aids the transmission of concept of solidarity. Prisoners are repressed, separated from info. This also helps social centers society and now they’re forced into not to develop into places to have being a source of labour for private events as a way of making capital. DIRECT ATTENTION WITH RE- profit. Prison doesn't aim for reintegra- A good strategy to carry campaigns PRESSED PEOPLE tion of prisoners into society anymore; is to emphasize some aspects of it’s just about making money. reality we can really focus con- (As you see, there wasn’t much talk about cretely on, and use this to accom- this. -[We had covered similar issues in C.A.P.S is trying to make visible what’s plish a debate on abolitionism, other ways]-) invisible behind the walls. Prisons are denouncing enterprises, capitalism located in poor areas, and they use and the State. -Find lawyers which are related to the people from those areas to be the movement. prison guards. If prisoners refuse to -It seems counter-effective to work, they face trouble. State prisons individualize campaigns. -Give priority to the political aspects of also have externalized some services. the struggle. Privatization of prisons is seen as a -Solidarity networks should focus on solution to overcrowded existing avoiding people entering prison, -It’s important to help and keep in touch prisons. instead of always having to react with imprisoned people’s families, but the when it’s already too late. We need family can’t be an obstacle to solidarity (N.B new abolitionist group also formed to be more flexible, dedicated and campaigns if we and the prisoner want to - “No More Prisons”) combine our struggle.. END...
37 Having plundered the third world with impunity for so long, first world capital Using Tax Payers Money To ism has now turned its attention to the incarcerated working class in its own prisons, potentially a rich source of Subsidise Your Business: exploitable labour. Prisoners are paid around 30 pence per hour, but even these pitifully small wages are seen as The Reality Of Prison fair game by capitalism.
The big talk from government ministers at the provide long term consistent work. This moment is about training prisoners in a is exploitation at its very worst with the Work Camps relevant job opportunity, to give them better only benefit going to the company. prospects on release. Sounds good doesn't Wickes Building Supplies used the issue so would lose a days wage each week as I it?(!) As one prison guard that wrote to us Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to had to see the doctor. Plus I would get docked if I said, "The only problem is that the Prison manufacture gates. The price was could not complete an order. I was 300 miles away Service are more interested squeezed from home so had to do this work to phone my in churning out bed upon so low that family".. bed, making more profits for SPS did not companies like 'Airsprung even .. "At HMP Lindholme I saw inmates use the toilet Beds' and to hell with recover the and not wash their hands packing mushrooms, spit prisoners. Most staff have material on them, put bogies on them, kick them about, put read your articles and cost, they flies in the pack then seal them. Also the onions support what you say, they lost about were kept in mouldy conditions then wiped and are disgusted that the Prison £2 per item sealed. I wrote to Asda but got no reply. The Service seem hell bent on and must mushrooms packed for Asda I would not eat them using PRISONERS FOR have lost as health and safety in prisons is not an issue".. PROFIT TO PRIVATE INDUSTRY", and that, thousands upon thousands over the 5 "They are offered false hope and are worked year period SPS did work for them. .." I have packed food for Asda, parts for Land like dogs". Any pretense at rehabilitating These losses of course being made up Rover, packed welcome packs for hotels, nuts and prisoners and empowering them with trade by the tax payer. As you can appreciate bolts for DIY stores, plus have been punished for skills has been abandoned. this is very attractive to potential not working".. customers as it ultimately means bigger If you write to one of these companies about profits for them. .."I packed cards and put screws in shock kits. We the issue you will get an answer like this one are meant to be getting rehabilitated but we are received from Trew Gates Ltd (who stopped The Scottish Prison Service also make used like slaves for pittance then we have to shop at using prison labour last year), "We as a garden furniture goods, held at their Aramark to buy our stuff at over marked prices". company were proud to be involved in a Faulhouse Depot in West Lothian, which program of training and helping rehabilitate is then sold onto to local sharks, who in Aramark are yet another US import grown fat on prisoners to enable them to learn a trade for turn sell it onto the public for at least the misery of incarceration. Over the past few years their re introduction into society. Many men double the price. As we heard "there Aramark has become ubiquitous, running prison and women involved in the manufacture of are more fiddles going on than the canteens up and down the country. Everything has these gates stated that they were happy to be London Philharmonic. These guys are to be purchased from the prison canteen. This part of the program and it helped to make their raking in a fortune. Most of this stuff is monopoly is another attractive proposition for the sentence pass by easier". While we don't deny touted by the SPS sales manager ever greedy forces of capitalism; Although some that something to pass the time and get you Anthony Apperly who is responsible for times the “needs” created are false ones in many out of your cell might be welcomed, this is low setting up all contacts: prisons it is even necessary for prisoners to buy skilled work and is of no benefit to the their own toilet cleaner, and they increasingly have rehabilitation of the actual individual, instead [email protected] to feed themselves. Contact some of the companies this replaces education and skill learning which phone 01501 773978, fax using prison labour and show your displeasure: have been drastically cut. These companies try 01501 771835. to justify themselves by saying that it is good Airsprung Beds. Canal Road, Trowbridge, training and will help prisoners to get a job This is the guy responsible for getting Wiltshire, BA14 8RQ after release, but all they are interested in is the guys to slave away for 30p per [email protected] profit, simple as that. The money saved is not hour while the greedy companies get reflected in the goods Airsprung or Wilkinson the rewards. I bet he is on a back Bison Safety Systems. Unit 3, Calendar Business sell to the general public. If big companies like hander with some of these people giving Park, Falkirk, FK1 1XR. Wilkinson and Airsprung offered a reasonable them low prices as he has a high rate, like say the minimum wage, then you lifestyle". KDM International. 18 The Havens, Ransomes would not see them for dust. Business Park, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 95J. Here's what the prisoners themselves The Prison Service price each product using a had to say: .."I was made to pack Peter Smith Garden Furniture. Dick Lane, formula which has not changed for over 10 cards into plastic slips but found this Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 8JD. Same as years, they work between a break even price hard as have Attention Deficit Disorder. KDM. and a target price. The sales people very Because I could not keep up I ended up rarely reach the target selling price and usually on basic regime, 23 hours a day bang Contact us with information you find out: settle for break even which just covers the cost up, 1/2 hour visits, £2.50 canteen a of materials. There are also a number of week, no association" Campaign Against Prison Slavery, PO Box instances where the Prison service buy work!! 74, Brighton, East Sussex. BN1 4ZQ, UK This is a situation where the company is .."I laid fabric for Wilkinson ironing offered a price below break even, if they can boards but at the time had a medical
38 WELWELCOMECOME TOTO THETHE MAMACHINECHINE
“The machine is all around us, structures of control bearing in mind omnipresent and omniscient. personal histories of anti roads protests, It’s the camera on the street summit hopping, anti GM actions, corner, the chip in your debit squatting and so on? Because we card and the number allotted to wanted the time and space to have your child at birth. The machine discussions with people outside our immediate, daily scene about the is without and within. It’s in the implication of these technologies to our way we have been trained and lives? Because we wanted to discuss the domesticated since birth to fit domesticated since birth to fit place of these technologies in our into a mechanical world dictated understanding of the state we live in by capital and the tick, tick, and in our struggle? Some of us feel tick of its clock.” quite strongly that in an activist scene – From a Technopolis Flyer. characterized by a fetishising of the Other’s struggles (most predominantly “In a squatted nursery school in Leeds in those of the global south) that looking at explored as to why we should find new the North of England, the eviction of the technologies a struggle very relevant responses if the old responses are, in fact, previous tenants the result of a frenzy of here and one exemplified, historically, working ‘perfectly well’ (despite the fact that gentrification in the city, around 50 people by Luddism is vital to our understand most people present, including us, seemed to gathered for a weekend in June 2005 to ing of how struggles change through the be of the opinion that they are not). There is discuss the latest wave of enclosure by trajectory of capitalism and how we also the issue of security at these gatherings capital – new technologies of control. understand our own position in the of course. Only so much can be discussed Despite criticisms that the gathering was global capitalist system. In important amongst strangers and acquaintances. The (merely) an ‘academic conference for ways, the repressive apparatus of the details must lie within the affinity group. The anarcho primitivists’, it was attended by a West is experienced differently here artifice of the formalized discussion also very diverse range of people – from than it is ‘over there’ and our methods constrains discussion and the ability to break researchers at the Etc Group, to europunks of resistance must be formed and out of certain ways of thinking, particularly if on their way to the G8 Summit in expressed accordingly. Some of us also people are hostile to either ‘non productive’ Gleneagles. felt frustrated by ‘stock’ reactions and discussion or to outcome focused discussion. wondered if a gathering like this might Discussion didn’t really extend outside of the The diverse mix elucidated both produce some new ideas. (unexpected) convergences and (more workshops as we had hoped – over dinner in the garden, for example – indicating a predictable) tensions in perspective, Aware that some people wanted separation of work and leisure. worldview, desired outcomes, and a critique discussion and that others wanted more not only of society and invasive and concrete outcomes, we tried to create a One of the most revealing comments about encroaching technologies but also of the mix of information and discursive Technopolis was made by a woman from role of activism in confronting these things. workshops. Also we wanted to raise Mexico who observed that our conversation the question of how much research you was extremely abstract and in particular Technopolis came out of a previous really need to do. Isn’t it just a little abstracted from our daily lives. It was different gathering in Oxford in February and a diversionary? We can tell you right now where she came from. Of course, it is no collective in Leeds, previously involved in how technology affects us – how much longer our land that is being enclosed; it is no the 6 month squatted project Maelstrom do you need to understand how a radio longer possible to stand up to a concrete (which had also concentrated on exploring frequency works to know that you don’t force to protect a concrete thing. It is our the theme of technology and repression), want an RFID chip sewn into your minds, it is our genes, it is our atoms, it is agreed to take it on. hoodie tracking you everywhere you go? our psychology, it is our knowledge of who is With this in mind, the weekend included watching us and why or our lack of it. Our In some ways it began to seem like a bit of a discussion on nanotechnology, a ways of talking, thinking and relating reflect a knee jerk reaction. discussion on surveillance technologies, the technologies we have to live with. a general discussion on critiques of We quickly wondered why we had taken it technology, a discussion on architec It is difficult for us to assess the success of on – out of duty to an activist movement tures of control (which included a walk Technopolis, as we never organized it with whose values and methods we are around Leeds city centre), a discussion concrete aims and objectives in mind. We can constantly questioning? Out of a desire to on technology, capital, and class, a say, however, that some people went away find ways of physically impacting these history of the Luddites (Leeds having inspired, some people went away frustrated, been arguably the most militant third of and that the organising collective went away the ‘Luddite triangle’) a showing of Das feeling, well, a bit confused really.” Net (a German film about the cybernetics movement, the Unabomber and the era that created them both), and a talk on sonic weapons (which included a practical session!) amongst other things.
