THE HUNGER STRIKE OF THE CONSPIRACY OF CELLS OF FIRE WAS VICTORIOUS
Today is a day that a crack in the walls of the imprisoned world around us has opened. After 32 days of hunger strike, the mother of Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos and the girlfriend of the latter will soon pass the exit of prison, free again…
32 days of hunger strike, with eight comrades of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire being hospitalized, balancing between life and death. Mihalis found himself in the ICU the last few days, Olga has reached 40 kilos, Panagiotis had an already compromised health from previous surgeries on his head, George P. has a problem with his heart, with his heart-beats reaching 30 and all of them had medical measurements indicating that they lost 15-20% of their initial body weight.
32 days, the hunger strike became a daily, slow torment of death, in order for us not to make truce with the absolute death of emotional blackmail. An insidious blackmail which authority wanted to impose on us by abducting and keeping our relatives as hostages in prison. 32 days of hunger strike, every fading beat of our heart, reminded us of the promise we made together when we met for the last time, “Let’s go, until freedom …”.
After 32 days of hunger strike, the shadow of repression grew pale, the walls of captivity lowered and prison admitted defeat.
This victory is not only the result of the hunger strike of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire. It’s a victory of a whole world of solidarity, with arson attacks, occupations, sabotage, marches, gatherings, unexpected interventions, which broke the social peace, turned cities into fields of insurrectional moments and occupied buildings into living labs of subversive situations. In an everyday life where the desire for freedom has been suspended indefinitely, life flooded with little and large gestures of liberation, with fires, with slogans and sparkling eyes of persons who wore hoods.
We are flooded with many thoughts that want to fill with words the corresponding meanings. But now, there is neither a day for celebration, nor for accounts of victory. Today we stop the hunger strike, having beaten the scarecrows of authority who wanted our relatives in prison, BUT at the same time, the hunger strike of the remaining political prisoners, for the overall requests that have been set, continues. The days that follow are critical both for their health and for the total wager of anarchist struggle. Therefore, there is no time neither for relaxing, nor for victory celebrations. The die was cast a long time ago… We, as the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, remain on the ramparts and prepare our counter-attack, supporting the struggle conducted within and outside prison.
Authority and it’s scarecrows should know that every judicial coup, every jail, every moment of oppression, every lie of propaganda, every shade of bourgeois morality will return back to its instigators and owners, with multiple power and vehemence. With the power and vehemence of sabotage, fire, explosion, execution… In war, we answer with war. Time for us to attack first…
STRENGTH AND SOLIDARITY with anarchist comrade Nikos Maziotis. member of R.S., and the Network of Fighting Prisoners
VICTORY TO THE STRUGGLE OF THE HUNGER STRIKE
Residents of the Od:zysk Squat send warm regards and words of support for our comrades from the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire who carry on the hunger strike. Your struggle against the capitalist state regime is exemplary. It exposes its totalitarian nature. When threatened, the so-called „democratic” state takes off its liberal mask and moves towards methods such as torture and repression against the militants family members who are not directly involved in the struggle.
We believe that the strike will soon end up with success.
LET ALL PRISONS AND PRISONS AND POLICE STATIONS BURN!
SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!
On April 1st, Athena Tsakalou (mother of the Tsakalos brothers) stated that she refuses to walk out of prison until her daughter-in-law is also granted release. The two women, who were remanded in custody over the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire intended prison escape, are currently sharing a cell in Koridallos prison.
The next day, CCF prisoner on hunger strike Michalis Nikolopoulos was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit in extremely critical condition. The rest of the hunger striking comrades also find themselves facing life-threatening problems.
In the small hours of Friday, April 3rd, anarchists gathered at Evangelismos hospital in Athens, where Damiano Bolano and Michalis Nikolopoulos are being treated. The banner reads: “Not a step back – We break state terrorism in the streets”
On April 3rd, Evi Statiri (wife of CCF member Gerasimos Tsakalos) published an open letter asking the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire prisoners – including Angeliki Spyropoulou – to quit their hunger strike, and urging Athena Tsakalou to accept her release from prison. Below is an excerpt from Evi’s words:
“(…) From the first moment, Gerasimos and the rest of the people from the Organization Conspiracy Cells of Fire assumed the responsibility and emphasised that neither his mother nor I had any relation to the escape they were preparing.
