Songs of the greek resistance

Songs of the greek resistance. Political songs of the guerillas resistance against fascist and democratic imperialism (1941-1949) and not only. First recorded in vinyl at 1974

http://spirosmp3.blogspot.com/

General Assembly of Insurgent Workers - We will either determine our history ourselves or let it be determined without us

We, manual workers, employees, jobless, temporary workers, local or immigrants, are not passive tv-viewers. Since the murder of Alexandros Grigoropoulos on Saturday night we participate in the demonstrations, the clashes with the police, the occupations on the centre or the neighborhoods. Time and again we had to leave work and our daily obligations to take the streets with the students, the university students and the other proletarians in struggle.

WE DECIDED TO OCCUPY THE BUILDING OF GSEE
(GSEE is the greek CGT)
-To turn it into a space of free expression and a meeting point of workers.

-To disperse the media-touted myth that the workers were and are absent from the clashes, and that the rage of these days was an affair of some 500 "mask-bearers", "hooligans" or some other fairy tale, while on the tv-screens the workers were presented as victims of the clash, while the capitalist crisis in Greece and Worldwide leads to countless layoffs that the media and their managers deal as a "natural phenomenon".

-To flay and uncover the role of the trade union bureaucracy in the undermining of the insurrection -and not only there. GSEE and the entire trade union mechanism that supports it for decades and decades, undermine the struggles, bargain our labor power for crumblings, perpetuate the system of exploitation and wage slavery. The stance of GSEE last Wednesday is quite telling: GSEE cancelled the programmed strikers' demonstration, stopping short at the organization of a brief gathering in Syntagma Sq., making simultaneously sure that the people will be dispersed in a hurry from the Square, fearing that they might get infected by the virus of insurrection.

-To open up this space for the first time -as a continuation of the social opening created by the insurrection itself-, a space that has been built by our contributions, a space from which we were excluded. For all these years we trusted our fate on saviours of every kind, and we end up losing our dignity. As workers we have to start assuming our responsibilities, and to stop assigning our hopes to wise leaders or "able" representatives. We have to acquire a voice of our own, to meet up, to talk, to decide, and to act. Against the generalized attack we endure. The creation of collective "grassroot" resistances is the only way.

-To propagate the idea of self-organization and solidarity in working places, struggle committees and collective grassroot procedures, abolishing the bureaucrat trade unionists.

All these years we gulp the misery, the pandering, the violence in work. We became accustomed to counting the crippled and our dead - the so-called "labor accidents". We became accustomed to ingore the migrants -our class brothers- getting killed. We are tired living with the anxiety of securing a wage, revenue stamps, and a pension that now feels like a distant dream.

As we struggle not to abandon our life in the hands of the bosses and the trade union representatives, likewise we will not abandon no arrested insurgent in the hands of the state and the juridical mechanism.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE DETAINED
NO CHARGE TO THE ARRESTED
SELF-ORGANIZATION OF THE WORKERS
GENERAL STRIKE

General Assembly of Insurgent Workers
_______________________________________________
(the occupation of GSEE finished yesterday)
_______________________________________________


GERMAN TRANSLATION

Entweder werden wir unsere Geschichte selbst bestimmen
oder sie wird ohne uns bestimmt

Wir - Arbeiter, Angestellte, Arbeitslose, Zeitarbeiter, einheimische wie migrantische - wir sind keine passiven Fernsehzuschauer. Seit dem Mord an Alexandros Grigoropoulos Samstagnacht nehmen wir an den Demonstrationen, den Auseinandersetzungen mit der Polizei, den Besetzungen im Stadtzentrum und den anderen Vierteln teil. Immer wieder mussten wir die Arbeit und unsere anderen Verpflichtungen stehen lassen, um mit den Schülern, Studenten und den anderen kämpfenden Proletariern auf die Straße zu gehen.

WIR HABEN BESCHLOSSEN, DAS GSEE-GEBÄUDE ZU BESETZEN…

- um es in einen Raum für freie Diskussion und in einen Treffpunkt für Arbeiter zu verwandeln.

- um neben anderen Märchen den von den Medien verbreiteten Mythos aufzulösen, die Arbeiter hätten sich bis jetzt aus den Zusammenstößen stets herausgehalten und die Wut dieser Tage sei bloß die Angelegenheit einiger 500 "Vermummter" und "Hooligans" gewesen. Und während einem auf den Fernsehbildschirmen die Arbeiter als Opfer dieses Kampfes präsentiert werden, führt die kapitalistische Krise in Griechenland und weltweit zu zahllosen Entlassungen, die von Medien wie Managern als ein "Naturphänomen" behandelt werden.