Unfortunately, we tended to skirt around the idea of new actions that could be taken, nor was the question really
39 Translated from Italian
There are no more illusions ties of the Italian government are in terrorism is introduced: “Behaviors which are the slaughter in Iraq, just as they know deemed to have the aim of terrorism when they, The London bombs have shown only one that it will be some random people at by their nature or context, could cause serious thing: the terror that western governments and risk of being blown up here as well. damage to a country or an international capitalists have spread to every corner of the “We will never change our way of life,” organization and are carried out with the world is coming back. The terrible London Blair declared after the objective of intimidating the explosions have brought a piece of Baghdad, July 7 bombings. He population or compelling Kabul and Jenin into Europe. Hatred and then added in the middle public powers or international desperation are no longer confined to remote, of August: "We are not organizations to perform or exotic margins, but burst from behind the having any of this abstain from performing any scenes into the very middle of the democratic nonsense about it. It's act, or destabilizing or scenario. The logic of the end that justifies the nothing to do with what destroying basic political, means (bringing peace to Iraq through the British are doing in constitutional, economic and genocide) has produced its counterblow. Iraq or Afghanistan, or social structures of a country When 1½ million Iraqis have been slaughtered support for Israel, or support for or a political organization.” Then isn’t it terrorist under the pretext of removing Saddam America, or any of the rest of it. It is to intimidate the Iraqi population with bomb- Hussein, would one want to put up any nonsense, and we have got to confront ings, torture and death squads? On the other objection to those who blew up fifty-four it as that." . All those who oppose the hand, aren’t demonstrations and strikes Londoners with the aim of stopping Blair’s war are attentive. generally organized to compel “public powers” murderous politics? If it is acceptable to kill to perform or abstain from some act (for indiscriminately for oil and domination, why There are no more illusions example to demand the withdrawal of troops shouldn’t it be acceptable to kill indiscrimi- from Iraq)? While state and multinational nately to free one’s land from foreign oppres- Unfortunately, as Blair claimed, not terrorism is hidden, every form of real dissent, sion? What do the professionals of terror have even the bombs of London have every attempt to destabilize a murderous to scold these much smaller carriers of death changed the way of life. On the political, economic and social organization is contrary, a wave of racism has spread defined as terrorist. against immigrants in general and Arabs in particular, with dozens of There are no more illusions shops burned and several young men lynched. The Brazilian, Jean Charles de It is obvious which enemies this new law Menezes, who the police gunned distinguishes. Every immigrant is considered a down in the Underground because potential terrorist. If s/he will collaborate with they suspected him of being an the police in the “struggle against terrorism”, s/ attacker, was simply registered in the he will be able to get the permit or residence cold calculation of those lost in the papers. Otherwise, on the basis of mere “struggle against terrorism”. On the suspicion, s/he could be immediately expelled, other front, bookshops of Muslim even if s/he has her/his documents in order. pacifists are searched, books against According to a logic of rewards and punish- for? The exceptional event in London is an the war seized as “anti-western”, ments that spreads from prison to the entire everyday reality in Jerusalem and Basra. What offices of cultural association closed, society, the ultimatum addressed to immigrants these vampires of all consciousness are lists of suspected journalists drawn is clear: either be informers to use or criminals saying, at bottom, is that one western death is up. Precisely like after September 11, to expel. But the rest is valid for anyone who worth more than a thousand Arab deaths. the most freedom-killing laws against calls the present social organization into Who is moralizing to whom? Ah now… immigrants and dissidents were question. Identifying anyone suspected of western values. We have seen them in Abu approved with the usual mass media “terrorism” is now possible through the Ghraib, Fallujah and Guantanamo . coverage, Italy in tow. implementation of coercive hair and saliva sampling, of course, “with respect to the There are no more illusions There are no more illusions personal dignity of the subject” (article 10), while the punishment for mere possession of a Not having wanted or known The so-called “Pisanu fake passport in redoubled (from one to four how to disassociate practically package” (Giuseppe years, and able to be increased by a third to a from their warmongering Pisanu is the Italian half if one manufactures it for oneself, or is governments, western popula- Interior Minister) , i.e., holding it not for personal use). Anyone who tions are exposing themselves the July 27 2005 legal violates special surveillance, legal requirements to bloody reprisals. The war is decree n.144, which then or the prohibition to reside may be arrested, also here – this is no longer just became law to all intents even outside of cases of flagrancy, with a an anti-militarist slogan. It is a and purposes, contains foreseeable punishment of one to five years truth as cold as a corpse. They urgent measures for the (art.14). Then, on the basis of mere suspicion, tell us that the next objective battle against interna- money, shops and goods can be seized. may be an Italian city. Yes, it tional terrorism. Through Furthermore, police detention is extended from might be. Clearly they are well article 270 bis, the twelve to twenty-four hours (thus modifying a aware of what the responsibili- following definition of law enacted after the murder of the anarchist 40 checkpoints). It is obvious to kamikazes are fanatics and cowards. It is like anyone who does not share the this: cowards are not those who play with sensibility of a head of state or the lives of millions of people from their safe an interior minister that no position, but rather those who are willing to police protection is possible kill and be killed rather than living (or against one who, full of hate knowing that others live) in the midst of and desperation, is willing to barbed wire and wreckage. This scene sums carry out the simplest military up on of the crudest lies that the Ministries action, striking indiscriminately. of Propaganda and Fear have ever had Pinelli in a police station). While the period Against one who is not afraid of effrontery to tell. A lie that depicts quite for archiving everyone’s telephone and blowing himself up – thus, becoming well, in a ruthless act of accusation, the computer traffic will be lengthened up to five a “martyr”, i.e., a testimony – there is current decay of awareness, the fearful gap years (with an increase in the amount of no device or apparatus that holds this. between the horror that surrounds us and many allocated for telephone and environ- All these police measures only serve the consequences that we are able to draw mental wiretapping, in a country that spends to show muscle and, above all, to from it. a higher percentage to that end than even the justify greater social control and United States), it will be necessary sooner or repress any unconformable thought or There are no more illusions later to show an identification card to use the behavior. An armored society does internet in any business or public location – not permit criticism. However, the For millions of the damned of the earth, in short, a mass filing system. The practice of barbarian doesn’t come from a pushed down to the threshold of survival by infiltration by judiciary police officers, whose terrifying and incomprehensible market disasters, the kamikaze has become powers are nearly unlimited, is made official. elsewhere, but flows from the most a figure of redemption . This is what this Police tasks are entrusted to the army and technological of civilizations. There is world devoured by the cancer of domination even security guards. These are some of the no shelter against the only enemy that and money has managed to do. measures that the Right introduces and the we don’t want to look in the face: our respectable Left immediately approved and way of life. But indiscriminate violence against western described as reasonable people is also a sign of the defeat of (when they didn’t struggles for social emancipation, the failure consider them as actually of practical solidarity among the exploited too limited). As soon as of the planet against their common exploit- they were passed, in ers. The possibility of revolutionary violence Lombard alone, fifty-two – against the oppressors and never against immigrants were expelled the oppressed – is being replaced with the in one day. blindest violence, fury that does not distinguish between governors and those There are no more governed, between ministers and subway illusions commuters. Examining it well, it is a most grotesque and terrifying parody of the Pisanu’s declarations struggles that, from Iran to Nicaragua, from about the Centers of Italy to the United States passing through Temporary Residence South Africa, shook the order of war and (CPTs - Immigration exploitation in the 1970s. detention centres) – the The London bombs don’t just speak to us of concentration camps in Middle Eastern masters (sheikhs, financial which immigrants speculators, big property owners) that move without documents get locked up – as a tool May sorrow transform into awareness, sacrificial pawns over the chessboard of a in the struggle against “terrorism” are typical, may awareness become the obstinate war to defend their power and oil. They also, as are his references to those who “foment” refusal to go on this way. Because this above all, speak to us of the poor who, revolts and escapes. The foreign enemy way leads to death. isolated in their search for liberation, becomes confused with the internal enemy, abandoned by their brothers and sisters in the “barbarian” with the revolutionary, both There are no more illusions the West, see an imperialist in every white threats that civilization must smother. Don’t person. Of the poor who, in searching for the decisions to increase punishment (up to Statesmen, with thin smiles and redemption that often has quite little to do two years) and the proposal for allowing the impeccable clothes, send soldiers to with religion, find in combatant Islam a arrest of anyone wearing a burqa, chador or bomb an entire population from the community with which to identify. Of the “protective helmet” head in this direction? altitude of their high-tech airplanes an poor who are joined – as we have recently The one who goes into the street determined entire population, slaugh- not to retreat before potential police charges tering men, women and and the faceless Foreigner merge into a single children, causing hundreds hysteria about security, a single declaration of thousands of deaths. of war. Some young people – human beings, this variable It is considered nonsense – a nonsense that is unforeseen by military and madness, a madness that is crime – to multinational staffs – blow maintain that the bombs of Madrid and themselves up to avenge London were a response to massacres that their loved ones and the western troops carried out in the Middle future that they didn’t have. East, whereas it is sensible to state that one In the shelter of their who wants to carry out an attack goes bodyguards and newspa- around wearing a burqa (so much for not pers, our statesmen explain attracting attention) or without documents to an audience of frightened (so much for passing calmly through civilized people that the 41 This is the context into which the new repressive measures are inserted against the “internal enemy”: the enemy without documents, without face or with a protective helmet.
There are no more illusions
Democracy reveals its real function when viewed on the planetary scale. Then one will discover a minority of “free citizens” surrounded by a mass of slaves compelled into forced labor. The ancient Greek city is now the seen – by other attackers a bit better off, entire world; except that the food is A hurricane, and now it is civil war. While born and raised in the West, but linked by poisoned, police are everywhere and New Orleans is submerged in water and religion and culture to lands and people the free plaza (the agora) nowhere. In mud, with hundreds of deaths and a tormented by the war. this sense, Israeli democracy is population that lost everything, the govern- increasingly an outpost of what the ment suspends the dispatch of aid, immedi- Only the experience of common revolt will society in which we live is becoming. ately afterwards entrusting the management restore to the word ‘comradeship’ its most A society under siege, with the army of public order to soldiers who’d just authentic meaning. Experience ripens at the entrance of all the theaters and returned from Iraq. “Anyone who loots among the same ruins that gave birth to the restaurants. A society that, in dehu- supermarkets will be shot on sight.” kamikaze, by transforming that desperate manizing foreigners, has dehumanized disposition toward conflict, into a radically itself. A society that has fallen prey to There are no illusions different struggle. There, the awareness of a the obsessive fear of attacks – humanity three quarters drowned awaits us. repercussions of military occupation, The withdrawal of troops from Iraq and the It is already too late for lessons in civic raids, deportations and slaughter – closure of the concentration camps for education. and is incapable of calling our way of undocumented immigrants is the indispens- life into question. A society in which able minimum that our struggles must force out. If it wants to be consistent, practical solidarity against repression is now a critique of the very foundations of the state and capital. Today, one cannot speak of war without speaking of expulsions or prisons, and vice versa. “Fomenting” revolt and escape from CPTs is a task which reality takes on much more freely than revolution- aries. Organizing self-defense against the cops, learning courage, going on the attack, changing our lives together – here, beyond labels, acronyms, group rhetoric, is the only concrete comradeship, the most beautiful challenge hurled against that “crowd of lonely people” that we still call society. There are no more illusions emergency law by decree is the very mode of governing. A society in which While humanity crawls between the Democratic safeguards are a torn up emptiest “well-being” and the crudest fig leaf. the reference to nuclear destruction is now a mere journalistic metaphor. poverty, while the civilized flounder among cataclysms that have very little “natural” The “war on terrorism” is the most fitting There are no more illusions about them, locked in their traps of armored form of global conflict of the division of cement, the ancient dream of placing power and the last energy resources that everything in common, of freeing the mobilizes and militarizes the entire society. A few days ago, in a working class neighborhood in Turin, an unknown experience of the world and of our likes The “terrorist” is everywhere, inside as well from the mediation of power and money, as outside the borders: it might be the citizen took a shot at the head of an African boy, Ali, from the window of becomes the only promise of happiness, the immigrant, the dissident or the “rogue state” only concrete hope of liberation. with “its” population. The enemy has no his apartment. It was an air rifle, but the boy was still at risk of dying. As exact form precisely because it is absolute Some internal enemies Evil. This is why the war is total, and the soon as he was discharged from the means those of annihilation. “Annihilation hospital, Ali was deported. Although therefore becomes completely abstract and he had no drugs, according to the absolute. It is no longer turned against an press he was a “pusher”. The police enemy, but is now in the service of a strengthened controls at the expense supposed objective affirmation of the of immigrants. A citizens’ committee highest values – for which, as everybody started a petition to demand the iron knows, no price is too high” (Carl Schmitt, fist against petty criminality. And not Theory of the Partisan). The collaborator of even an innocuous, generic, demo- yesterday (Saddam Hussein, Bin Laden…) cratic word of condemnation for the becomes the terrorist of today. shooting. Jerusalem is right next door.
