via: north-shore.info

From the Barton Prisoner Solidarity Project. Full list of demands below.

March 6 2020 — As the covid outbreak in the Barton Jail continues to worsen, about forty people gathered outside to show their support to those locked up. There are over 65 confirmed cases at the time of writing, with numbers only rising in spite of the inhuman lockdown prisoners have been facing for weeks.

We started on the north-east side of the jail and moved slowly around to the south before ending up on the north-west side. We believe our presence was visible from all the ranges on floors three four and five, and received a call that at least some ranges on two could see us as well. A mix of former prisoners, loved ones of people locked up, and those who dream of a world without prisons, we played loud music, carried banners and signs, and made speeches through a megaphone.

Prisoners always find ways to resist, even during the outbreak. The prison’s power over them is arbitrary and nearly total — they are not given even basic information about the covid status of people on the range, let alone throughout the prison, and there is no consultation about how to deal with the situation. And yet, this past week, we heard that one range initiated a collective meal refusal while another collectively refused to be tested yet again for covid. Prisoners continue to use the few minutes they have out of their cells to call us and let us know what’s going on.

There is always resistance, but it is stronger when prisoners know they are not alone. With outside solidarity, we can change the balance of power between the institution and those it cages by amplifying their acts of refusal and responding with action.
We heard a speech from one person about Dimitris Koufodinas, a revolutionary prisoner in Greece whose months-long hunger strike has him on the edge of death. We express our solidarity with Dimitris as well as with all prisoners in struggle. Acts of refusal by prisoners, like hunger strikes, can be powerful ways of focusing solidarity. The impressive movement responding to Dimitris’ action is a model for how to bring pressure to bear against the prison system.

In the Barton Jail, the struggle against arbitrary, repressive measures is far from over. The only solution to the covid outbreak is to change the underlying health crisis of overcrowding — and of incarceration itself. It’s disgusting that the Barton admin can say that it’s a health measure to lock people three to a cell with no room to take even a few steps for weeks at a time. We won’t let them get away with it, and when prisoners push back and assert their dignity and humanity against this violence, we will make sure they never struggle alone.

Full demands

The Barton Jail admin needs to immediately:
1) Provide accurate and consistent information proactively to both prisoners and their loved ones.
2) Restore all forms of communication, including mail and phone access.
3) Involve prisoners in the decision making process about confinement measures — most prisoners support some sort of confinement to prevent spread; the process should be negotiated so that it is less arbitrary and punitive.
4) Provide unrestricted access to cleaning supplies, including soap and disinfectant, as well as anything else prisoners decide they need for basic hygene.

We also continue to call for:
5) An immediate mass release of prisoners from Barton, especially those on remand, as this is the only real solution to the health crisis of overcrowding, of which covid is just one part.
6) An end to the arbitrary restrictions imposed by the admin that make conditions at Barton starkly worse than in similar facilities — allow books from outside, stop forcing people to miss their court dates and give everyone a few minutes of fresh air a day.

(Grecia) Miles de personas inundan el centro de Atenas en solidaridad
con Dimitris Koufondinas en huelga de hambre por 53 días.

[Recibimos y traducimos para difusión]

El lunes 01 de marzo, miles de personas han desafiado el reinado del
miedo, la censura y el terror impuesto por el gobierno griego a
cualquier protesta o voz solidaria a las sencillas demandas de un preso
político, Dimitris Koufondinas, cuya muerte es inminente, tras 53 días
de huelga de hambre.

La gran mayoría de las protestas en toda Grecia durante las últimas 6
semanas han sido atacadas, sin siquiera una excusa, tan pronto como la gente comienza a reunirse. Incluso si escribes el nombre Koufondinas en Facebook, obtienes una prohibición o tu página es cancelada. Esto incluso le ha sucedido a políticos, abogados, intelectuales y académicos.

A pesar de todo, lo que importa son las imágenes que se pueden ver en el video. Si Dimitris Koufondinas fallece, será el primer preso en huelga de hambre en morir en la Unión Europea, desde la muerte de Bobby Sands y sus compañerxs en 1981, en Irlanda del Norte, bajo el régimen de Margaret Thatcher.

Dimitris Koufondinas, que ahora tiene 63 años, está en huelga de hambre desde los últimos 53 días y también ha comenzado una huelga de sed desde el 23 de febrero. Su demanda actual es ser trasladado a la prisión de Korydallos, así como el fin de las intervenciones políticas arbitrarias en su contra.

Incluso después de 53 días sin comida, el gobierno griego rechaza su
derecho a la igualdad de trato.

– El ascenso del fascismo de derecha en el gobierno griego –

Incluso para los estándares elásticos de lo que se solía conocer como
una democracia parlamentaria en Grecia, el régimen de derecha que
gobierna actualmente se ha convertido gradualmente, en sólo un año y
medio en el poder, en un Estado neofascista.

Mientras Atenas sigue encerrada durante los últimos 4 meses, el gobierno de derecha de “Nueva Democracia” ha utilizado ese tiempo para actuar como una organización mafiosa, ajustando cuentas con quienes considera como enemigos, el pueblo griego, los derechos humanos y las libertades.