- um die Rolle der Gewerkschaftsbürokratie zu entlarven, die den Aufstand - und nicht nur diesen - untergräbt. Der GSEE und der gesamte ihn unterstützende Apparat unterminieren seit Jahrzehnten die Kämpfe, verschachern unsere Arbeitskraft für Brosamen und verewigen das System der Ausbeutung und der Lohnsklaverei. Die Haltung des GSEE letzten Mittwoch sagt alles: er blies die von Streikenden geplante Demonstration ab und veranstaltete stattdessen eine kurze Versammlung auf dem Syntagmaplatz. Dabei stellte er sicher, dass die Menge sich eiligst auflöste, da er befürchtete, dass sie vom Virus des Aufstandes angesteckt werden könnte.

- um erstmalig einen Ort zu öffnen, der durch unsere Beiträge zwar gebaut wurde, von dem wir aber bislang ausgeschlossen waren. Dies in Fortsetzung der vom Aufstand selbst geschaffenen sozialen Öffnung. All die Jahre vertrauten wir unser Schicksal Erretter aller Art an um schließlich unsere Würde zu verlieren. Als Arbeiter müssen wir anfangen die Verantwortung für uns selbst zu übernehmen, statt unsere Hoffnungen auf weise Führer oder "fähige" Repräsentanten zu richten. Wir müssen unsere eigene Stimme erlangen, uns treffen, reden, entscheiden und handeln. Dem generalisierten Angriff werden wir standhalten. Die Schaffung von kollektivem "Graswurzel"-Widerstand ist der einzige Weg.

- um die Idee der Selbstorganisation und der Solidarität am Arbeitsplatz, der Streikkomitees und einer kollektiven Graswurzel-Arbeit zu verbreiten, um die Gewerkschaftsbürokraten zu entmachten.

All diese Jahre haben wir das Elend, die Zuhälterei, die Gewalt in der Arbeit geschluckt. Wir haben uns daran gewöhnt die Verkrüppelten und unsere Toten - die sogenannten "Arbeitsunfälle" zu zählen. Wir haben uns zu ignorieren gewöhnt, dass Migranten - unsere Klassenbrüder und -schwestern - getötet werden. Wir sind es müde, mit der Angst um den Lohnerwerb, die Steuerabrechnung und die Rente, die sich jetzt wie ein ferner Traum ausmacht, zu leben.

So wie wir darum kämpfen, unser Leben nicht den Händen der Bosse und der Gewerkschaftsvertreter zu überlassen, so werden wir auch keinen der inhaftierten Aufständischen den Händen des Staates und der Justizmaschine überlassen.


SOFORTIGE FREILASSUNG DER INHAFTIERTEN

KEINE ANKLAGE GEGEN DIE FESTGENOMMENEN

SELBSTORGANISATION DER ARBEITER

GENERALSTREIK



Generalversammlung der aufständischen Arbeiter, 17. Dezember 2008

FRENCH TRANSLATION

L’histoire sera écrite par nous
Ou à notre insu

Nous, les travailleurs manuels, les employés, les chômeurs, les intérimaires, nationaux et immigrés qui ne sont pas téléspectateurs mais participent depuis samedi soir, après le meurtre d’Alexandros Grigoropoulos, aux diverses manifestations, accrochages avec la police, occupations de bâtiments publiques dans le centre comme dans les différents quartiers, qui ont dû souvent abandonner leur travail et leurs obligations quotidiennes pour descendre dans la rue aux côtés des élèves, des étudiants et autres prolétaires en lutte,