When we were sent to pretrial detention, and despite our objections, these people went on hunger strike demanding our release from prison. Thirty three days later, I think that the legislative provision of the Ministry of Justice provides a solution to the just demand for my release. Knowing their critical health condition (M.Nikolopoulos is hospitalized in ICU, and there are serious health risks for all of them), I URGE them to stop the hunger strike. The moral weight of the damage they cause to themselves is unbearable to me, and the idea of death hovering over their lives overshadows my every thought. I also ask Gerasimos’ mother to accept her release, and it won’t be long until we share freedom instead of prison. (…)”
The recent wave of hunger strikes and other protests in UK migration prisons has subsided, as prisoners have been silenced, moved between prisons, and humiliated and beaten. This report from the Anti Raids Network is just one of many cases of how people are treated in detention centres and during deportation attempts.
Tahar Khalifa beaten by guards in an attempted deportation on Tuesday 31st March.
On Tuesday, 31st March, Tahar Khalifa, detained at Brook House detention centre [one of the two migration prisons inside the perimeter of Gatwick Airport], was forcibly removed from the centre in an attempted deportation to Tunisia, on flight TU791 at 1745hrs. As he was going up the stairs to the plane he was physically assaulted and beaten by the guards.
In a statement Tahar says that there were multiple officers trying to get him up the stairs; one was choking him, another was twisting his upper body. Tahar was handcuffed at the front and one officer was holding him by the wrist and pulling very hard. Read the rest of this entry »
We’re excited to announce the first issue of Wildfire, a new quarterly newsletter of anarchist prison struggle.
We have two goals with this project: to spread the words and actions of anarchist prisoners in the United States and to offer news and updates on anti-authoritarian struggle for comrades in prison who might not otherwise have access to this information.
Wildfire flows with our continued frustration with the state of anarchist prison solidarity in the United States: the lack of prisoners’ voices in our publications, the half-hearted solidarity shown toward captured fighters, the dead-end of “political prisoner” designation. It also flows from our long-term relationships with imprisoned comrades, the mutual affinity found in struggling together. Rather than complain and critique, we prefer to strike out in another direction, embodying our own vision of solidarity. We hope this publication can be a contribution to a more diverse, more combative, and stronger anarchist struggle against prison. Read the rest of this entry »
Compañerxs, con agrado lxs invitamos a visitar este nuevo blog de contrainformación anarquista y antiautoritaria que impulsamos algunas individualidades refractarias que habitamos en la región dominada por el estado Argentino.
La idea es compartir analisís sobre las luchas en curso, sobre maniobras represivas del enemigo, traducir noticias en otro idioma (aclarando de antemano que no somos grandes conocedores de otras lenguas) y criticas al mismo ambito anarquico.
Por otra parte difundir información de nuestrxs compañerxs presxs que se mantienen con dignidad y conviccion batallando en las prisiones de la democracia, al igual que diversos materiales de interés que tienen que ver tanto con nuestro presente, como con nuestra negra historia.
Mas la idea primordial es dar lugar a la confrontación anarquista en su expresión mas directa y muchas veces mas censurada. Hablamos de las acciones que llevan adelante diversos grupos e individualidades alrededor del planeta.
Sin más que agregar por el momento, segurxs de contribuir con nuestro aporte a la multiplicidad de la ofensiva iconoclasta, esperamos de lxs compañerxs sus comentarios, críticas, comunicados, materiales de propaganda, etc, los cuales pueden enviar a nuestro correo:
porlaanarquia@riseup.net
Noticias de la Guerra Social busca dar cuenta de los distintos actos de ofensiva contra el dominio bajo el Estado $hileno. Las noticias que redactamos las enviamos primero a páginas afines de contrainformación para que sean difundidas por estos medios y potenciar estos espacios de difusión, luego la subimos a este blog a modo de archivo.