There are no more illusions
42
Kamikaze dreams: Black Bloc in Stirling during the
G8 summit 2005 by Constantine. This is a personal account of some events that I was a part of during the morning of Wednesday the 6th of July in 2005 during the G8 summit in Scotland. Because of the intensity of the events described here, numbers and time could be pretty wrong, but I hope that my recollection of the spectacle as a whole will prove useful.
My affinity group arrived for the G8 summit a few days before any events. Our first experience was the whitewash known as the ‘Make Poverty History’ march, a spectacle that really was a complete hijacking of even the most reformist of anti-globalisation protests. This completely pacifying experience was followed by the ‘Carnival/kettle of full enjoyment’ on the Monday, a day of action that many thought would be confrontational, but actually ended up being badly co-ordinated and frustrating. we found a line of police vans and thought that the protestors were penned in. Soon we realised that they When we arrived at the eco camp in Stirling we were were on our side of the police line but it was so black surprised by the small numbers of people and the high we had not noticed them. All of a sudden, a Black Bloc percentage of hippies. As time passed we grew of 500 people appeared in front of us out of the black increasingly frustrated by the tactics that were presented to asphalt. us for the direct action day. The most common one was for people to break out in small affinity groups and head After that came a period of chaos as the police tried to though woods for the A9 highway. Some of us thought that control us but were surprised and paralysed by no one this was risky because there was a lot of energy trying to really backing down. Barricades were built and police get somewhere where it seemed easy to be controlled. were pushed back. Then for a while there were no There were also actions in Edinburgh, but we were unsure police, just lots of people in black, disorientated and about what these because of lack of information. After angry. So the car dealerships, Pizza Hut, B&Q and the meetings and arguments we decided to stay with the Burger King were used for target practice and spray completely suicidal group who were just going to leave in painted as shopping trolleys were liberated from one group in the night and Morrisons to become moving barricades and stone head for the closest transports. All this seemed pretty highway, the M9 and close stupid as we were right next to the it down. No one expected camp but soon we were on a road to get to the M9 but we leading to the highway and figured that we would be in everything came in very handy. a group and there for had more possibility to be The first police line was the funniest. militant in our efforts. Also, Police in yellow fluorescent jackets causing trouble would take lined up behind shields with their police forces away from the batons drawn as they tried to stop the other smaller and more bloc entering a roundabout. Many decentralised groups. protestors slowed down but the mass still moved towards the police line. That night it rained and I woke up to the chanting of Many were looking for different routes, but there hundreds of people, seeming mostly to be internationals. It were none. I think that the police thought that their was the darkest night I remember during the summit, and bright jackets and shields would somehow stop us but there was a black mass melting into the darkness of the no one really slowed down much. Some protestors trees leading out of the camp. It took us a long time to had inflated rubber tubes in a row behind a banner. gather the members of our affinity group and the mass left They pushed into the police line and the police without us. We ran out of the gates looking but the people struggled to get a hold of the tires. Since this did not seemed to be gone. The police were moving in the area, break the police line, the rows of shopping trolleys but we searched freely for the bloc. After some confusion were put in front of the police lines to keep the batons
44 at safe distance and then the rocks started flying though the us and it looked like maybe this was the end of the luck of air. It was surprising how many joined in, and those who didn’t the group. The police looked determined but they could not kept refilling the supplies of stones that were being see the shopping trolley around the corner pushed by a transported in a shopping trolley. couple of punks racing towards us. The shopping trolley suddenly popped out between the Black The police line started moving Bloc and the police line and the rocks backwards pretty quickly but it was showered the police yet again. Just as also broken and some police before, the police line was split and a ended up split from the others and few police were separated and received they were hit pretty hard with extra attention. rocks and fists. I heard later that this was the police intelligence/ After this, police started arriving from all camera crew. As people realised directions and we were split and some that they could get though the people were arrested. Most managed to lines, many went forward and the re-group though and as the majority of us police retreated completely as they moved into a residential area the police rushed past. Next we found eventually disappeared. Barricades were ourselves walking quite far on built out of road repair barriers, but empty country roads heading towards the M9. There was nothing was broken in the residential area. We ended up hardly any traffic and the only spectators were cattle, as a black crossing a golf course and then some fields after some bloc carrying barricade materials and pushing a shopping guidance by medics who gave us fresh water supplies. All of trolley full of stones moved though the Scottish countryside. a sudden we found ourselves climbing up the banks of the M9 and when I reached the highway barricades were already The next time we met the police it definitely seemed that the being built and the traffic had been stopped. game was over. We were moving up a hill and noticed that there was a pretty big police barricade up ahead. There were By the time this group had reached the highway, the original lines of riot police behind which there were several large body of people had been split many times. It seems that the police vans. As we group that I was in looked down the managed to stop traffic direction we had come in both directions, from we realised that which meant that many we were cut off. The other groups reached police lines behind us the M9 to find it empty. were smaller but they Due to this they could were backed up by build barricades that vans and it seemed lasted longer. Holding pretty solid. Many ran the M9 was difficult into a field as people because there were looked at both sides of many car and truck the road that were drivers and some were lined with heavy hostile. After about 20 vegetation that made it minutes the police hard to figure out arrived and we which way to go. At eventually abandoned this point many people the barricades and were lost. Many who spread out and walked had been fighting a lot north. When someone instead chose to attack the smaller police line. This was absurd suggested that we should march to Gleneagles, the group I at first and I believe the police were surprised. It felt like we was in decided that we could not possibly have any more were completely surrounded by a huge police presence, yet a luck and that it was time to lave. At this time we had 3 police group of 10-20 people with a shopping trolley of stones fought helicopters above us, at least 50 police behind us, it was fully back and an escape route was found. The police never really light and the M9 was standing still. We split into groups and fought back and a small path was found into a residential area. walked down small streets and crossed train tracks and fields to make it back to the camp. Once back at the camp we Somehow we managed to find ourselves in a small town turned on the radio and listened to the traffic news that said square, consisting of a few shops and a bank. There was a lot more than the normal news. A huge part of the road network of confusion about where we were going but it does seem was shut down and it felt that we had been part of something that some people knew quite well. A police line appeared that had been much more successful again. They looked more fierce and ready for a fight. They than we could have hoped. Also, we were completely in black and jumped out of their vans quickly were all pretty surprised to have making a line. At this time the shopping trolley with the rocks made it. had fallen behind. The police line moved determined towards
45 long as they wanted. In the meantime they will hold you without Translated interview from any communication, beating you up now and again, because since you were not able to have any communication with the Salhaketa prisoner support outside world, not even by letter, that is, in writing, not even in any organisation..... other way, they could do with you whatever they wanted. S – These persons that were living within the special regime, they Laudelino has spent 25 years in prison since October 1980 to were living within special departments within the prisons. Is that August 2004. Out of those 25 years, he has spent 13 in isolation correct? and segregation. He inaugurated the archive for internal prisoners in special observation, FIES, in 1991. L – Well yes, within the prisons at the time the special departments were the 1st grade modules where the regime special was applied SalHaketa – Today we would like to ask you about the organised and to go out of the special regime you could stay for one, two, movement of resistance that several prisoners have taken part in three, five years or never get out. It depended on your attitude recent years, denouncing the conditions of imprisonment and inside. The people were very upset, and that is when APRE started evaluating the evolution of this movement and its present state. (Association of Prisoners in Special Regime). They started to struggle because the boys inside started reading the new penal Laudelino – Hello, in order to understand the movement of resis- code. Inside the special regime there were norms that were not tance within the prisons we need to go back to when Franco died in respected. And therefore the only thing those people were doing 1975. The social conditions implied that people were going from a was to claim for those rights to be respected. That was the only fascist franquista regime to a monarchic franquista regime and well, thing that they were doing. That was the least they could do within there was the political struggle of people outside. When Franco the worse. But their own laws were not respected, that is why they died, there were negotiations with those prisoners who denomi- started to denounce. nated themselves political, there was also lots of riots on the outside, they managed to get the majority of them released, but not S – What kind of revindications were they using? What kind of all of them. collective actions? S – That was with the amnesties of 1976 and 1977? L – APRE mainly was approaching legal subjects that are the legal problems in the sense that the penitentiary legislation was L – But they did not release any of the social prisoners. But it is from respected. Like for example, all that concerns mainly human rights then on, because prison conditions were really bad, lots of torture, and living conditions. lots of beatings, overcrowding, the food was really bad, etc. Then people started getting organised, mainly because it was expected S – And the collective actions, what kind of actions were they, that if there was a change in the political regime it was supposed to hunger strike, patio strikes etc? be for everyone. There was supposed to be no difference between political or social prisoners. At the time the struggle was not only for L - Hunger strikes were mainly about our writing complaints and the prison conditions to improve, but also for the amnesty of all them being ignored. The problem was that at the same time, there prisoners. It was in this atmosphere that COPEL (Coordinator of were some prisoners that thought that those actions were not prisoners in struggle) was born. There were lots of riots inside, the going to have any effect. Then we thought that since our denounce- government did not want to grant amnesties, therefore there were ments and complaints were going nowhere, and the vigilant riots, and basically prisoners destroyed most of the prisons. Of guards and judges were not paying any attention to us, then our course they were old prisons, not like the modern ones, and only way to call attention was to rebel that is why GAPEL was basically they destroyed everything within them, but after that of formed. (Armed Group of prisoners in struggle) that was going on course there was harsh repression. The police came in and beat a at the same time as the APRE. Then the people from GAPEL, we of lot of people up, there were fatalities. Then they got all of those who course did not like to stay in prison because we were really bad, they thought they were leaders and took them to Herrera de la were mainly trying to escape, freedom was our main priority. Our Mancha. They punished the COPEL movement very severely; this only aim was freedom. We could not get it? Then we barricaded precipitated a period between 1978 and 1985 where just a few ourselves in with hostages, and negotiated. One of the main people were active because everybody knew the consequences that demands was firstly that they would not put their hands on us being involved with the COPEL movement had. Not only to punish again, that there were no physical repression and secondly that and repress all activist prisoners, but rather all other prisoners so all subjects about the penitentiary legislation that were not they do not move a finger. COPEL continued clandestinely but with respected to be looked at. They had to respect their laws. Then just a few people. Then with the Penitentiary Organic Law of 1978 