Nous avons décidé d’occuper le bâtiment de la GSEE (Confédération Générale des Travailleurs de Grèce) pour le transformer en un lieu de liberté d’expression et de rencontre des travailleurs.
Pour détruire le mythe mis en avant par les médias, que les travailleurs étaient et restent absents des émeutes, que la colère exprimée ses jours-ci n’est l’affaire que de 500 « cagoulés » et « houligans », et que les travailleurs étaient par contre présents à leurs différentes émissions en tant que personnes lésées. Et cela même, au moment ou la crise capitaliste en Grèce et dans le monde entier conduit des centaines de milliers de personnes aux licenciements, ces mêmes licenciements qui sont présentés par les médias comme un « fait naturel ».
Pour dénoncer et révéler le rôle de la bureaucratie syndicaliste et son effort pour ébranler la révolte. La GSEE et tout le mécanisme syndicaliste qui la soutient depuis des décennies, compromettent nos luttes, marchandent notre force de travail pour un rien et perpétuent le régime d’exploitation et d’esclavage salarié. Prenons comme exemple leur position de mercredi dernier lorsqu’ils ont annulé la grève programmée en se limitant à l’organisation d’un rassemblement de courte durée à la place Syndagma et ont forcé les gens à quitter la place pour éviter leur éventuelle « contamination » par le virus de la révolte.
Pour rendre enfin cet espace, construit aux frais de nos contributions mais dont nous restons exclus, ouvert à tous, à l’image de l’ouverture sociale créée par les émeutes.
Cela fait des années, au point de perdre notre dignité, que nous faisons confiance à des sauveurs de tout genre.
Nous devons, en tant que travailleurs, assumer nos responsabilités et ne confier nos espoirs à aucun meneur « éclairé » ou représentant « compétant ». Nous devons acquérir notre propre voix, nous retrouver, discuter, décider et agir. Contre l’attaque généralisée dont nous faisons face. Notre seule issue : la création de résistances collectives venant de la base.
Pour promouvoir l’idée d’une organisation par nous-mêmes, l’idée de la solidarité dans le milieu du travail, des comités de lutte et des décisions prises collectivement par la base, pour supprimer les syndicalistes bureaucrates.
Des années durant nous nous résignons à la misère, à la duperie et à la violence au travail. Habitués à compter nos invalides et nos morts – événements baptisés « accidents du travail ». Habitués à compter, tout en restant indifférents au sort des immigrés –nos frères de classe- qui se font assassiner. Nous en avons marre de vivre avec l’angoisse d’un salaire non garanti, des cotisations sociales et d’une retraite qui s’avère inaccessible.
A l’instar de notre lutte pour ne pas laisser nos vies entre les mains des patrons et des représentants syndicaux, nous allons
mener la lutte pour ne laisser aucune des personnes insurgées, arrêtées par la police, entre les mains de l’Etat et de ses mécanismes répressifs.

LIBERATION IMMEDIATE DES PERSONNES ARRETEES
PAS DE PLAINTE PORTEE CONTRE ELLES
LES TRAVAILLEURS EN CHARGE DE LEUR PROPRE ORGANISATION
GREVE GENERALE

L’assemblée générale des travailleurs insurgés

ITALIAN TRANSLATION

O SAREMO NOI A SCRIVERE LA STORIA,
O LA STORIA SARÀ SCRITTA SENZA DI NOI


Noi operai, impiegati, disoccupati, lavoratori precari, greci o immigrati, che non siamo spettatori e abbiamo partecipato dal primo momento alle manifestazioni, agli scontri con la polizia, alle occupazioni nel centro e le periferie d’Atene; noi che molte volte abbiamo dovuto lasciare il nostro posto di lavoro e i nostri impegni quotidiani per scendere in piazza fianco a fianco con gli alunni, gli studenti e gli altri proletari in lotta,

abbiamo deciso di occupare la sede della Confederazione Generale dei Lavoratori della Grecia (CGLG) per:

- Trasformarla in un luogo di libera espressione e d’incontro dei lavoratori;
- Far cadere il mito creato dai media, secondo il quale i lavoratori erano e sono assenti dagli scontri e che la rabbia manifestata tutti questi giorni riguarda solo 500 “anarchici” e “hooligans” e frottole del genere, mentre negli scermi televisivi i lavoratori erano presenti come le vittime degli scontri, nello stesso momento in cui i licenziamenti di migliaia di lavoratori provocati dalla crisi capitalista in Grecia e in tutto il mondo vengono presentati come qualcosa di “naturale”.
- Denunciare e portare alla luce il ruolo della burocrazia sindacale nel minare la rivolta e non solo questa. La CGLC e tutto l’apparato burocratico che la appoggia, da decenni mina le lotte dei lavoratori; negoziano la nostra forza-lavoro, prolungando il regime dello sfruttamento e della schiavitù salariata. È esemplare il suo atteggiamento mercoledì scorso (10 dicembre) quando hanno annullato il corteo programmato per quel giorno e si è limitata ad un breve concentramento in piazza Sintagma, cercando di isolare i manifestanti dal “virus” della ribellione.
- Perché vogliamo aprire per la prima volta ai lavoratori – come conseguenza della “frattura” nel sociale che ha prodotto questa rivolta - questa sede costruita con i nostri contributi e dalla quale siamo esclusi. Per tutti questi anni abbiamo affidato il nostro destino a “salvatori” di ogni genere fino al punto di perdere ogni traccia di dignità. In quanto lavoratori dobbiamo assumere le nostre responsabilità invece di delegare le nostre speranze a leaderini “illuminati” e “abili” rappresentanti. Dobbiamo prendere la parola in prima persona, incontrarci tra di noi, parlare e decidere per agire contro l’attacco su tutti i fronti che stiamo subendo. Creare forme di “resistenza collettiva” dal basso costituisce l’unica soluzione.
- Promuovere l’idea dell’autorganizzazione e della solidarietà nei posti di lavoro; dei comitati di lotta e delle iniziative collettive dal basso, abolendo le burocrazie sindacali.