Valió la pena intentarlo… Nada ha acabado… Todo Continua – Díptico en solidaridad con la huelga de hambre de la Conspiración de Células del Fuego (Marzo 2015)
Este breve cuadernillo busca ser una expresión de solidaridad con lxs compañerxs de Conspiración de Células del Fuego. Buscamos rápidamente cubrir la información anterior a la huelga de hambre llevada por lxs prisionerxs para dar un continuo a la lucha y tratar de explicar en algo el contexto. La fuga de C.Xiros, la desarticulación del plan de fuga, la instauración de las prisiones tipo-C , las detenciones de familias y amigxs de miembrxs de las CCF y la huelga de hambre iniciada el 02 de Marzo.
Sabemos que con la rapidez que se están desarrollando los hechos este cuadernillo no estará actualizado, pero si será un documento para señalar parte del comienzo de este nuevo capítulo de lucha.
La información y traducciones las hemos sacado desde ContraInfo, Círculo Nihilista Sparagmos, InterArma, Sin Banderas ni Fronteras.
Toda nuestra solidaridad con lxs compañerxs en prisión a lo largo y ancho del mundo Todo nuestro amor y cariño en revuelta para Olga, Giorgos, Michalis, Gerasimos, Christos, Haris, Panagiotis, Damiano, Giorgos, Theofilos y Aggeliki
Valió la pena intentarlo… Nada ha acabado… Todo Continua.
*De Chile a Grecia
*Rompiendo un permiso carcelario
*Desmantelado el plan de fuga, intactas las convicciones
*La cacería ha comenzado
*Breve Cronología
Es por ello que no hay término medio. Cualquiera de nuestros parientes son liberados, o morirán lxs primerxs presxs en huelga de hambre durante los últimos 40 años en Europa
Solidarity banner for international action day for prisoners on hunger strike in Greek prisons. Immediate victory for the demands of the prisoners now.
About two hours ago, comrade Mihalis Nikolopoulos was transferred to the intensive care unit of Evaggelismos hospital as a precautionary measure because of the critical condition of his health. His heart rate by this time is low (up to 33 beats per minute).
Comrade Mihalis Nikolopoulos almost suffered a heart attack today in the morning for the third consecutive day. Around 3:00, his heart rate was 27 beats per minute and his blood pressure 7, so injectable atropine was administered to him. The comrade’s condition is very critical. When he’s trying to sleep, his heart beat rate falls again shortly after the injection of atropine, so the comrade has to lower the monitoring that is permanently connected to him, in order for him to be able to sleep 1-2 hours, risking the possibility of a cardia arrest even more.
Now the doctors are saying that even if the comrade stopped the hunger strike today, there is a possibility of him having suffered permanent heart damage which may require the need of a pacemaker.
-InterArma
A few days ago, the councils responsible for the release of the mother of Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos and the girlfriend of the latter came in session. The repeated postponements that took place, made several comrades of the Conspiracy reach the limits between life and death. Mihalis has been in danger of suffering a heart attack twice, as his pulses dropped down to 20-25/ beats per minute (!!!), Olga has reached 40 kg, Panagiotis already has a compromised health due to prior head surgeries, Giorgos P. has serious bradycardia and pressure problems (systolic pressure 5, diastolic 3) and all comrades have lost 15-20% of their initial body weight.
Finally, the first council (by majority) decided the release of the mother, with iron restrictions (10.000 euros bail, 3 times per month required presence at a police station, prohibition of leaving the country and prohibition of leaving the island of Salamina where she lived, which had as a result, essentially, her not being allowed to visit her imprisoned sons). The second council rejected the release application of Gerasimos Tsakalos’ girlfriend, keeping her hostage of the judicial vindictiveness.
That is the game of death that continues in an even more coercive manner. They want to divide us, by offering us, on the one hand, a handicapped freedom with the release of the mother and on the other hand, a compromise with the acceptance of Evi’s detention. Our answer is simple and clear.
