July 12th, 2016
Below is the statement of Athena Tsakalou (the mother of CCF anarchist prisoners Christos Tsakalos and Gerasimos Tsakalos) which was read out in Koridallos prison court by her defense lawyer in late June 2016, while the CCF escape case trial was still underway.
I haven’t chosen silence, even though it expresses me on many occasions because everyone interprets silence as it suits them. I’ve preferred to make this personal statement. And I call it personal because I don’t belong anywhere; I only belong to myself.
There comes a moment when you take a look back at the years in your life, and you realise you’ve left to live far fewer than the years you’ve already lived; that is, if everything goes well. And this is a strange but intense sensation, which makes me ask myself to be sincere. Not in the simple way we often think about it, but in an essential, deeper way.
I don’t like to say: where is this world going? It’s something that we – people at an older age – often do, but such a phrase conceals some sort of innocence that I refuse to accept. I prefer to ask myself: how do you yourself walk through this world?
And the truth is that all I want is to walk among people in a consolatory manner. It’s very important to be able to console people, especially your own people; to be able to tell them when they’re going through tough times: I’m standing by you; I’ll always stick with you. Nothing else. This is my only desire, and I’m glad whenever I’m able to do that.
So when Angeliki knocked on the door of my home, that’s exactly what I did. And it was a great pleasure for me that I was able to offer her refuge, even if only for a short while. The way the world is, the only place I want to live in is the place of defiance.
Assuming that, throughout the centuries, people have intended to live, if not a life of happiness, at least a joyful life, their history to date shows that they’ve failed. History books, either the official, inspected ones, or the secret ones that it’s hard to come by, show that people have failed. It may be that the conditions for survival or living standards got better – although ‘better’ is relative, as this is not the case in some parts of the earth – but the pain, the horror of wars, of hunger and oppression continue to rise.
Of course there’s a difference; a nightmarish difference. Nowadays, death is no longer caused just by hand-to-hand combat on the battlefields where, even from a distance determined by a firearm, you’re able to see the falling body and hear the cry of pain, and regardless of how much dehumanised you’ve become, this sight and sound leaves a peculiar imprint within you that, at some point, might make you not want war anymore. On today’s battlefields, we find ourselves in the era of smart bombs, and one is able to retain ‘their innocence’ by pressing a button which brings mass death; that’s the difference.
For some time now, more than 10,000 refugee children who were travelling unaccompanied have disappeared in Europe over the past 18–24 months. There are fears that many of them have fallen victim to exploitation by organised crime networks…
The world’s 62 richest people hold as much wealth as half the population on the planet…
The earth’s products are enough to feed its entire population, yet millions of people, millions of children die of hunger.
Some very few, like these 62 wealthiest people in the world, might say: ‘all this stuff about a joyful life is nothing but a trap set for the many to be lured into it, because the whole deal with the world is a game, a game of death. It’s not just the money that matters; besides, we have plenty of that; what really matters is the ability to use our power to play games with the entire world; all of a sudden, to drive thousands of people to death; to scare entire populations with wars, famine and diseases when we’re bored; because that’s also up to us, to cause diseases, thanks to scientists. In some sense, we’re a kind of gods; and gods are always almighty.’
And this is true, but it’s also true that there are no gods without believers. Gods cannot just live all by themselves; they want their faithful to walk quietly around their gardens, ready to execute their orders – all of their orders, even if it means killing one another. However, there are always those whose blood is resided by the first rebellion of Eve and Adam.
And it’s about time we said: after so much human blood watering the earth’s soil every day, after all this lament filling the earth’s air, if there’s no change of course for the human species, if the human mind isn’t crossed by a lightning at some point, so that we see everything differently… then indeed it’d be a brave decision if people eventually said: ‘for so many centuries, we’ve been unable to find joy; we might as well admit that as a species we aren’t capable of something like this; we might as well admit our failure and leave calmly; let us be the last of the humans; let us admit that only trees deserve life, continuity, eternity as they’re free of the instinct of war, of horror.’