En un violento crescendo legislativo, el gobierno ha logrado establecer
un Estado policial similar a la junta [militar], utilizando el bloqueo
pandémico como un período para anular derechos y libertades sin
resistencia por parte del pueblo -ya que el derecho a protestar ha sido
revocado indefinidament-, algo que ningún otro gobierno griego pensó en destruir, ya que el régimen de la junta militar fue anulado en Grecia en 1974.

Desde la instalación de comisarías dentro de las universidades griegas,
hasta la prohibición de reuniones y protestas por encima de un cierto
número de personas y la prohibición de la libertad de los periodistas
para moverse libremente y denunciar las noticias, y su plan de
criminalizar el discurso anti-sistema y las letras en canciones y en el
arte, el irónicamente autoproclamado partido gobernante “Nueva
Democracia” ha decidido la contratación de miles de nuevos policías como respuesta a todo, incluso a la pandemia.

Entre los enemigos del gobierno y su ajuste de cuentas está el preso
político Dimitris Koufodinas, que cumple 11 veces cadena perpetua de más 25 años, condenado como miembro de la “Organización Revolucionaria 17 de noviembre” (17N). 17N estuvo activa en Grecia de 1975 a 2002, cuando fue desmantelada tras un ataque fallido. En 1989, el político Pavlos Bakogiannis, cuñado del actual primer ministro y padre del actual alcalde de Atenas, fue víctima del grupo guerrillero. Durante el juicio del 17N, Dimitris Koufodinas asumió la responsabilidad política por las acciones del grupo guerrillero y su postura general durante el proceso judicial le han ganado el respeto entre algunas partes del público griego, un hecho que el actual primer ministro, el alcalde de Atenas y la embajada estadounidense no pueden aceptar. Por constantemente utilizan su poder para violar la idea fundacional de que “la justicia es la misma para todos” o que “la democracia no busca venganza”, tratándolo por lo tanto más como un rehén que como un prisionero, cambiando constantemente las reglas legales sólo para tomar su venganza.

Como resultado, Koufodinas ha ido por 5ª vez en 18 años a huelga de
hambre, con la demanda básica de ser tratado como prisionero y no como un preso político, que según la ley griega no existe como una
clasificación de prisionero.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, el presidente del actual partido gobernante, “Nueva Democracia”, había prometido públicamente que si llegaba al poder, excluiría a Koufontinas del derecho a la prisión y del derecho a cumplir su condena en prisiones rurales o cualquier otro derecho concedido por el derecho griego, de la Unión Europea o internacional.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZAVOY5UPqw
—

Nota:  El gran lienzo que se ve en el video dice “Yo nací el 17 de
noviembre”, fecha de la gran revuelta en Atenas en 1973 -los años de la
dictadura griega- que concluyó en un baño de sangre por parte de
militares y tanques. 17 de Noviembre es el nombre de la organización de lucha armada en la que participó el preso en huelga hemabre Dimitris Koufontinas, nombre basado obviamente en los hechos de 1973. Dimitris Koufontinas escribió un libro en 2005 titulado “Yo nací el 17 de Noviembre”, por lo que el lienzo tiene relación con el título junto a otros simbolismos de la fecha en Grecia.
Esto ha causado muchas reacciones de la derecha (y la izquierda) porque las manifestaciones parecieran simpatizar con la lucha armada. Hasta
ahora, la policía ha optado por romper las manifestaciones brutalmente incluso antes de que empiecen y lxs compañerxs han sido golpeados en numerosas ocasiones. Ha sido muy difícil llevar a cabo incluso pequeñas manifestaciones porque cada vez que se hace una convocatoria la policía militariza todo el centro de la ciudad: controles en cada esquina,
policías antidisturbios en todas partes, y las fuerzas especiales con
motocicletas. Cada vez que el lienzo hace su aparición, la policía carga
su ataque.

Receved from sinbanderas.nifronteras

 Taking Responsibility by Anarchists 25/2/21

In solidarity with the fighter on hunger strike Dimitris Koufontinas we proceeded to the area of Elefsina to do damage to property.

Two Alpha bank ATMs and the Building service of the Municipality of Elefsina were smashed. Paint was thrown at the entrance of New Democracy party offices.

To turn every neighbourhood, every city, every block into a battlefield.

IMMEDIATE SATISFACTION OF THE REQUESTS OF HUNGER STRIKER DIMITRIS KOUFONTINAS

—————–

via: https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1610709/

Translated by Act for freedom now!

This morning, just before dawn, we set fire to a vehicle belonging to the prison construction company Eiffage. It was parked in the Rue Valmy, in the district Bas-Montreuil.

The police measures that would be for “our health” will not hold us back. The freedoms of movement that we are losing, the constant control, feels like to be tied up for all of us, but in jail it is much worse. So we want to be in thought with all the resistant prisoners.

Our thoughts of solidarity go to the revolutionary fighter Dimitris Koufontinas, who is currently risking his life in a struggle against the Greek prison system.