well, GAPEL started, I was within GAPEL, I was with other com- the special regime was applied within the entire 1st grade. rades kidnapping, starting riots and things like that. Until ... there were so many kidnappings and riots that apparently that got the S – What was this regime about? system very worried and then they applied the FIES regime. This happened in 1991, this was a very hard regime, and in fact they L – The special regime consisted in that they could isolate you for as not only did it to punish us physically and psychologically but 46 also and mainly to destroy the GAPEL movement. Because those communicate. Otherwise they would not allow you; you had to within APRE mainly focused on writing, they were not annoying wear the suit. them very much. Those who were annoying them a lot were those who were causing trouble. Because we wanted to escape, to S – Always when you were outside the cell you had to be denounce the system through violence. We did not have another handcuff inside the prison? For the patio and for the showers? alternative due to the prison conditions. This is when they applied the FIES regime and got all prisoners by surprise, we did not have L – Yes, any movement or transfer outside the cell, those cells an idea of what that regime was and it was very traumatic have special locks, one of those security doors with bars, you because of course they would have to turn around, put your hands behind suddenly started doing a you, they would handcuff you and then they selection of people. would open the special lock and got you out. And they would search you. S – To those of you who were causing more trouble? S – With shoes or flip-flops? L – We were at that time without anything, bare L – Yes, they were doing feet. Then it was when we started to protest, then special listings. First they got we got them to return our clothes, we got them to us all together in Badajoz, give us our radios and bit by bit we managed to then in Seville, and later in El make them to give us our belongings because they Dueso in Cantabria. And then had confiscated them all. Even pen and paper, well, they kept us three months they would not give us even that so we could not without going out of our cells denounce them. We wanted pen and paper to be at all. able to denounce but they would not give it to us. That is nothing. They had us completely isolated S – How many of you? just as they wanted. They did not want anyone Around 150? from outside to know what was going on, that is why they would not give you any of that. And well, L – Yes, more or less, split between the three prisons we were then it was when they got us all together. That is around 150 prisoners. Well, daily change of cells, but they would because when they applied the regime they did not have a not take us to the patio for anything. We were inside the cells all physical structure for those who were going to go to the FIES naked, because they forced us to wear overalls, then, because we regime, not like it is now, simply what they wanted at that did not want to wear the suit, we were all naked. Then the only moment was to kidnap us, get us all together in mainly three thing that they allow us to have in the cell was a foam mattress but prisons and maintain us there for some time while they were without the foam or anything. We slept on the floor because there preparing the FIES units. Those are small modules, completely were no beds or anything, and just a toothbrush that they cut the automated, automatic doors, control cameras everywhere, handles off. microphones everywhere, you could not, and you cannot have any physical contact with the guards. Everything’s through bars, S – Cut in half so you could not use it as a weapon. everything’s through lanterns and security windows.
L – Well, a weapon..., but well. They cut the toothbrush, one of S – Completely inhuman. those toothbrushes that are common in prison because it was given by the institution and a plastic spoon, a plastic tray. That L – Yes, then until those modules were done, they were doing was the only things we could have in the cell. them very quickly, they kept us all together and very bad, that is really bad, because we were not listening to any news, we were S – Pen and paper? not listening to the radio or anything, we got to think that maybe there was a coup d’etat, maybe there has been a coup d’etat L – Pen and paper? I do not think so, because if I am not remem- and now they want to execute us. They kidnapped us; we could bering wrong, I believe we needed to buy it ourselves with our not be in contact with anyone. Maybe that is that one by one money from the economato. Otherwise not. In those conditions we they are going to shoot us, what do I know. remained in isolation because they did not allow us to communi- cate either. S – Thinking that the Death Penalty was back.
S – Not even with the lawyers? L – That there was a fascist coup d’etat, Tejero’s friends and company and now who knows what they want to do with us. L – No, not even with the lawyers, neither with family, with no-one. Fuck, they were treating us very bad; the minimum was to be For about three months, the thing was that also within those savagely beaten. We were all there completely naked, every conditions we were doing whatever actions we could. Then some day they were searching the cells, changing cells, they would of those riots got made public and then of course they had to take not take us to the patio, that is the few rights that they give you to what was going on in to the light. What the FIES regime was, have a normal life, and they take them all away. Then with the nobody knew and got us all by surprise and well, bit by bit, we structure of the FIES regime, what happened is that, of course, started communicating with the family only. We would go out to we were all always trying to escape and the FIES modules were communicate handcuffed, that is, with lots of guards, always with only for no more than 4 people. They had me alone for two lots of armed guards and you handcuff behind and they will force months and something else, completely alone and all full of you to wear the suit so if you will have to wear it if you wanted to guards. 47 S – I imagine the nights you spent when there were noises. over. But the judge you have to realise takes half of the responsi- bility in taking the declaration, he is part of the process. But well, L – Yes, and as it always happened when they give you a heavy I think no-one has managed to escape on those stories. And at beating and they kill you, then they will hang you up and they say the end people realised that there was no way to escape on that you have hanged yourself. They beat you more than what they those transfers. expected and if you are dead, then well, they make up for the public the story that another prisoner has hanged him/herself. Then the main S – Therefore the only thing that they were doing was accumu- objective of the FIES units and regime was to break the movement of lating more years of imprisonment. those who were at the moment struggling for freedom, for the revindication of human rights and freedom. And they managed to L – More years of imprisonment, yes, then that way was not break the whole movement because at the end with time not only did good to escape, because they would not let you. That is why a they manage to divide us, they managed to confront us. Well, the lot of people decided to submit. Not to put any denunciations, if people, if you were one of those who tried to escape and you see you had to sweep the floor, if you had to do any kind of that under those conditions you had no possibility of escape because cleaning because the guard was asking you, then you will have you had tried but it could not be. You reach the conclusion that you to do it and not contradict the guards at all. You had to treat are never going to be able to get out of there. Not even if they come them with a lot of good manners. If you had that attitude, to look for us. depending on the person in question, depending on what they will consider, because for one person acting the same, six S – Very distressing. months was enough, but for another person this means, he will need to stay two years and this other man three years. L – Then there is a point when people say, it is understandable, you have no other option but to swallow it, cooperate, submit, not argue S – Could you talk for a bit about the function drugs has taken with the guards, lets see if one year goes by, two years, and they get within the FIES regime? me out of the FIES. At least if they get me out of the FIES I have a possibility to escape, but here there is none. L – The function of drugs is very clear.
S – Is that why there were lots of prisoners who tried to go to court S – There are a lot of people that do not know? places, to go to hospitals so they could try on the way to escape? L – They do not know? No, well, the function of drugs within L – Of course, but the guards knew about that, then when you go to prisons is very clear, mainly legal drugs. Legal drugs that are one of those courts, first you would not know at what time they were, given by the system itself, like methadone, psychotic/anti- not even the lawyers, they will take you on such a condition... there psychotic drugs, tranquillizers and the like. That is people in were guards everywhere, they would pick you up from any part of (FIES sections)1, 2, 3, because the prison is very hard, find it your body, bare feet, they will pick you up from the hair, they will very difficult to confront that situation. Then people would tend force your head down, you could not move at all. Of course, at that to go to whatever is easier, because if I get drugged and I am time there was hardly anyone on the streets, until they will get you stoned I do not realise, according to them they are stealing days inside the court, from the van that was doing the transfer to the court from the judge. They do not realise that they are taking away cell, well, imagine, for you not to see anything, they will take you in a their own lives bit by bit. Aren’t they? But it is that, the drug very violent way, well, with tremendous humiliation. Not only makes people, and mainly if it is given by the institution, the physical violence, but also a tremendous psychological violence, institution has them tied up; they become instruments of the very intense humiliation. Then the people assume responsibility for institution. They will throw them against you. In all senses and acts that maybe they had not done, people will write to the judge of ways, in fact today, there are many prisons where the doors and a certain place to say that you have done something, and then it's many other things, like opening the doors and closing the doors, that was before done by the guards, now it is prisoners who are doing it.
S – Taking food.
L – Taking food, things, but also opening and closing up the door of a prisoner. There are many prisons where other prisoners are doing things of this kind. But why? Because many times they are addicted to methadone, or other drugs that the system lets them use. They are given trust, and then the system lets them do business inside, they let them get drugs inside, they deal so they sort out their life. The guards also always get their cut. The guards also get lots of drugs inside, in fact there has been cases when they got them, for example with bottles of cola-cao (chocolate milk drink), full of heroin, in Alcala-Meco and in many other places. Because guards do not get searched, they get heroin inside and the trusted prisoners that had a destiny go giving the heroin around and the prisoners sell it. And the guard therefore can get 48 out to 2nd grade, two years before I got released, I was really L – About the GAL, inside or outside? shocked with the people. Because if you were to say anything to the prisoner, about rebelling or anything, they would go and tell S – First explain what it was outside. the guard without any fear! Well, really out of order, I used to think, fuck, to me guards were my enemy because I know they are L – Outside it was... my enemy, but for these people who were prisoners the same as me, but they were also my enemies, that was too much. That is, to S – A “Group of Anti-terrorist Liberation.” me that is clear, not only the function of drugs within the prisons, through drugs they first manage to ensure that prisoners do not L – Yes, a mafia of policemen, inside the Guardia Civil, inside the make any trouble, second to ensure that any problems would National Police, and also inside the army, although the Guardia happen between the prisoners themselves, so they also benefit Civil isn’t an army body, but a political army body. Well they will from it and then make it another instrument of the system, because focus mainly in physically disposing of people like ... Basque the system gives them drugs. They had them at their feet; they will people. Mainly those who belong to the GRAPO (armed anti-fascist do with them what they want. If a guard tells a prisoner, close that group), mainly people who were involved in armed bands with door, the prisoner would go and close it. If the guard says go political ends. Then well, they will go and kidnap them, they will kill around repeating this lie, which is any lie normally about another them and put bombs against them, that is, hard and pure violence, prisoner, the prisoners will go and do it. So guards could tell total terrorism, that is a terrorism of the state. Then well, they had all them what they want. Get this knife and kill this man, then I am the means in their hands, inside and outside, and then inside, going to double your portion of methadone and I will get you on because there were some Basque prisoners mainly, and that they the 3rd grade. In fact to us, to people who were kidnapping will think that they had tirade with regards to others, then they were people to escape, they proposed to us to form a prisoners GAL. worried, because maybe due to the reasons why they were in jail... That is that guards do not stop themselves when it comes to those things. S – Police and the army were worried about those cases.