Lately all I want to do is plant trees. And someone might ask me: but is this truly your deepest desire? No, I haven’t done well; I’m still determined by the ability to see as far as my eye can see, to keep my mind off things by taking pleasure in small joys; but when I open the eye of my mind to a worldwide wandering, a worldwide looking, and I see how small a share joy has in people’s lives, I say once more: if the dream doesn’t enter people’s lives, if there’s no change of course for the human species, only trees deserve continuity, life, eternity.
Athena Tsakalou
– via contrainfo
Tags: Athena Tsakalou, Athens, CCF Escape case, Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, Greece, Korydallos Prison, Letter, Trial
Posted in Cognitive Liberty |
July 12th, 2016
“Justice was born when we lost control over our lives”
Bruno Filippi
My political status and conscience would never allow me to be standing here “apologizing” before a fixed trial-parody as played out recently in this court hall, hence the comments I am about to make will therefore relate to a purely political sphere rather than a procedural one. Political action neither begins nor ends under the Criminal Code, consequently in any case you, both as individuals and as an institution, are not able to judge it.
As anarchists, being against the state, we have to oppose the laws that underlie and justify its existence.
But what is the law?
Nothing more than a set of rules that define right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral. It is a “guide” of social behavior aiming to enforce the choice of allegiance and for the maintenance of power through the fear of sanctions for any deviation from the permissible, the legal…
It is “fair”, indeed, that the banks constitute themselves as global loan sharks, but it is “unfair” to blow them up in the air with a strong dose of explosives. In this case, they are renamed as “charities” and “your” justice metes out life-sentences …
It is “fair”, that the governments constantly bomb civilians within the framework of the so-called “humanitarian” war, but it is “unfair” to execute those liable for the deaths of thousands …
A game of words forming the collective imagination, elevating the doctrine of “law and order” to the utmost virtue, aiming solely to preserve the existing authoritarian system.
The dominant world which you protect and preserve promotes and imposes a structured life, the manifestations of which oppress, enslave and limit the capabilities of human existence.
The behaviors, thoughts, feelings, relationships, are transformed into mechanical processes that shape what is called normality or social norm. The lifestyle you suggest to me is summarised to a miserable repetition, specified and without any twists. A boring course of a pointless existence that just waits to be interrupted by death.
But I do not fit into your world. I can not stand this perfectly organized boredom.
All those moments at night, just before you fall asleep when you are smoking the last cigarette and you evaluate the day that passed… The smoke gets mixed with your thoughts and you end up at the last puff… Your day was not enough… The feeling of dissatisfaction is overwhelming and breathtaking … “I can not live like this …”, “I do not want to live like this.” You fall asleep while the same words keep coming in your head…
The new day is to bring you face to face with the reality and the time has come to make your choices… I have chosen to live rather than to survive… Instead of the safety of normality, I have chosen to begin a journey into the unknown where every single moment conceals its own surprises. Where the tension comes to replace the weakness.
The need that burns within me makes me refuse the uniformity that your legitimacy stipulates and led me to a continuous process of rebellion to escape from such narrow limits of the social-prison. During this journey, the time is reset. Our clocks stopped at the time of the attack. No more “triggers” are needed. We stopped taking into account the “must”. The costs, the consequences…
There is one goal; to maximize the threat, to create a dangerous internal enemy that will strike at the heart of your system. This journey is lonely and often you are confronted with your own self, with your own personal contradictions. This is a war that starts from within yourself and surges impetuously against every expression of your modern civilized world. In this war that as anarchists we have declared against you – and we have not refused it a minute; there are no neutral attitudes.
The comrades of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, despite their long captivity, they did not retreat. They refused to bow down their heads and embrace the cross of remorse. They defended with all their powers and with dignity their anarchist substance. While, therefore, I am not a member of the Conspiracy, our common political conscience allies us. We share the same values, the same ideas and the same passion for freedom. The political bonds that link us could not but make me stand beside them with solidarity.
Solidarity is not just an emotionally charged word.
