The “publication of tear down bastille” is in the frames of the functioning of the Solidarity fund for imprisoned and prosecuted fighters and is distributed in- side, as well as outside the walls. The main activity of the fund is to contribute to the livelihood needs of the people who are in- carcerated for their subversive actions and participation in social struggles. Within its capabilities, lies also the support of people whose constant and persistent attitude within the daily prison life has been identified with dignity, solidarity, and the struggle. However, one of its additional main priorities is the contribution to the spreading of the words of the prisoners and the overcoming of its barriers, posed by their incarceration.
Those of us who take on the publication of this issue are limited to its technical processing and distribution.
The texts come exclusively from fighting prisoners – not always only from those who are materially supported by the fund, but also others who decide to stand tall against authority and the devastating condition of incarceration. This present issue is an exception, because it has fulfilled the subjects it’s called to cover. In this case, besides the letters from imprisoned comrades there is also a historical review which was written by the funds’ assembly. Through publishing the thoughts and experiences of prisoners, through the spreading of their words, we seek to make them as present as possible in the daily processes of the fighters outside the walls, we want to shake the barriers of silence, fragmentation, the division among the oppressed, we chose to incarnate the projects of struggle and solidarity in one more way.
This specific issue refers to hunger strike as a means of struggle, a matter that has intensely concerned not only those directly involved but also those in solidarity, as well as a large part of Greek society. A hunger strike, as a means of struggle, was never a desperate move, or simply a “peace- full” protest in order to project the victimization of the hunger striker and extract sensitivity and charity. It is a conscious struggle, where the coordination of those inside and outside is a necessary condition in order for there to be a result, but also to maintain the strengths of those fighting. Despite all this, we realize that the hunger strike is the ultimate means that a prisoner could choose, we think it is of imperative need to cultivate a bidirectional struggle dynamic inside and outside the walls, that will prevent the condition of someone placing their own body as a mound.
The struggle for revolution and the tearing down of very prison still remains open.
Solidarity Fund For Imprisoned And Persecuted Fighters
1. SUPPORT THE IMPRISONED FIGHTERS, MATERIALLY,
ETHICALLY, POLITICALLY.
2. THE APPEARANCE OF HUNGER
STRIKE AS A SOCIAL PHENOMENON
3. FROM THE I.R.A. FIGHTERS,
TO THE “SUICIDES” OF THE
R.A.F. REVOLUTIONARIES
4. THE “GUANTANAMOS” OF
BOURGEOIS LEGALITY
5. HUNGER STRIKES IN THE
HELLHOLES OF GREEK
BOURGEOIS “DEMOCRACY”
6. HUNGER STRIKE: FROM A
“NECESSARY SOLUTION” TO THE
NECESSITY TO FIND A “SOLUTION”
BY KOSTAS GOURNAS
7. LETTER FROM TASOS THEOFILOU
8. STRUGGLES INSIDE PRISON:
THOUGHTS ON HUNGER STRIKE
BY ANTONIS STAMPOULOS
9. LETTER FROM GIANNIS NAXAKIS
10. LETTER FROM GIORGOS KARAGIANNIDIS
11. EXCERPT FROM FERHAT ERTURK’S
SPEECH AT K-VOX SQUAT, AT AN
INFO NIGHT THAT TOOK PLACE
ON JULY 5th 2013 CONCERNING
THE EVENTS IN TURKEY AND THE
KIDNAPPINGS OF FIGHTERS
Translation note:
This issue of “Tear down the Bastille, voices from inside the walls” was published in Greece in April 2016 and its theme was hunger strike as a means of struggle.
Translated to English and Contributions by some anarchist comrades and Act for freedom now!
to the struggle: For Imprisoned And Persecuted Fighters in Greece