Anarchists who get up early

(Source: https://attaque.noblogs.org/post/2021/02/28/montreuil-seine-saint-denis-une-camionnette-en-feu/ )

via: mpalothia

For the fourth consecutive day, people throughout Greece are taking to the streets to demand a stop to the state-sanctioned murder of Dimitris Koufontinas. Earlier today and after repeated suggestions from the Secretary General of Anti-Crime Policy S. Nikolaou, his lawyer I. Kurtovic, joined by a prominent lawyer loyal to the conservative party, submitted a motion to the District Court of Lamia for a temporary annulment of Koufontinas’s sentence given the extreme circumstances of his health and the imminent danger to his life, being on the 56th day of his hunger and 10th day of his thirst strike. As expected, due to political pressures, the court declined their request and Koufontinas issued a statement (link) that he is continuing his strike until his rightful demand to be taken back to Korydallos prison is met.

Continue Reading →

Time is running out.

On 02.03.2021 we attacked the Greek embassy in Frankfurt am Main with bitumen, to express our solidarity with the revolutionary Dimitris
Koufontinas.

Since its reelection 2019, the governing party Nea Dimokratia, tries to
enforce an extremely authoritarian agenda. Among the shades of the Corona pandemic, it established a variety of repressive laws, while trying to criminalize and stifle any kind of protest. Among many others are the abolition of the University Asylum, the attempt to establish a campus police force, more repression against leftists and anarchists. Instead of investing in the health sector, that got ruined by austerity measures, the government prefers to invest massively in new weapons and training of cops and the army. Of course not without favoring their own party members and friends.

The law that made D. Koufontinas start his hunger strike is simply
motivated by vengeance. The family of the primary minister Kyriakos
Mitsotakis was affected themselves by attacks of the 17N. Attacks that D. Koufontinas claimed responsibility for. Since 2003 he continues his
political struggle in prison. The new law says that prisoners, convicted
for terrorism, shall be transferred to high security prisons.
For D. Koufontinas, captivated since 2003, this means a significant
worsening of detention conditions.

Continue Reading →

Tonight (02.03.21), there was a word-of-mouth march of 80 people, in solidarity with D. Koufontinas, in the neighbourhood of Connewitz in Leipzig.

The banner read “In solidarity with D. Koufontinas and all political prisoners”. During the march, a police station, and police car and a rich residential complex were attacked and barricades were set up.

source

Translated by Act for freedom now!

video of the action

In a time of pandemic, in a murderous State, which has chosen not to waste a single euro on health, children, transportation and that would help society against the virus but to give millions to cops, the army and of course the main pillars and its supporters (channels, shipowners and industrialists).

The same junta State is assassinating the revolutionary militant Dimitris Koufontinas, disobeying the photographic law that they made and determined to avenge the militant’s action and the historical legacy he has left. For our part, we will not allow such a thing.

Finally, let us say here that your police force does not touch us at all and that if Dimitris Koufontinas is assassinated, such actions will become your daily routine.

ps:  Quiet cities burn beautifully.

anarchists

——————-

via: athens.indymedia.

Translated by Act for freedom now!

from we received Translated by Act for freedom now!

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[Heraklion] Intervention in the Prosecutor’s Office

Attached is a video from the recent intervention in the Prosecutor’s Office of the Court of First Instance of Heraklion, in solidarity with the 54-day hunger strike and 8-day thirst strike, fighter Dimitris Koufontinas

THERE SHOULD NOT BE A DEAD HUNGER STRIKE

POLITICAL PRISONERS ARE NOT ALONE

Heraklion, Crete, March 21

via: Attaque translated by Act for freedom now!
source: Publicacion Refractario / Monday 22 February 2021

——————
4 February 2021, a hearing was held following the end of the 6-month investigation period decreed during the arrest of the compas Mónica and Francisco, in July 2020. They are accused of sending explosive packages to the 54e commissariat and the former Minister of the Interior Rodrigo Hinzpetter, as well as the double explosive attack against the real estate company Tanica, in Vitacura.

During the hearing the Prosecutor pointed out that there were still some stages in the current investigation, and asked for 6 more months for investigations. The defence opposed it, but in the end the 11^th Chamber of the Civil Liberties Court accepted the prosecution’s request: the investigation remains open for another 6 months.

At the same hearing there was a review of the preventive detention of Francisco; finally it was maintained and, after a few days, the Court of Appeal ratified it.

On February 10 the detention review hearing was held for the companion Mónica; it too has been maintained.

Continue Reading →

Heraklion, Crete: While people in “democracies” around the world have rights, like the right to protest or the right to freedom of assembly, the right to freedom of association, or the right to freedom of speech, in Greece, where the proud self-proclaimed democrats boast that it is the place where democracy was born, no such rights exist anymore, the greek right-wing government has quickly but steadily, in just one year and half, delved into neo-fascism .

The vast majority of the protests all over Greece, in solidarity to the hunger striker Dimitris Koufodinas, have been attacked, without even an excuse, as soon as people started to gather by scores of riot policemen trying to spread fear and terror amongst those that dared to raise their voices and their feasts in the air to protest the prisoner’s imminent death.

Continue Reading →