Solidarity carves insurrectionary directions and prevents forgetfulness from becoming the tombstone of the captured comrades. At this point is when guilt is born. What could be a more authentic and sincerest manifestation of solidarity to these comrades than to contribute morally and practically to the breaking of their captivity? I can only feel proud that I participated in the attempted escape of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire and no court is competent to judge my choice.
The prison, besides, is a stopping point for anyone who decides to arm his/her desires and refusals. At this point, the contradictions begin… We love freedom so much and we get stuck in the prison… We love life passionately and at the same time we flirt with death every single minute. If the prison is meant to “civilise” ourselves, you should know that the walls and the locks nourish us with anger and the desire for revenge grows… We can fail, but we can not bow down … This is not about the beginning and certainly not about the end of the story, but it is about the journey and this is where the whole beauty is found…
For these reasons, and for all the reasons in the world, I proudly and without a trace of remorse, undertake the responsibility for my practical political contribution to the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire escape plan. No matter how many times I would turn the clock back I would make the same choice again and again.
Aggeliki Spyropoulou
Women’s Prison of Korydallos
–
Imprisoned anarchist comrade Aggeliki Spyropoulou was sentenced to 28 years in prison for her involvement in the 2015 escape attempt of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire. The comrade will shortly be transferred to Thiva prison from Korydallos now that the trial is over.
Tags: Aggeliki Spyropoulou, Athens, CCF Escape case, Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, Greece, Korydallos Prison, Trial
Posted in Cognitive Liberty |
July 12th, 2016
Political declaration of Spyros Mandylas
Trial for the 1st invasion of the cops in Nadir squat
P.J.= President Judge
S.M.= Spyros Mandylas
P.J.: Tell us about those that you are accused of. What do you have to declare?
S.M.: At first, before saying anything else, I want to mention that the girl Ks. K., who has been arrested with me, has nothing to do with the case. For my own choices it’s only me who will take the blame. I met Ks. on my way to Nadir and because the cops wanted to do the invasion when I would have been inside the squat, she was arrested with me. I highlight this, from the beginning, in order to consider it.
As for the accusations. I accept some of them and some not.
But before I start talking about these I would like to say something about Nadir squat. I claim the political responsibility for Nadir from 2004 until today. The political actions of Nadir all these years are many and different. We have done events, discussions, bars, we have organized protests, we were hosting the radio station of radio-revolt, we have done a variety of actions in the city and we have published some books. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Nadir Squat, Phoenix Project, Spyros Mandylas, Thessaloniki, Trial
Posted in Social Control |
July 12th, 2016
Before the demonstration the media and lots of politicians were nervous and expected a violent event on top of almost three weeks of actions in solidarity with Rigaer 94. For that they ordered 1800 cops from different parts of Germany.
The demonstration started almost on time at 21:15 at Wismarplatz in Friedrichshain with about 6000 people, after a manifestation of 45 minutes took place, where the speaker read some writings about the situation in the neighborhood these days. The first two lines were built by civil cops in yellow vests and after some cop cars before the real demonstration was visible. In the front they were holding lot’s of banners and signs. In the end it looked still organized and seemed to be a big beautiful black block.
When the demonstration reached Frankfurter Allee, the first big street, two cop cars were attacked with stones. People were showing their solidarity with fireworks and banner from the rooftop. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Berlin, Demo, Eviction, Fuck the Police, Germany, Rigaer 94, Rigaerstrasse, Riot
Posted in Autonomy |
July 9th, 2016
On July 8th 2016, the Koridallos prison court – presided over by special judge Asimina Yfanti – convicted all members of the anarchist revolutionary organisation Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, who were accused of placing an explosive device at Koridallos tax office; sending a parcel bomb to the police station in Itea (in retaliation for the murder of inmate Ilir Kareli by prison guards); sending a letter bomb to the home of Dimitris Mokkas (special appellate judge against terrorism); planning an armed escape from Koridallos prison (dubbed “Gorgopotamos project”); and possession of firearms, explosives and anti-tank RPGs with the purpose of “disrupting the country’s social, economic and political life.” Furthermore, in relation to these charges, they were convicted of “direction of a terrorist organisation” and incitement (“moral instigation”) to four attempted homicides.