No truce, not a step back.
We are not going to stop our hunger strike even in front of the abyss of death. Because the absolute death is to accept the reality imposed by authority, to step back in front of its commands and hide in indifference.
We continue until the end, consistent to our decision. Until an end is given to Evi’s detention.
PS1: The mother of comrades’ Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos refused to comply with the unfair continuation of Evi’s hostage situation and did not accept the restrictions, claiming that she will pass the gate to freedom, only with Evi, who has nothing to do with our organization. Dignity proves to be stronger than legal freedom.
PS2: The last two arrests (a couple of Albanians, according to news reports) regarding our planned escape, prove only the judicial-police Gordian Knot, which tightens like a loop around the true events. Several persons, who have no connection to our organization, have been led chained to investigative offices and others are hold in custody, only because the prosecuting authorities thought that there are references to them (not even their names are written there) in some decrypted messages.
What we see unfolding before us is a spectacular television production with targeted leaks from the case file to police reporters in order to inflate and disfigure reality. It’s a TV trailer for a prison escape which unfortunately didn’t happen. A reality show with strong doses of cannibalism, as besides the confiscated weapons and explosives for which we, as CCF, claimed full responsibility, there are people who are led to prison only because of a friendly relation, a letter, a misdemeanor, of nothing, through the disfiguring magnifying glass of the counter-terrorism law.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF EVI
STRENGTH TO MIHALIS who has reached the limits of death (brother our every thought, our every heart beat is with you)
VICTORY TO ALL HUNGER STRIKERS AND TO THE DEMANDS OF THE STRUGGLE
Conspiracy of Cells of Fire
In the afternoon of April 1st 2015 anarchists of “Rouvikonas” collective “invaded” the grounds of the Greek parliament in the center of Athens to protest in solidarity to the mass hunger strike of 22 political prisoners in Greek prisons, most of them since March 2, and 8 prisoners from Turkey on solidarity hunger strike in turns since March 11.
Immediate satisfaction of the demands – Solidarity to the fighters
In spontaneous response to the call from the Network of imprisoned social fighters we have performed a symbolic solidarity action – which took the shape of devastating the facade of the Greek embassy in Warsaw, Poland, on the morning of April 1st. Symbolic, because real solidarity is shown in everyday struggle against our enemies. Reputation of the Greek State is already stained so only facades were clean.
Revolutionary greetings from Warsaw!
Freedom to CCF relatives, and all prisoners in the world!
I. On the 02/03 a fight against modern anti-terrorist policy begins in prisons, a policy reflected in a series of repressive laws that confirm that there is a war between the world of authority and the world of struggle.
Anarchists and communists prisoners, from Greece and Turkey, with their bodies as weapons, are on a hunger strike, having as common demands the following:
- The abolition of C type prisons
- The abolition of paragraphs 187 and 187A (anti-terrorist law)
- The abolition of the law that considers it a statutory offense when a crime is committed while a person’s characteristics are hidden
- The delimited usage of DNA as evidence
- The release of Savvas Ksiros
Meanwhile, the imprisoned members of CCF are also on a hunger strike, as well as Anggeliki Spyropoulou, demanding the release of Gerasimos’ and Christos’ Tsakalos relatives.