L – Well, they even end up telling us that they wanted to get rid of some Basque prisoners, end then they will tell us, well, not to me because I am Basque, but they were asking the guys, they took them to the cell and told them, “listen fellows, you are fighting for freedom? Well, if you are clever, look, you could get freedom in six months, and everything legal, you only have to do what we tell you”. And those comrades that were by no means stupid asked them, “Well, what do we have to do? You are setting us free in six months, so well, what do we have to do?” “Well, it is simple, everybody knows that you are doing kidnapping all the time, well, this time we are going to let you kidnap some of us, you will need to take us to a certain place that we will tell you and then you will eliminate one person that we will tell you. You will tie us up very well, you kill that person and then you hand yourselves over, nobody is going to touch you, because everything is agreed, then in six months” That is what the law says, because otherwise they cannot do it, because that would look a bit dodgy because the law says that minimum is six months of 1st S – Could you explain a bit what the prisoners GAL is? What is grade, before you can go to second grade, and three months later GAL and what are the prisoners GAL? you are in third grade, you are able to get permits to go out, you are in the streets. And that is what they were proposing, they L – Yes, what I was telling you before, even me, if you start to look wanted us to go killing our comrades, that is the Prison GAL that closely at the prison, the prison is very hard, well, today most of they wanted to build up inside prisons, but we did not do it, but they the people who get in from the streets, have already had some proposed it to us. contact with drugs and if they are inside, because the prison is very hard, then they cannot get over it and therefore they find it S – And how is the situation of the struggle inside the prisons easier to get into drugs. On top of that, if the system is giving it to nowadays? After if you want, we could talk as well about the you, fucking better, and well, all prisoners have assumed that, that hunger strike of prisoners in isolation in the year 2000, as another if they do not give any problems to the system and collaborate example of collective experience. with the system, then they will get released sooner, on probation and so on. That it is clear for them, then, the prison is very hard L – I was doing that hunger strike, and I had a really bad time. It and then those people on the outside, I do not know if they would was very hard, I was very hungry, and like me, we were all very have an alternative to live or not. I do not think so and therefore hungry. And well, at the same time, it is a way of telling the guards because outside they did not have options, inside less. who were inside, but well, we got no result, because there was no change to the regime, we got nothing more than reprisals from the S – And the GAL? 49 ones that were inside. And I think that was the L – Yes, but they did not mind, they did those are micro-prisons of maximum security. problem, because if outside there was to have not care at all. been a bigger and more real coordination, To me, the walls of the FIES are micro-prisons of maximum security inside the macroprisions the people, well coordinated, a more real S – And in the hunger strike of the year support, then the guards, will have stopped of maximum security. Mainly, the FIES 2000, they were also not bothered modules are to stop people from escaping. themselves when repressing us. But of course about the fact that you were all still on because they knew that the support that we And it is only social prisoners that they keep hunger strike, how many of you were in them; I still have not seen political prison- had outside was symbolic, apart from the four doing the hunger strike? or five usual people, the rest was more like a ers inside the FIES module of direct control. I have seen political prisoners in 1st grade small fashion of the time. And guards know all L – I think that in total it was about 200 those things, and because they knew that it with FIES 3, that is different, but FIES 1 is people, maybe more, I am not very much harder. was not a real support, that is what hap- sure because one will say one thing pened. and others will say another, and also S – Absolute control. because since we were isolated, we S – It did not have an impact on the guards? could not talk between us. We had to L – Of course, the problem is that in FIES 1, be calling on the phone to other you are allowed to go out to the patio a L – Not at all, they were not at all concerned, people that were outside to know how in fact, every time we did a hunger strike, and maximum of one hour per day and with no about things in our prison and in other more than one person, but with the 1st grade also this time, the guards were laughing at us, prisons, I think that in total more than the were laughing at us. But anyhow, we were in FIES 3 you go to the patio something like 4 200 people started it, I think it was to 5 hours per day, and there are seven or not eating; we were still refusing el rancho. more or less 50 the ones that finished We were not eating. eight people in the patio. Notice how it it. changes, it changes a lot. That is that the FIES is FIES 1 direct control, and that is only S – They would not care; in fact five guards S – It was only done by the prisoners savagely beat you up once when you were on applied to social prisoners, people that that were on the 1st grade, because wanted to escape, or that had rebelled your day 18 of the hunger strike. Is that on 2nd grade it was only follow by correct? anyhow against the institution, for having Gabriel and another comrade. It was participated in a riot/mutiny, or maybe for not very supported amongst other having punched a guard, while they were L – Yes, between five guards. On the day 18 prisoners, was it? of the hunger strike, they were transferring me beating you up, because many time you to another cell and they started beating me up cannot, but sometime you can give a punch L – No, on 2nd grade it was only to a guard if you get an opportunity. For from the back, they throw me down to the Gabriel and.... and in 1st grade it was floor, they kick my head up, they handcuffed those reasons, either because the people also a few prisoners, because on the were against the institution and then they get me, they made several cuts in my head and 1st grade there were lots of prisoners then they tied me up from hand and feet to a you into the FIES 1 with all their rights, only to and the hunger strike was followed social prisoners. bed, they did the stitches on the cuts of my only by those who were on the FIES head without anaesthesia, really bad. I was and by a few that were on 1st grade. S – Other kind of torture that they apply is the complaining and after 18 days without eating But what I am saying, it was started you are very weak. But it was a way of transfers, you were saying before that to but about 200 and finished I think by change cells is very common, and also to get beating me up, it was the first time that they 50 without eating. did it in such a cowardly way, lying to me, transfer to other prisons, with the aim of other times I had general searches, do you getting you apart from your homes and S – You just mentioned that there is a families, like you just said, inside the FIES 1, it know the tension?, you know that if they do lot of people that live on the 1st grade, not remove your pants they are going to beat is mainly social prisoners, professional maybe is important to say that, mainly criminals, supposed leaders of prisoners you up, you get ready, but then, because you in Europe, that the people who are are all by yourself, there is nothing you can movements and many come from poor under the FIES regime are at the families. do, but well, you are prepared, you know they moment 44, because Xose Tarrío, died are going to beat you up in that moment. But in January, the FIES regime, that is the that time they lied to me, they told me “Cell L – Yes of course, that is why we stayed strict regime of isolation still exists in inside prison, we were all poor. change!” a normal cell change, because they Spain, and will still be there even change my cell sometimes everyday. They when there is no FIES prisoners. were going after me, “get your things” and S – And about the transfers? In which like that, and I was taking what I was writing conditions are those transfers made? How L – Yes, they are going to stay there, often? To how many people? at the time, I took the notebook, the letters and that is the modules. They have spent a the things that I do not want them to see when lot of money on them. Imagine, they L – Change of cell? they are searching the room, and I was are modules were everything is walking along the corridor and just like that automated, only automatic doors and S – Yes and change of prison. they started beating me up in the back. And cameras, bars over the top, all that then I turned around and then it was when has cost a lot of money. They are not L – Of prison? Well the changes are not only they started beating me up really bad, they going to destroy that from one day to got me down to the floor, they kicked me in the transfers between prisons, it is also changes the other, they will always keep it of cell, they move you around the prison and head, a very strong beating, imagine. And at there. In the 1990s it was us, in the the time I was having the support of Amaitu. change your cell, twice a week, or four times 2000s there will be other ones and a week, or once every fortnight, whatever 2010s there will be new ones. But S – Your village association. 50 maybe it has been a year or more, until you have paid all your sanctions, until you get recovered from the trauma, and they move you to a place where you could see again that the possibilities and then you start fantasising a bit, then maybe it has been more than a year, or maybe more, look how things are, then well, it is ok, what are you going to do when you are inside, tell me.
S – It is an instinct, isn’t it?
L – In fact I am telling you, if from the beginning, when I got in the 80s for this story, but if I was to have been an ordinary prisoner, and if I was to have accepted what there was inside prisons, and I was not to rebel for anything, then I would have been inside just 9 years or maybe 10, but I stayed for over 25 years. That is because of my attitude inside the prisons and I have been quite, I do not get into serious things, the problem is that... I do not know.