During the sentencing, there was a strong presence of comrades in solidarity with the anarchists and the dignified individuals co-accused in the CCF escape case trial. There was also heavy police presence (including an anti-riot squad).
CCF members:
The ten CCF anarchist prisoners Gerasimos Tsakalos, Christos Tsakalos, Giorgos Polidoros, Olga Ekonomidou, Theofilos Mavropoulos, Panagiotis Argirou, Giorgos Nikolopoulos, Michalis Nikolopoulos, Damiano Bolano, Haris Hadjimihelakis were sentenced to 115 years in prison each.
Comrade Angeliki Spyropoulou:
The anarchist prisoner Angeliki Spyropoulou was sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Relatives of CCF members:
Athena Tsakalou (the mother of CCF members Gerasimos Tsakalos and Christos Tsakalos) and Evi Statiri (the partner of Gerasimos Tsakalos) were found not guilty by a majority opinion (instead of a unanimous verdict).
However, Christos Polidoros (the brother of CCF member Giorgos Polidoros) was convicted of “membership in the terrorist organisation Conspiracy of Cells of Fire” and received a 6-year suspended sentence.
Other prison sentences & a couple of acquittals:
Christos Rodopoulos (nicknamed “Iasonas” by authorities), who has denied all charges, was sentenced to 75 years in prison.
Christodoulos Xiros (convicted 17N member) was sentenced to 65 years in prison.
Four other defendants were convicted of alleged membership in the organisation and sentenced to 27-28 years in prison each.
Fabio Dusko was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Four other defendants were acquitted of membership in the organisation but received a 6-year suspended sentence.
Two other defendants were found guilty of misdemeanor offenses.
Two defendants were found not guilty.
– via contrainfo
Tags: Aggeliki Spyropoulou, Athena Tsakalou, Athens, CCF Escape case, Christodoulos Xiros, Christos Polydoros, Christos Rodopoulos, Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, Conspiracy of Cells of Fire : Imprisoned Members Cell, Evi Statiri, Greece, Informal Anarchist Federation (FAI), International Revolutionary Front, Korydallos Prison, Trial
Posted in Prison Struggle |
July 9th, 2016
Last night we demolished 8 ATM machines in The Hague, the Netherlands in solidarity with the anarchist comrades accused of expropriation in Aachen, Germany.
Last week, on 6 July, a comrade got arrested in Amsterdam and is now in jail awaiting extradition to Germany. The week before a comrade from Spain got already extradited to Germany. We call out to anybody to make action in solidarity with the imprisoned comrades! We are fucking angry!
We are not interested in knowing whether the comrades are actually responsible for the bank robberies or not. Expropriation is an ethically just and politically
legitimate practice, a method of struggle that is part of the history of all revolutionary movements.
Indeed, despite the constant attempts by Power to reduce this method to within the scope of a ‘common crime’, motivated by individual greed, the fact is that the
expropriation of places of accumulation of capital is a constant in our history: from the anarchist-syndicalist groups in the early twentieth century who robbed banks to support strikes or help the families of imprisoned comrades, to the various autonomous groups of the the 70s and 80s.
Immediate freedom for our comrades! Burn all prisons! Destroy all banks!
Source
Tags: Aachen, Den Haag, Netherlands, Sabotage, Solidarity Action
Posted in Direct Action |
July 8th, 2016
From contra-info:
This morning, 6 July, our anarchist comrade was arrested in Amsterdam by an arrestatieteam. This is in connection to an accusation by the Aachen (DE) prosecution in regards to a bank robbery in 2013. The call for solidarity stands. We are fucking angry.
