ancora repressione in grecia by AZIONE DIRETTA Friday October 11, 2002 at 04:13 PM
novità dalla grecia: continua la repressione post novembre 17;condanne per manifestazioni in solidarietà ai ribelli palestinesi e molto altro
(en) Greece, struggle Date Tue, 8 Oct 2002 09:04:42 -0400 (EDT)
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things are really hotting up esp in regards to 17N. the media re crazy, with all their wild stories and lies. two tv channels are really bad. as a result there have been big attacks on them. cameras were smashed at a number of demos. last tuesday we had a huge demo denouncing medias role, creating a culture of informers, anti left hysteria. of course media said the demo was in support of 17n not true. Felt like we are in midst of dictatorship, the way they whipped it up frightening folk not to go, but go they did about 3000 people rocked up, no riots to their disappointment. unfortunately some demonstrators spraypainted pro17n slogans. The following evening 20 hooded anarchos smashed offices of a newspaper and following nite the cops did the rounds at a number of social centres, exarhia, and picked up 60 people for questioning, all later released. yes they killed 27 politicians, cops, cia chief etc but what about all the others dead-30 workers have died at olympic village this year, still no prosecution of ferry owner responsible 2 years ago for ferry sinking and 80- dead. 17n are clearly now presenting themselves as polit. prisoners some of them and its probably a wise move given some people were pissed off initially when some lagged each other in.
on saturday, big anti war demo in crete as all eu defense ministers met there, clashes with cops. went to an anarcho fest 2 weeks ago up on a hill in exarhia with videos (that london squatting one from after war 2) and bands, puppet show by some spanish women comrades. lots of kids surprisingly. on saturday went to pikrodafni social centre and met up with others. council elections on sunday, what a load of hoo ha, demos , flags crap. big garbo strike in saloniki at the moment and street market workers were on strike last week over plans to force them to have tills.
Cyprus: 7 months prison sentence for anarchist Giorgos Karakasian, convicted for his solidarity with the palestinian people
In a concentration of solidarity with palestinian revolt, on April 18 in Egomi, Cyprus, there were clashes between police and demonstrators outside the house of the israeli ambassador. Three policemen were injured and 5 demonstrators arrested, among them G. Karakasian and S. Maragos. [Previous call for solidarity - April 2002 ]
On August 27, during his trial in Leukosia, G. Karakasian stated that he doesn't intend to ask for any clemency or forgiveness from the court and in front of a surprised and embarrassed judge he admitted all "charges", explaining the reasons he doesn't regret for any of them. Because of his positions the court decided to put him in prison until the announcement of the sentence, on September 4. His comrades published the following leaflet:
"FREE ANARCHIST GIORGOS KARAKASIAN
Our comrade G. Karakasian has been a hostage of the state of Cyprus since 27 August; of a state that calls itself democratic, while trying with all means to repress and manipulate any form of social struggle and anyone who actively contests it. The only "crime" our comrade committed is that he contested the state and the rationales originating from it. Rationales such as apathy, squealing, servility, ... are necessary for the survival not only of the state of Cyprus, but of every state, of every form of authority.
Last April, in a period of massive and continuous slaughter of the palestinian people by the zionist killers, G. Karakasian could not be indifferent. Scorning this model of life that wants people trapped in personal dead-ends and scraping along (school, military service, work, retirement, death), he chose the daily and uncompromising struggle as an attitude of life but also as an attitude of personal dignity.
The provocation of the israeli ambassador, who decided that it was ok to celebrate the establishment of his bloody state in the middle of slaughtering children, was not left without an answer. This time neither the forces of repression nor the demonstration's "guards of order" managed to defuse the people's rage. Of course the cops were present, dogs ready to protect their bosses, all those scums that live as parasites exploiting workers who try to survive under conditions that are getting more difficult everyday.
Our imprisoned comrade G. Karakasian appeared in the court having to face 8 charges, the three of them considered very serious. We will say some things about them not because we have anything to "justify" - besides, social struggle can in no way be "judged" by the so-called "bourgeois legality". We will talk about these accusations because we want to show the hypocrisy and dirt of all those who have the word "justice" as a lollipop in their mouth. To end with the illusions about who is the Law serving.
1st ACCUSATION: "Causing severe injury to police officer". If symbolically clutching the helmet of a cop, who few minutes later was giving an interview in front of cameras, can be considered as "causing severe injury", then how can we call the arrest of our comrade by gorilla-cops who threw him in the yard of the israeli scum's house and hit him in all parts of his body, screaming "We fuck your anarchy" and pulling his ring from his nose, causing him bleeding?? And the democratic procedures didn't stop there. When G. Karakasian went back to hospital the next day to take the file of his case, he was told that the papers had accidentally disappeared...