S – What about the things that are going on those last two years, that could make us think, if we L – Well, look, it was from the were to know again that there are riots/mutinies they want. Then transfers between prisons, the calabozos municipals , (municipal inside the prisons like the two that had occurred same, I don’t know, it can be once every jails), around here, from a village in Cuatre Camins what do you think? fortnight, once a month, and every 20 days, around here, now I do not remember whatever they want. how it is called. L – The prison of Cuatre Camins is in Cataluña, in Cataluña it is another story. But with regards to S – Again you are isolated because your S – And tried to escape? the Spanish state? From the social prisoners point families cannot go to see you, it is not the same of view? I think that there is not much and what if you are here in Vizcaya or if you are in L – I tried many times, and two of them remains is old people, that have always been Cadiz. kidnapping, but no, kidnapping is very fighting and will keep on fighting. But to encour- very difficult and even more difficult age a bit the people who are inside so they start L – Yes of course, and also the prisons that from the FIES modules, you have to go to, I don’t know, to get conscious first, because have the FIES regime are just a few, it is not all through a lot of barriers, lots of lots of prisoners they are not aware of what their prisons, they all have 1st grade but not all of controls, and at the end you do not rights are, that is the problem, they cannot write them have the FIES modules. They transfer you, manage to go. nor read. Therefore first, to make them aware of the transfers are also a way to stop you from what their rights are, and to encourage them to escaping, because, according to them, if you S – And when you come back to fight for their rights, there needs to be a very are in for a lot of time in one place, you can be prison? good and coordinated movement outside. A checking one thing or another, but if they are movement that not only tells them what their rights moving you all the time, you do not have time L – The problem of trying to escape is are and then how to fight for them avoid the to plan anything. It is a tool to stop prisoners that while you are planning it is ok, repression of possible reprisals and if prisoners from escaping that is why they transfer you. you are spending your time, but the got punished for fighting for their rights, to follow Both transfers and changes of cell. Well, also, problem is that if it does not go well, up from the outside and then also with regards to they use it with people that will not try to they beat you up savagely. They the media, that is, it is not only about making escape like Basque prisoners, well, some of punish you very much. They do not like denunciations, demonstrations outside, but also them will, but most don’t, they change them to it if you try to escape, they do not like going to the media, even to the big ones, a way fuck them up, so they cannot have any commu- it at all, I cannot understand why. of pressuring them so they can denounce what is nication with their families, etc. But for us, for going on, can’t they? The problem is that if the ones who wanted to escape, they do it so S – Because it is normal to try it, isn’t prisoners do not see, and more as things are you do not escape, they do not care about our it? getting at the moment, they do not see that there is families, they do not care about us, they only a real and strong support, there is nothing to do. do it so you do not have an opportunity to L – You will try to escape and then you Here in Spain it is all finished. Their only remains escape. do not manage and they beat you up ashes and the four that have always been there, a lot, they isolate you, they torture they continue there, fucking good, it is a pity. S – How many times did you manage to you, they handcuff you from your feet escape? How many times did you manage to and hands to the bed, they insult you, S – You Laude, have been free for one year and escape and get to the streets? they will tell you anything, and then of one month, and I would like to ask you two things, course you also get sanctions. They what do you think about the prisoner’s support L – Me only once. give you lots of sanctions as well, so movement that there is outside, now that you can for the next time that you try it again, see them, and how are you? S – Once? And from which prison? 51 aware of any of those things. When I was a L – That I get imprisoned for such a kid I was in the Basque country, I had thrown stupid thing, and mainly because if I lots of stones at the police; I had participated get into prison again, they have all my in lots of demos. But for me it was because it files there, I will go directly into the was the police, that was my reason, they FIES, and then the guards are going to were bad, they were the ones who used to really give me a very hard time. They arrest me, beat me up, torture me, and I did will try to increase my sentence, not like them, do you understand me? Also maybe I go in there just to do six because I was stealing, and then they used to months, but I might never manage to arrest me, they used to torture me, they used get out. I won’t be able to be out to do all kinds of savage things. And then of because they will increase my course, if I was to see that there were demos sentence for fighting with someone, if I against the cops, I would go to throw stones can defend myself I will defend myself. at them, to throw them whatever, because If you defend yourself, they will they were cops, but I was a kid at the time, consider it as an aggression, then they but I was not aware then about how the will increase the sentence to 4 years, 6 system works. Then when they made me a years, what do I know? prisoner again in the 80s, well, it is not that I L – Well, to be honest I think that a lot more was very aware, I did not even know how to could be done, that not much is being done, S – Now you are 44 years old and write a letter, well, I did know how to write, and that there should be much more, lots you got in when you were 17. but I did not know how to write a letter, more could be done. And how am I? Fucking where to put the address or the return great. I am fucking great outside, I rather be L – No, well, I got in when I was 19 address, or any of those things, I had never outside than inside. and now I am 44, the thing is that written a letter. And I did not know what my before I have been inside more times. I rights were. And also I was sent down in the S – But what consequences did the isolation had 4 more entries. Then I was also in 80s, when with all the mutinies/riots from the time in prison have upon you? a young offender’s institution, from COPEL, all prisons were basically destroyed. here, in the young offender’s institution Then I was there, I went to Malaga’s prison L – Ah! I am very fucked up in the head, I am of El Cisco, I managed to escape, the and I was tripping, completely shocked, really bad, I have an enormous psychologi- thing is that it was easier to escape because since prisons were destroyed inside, cal trauma, and I do not know how, bit by bit, before, and well all my life like that, all they would have us sleeping in groups of 60 I am going to get over it. The system has not my life. Well, I was also working as an or 70 blokes in a space for 15 or 20, so we provided psychiatrists or anything, I did not illegal, the problem is that they have were really overcrowded. And well, there, get any kind of attention at the beginning been exploiting me, I was conscious with time I was getting more and more either, I had to do it all myself. No, but it is that I was being exploited, and with interested in my rights, I started getting the true that it leaves your mind really bad, a lot what I was getting I could not manage, penal code, first thing I learned was how to of distrust and lots of paranoia, I still dream and then in one way or another I make claims to the institution, because when about prison. Look what paranoia, I have needed to get some money to live on, you are inside, every time that you want to been outside for a year and I still dream to have my life, not that I was spending ask for something, you need to do a written about prison. It is just too much. It is also it on drugs. But well, I liked to live well, claim. Therefore I started by doing the written difficult to relate with the people outside, with as much dignity as possible, even claims and then I was getting to learn which there are lots of things from the people in the though I was a kid, to have my own article I needed to mention to do such or such streets that because you are used to do things money, why could I not have my own a claim, because when you do not base your other ways, other attitudes, for example in the money? If I had the guts to go and get claims on the articles, they will get thrown out streets people insult each other just like that, it. I think it is like that, who does not do straight away, they will not reply to you. So inside if you get insulted, you need to fight for it because they do not have the guts or bit by bit a started by reading the Penal your life and things like that. You are in a pub courage to do it, well, nothing, worse Code reglamento penitenciario, the penal and someone comes and pushes you and, for him, but if you know that you can legislation, the penal code, the constitution, what is going on? Lack of respect that here get it, I get it and that is it. and everything. And I was shocked, fuck we there are no problem, but inside they are very had all those rights? That could not be, how strong, well that you need to kill yourself with S – The first step necessary for a can it be possible that we had all those someone for such a stupid thing. Here outside movement of rebellion to happen, for a rights, because they do not respect any of they are stupid things, but inside they are very movement of resistance within the them. That was the first shock. You start serious lacks of respect. But well, I am seeing prisons, is that for the persons that are writing, and then I started going around with how people function outside because I am inside to become aware of their people that were inside for longer than me. not going to be killing myself with everyone condition as prisoners, aware of the They tell you about escapes, it is normal, the that insults me or pushes me. What I am system that is oppressing them and people who are inside were there for a long going to do? I will have to be one more of also aware of the reasons why they time, and in prison the conditions are really those outside. I mean, I am not going to slap are in such a condition. When did you bad. And then the people are trying to childish people that are going around experience this change within you and escape they have a different mentality and pushing people at the pub, they can get me in how? then you read, you get publications, and at prison again, and that can be a problem. the end, you start becoming aware of being L – Well, me being aware of all that, a prisoner. You become aware that you are a S – That is a fear that you have always in when I was a kid, of course I was not prisoner of the system. I was felt I was being mind, isn’t it? 52 kidnapped by the system, the system had me torturing him, they are going to keep step is to oblige them to respect their own kidnapped, not for what I was, but for what I him isolated to see if he somehow, well laws. That would be a very important step. had become at that moment, and for what I dies, either from a sickness or from a Because a lot of prisoners will benefit from it, was doing inside the prison. That is why beating. I think they want to assassi- that would be an important step, then if we instead of 9 years, they made me pay nearly nate him and they will not stop until want to go further, then well, that step will 25. And well, now I know what the State is, I they manage it. If they take him back to then be very important, because a lot of know what repression is, I know why they Spain he does not have a chance, he prisoners would benefit also, lots of prison- apply repression, and I know a lot of things. had it very bad and he is going to ers would get released, the conditions inside Now I am aware, and I have read several keep on having it very bad. And if he would be a bit better, and that they treat you writers, political texts, mainly anarchists, the managed to get out because of the at least as a person is also good. Because if ones that I most liked; now I have my own circumstantial support that he was not you feel like you are nobody and they ideas. having at the moment, because I found can do with you whatever they want. It is a it incredible that they gave him a feeling that it leaves you very bad, on top of S – Maybe with the experience of being a permit. You see, when there is a real that bad feeling, knowing that nothing prisoner, mainly in that atmosphere like found support, you see. And well, the guy happens the guards and judges of this yourself, one of the few things that are positive took advantage, he did not go back system of torture is very depressing. It is a is getting to know a few people. Other and well, fucking great, but now, they very important step, that they respect their comrades that have a common struggle with got him again. He was inside his story, own laws. Mainly human rights within the you, could we talk about Gabriel Pombo da his fight; he had that accident and prisons, this will be a very important point, Silva, who is on trial at the moment in well. and then, all the other rights that are Aachen? legislated, that are contemplated by law, for S – At the end, what the State really them to respect them the same. A lot of L – Yes I did get to know him, they have also hates is people like Gabriel, who is prisoners would get released, but a lot of been very unfair with him and well, appar- again in a very difficult situation, and their lives would change inside by 100%. ently he managed in Nanclares de la Oca, even though this is happening to him, with the support that he had from the outside, he keeps on writing, he keeps on S – Do you want to tell us anything else? he managed to get a permit to go out, the denouncing, and he keeps on having man never came back, well, it is normal, how his own ideas. L – Well, I do not know, what I would like to are you going to go back to get tortured, say is that I am really upset, because they would you? Now from what I have heard they L – That is why they punish you more have hurt me a lot, but well, I am on the got him in Germany, and that the conditions when you are in prison, for your streets, and I am getting over it bit by bit. But are really horrible. Apparently it has been an attitude inside, it is not for what you they have damaged me very much, very accident, well; I do not know exactly what has have done, at the end what have you hard. I am really upset, it is true, the problem happened with the guy. But what to me is done, nothing. You start asking is that I go along with it very well, I think it is clear is that he did not go back to prison. yourself, what have I done for all this. I very important to denounce what there is Why? Because how is anyone going to go have done nothing for fuck’s sake. inside, for people to get conscious and when back to get tortured, that is why he escaped, They punish your attitude inside I say people, I do not mean one, two, three in fact he had tried while he was inside prison, if they think you do not submit or four, it is everybody’s problem. several times, he also was always trying to enough, if they see that you go against escape. And well, I believe he got to Ger- the system and that you are against many and there was a problem, I do not know them. Well, even if you defend human September 2005 what happened, but well, it was an accident rights inside prison, what crime is that? within his fight, and well, he has been unlucky For them it is a crime. because now they got him again and he has it really bad, I heard that the same or worse S – That is what you were telling me than in the Spanish FIES 1, 2 or regime. before, that they were going against their own laws. S – It is another kind of torture, white torture, more psychological than physical? L – Yes, they are breaking the law all the time, when I became aware of my L – Then, well yes, I think it is outrageous what rights I read article 15 of the Spanish they are doing with him. And well, I do not Constitution: no-one will be tortured or know if it could be possible to get him out, suffer Ill treatment. I was shocked. Is now it is at trial, they still have not reached a this the Spanish Constitution! Is this conclusion. (- Gabriel recently received a 13 possible? Here they are torturing us year sentence. editor) everyday, they are beating us. How could that be? How could it be S – There is still no sentence, but for example, possible that these people could have what do you think would happen if Gabriel such a nerve? Como es posible que was to go back to Spain, because the country esta gente pueda tener tanto morro? has asked for the extradition. They are systematically breaking their L – When he gets back to Spain? When he own laws and in fact, well, when I talk gets back to Spain they are going to keep on to people, I think that a very important 53 SquattingSquatting inin BrightonBrighton
"Phone everyone you know right squats in the city. We generally now, the pigs are outside!" wonder at the benefits of negotiat- Most of the time, I'm usually expecting the ing payments of any kind. door to be kicked through. I really appreciate a good door and barricade, The police here have recently been and every home should have one. If you particularly pro-active in 'illegally' can, make sure at least one person in the evicting squats without court house has enough cash on an unregis- orders, and arresting people. This tered cell-phone to call for support. We've increases every year when the stopped a few evictions from private Labour Party have their annual heavies and police by getting a phone list conference here, as the multi- together, and it's essential for people to million pound coordinated respond as quickly as possible to security operation invariably intervene. Many times there is no court involves widespread repression order for eviction, and well, these things against anybody excluded from are expected, but with a little effort we the charade. Some few days can make it very hard for them, and before the Labour party confer- maintain our space. It’s just a matter of ence September 2004, there was making it difficult for the property market a raid involving a mob of yellow- to function, and to consistently challenge jacketed cops, forensic unit, armed those enforcing it in every way possible. response team and media on a Coming into regular contact with cops, squatted house on Upper Lewes estate agents, landlords and private thugs Rd. The news reports reproduced protecting this property racket only makes the usual misconceptions about me more determined to reject capitalism, anarchist activity in their drive to At night banks were attacked, graffiti and everything it expects of us. endorse the authorities. The papers appeared, and someone set fire to a car in printed a picture of a comrade from an underground car-park, which was below Brighton is a small decadent coastal Spain as proof of the 'international' a hotel full of trade union and Labour party resort full of expanding yuppie develop- nature of the supposed conspiracy delegates who had to be evacuated. ments. There is has a long squatter and which had been thwarted, and an anarchist history here, from the time Peter Italian man and 2 men from the UK Previously, the cops distinguished them- Kropotkin lived in the town, to the days of were arrested at the scene, questioned selves on 31st October ‘02 by violently Harry Cowley and his anti-fascist and later released without charge. attacking an anti-war road blockade near activities and community struggle. In That the anarchists in UK have largely the seafront, which resulted in many injuries, recent years there has been extensive ignored the Labour party conference and many people here can bear witness to gentrification, attracting high-earners from in Brighton as a mere uninteresting free parties which have been brutally raided London and efforts have been made to spectacle for the past few years is and attacked. An ex-library which held a attack and displace the excluded people, pretty obvious to many. Brighton squat party was attacked early one morning pushing them out of town. Many squats police thought the arrested squatters and many people were injured by clubs, here don't really last that long, and it ‘amateurs’ for not possessing explo- dogs and CS gas, the DJ was attacked, means moving a lot. Sometimes buildings sives, but it was clear that the squat- equipment trashed, the crowd of angry are found and held down for longer; ters real offense was not caring too people fought back to some extent, and a when we have to move every week, or much about politicians and their few people suffered terrible arrests and an even every few days as we get kicked meeting, and the justification of an abusive detention, but were cleared after from one place to next, it can be a pain, overblown security budget was the lengthy court wrangling. But these are only but it’s great making landlords, pigs and main reason for the brouhaha. incidents surrounded by others, and we estate agents crazy. remember many. Since the Labour party conference of It’s easy to squat in the UK, just find a 2005, which was also accompanied In one situation in 2004 at a squatted disused empty building, get in, change the by evictions across the city and the cinema just outside Brighton centre, a locks and secure the place well. Make usual media bad press against sound- Spanish comrade was arrested and held sure there is at least one person in at all system and squatting culture, Brighton down by police dog handlers and treated in times, and it’s yours!*. There are a few police have stated that they will not an appalling fashion in detention before long term squats here that have entered tolerate squatting anymore. The city being released. At the same place, the pigs into ‘peppercorn’ rent agreements (low was full of gangs of police harassing broke in and stole all the valuable goods in price rent often without contract), and people days before the conference, the building whilst they held 2 people also a few places which have become armed with high-powered machine captive in an office room, before leaving legal housing co-ops. There was a long guns and all the usual tools of the them alone with no arrests. Only after running squat on the sea-front – ‘Medina police-state. Despite the clampdowns considerable effort was put in did we get House’ - which entered into a peppercorn in the city, and the protest march that any of our belongings back from the cops, rent agreement with the landlord, but it was heavily contained by police, certainly not any of our tools. still seems in as sketchy situation as many people diverted their efforts elsewhere.