For more information about this repressive story & updates in dutch, english and german: solidariteit.noblogs.org
Tags: Aachen, Amsterdam, Bank Robbery, Netherlands, Repression
Posted in Prison Struggle |
July 8th, 2016
Hello friends, comrades, supporters, revolutionaries,
we are glad to present you our new homepage
https://ypginternational.blackblogs.org
YPG International is an official information portal for the Rojava Revolution and People’s Defense Units (YPG) made by YPG. We provide first hand information for everyone who is interested in our struggle, in people’s revolution of Rojava, in Kurdistan and in a democratic Syria. YPG International is the international path to the Rojava Revolution, the official path to support YPG in Rojava.
YPG strives for a democratic, ecologic, and anti-patriarchal system of self-organisation; it takes its power from the people and fight for the people. We struggle to defend the dignity of being a human when there is no one around to defend it and to create an ethico-political society in order to realize ideals of equality, justice, freedom, and self-determination. We wage a war against all forms of fascism and capitalist hegemony that try to enslave the peoples and destroy the nature. We get our inspiration from the philosophy of Abdullah Ocalan whose ideas have become a torch in the jungle of oppression for the poor and the downtrodden; not only in Kurdistan but also in all around the world.
YPG is more than a military force. It is a revolutionary organization that protects the transformation towards the ethico-political society against its external and internal enemies in accordance with the principles of democratic confederalism. So its fundamental mission is to defend the people and the Rojava Revolution. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Counter-info, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Kurdistan, Lions of Rojava, Middle East, People's Defence Units (Y.P.G.), Rojava, Syria, War, Women's Defense Units (YPJ), YPG International
Posted in Autonomy |
July 8th, 2016
08.07.16: Breaking news from Greece: 10 Conspiracy of Cells of Fire defendants sentenced to 115 years each for the attempted prison escape. Relatives / loved ones of the CCF comrades – Evi Statiri, Athena Tsakalou and Christos Polydoros have all been released, while the other 15 defendants received shorter sentences. More news as it becomes available.
Solidarity with the CCF comrades and their families and loved ones!
For an insurrectionary response of international solidarity to the vengeful ‘justice’ of the Greek state!
– via InsurrectionNews
Tags: Athena Tsakalou, Athens, CCF Escape case, Christos Polydoros, Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, Evi Statiri, Greece, Korydallos Prison, Trial
Posted in Prison Struggle |
July 8th, 2016
After Tel Aviv, Helsinki joined the solidarity campaign. A picket in the center of the city was organised. 1st of July, in the opposite side of the railway station, around 10 anarchists stood with a banner “Freedom to Crimean prisoners” (Vapaus Krimin vangeille) with pictures of Oleg Sentsov and Alexandr Kolchenko, and “Freedom for all political prisoners” (in English). Few hundred leaflets were spread. Goal of the action was to spread information about constant repressions in Russia against those in disagreement with Putin’s politics, and against ongoing bloodshed in Ukraine. Leaflets had the following demands:
– Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine, and both sides of the conflict must fulfill the obligations of the Minsk II peace treaty
– Russia should release all Crimean tatars, anarchists, antifascists and other imprisoned anti-war activists. All illegally detained people in Donetsk and Lugansk areas should be released.
Photos
Tags: Finland, Helsinki, International Solidarity, Russia
Posted in Prison Struggle |
July 8th, 2016
On the 2nd July, the day of the federal election in so-called Australia, we glued locks, graffitted and broke the windows of Liberal and Labour MP offices across Narrm/so-called Melbourne.
We did this in solidarity with those on Manus Island, Nauru and in detention centres everywhere. End the border & prison industrial complex. End white supremacy.
[three photos here]
Tags: Australia, Melbourne, Migrant Struggle, Racism, Sabotage
Posted in No Borders |
July 8th, 2016
We appreciate the call for a Black July from Rigaer 94. Many comrades in a lot of countries followed the call for a Black December of Nikos Romanos (Greek Prisoner) . It’s not just about the Rigaer 94 that people now connect and think about strategies, attack different enemies of our freedom and struggle against the cops and the system.