2nd ACCUSATION: "causing damage to a car belonging to one of the persons invited to the party". This specific "gentleman" who happens to be the manager of a multinational company and was invited to the slaughter party, was warned by Karakasian to leave the place. But he didn't. On the contrary he tried to drive through the demonstrators! We think that the only reason that nothing worst happened to him is only because social fighters are neither murderers nor accomplices in murders like his acquaintances! The scums talk about material damages, we talk about human lives.
3d ACCUSATION: "Possession of explosive device". This is the ridiculous charge for possessing a bullet. It is an accusation not worth of any comment, it just shows how vengeful is the "civilized" and europeanized state of Cyprus, when it comes to judge social fighters.
[...]
As comrades of G. Karakasian, we are certainly sad that he is now hostage in the prisons of the state of Cyprus. But at the same time we are happy to know that our comrade remains strong and aware of the influence of this actions and positions in the revolutionary scene of the island and generally in the future social struggles.
Our solidarity will be present until the day they will announce the sentence (4 September), so that the supporters of authoritarian misery will understand that their attack against anarchists and other people who struggle will not be without cost. For a life of freedom, a life where everyone will be free to enjoy everything through equality, solidarity and mutual aid.
FREE ANARCHIST GIORGOS KARAKASIAN
SOLIDARITY WITH SOTIRIS MARAGOS WHO IS ON TRIAL FOR THE SAME CASE ON SEPTEMBER 19th.
Anarchist Group of Cyprus"
One day before the announcement of the court's decision, comrades from the Anarchist group of Cyprus made an intervention in Larnaka Airport, sharing leaflets and placing a banner writing in english "Destroying poverty you destroy capitalism - Revolt Now! - Free anarchist Giorgos Karakasian". They spray-painted the streets around the airport while the cops were "discreet".
Giorgos Karakasian was convicted to 7 months imprisonment and a 100 Cyprus liras fine. In a supplementary statement before the verdict, he said "I did what I did in full consciousness of my responsibility, I don't regret anything, I consider myself a political prisoner and I fight for a society without nations and classes, without state and authority, where all people will live according to the values of equality and solidarity". The judge said that the only punishment he can give him is freedom deprivation, and that the gravity of the sentence has a dissuasive meaning, because, as he said, he doesn' t think there's a chance that G. Karakasian will be "corrected" or change attitude. Karakasian was taken to the prison of Leukosia.
For communication with Anarchist Group of Cyprus: exegersi2002@yahoo.com
Thessaloniki, September 6/7 2002 Demonstrations 9 months before the E.U. summit...
The opening of the 67th Thessaloniki International Expo and the speech of the prime minister who announces there every year the economic policy in front of the country's elite, have triggered off a series of demonstrations from various social and political spaces. Students, workers, farmers, residents of Aravissos (who struggle for years against the exploitation of their village sources), even PAOK fans...
The city was full of cops and the area around the expo surrounded by 7000, among them riot police squads from Athens. Friday 6, there were clashes when the police blocked a demonstration of 200 students and workers close to the Summit Center. Demonstrators had fights with the cops who threw gas and made two arrests. There were small riots in smaller streets around. 300 leftists and anarchists made a march in solidarity with the arrested and concentration in front of the police headquarters. The arrested had been charged and then released late at night.
Next day, Saturday 7, there were two different demonstrations. The first one with 250 leftists and 200 anarchists / anti-authoritarians, and the second one 1000 people from the European Social Forum, left groups, Aravissos villagers and an anarchist bloc. The two demos met outside the Expo, where members of the communist party workers front and farmers had already gathered. The general atmosphere was quite nerveless, but the anarchist bloc was dynamic, shouting slogans like: "There's police in every corner - Turkey is not the only Junta", "Cops, judges, bosses, collaborators, you are all going to pay for the blood of Giuliani", "The state is the only terrorist", "Repression, money, reformation will no pass - Hands off Lelas Karayanni squat!" and others in memory of anarchists and revolutionaries who have been murdered by the state as terrorists, Marinos, Tsoutsouvis and Prekas...". When the concentration was coming to an end, anarchists and other demonstrators started moving towards the Expo with the slogan "Cops, Pigs, Assassins" and throwing stones and sticks against the police forces who were guarding the entrance. They also attacked few TV journalists that were close to the people and smashed some TV cameras.
http://www.anarchy.gr
www.guerrasociale.org/
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