54 Another Spanish comrade, who was alone in his house, had his front window smashed in the middle of the day by the landlord and his men, who enter. The squatter on threat of death climbs down a 3-story drainpipe without any shoes and runs for help. He is captured within minutes by police, arrested, detained for 24 hours and later bailed and charged with weapons possession, narcotics possession and breaking and entering property. He still doesn’t answer bail, and we wish him luck.
Over the last few months in winter the police have been evicting as many squats as possible on the charges of 'theft of electricity', which is a fairly ruthless move in the coldest months. In some cases, even when bills were produced to show evidence of contract these were dismissed, as the sole aim is to evict the inhabitants and board the place up. In the latest case of this policy, 5 squatters found their house being The police operation included weeks of police public stormed by 3 squad cars of cops which quickly escalated into a relations. People found themselves surrounded and fracas outside involving a police dog unit, 2 riot vans and a outnumbered by the usual UK State tactic of close contact CCTV van against 30 people who had arrived in solidarity. 3 mass policing. arrests were made for ‘obstruction of police’, ‘assault on police’ and ‘breach of the peace’. Two of the people were released by The cops make use of identity profiling and data-basing of police whilst the one man was held for over the weekend, and homeless people and youths here a lot, and have been bailed to return. Police threatened to arrest anyone taking engaged in the retention of biometric and DNA records footage of their actions, and one comrade was chased down the from minors and from those released without charge, street and had their camera seized and deleted, but not without despite no legal powers. Also, how can we ignore the some resistance on the part of friends. numerous reports of people being abused at Hollingbury police station and on the streets; arbitrary arrests, threats, Possessions are often seized beatings, being stripped and left without clothes in the cells, to point to the supposed other humiliations… radical nature of the occupants, and so a reason The repression being felt as Brighton police carry out a long why they should be arrested term attack on the excluded, the youth, the free party, and turned out into the squatting and radical community doesn’t go unnoticed and gutter. It seems to be won’t pass unanswered. That many people here refuse to enough to be a DJ, or have pay for housing, and want to organise against the system, is anti-war leaflets, anarchist evident. If the police in Brighton have declared war on posters or books to be squatters it is because they notice our activity, and we are considered fit for prison. open for this, because we are already openly in conflict with them and the capitalist system they serve. Brighton police’s heavy handed treatment of the local anti-arms campaign ‘Smash EDO-MBM’, and the collusion which the A few angry drug addicts. police, business and legal people reached is also repellent, but is expected from a police force which frequently builds profiles and commits house searches against activists. For a recent small *For information about squatting in the UK contact the demonstration in the ‘05 autumn, of barely few hundred people, Advisory Service for Squatters: www.squatter.org.uk there was an incredible number of police, vans, and helicopters.
What should the police get?:
OUR BODIES, DIGNITY & FREEDOM?
or
OUR WELL-AIMED BULLETS? The recent arrests in Barcelona on 9th February of Ruben Masmano Bernel & Ignasi Antolino Ibanez, two anarchist comrades accused of direct action against banks and the The State does not follow its own many; Marco Camenisch detained in prison industry, is a typical laws, not in the Spain, Italy, U.K, Switzerland, the 'Aubonne bridge' case gesture from state power Poland, nowhere; and if it did, it (where activists are cut from ropes against its enemies, but this is would only be because it had built almost killing them) and the absolute for itself a greater terror, to commit not an isolated incident, the E.U. rule of the Swiss Police State; The the people to its subservience. We widespread repression of popular is coordinating repression can only see the process of defer- struggle in France, and the show trials against anarchists and other ence, propaganda and murderous against International Red Aid, the anti- militants across the whole of arrogance from the State as fascist group GRAPO and the PCE(r). All Fortress Europe. regards 'justice'. In a situation of these innumerable repressive mea- widespread State impunity, degrad- sures are the same, maybe not in We totally denounce the actions of the ing conditions and exploitation, to program, but in essence, we see the ‘Mossos d’esquadra’, and the entire work for the daily health and common form and the guiding prin- police force, judiciary and prison-system conditions of prisoners is enough to ciples of protecting property rights and of Spain. Their continuing methods of be branded as ‘terrorist’. We know maintaining the order under the guise torture, abuse, fabricated evidence and the outcome of this logic and where of ‘criminal investigations’. media trial are well documented. The it ends, and we will resist straight charges against Ruben & Ignasi exist away without negotiation. The operations happening against the as a political attack against the anar- anarchist and radical social movements chist movement, there has been no across Europe and the world are same evidence shown by the State to justify body, the same entity that uses the preventive prison. Their attempts to arbitrary detention, unknown transfer, portray Ignasi and Ruben as members torture and death in a routine way, of an 'anarchist-terrorist unit' only against anyone displaced to the provides a starting point to refer that requirements of the market. Our eyes are active in the 'anti-prison and view this, from the immigrant detention prisoner support movements’. As if this centres, to the prisons, to the factories; is enough evidence needed to kidnap to all the various wars for resources, them from us, we expect less. territory and dogmatic ideological control. The repression is multiple, and Even less, and equally as despicable, is our response to this is equally so, the mock indignation and inquiry of the because, “For every prisoner, an British, Spanish governments and The gentrification happening in answer, and for every answer, a smile”. others, after the exposure of secret CIA Barcelona and the clamp-downs ‘rendition’ flights. People suspected of against the anarchist movement is Solidarity is an attack against power, so ‘terror’ kidnapped from the streets of not just simply an attack on all those it is no surprise that they have kid- Europe, held in secret prisons beyond excluded from the new consumer napped our friends from the streets of any appeal, and extradited via Euro- city the Catalan authorities want to Barcelona. We say 'friends', because if pean airports to torture destinations build. It is an attack from European any people known to us or not, take around the globe. As if the EU in finance, State power, Europol, and action against the State, hierarchy and general, or the British and Spanish various international police forces. It capitalism, we consider them friends. States refrains from dispersal, isolation, is part of the coordinated areas of They do not have to be 'not-guilty' or torture and murder on national soil or focus, for operations against the condemned by their actions either; we abroad. anarchist movement in Southern have hope in our hearts if anyone Europe; the ‘Mediterrean Triangle’ defends themselves against the police The European Union's theatre of of ‘anarcho-insurrectionists’. The or Capitalism. We have hope for them, 'human rights' is a shabby symbolic widespread raids and investigations because here we feel it also, in our display. The European Union and its in Italy over the past few years, the rage against the economic system and directives are nothing but cover for the jailed comrades from Lecce, ‘Il Prison-State which is the UK. terror of a conglomeration of authori- Silvestre’, ‘Cervantes’; the detention tarian regimes; 'Democratic', 'Socialist', of Greek comrades, all these Against the terror of prisons 'Conservative', for this spectacle to measures originate from the same remain is unacceptable for us, we have sources. Although more than this, in Friends of Ruben & Ignasi had enough of these ascendant gangs Northern Europe: The Aachen 4, of power controlling our lives. Thomas Meyer-Falk and the Magdeburg anti-fascists in Ger-
56 Letter from prison: Ruben, anarchist of 9th Feb
into a cell. I see the "third comrade" some mistreatment, pushing us with our arms (not Ignasi) and we talk about the raids raised, handcuffed, walking backwards and our a little, and without understanding it too mouths shut since they saw our comrades in well, since the arrest order was only for the outside waiting for us outside. The van Ignasi and me, but he's soon released. then drives us as if it was a race and hitting us The stay in the police station is pretty a bit since they couldn't hold us. When arriving disgusting, but after a short time, to prison we're given the treatment of political Salud companeros! around 12 I guess, they take me up to prisoners: in two hours they transfer us two talk with the officer in charge and with times, we can't talk to other prisoners. We another undesirable person, who with also feel this when we're sent to see the I'm writing from the prison of Can Brians, in sarcastic smiles in their torturer faces doctor, the assistant, the educator and the the module number one, and I will make a ask me if I want to declare (make a teacher...we do all of that alone, but regular brief summary since that shitty February 9th statement), which I obviously deny to, prisoners do that in groups. (the date of our kidnapping) up to today so I stay sat down with them, smoking a (february 15th). Everything starts at 8:30 AM cigarette and having to listen to Next day, when the case is handed to court when a friend calls us awakening me and my questions such as "who made that thing number 13, he not only maintains the other friend telling me that it seems like Ignasi's at the Italian culture institute" (a coffee judge's decision but he also scatters us to house is being evicted in la Clota. We are a pot bomb was placed there this different prisons, me to Can Brians. There a bit slow in reacting, but we decide to go to summer) "and who’s made everything prison guard in a disgustingly ironic tone says solidarize with him. We take a breakfast and else that's been happening lately?" to me: "Such paradoxes life has, yesterday we go down to the street to go there, when you put bombs in C.I.R.E. and next day all of a sudden, as appearing from nowhere, I simply do not reply and we spend you're behind bars" I tell him he should a undetermined number of masked Catalan some minutes staring at each other, respect pressumption of innocence and I'm yet secret police jumps on us, telling me I'm hating each other, at least me hating to be judged, and he says "you're one of arrested for terrorism. The impact on me is them, until I end smoking. Then those that talks about guards’ brutality, now pretty brusque, we're searched against a wall handcuffs