Per anni e anni abbiamo dovuto sopportare la miseria, il ruffianesimo e i soprusi nei posti di lavoro. Ci siamo abituati a contare i nostri i colleghi morti, la cui morte viene etichettata come “incidenti sul lavoro”. Ci siamo abituati a disinteressarci degli immigrati - i nostri fratelli in lotta - che vengono assassinati. Ci siamo stufati di vivere con l’ansia di come procurarci il salario, i contributi e una pensione che sta diventando sempre di più un miraggio.
Nello stesso modo in cui stiamo lottando per non abbandonare la nostra vita nelle mani dei padroni e dei burocrati, non abbandoneremo mai nelle mani dello Stato e dell’apparato giudiziario i rivoltosi arrestati.

RILASCIO IMMEDIATO DEGLI ARRESTATI E CHIUSURA DEI PROCEDIMENTI PENALI CONTRO DI LORO

AUTORGANIZZAZIONE DEI LAVORATORI

SCIOPERO GENERALE


Assemblea Generale di Operai in Rivolta

(the occupation of offices of GSEE finished yesterday)

16-year-old shot dead by policeman. Actions all over Greece

athens indymedia

On Saturday 6th of December at around 10pm, two Greek policemen were in patrol in a central street by Exarchia square, in the center of Athens. They had a verbal argument with some young people who were there. During the argument, one of the cops pulled his gun and shot a 16-year-old guy twice. The victim was moved to Evangelismos Hospital to be found dead. According to eye-witnesses, the cop had been swearing against the young man, showing his genitals, before shooting him.

In a spontaneous response, thousands of people gathered in the centers of most of Greek cities. In Athens, people gathered outside Evangelismos Hospital, in order to prevent the cops from entering the building. A little later the riot police attacked in a street in Exarchia resulting to one person being arrested. The evening in Athens evolved with a spontaneous assembly in the Polytechnic University, a lot of riots in the whole center of Athens including attacks against police departments and banks, until the early hours of the next morning. Meanwhile, a spontaneous demonstration took place, but it was confronted by the riot police with tear gas. Three more University building, the Economic, the Pantion and the Law School have been occupied.

Rallies, demonstrations, direct actions and riots took place all around the country. In Thessaloniki, a big spontaneous demonstration took place, while 2 Police Departments were attacked, several bank departments were burnt and Egnatia str., the main street, was block by burning trash bins for hours. Reports have been also posted about actions in Yannena, Iraklio [photos] Chania, Komotini, Mitilini, Xanthi, Serres, Sparta, Alexandroupolis and Volos.

PHOTOS: [1] | [2] | [3]
VIDEOS: video from the murder

5,000 prisoners on hunger strike across greece in demand for reforms!

5,000 prisoners on hunger strike across greece in demand for reforms! (libcom.org)

All 21 Greek prisons are in the grip of prisoners 3-stage campaign in demand of 45-point reform. As part of the protest, more than 5,000 inmates are now on hunger strike.

As of Monday the 3rd of November the totality of prison across greece are under a 3-stage campaign in demand of a 45-point reform, asking amongst other things for abolition of all juvenile prisons, greater freedoms, reduction of prison service and better conditions. The first stage of the prisoners struggle in which 8,000 out of 15,000 inmates took part consisted of refusing food from the prison catering. On Friday the 7, 1,000 of them upgraded to the second stage of the campaign by going on hunger strike. The number of the hunger strikers today (11/7/08) is 5,120, 17 of whom have sewn their mouths. The third stage of the campaign, general uprising, looms over the prison establishment as outside the prisons solidarity campaigns are filling the streets of the greek cities with protest marches, concerts and various forms of direct action.