II. For the first time such an important situation has occurred, a situation which due to its overall characteristics and demands does not only contain the imprisoned fighters, but a big part of society, too. This specific situation, also due to the change of government, leaves us no room for complacency and makes distinct the necessity to raise mounds against the dominion of the state and capital and defend our communities. We have no illusions, we are not moved by their leftist rhetoric. Because the whips may have changed hands, they, however, leave the same marks on the repressed ones’ backs. We do not forget the recent invasions in fighters’ houses, the suicide committed by a detained Pakistani in the dungeons of their prisons, the vengeful imprisonments of the relatives of CCF’s members, the provocative statements made by the deputy minister of Citizen Protection Panousis. There are yet much more to see…
III. After many days of hunger strike the comrades have started being transferred to hospitals, where in some specific cases, the care being offered by the staff bears no resemblance with the medical care a hunger striker should have. The same applies to Fivos Charisis’ case, in which we saw that arrogance has no limits when the director of the pathological clinic of Tzaneio Hospital, Stelios Drimis, with excess pride, was willing to sign the comrade’s return to prison, putting the responsibility on him, as Foivos would not accept to be receive serum. This incident is not an isolated case, but, as we have seen in previous hunger strikes as well, it completes the picture of full of EKAM and EOM (special police units) hospitals, with the strikers being denied visiting and correspondence, doctors collaborating with the police, doctors testing the endurance of hunger strikers by bringing them food and treating them disparagingly, playing the role of torturer much better than the one of the doctor. This scum is one of the above cases. We cannot overlook that part of the medical community which stands to the occasion helping by every means, understanding the seriousness of such a struggle.
IV. On Saturday night of the 28th of March, we visited Stelios Drimis’ house in Nea Smyrni and placed an incendiary device (of low force) at the entrance. This action is a clear message to every potential torturer that nothing shall be done without consequences, nothing shall remain unanswered.
VICTORY TO THE STRUGGLE OF THE IMPRISONED HUNGER STRIKERS
UPDATE: The comrade – hunger striker Mihalis Nikolopoulos almost suffered a heart attack for the second time in one day. Injected atropine was administered to him again as his heart rate is 30 beats per minute.
Today in the morning around 6 a.m., the hunger striker Mihalis Nikolopoulos almost suffered a heart attack as his heart rate was 25 beats per minute and his blood pressure 8/2,5. One and a half dose of injected atropine was administered to him as a single dose wasn’t enough. His state of health is currently somewhat more stable (40 beats per minute) but the risk of a cardiac arrest is imminent and can happen anytime.
Also the council of appeals decided today to release the mother of comrades Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos on bail.
According to the latest information, all comrades of CCF continue the hunger strike until the wife of Gerasimos is also released.
This morning in Operation Piñata (following Pandora in December) cops have raided social centres and arrested people (at least 26) in Barcelona, Madrid, Palencia and Granada.
CSOA La Redonda in Granada released a communique condemning the raids, which they said occurred without a warrant.
Centro Social (re)Okupado La Quimera in Lavapies, Madrid was evicted. It also stated no warrant was shown after its doors were smashed at 06:30 and added:
“This is just another attack on the anarchist movement with intent to criminalize and victimize our struggle.”
Other raided social centres were la Magdalena and La Enredadera de Tetuán.
Today at 1pm in Cardiff city centre we held a demonstration in solidarity with the hunger striking members of CCF and their friends and families. We handed out flyers explaining their situation and demands while shouting chants in English and Greek. After the demonstration we hung a banner in the city and scattered flyers from the roof. Strength and complicity to CCF and their friends and relatives.
Long live anarchy!
Anti-prison and anti-state international newsletter coming out on a relentless but irregular basis. Find inside a selection of current news, reports, prisoners letters, analysis and ongoing attacks of resistance from the new urban anarchist war. Download the PDF.
Against Civil-Anarchism
Bored of the type of anarchism that seems to exist only as a boring routine of endless meetings and crap benefit gigs full of self-important tossers?
Sick of middleclass mummys boys pretending to be proles?
Fed up of being told what the 'class struggle' is and isn't?
We are too and so we put together this booklet about it. Updated PDF version.
Out Now: 325 #11
Continues the analysis of new technologies of control started in issue #10. Plus a few personal individualist texts, direct action chronology and more. Includes:
- 3 texts about Flooding, Nuclear-Energy and Urban War by 'Anti-civilisation cell of training & analysis - N.T.'
- 2 poems by Rodolfo Gonzalez Pacheco (1882-1949).
- Industrial Alienation.
- Anarchist comrades contributions to the IX Meeting for Animal Liberation in Italy, 2013.
- Memories from the Future: The Coming Technological Singularity.