Especially in Germany the fight against the system was weak the last years. People were not able to combine their fights and actions without dissociating from others. The question of violence was not discussed anymore and the alliances got wider and more in accordance to the system. Now there is a house that struggles without compromises, maybe their attitude impressed some of us, some still think that they should have brought their house themselves and could be “free” now. But the sign they send, saying that they keep their status and fight, now shows it’s effect on a lot of us. It’s a window that opens up for a short time that we should use to stand together. A moment when we are fucking angry and use our strength to go on the streets and take them back!
Thanks to all of you who used the concept of Tag X to show your solidarity with the Rigaer 94 and their ideas!
For a Black July
Let us feel the heat coming from our hearts to the streets every night
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Arson, Berlin, Black July, Fuck the Police, Germany, Rigaer 94, Rigaerstrasse, Sabotage
Posted in Autonomy |
July 7th, 2016
English translation
5 de Julio. Camufladxs por la ciudad nos dirigimos a unas improvisadas instalaciones de maquinarias retroexcavadoras junto a varios container donde dormían algunxs custodixs. Dos bombas de ruido lanzamos a la infraestructura como ataque contra quienes devastan la tierra sin cuestionamientos amparadxs por el Poder.
¡Fuerza Natalia Collado! Tus palabras nos llenan de frenesí y nos inspiran para contribuir de alguna manera (por mínima que sea) a la lucha contra el Dominio.
No olvidamos a Sebastián Oversluij a más de dos años de su muerte en combate en una tentativa de expropiación. Abrazamos sus ideas y actos que en vida defendió fieramente. La defensa de la tierra, lxs animales y la guerra contra toda inmunda autoridad.
¡A PROPAGAR LA ACCIÓN CONTRA LA DOMINACIÓN!
¡NATALIA COLLADO A LA KALLE!
¡SEBASTIÁN “ANGRY” OVERSLUIJ PRESENTE!
Frente de Liberación de la Tierra – FLT
Tags: Chile, Earth Liberation Front, International Solidarity, Natalia Collao, Noise-bomb, Santiago, Sebastián Oversluij Seguel
Posted in Eco Struggle |
July 5th, 2016
Two comrades, Jean Gutiérrez Zambrano and Andrés Aravena Sotelo, are being held on remand for 90 days for investigations. They were arrested following films and police controls relating to a students’ demo organized by Confech (Confederación de Estudiantes de Chile) on 9th June in Santiago of Chile. Prosecutor Sebastián Gana accuses the comrades of having thrown molotov bottles at cop cars at various times during the demo.
–
More info: Publicacion Refractario
via: croceneranarchica.
Translated by act for freedom now!
Tags: Chile, Fuck the Police, Molotovs, Santiago
Posted in Prison Struggle |
July 5th, 2016
Hearing of June 29th
On Wednesday the court heard the speech of the prosecutor I. Koutra. The speech went for almost the whole hearing which is approximately six hours. The bastard devoted himself to criticizing the approaches of anarchists and the actions of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, defending the existence of the state, laws, judges and police officers and proclaiming that a world without judges or prisons is something ‘cute’ but impossible.
Regarding the charges that he is seeking to convict the CCF comrades with, the prosecutor suggested to the judges that they convict them for ‘directing’ a terrorist organization, attempted murder, the possession and supply of weapons and explosives, explosions that ‘risk human life’, vehicle theft and attempted escape.
The prosecutor also suggested that the comrade Angeliki Spyropoulou be convicted of belonging to a terrorist organization and possession and supply of explosives.
For Athena Tsakalou and Evi Statiri he suggested that the charge of participation in a ‘terrorist’ organization be discarded, which rules out for them a sentence of 10-20 years. For Christos Polydoros he also suggested that same charge be discarded however he suggested that the comrade be convicted for the strange accusation of ‘facilitating the membership of a terrorist organization’ under the idea that the comrade would have helped Angeliki join the CCF. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Aggeliki Spyropoulou, Athena Tsakalou, Athens, CCF Escape case, Christos Tsakalos, Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, Conspiracy of Cells of Fire - Urban Guerilla Cell, Evi Statiri, Greece, Informal Anarchist Federation (FAI), International Revolutionary Front, Korydallos Prison, Trial
Posted in Prison Struggle |