The main 16 demands by the prisoners are as follows

WE DEMAND:

1. Abolition of disciplinary charges. Modification of the Penitentiary Code's articles 68, 69, 70, 71. In any case, the disciplinary charges must be removed after served, and not accumulated nor taken into consideration when it comes to days off, work, education and discharge under conditions after they are served.
2. Reduction of the sentence limit for discharge under conditions, from 3/5 to the 3/7 of the sentence time. Immediate abolishment of the anti-constitutional treaty that increased up to the 4/5 of crimes related to drugs.
3. Once and for all 3 year reduction of all prices, to make easier the relieve of over-crowding of prisons. Rejection of the new Panoptic prisons, built isolated from the urban social body.
4. Abolition of all juvenile prisons. Adoption of open structures to take care of and protect the teenagers and youth.
5. Reduction of sentence limit of 25 years of continuous detention. Reduction of the minimum detention time to be discharged under conditions to 12 years from 16 that it is today, according to european legislature.
6. Immediate and without exceptions application of days-off, suspensions, and other benefits of the law, reduction of the minimal sentence time limits. Increase the number of days-off to 60 for those that have a right to 5 days and to 96 for those with a right to 8.
7. To end the over-use of pre-trial detentions and reduce the time limit to 12 months.
8. The para-judicial racket is known for its hysteria of the last 8 years, leading to revengeful killing sentences. We as for proportionate sentences and wide application of the measure of suspension and discharge under conditions.
9. Full, permanent and 24 hour medical treatment and respect to the patients. Creation and improvement of adequate hygiene spaces (baths and toilets). Immediate integration of the Korydallos prison psychiatric and medical clinic to the National Health System, with new aisles for women and juveniles, that lack now. Immediate transportation of patients to public hospitals with ambulances and not in police vehicles, tied up with their hands behind their back.
10. To be provided the right in beneficial work payment, education, second chance schools, technical workshops and participation in diverse similar programmes, to all prisoners proportionate and without any discrimination. To be given educational days-off, for all prisoners, that meet with the criteria and terms to study outside prison and for all levels of education and technical skills learning. Substantial amplification of withdrawal projects to all prisons.
11. Abolition of the prison no-go zone. Free access for social and political institutions, Lawyers Associations, Hellenic Medical Association and EINAP, organizations for human rights, NGOs and international organizations. Free circulation of political and educative press, with no exceptions.
12. Alternative forms of detention, amplification of agricultural prisons and of the institution of semi-free sentence as well as community service.
13. Amplification of the institution of free visits in humane conditions with respect to the personality and dignity of the prisoners and the visitors. Private place to meet with our companion.
14. Work and access to creative activities for all of us. Beneficial account of days of work in the sentence.
15. Right to selection of serving the sentence in their country of origin, for the prisoners from other countries, once and if they wish.
16. Humane transport conditions with improvement of the room in the preposterous transportation means of the greek police. More stops, improvement of the detention room in the miserable "Metagogon" 'transfer prison' and faster transfer to the destination prisons.

DEMANDS OF THE WOMEN PRISONERS AT ELEONAS, THIVA PRISON:

On the occasion of the third-world life conditions inside this establishment but also our treatment by the totality of the ministry of justice services, and more precisely: Inexistent medical-pharmaceutical supply. Few, to even inexistent hygiene supply (without any right to a private purchase). Inexistent basic hygiene (no warm water). Inexistent social services and care. Preposterous food, because of luck of supplies. Even first need stuff is an unknown word here. Racist treatment of the prisoners when it comes to days-off and suspensions. Injust treatment of sentence accounts for suspension proportionate to the offence (2/5, 3/5 etc). Vast delays when it comes to bringing the case to the courthouse and especially the court of appeals. The peculiar stiffness of the persons judging us, despite the recommendations they have received. The inexistent second chance we are all waiting for and most of us have a right on it, but are never given. We decided to abstain from prison food commons from 03/11/2008 until proportionate measures are taken in regards to all the above. We expect your understanding.

Immigrants clash with maritime police and cops

As it may be known, near Patras port gather hundreds of immigrants without papers, mainly from Afghanistan, trying to find a way to Italy and western Europe. Again as it may be known, it is an every-day practice of the cops to attack verbally or physically against them. Though, after a brutal beating of three immigrants by maritime cops, other immigrants and solidarians gathered at the hospital there they were kept and marched to the port demanding the release of other immigrants arrested. Maritime cops denied, so clashes erupted, with immigrants throwing dozens of stones towards them, breaking police cars and guard-boxes, while also chased down some maritime cops, some of them later attacked once again against immigrants. After the clash, immigrants and solidarians returned to an area where immigrants area squating with tents, with a march.

More info here and here