- Necrotechnologies & Synthetic Biology.
- War to the machines! by Gianluca Iacovacci.
- Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Human Behaviour.
- The Dalek's are Coming!
- Empty House and Crowded Forest & Some Thoughts on FAI/IRF by Eat.
- Escape into Sanity: The Fall by V.Q.
+ More...
325 #10
44 pages of antisystem anarchic-insurgence. Featuring amongst other texts:
- One Year After... (August 2011)
- War against the information-age : a future of mass social control
- Perspectives about the energetic collapse of the techno-industrial society
- Bio-economy, a way out of the crisis
- Class modifications
- Excluded and Included
- Science in the aid of control : Robotics and aerial drones
- Radioactive spills and nuclear crisis
- On Sabotage and Terrorism
- FAI-FRI/CCF "Lone wolves are not alone".
Radical Media
International Network of Counter-Information & Translation
Act for Freedom Now
Greek resistance and repression news, prisoners letters + more.
Asimetris
Anarchic news from Indonesia and surrounding areas (new web address).
Avtonom
Anarchist-communist page of action, news and reports (Russia).
Bite Back
News from the frontlines of eco & animal liberation.
Black International Editions
This is where the history of the Anarchist Insurgency and continuing rebellion is being written.
Cette Semaine
French Language anti-prison and social war news.
Contra Info
Translation Counter-Information Network from Greece.
Machorka
Multi-language radical site updated frequently with interesting news.
Neroveleno
Italian language site with news, translations, posters and more.
Non-Fides
French language social war news and translations.
No Prison, No State
One of the only insurrectionary anarchist blogs in German language.
ParoleArmate
Armed words. Multi-language space of discussion, translation and propagation of texts of considered affinity. The editors are a target of Operation Ardire in Italy. (Currently inactive).
Prison Island UK
Riotous, anti-system and anti-social news and reports.
Takku
Anarchist and anti-authoritarian news in English from the Finnish webportal.
War on Society
USA comrades publish their news plus present important translations from Europe and South America.
Viva La Anarquia
International anarchic news & reports in Spanish.
Solidarity Calls
International revolutionary solidarity with anarchist companera Sol F. Vergara (Chile)
Our dear companera Sol was pointed out by power and accused of the attack on the miserable Banco Estado security guard Rolando Vargas Fuentes, in which 4 bullets were fired as a gesture of revenge for the murderous shots that another of his colleagues fired at the anarchist companero Sebastian Overluij, which slew him. See also here.
Pola Roupa, Nikos Maziotis, Kostas Gournas are imprisoned anarchist comrades in Greece who have taken responsibility, as well as of slain comrade Lambros Foundas, of membership of the Revolutionary Organisation - Revolutionary Struggle. Their actions and their articulate anarchist analysis of capitalism and their high hopes for social revolution press a question to each reader who is ready to rebel and embrace their freedom. On 24 October 2011 their trial began. You can find updates about the process translated into English here and here. Update: N. Maziotis was captured after an armed clash with police in Athens. P.Roupa and their baby-son, Victor Lambros are still in clandestinity. Find further news here.
"This pamphlet is a meeting point of comrades from all over the world. An imaginary meeting since the walls and bars of the prisons where we are temporarily keep our bodies hostage. But our meanings remain free, escape from the cells of prison and are expressed with words continuing to provoke authority.
Words that still smell of fire and gunpowder, words which carry with them all of our hate for the system, words unrepentant and armed, words which transfer stresses and desires, words which break the isolation of prison, words full of passion for the mutiny we want to continue, words from Chile, Mexico, America, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Bulgaria, Indonesia..."CCF
Free international solidarity zine for the released comrades Eat & Billy. Featuring an introduction by the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire of the first phase and anarchist of praxis Theofilos Mavropoulos.
The so-called "Security Case" concerns our revolutionary comrades Juan Aliste Vega, Marcelo Villarroel Sepulveda, and Freddy Fuentevilla Saa, who are currently held captive in prisons of the Chilean State. Some background info. See also here.