again and back to the cell. you're going to feel it" and in this moment I lose my friend from Next day we're transferred to sight, I'm taken into a car and the police station of Les Corts, Up to today, physical punishments have been they tell me the charges are where we spend two days, non existent, but the mental one is pretty hard, setting up a fire in a Banco eating just two sandwiches a since we're constantly despised as if we are Sabadell and in C.I.R.E. (a day, and from there to the not people, and I can't rest well enough. At public private enterprise that court. Ignasi is taken to a cell nights I always suffer nightmares, about arrest, controls prisoners’ labour in with another guy, and I'm and I remember you comrades, my family. But Catalonian prisons), and that isolated in another one with an it makes me strong to know you keep fighting they're going to go upstairs to iron door with only a window of as we will do here in the State's dungeons, search my house. I tell them I 40x40 cm and a second door resisting and looking ahead, to that freedom want my lawyer to be there. with bars. There we spend some hours, we will achieve through being strong and They ask me his name and when I tell them, I don't remember how many, and the constant. Avoiding any barrier that the State they start to laugh and tell me that only judge's secretary comes down and tells puts in front of us, self organising and fighting. happens in movies, but I insist in my "rights" me my lawyer is unavailable and asks if Neither political police, nor courts, nor prisons to be respected. They bring me up to my we want to declare with a State's will end our anarchy. If they haven't yet, they house handcuffed, with the hood down and lawyer; we refuse until our lawyer never will. making me look to the floor. In the street appears. They said that the lawyer was door I can finally raise my eyes up and then I making an "habeas corpus" appeal I only ask you to continue fighting, to support realise the massive operation they set up, I since he was told we would declare on us because we need it so that we don't fall. believe about 14 secret police to be there, Sunday, something that was illegal. I See you soon, we know we will be out in a since there were 3 cars full of them and other guess this all was a lie to make us short time, they can't kidnap us for a long 3 anti riot vans in Drassanes Avenue. declare with a state's lawyer. Finally he time. Our going out depends on them applying arrives and we go up to declare: a their fucking legislation, but even more so it When we enter home I see 6 Mossos complete farce, where only with some depends on the fights outside: protest, scream d'Esquadra (name of Catalan police) and my clues but without evidence, the public and resist. friend, something that makes me more quiet, prosecutor, without even taking a look and they start the searching, taking away: at us and making no questions, asks for From module 1 of Can Brians prison. posters, books, fanzines, clothes, 2 comput preventive prison without bail until trial. ers and they didn't take the cats because The lawyer asks for parole with bail, Health and anarchy! they had no room for them... Then I realized since there's no risk of escape neither I wasn't applied the counter terrorist law, investigation blocking, since that Ruben Masmano Bernel, because my friend was there and also investigation was ended. (Modulo 1 de C.P. Brians), because she asked. At this time, no one was C.P. Can Brians, able to enter or leave the building, it was Obviously the judge of court number 3 Apartado 1000, literally taken by police. When they finished does what the public prosecutor asks 08760 Martorell, their dirty job they leave my friend in the for, preventive prison. We then go Barcelona, house, take me into a car and transfer me to straight to prison Modelo. In the Spain the police station in Zona Franca. There I'm moment of putting us in the van there's made a record of the arrest and they take me 57 FreeFree CaseyCasey Hardison!Hardison! Prisoner of the War on Drugs
Casey Hardison is an entheogenic activist, unautho After sentencing, Casey shouted to Judge Anthony rized researcher, and psychedelic chemist of Niblett: "You would think I was a terrorist. Thanks for undefeatable good mood and energy. Casey has your love and compassion." contributed to Erowid.org, a large online resource dedicated to 'Documenting the complex relationships His main offence was the production of 145,000 doses between humans and psychoactives'. Casey also of LSD (approximately 7 grams), as well as the produc attended entheogen related conferences and wrote tion of 2C B, DMT and the possession of 5 MeO DMT articles for 'The Multidisciplinary Association for Psyche and MDMA. delic Studies' (MAPS), a membership based, non profit research and educational organization. MAPS assists When he is released he will be deported to America. scientists in their design and funding of legally approved His presence in the UK has been branded 'detrimental'. studies into the risks and benefits of MDMA, psychedelic drugs and marijuana. Casey has submitted Enhanced Human Rights Argu ments simultaneously to the European Court of Human An American citizen, he moved to Britain in 2002, and Rights and to the United Kingdom Court of Appeals eventually rented a house in Ovingdean near Brighton. directly challenging the drug laws as an affront to free Casey chose to fulfill a ten year spiritual alchemical thought, therapeutic choice and free religion. His UK journey to make LSD and make up for the drought Court Appeal was dismissed. caused by a major DEA bust in the U.S. He was arrested and convicted of LSD manufacture in Britain. That this man has to serve his life in prison for the courageous act of manufacturing and distributing halluci Casey acted as his own lawyer during his case and, nogens is a disgrace. instead of arguing he did not commit the acts, he argued that he had a fundamental human right to When writing please send Casey a book of stamps. engage in his chosen entheogenic religion. Hardison told the judges he was the victim of "chemical apart Casey Hardison LH5330 heid" and that the Misuse of Drugs Act was incompatible HMP Swaleside with his human rights. Isle of Sheppey The court rejected the argument and Casey was Kent sentenced to 20 years in prison on Apr 22, 2005. ME12 4AX United Kingdom The Judge was upset that Hardison believed everyone had the "right to take hallucinogenic drugs to alter their consciousness by freeing their minds", and was not En = Within pleased that Hardison was "imploring the human race to expand their horizons by exploring the world through Theo = Divine hallucinogenic drugs". Gen = Generate
"..The so-called 'War on Drugs' is not a war on pills, powder, plants and potions, it is a war on mental states - a war on consciousness itself - how much, what sort we are permitted to experience, and who gets to control it.
A government that is permitted to set punishments for drug 'offences' in which a person has done nothing more than grow, manufacture, distribute, or use, the psychoactive agents which have been denoted as "controlled substances," participates in an even more pernicious form of censorship - a censorship of consciousness itself - by choosing to punish people for no other crime than choosing to experience or enable particular states of mind." - Casey addresses the British State
58 Albert Hofmann: 100th Birthday
On the 11 January 2006, Dr. Albert Hofmann, the well-spoken inventor of the hallucino- gen LSD celebrated his 100th Birthday, at a conference held in his honour in Switzerland. Since 19 April 1943, the day Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann discovered this psychoactive compound, millions of people from all over the world have used the unique substance LSD with profound and far-reaching insight; created innovative social transformation, music, art, and fashion; were healed from addiction, and depression; experienced enlightened persepectives into the human consciousness and were able to bring an energetic renewal of meaning to their lives.
By 1965, Dr. Hofmann was well aware of the potential of LSD to be of considerable aid in psychotherapy, and particularly under appropriate conditions to reveal the hidden aspects of human nature. Such a tool was sorely needed to counter what he felt were the painful deep-seated sociological causes of public interest: "..materialism, alienation from nature through industrialization and increasing urbanization, lack of satisfaction in professional employment in a mechanized, lifeless working world, ennui and purposelessness in wealthy, saturated society.."
You can no doubt imagine Dr. Hofmann's deep disappointment when his unique discovery was criminalised.
Distro Hoodies & T.shirts
T.Shirts £5 M, L, & XL Colours are Black only. ‘Mutual Aid’ design also Hoodies £15 L & XL available in Dark Green. Orders: [email protected]
325 distro stocks a selection of anarchist Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed, Green Anarchy, Wilful Disobeidence, Abolishing books, pamphlets and zines, plus CD's, DVD-R's Borders from Below, A Murder of Crows, Incendio, Vidange, Datacide, and also titles etc. Check out the catalogue on our website, from Elephant Editions, Venemous Butterfly, Anti-Politics and Re-pressed. We include or email us for an up to date list. On the site stickers and other propaganda to hand, and do cheap/free/trade bundles to people there are more than 20 anarchist booklets wanting to set up their own distro, expect to wait a month or two for it though! and posters to download as PDF, for printing Recommended titles for 2006!: and distribution. PDF's include "F.I.E.S: The Prison Within the Prison", "Autonomous Self- Without a Trace: A Forensics Manual For You & Me (Black Cat) Organisation and Anarchist Intervention", "From Politics to Life - Ridding Anarchy of the Revolutionary Solidarity (Quiver/Anti-Politics) Leftist Milestone", plus much more.. On Organisation - Jacques Camatte & Gianni Collu / Re-Pressed Bundles of 325 are £1 each in mutliples i.e £5 = x5 (postage extra). We sell as cheap as If it was easy, they wouldn't call it struggle: Repression & resistance in British possible, and many titles are totally free. We prisons - Mark Barnsley stock the magazines: Killing King Abacus, 59 ISSUE#3 >Contents (2) Prisoners of Power by Laudelino Iglesias Martinez (3) Editorial/June (4) International Resistance News (13) Interview with Jean-Marc Rouillan of Action Directe (16) Breaking out of the Ghetto: Lessons from the CPE struggle (19) French Student Manifesto (21) Czechtek 2005 “Today means bound- (23) Konshus sounds & Litmus less and inexhaustible (24) Repression and Reports less and inexhaustible (33) Cashless Societies and Eternity. Consumer Surveillance (35) Short notes from an Anti-Prisons gathering Months and years (38) The Reality of Work Camps Months and years (39) Welcome to the Machine and all periods of time (40) To the Forced Laborers, Irregulars and Deserters are concepts of men, of the Western Front who gauge everything (44) Kamikaze Dreams: Black Bloc in Sterling 2005 by number; but the true (46) Interview with Laudelino Iglesias Martinez name of eternity is (54) Squatting in Brighton Today.” (56) Fire in the Hold (57) Letters from Prison: Ruben, Anarchist of 9th Feb (58) Free Casey Hardison: Prisoner of the War on Drugs (59) Albert Hofmann 100th Birthday
#3 / 325collective.com [email protected]