"...but thousands of deaths hang continuesly above our heads, from whom neither someone can escape neither ignore them. So go on!" Guy Ernest Debord
The workers in AGRA Publish Company keep protesting during the week in solidarity with Ntinos Palaistidis who was fired from the company because of his syndical activities.
Condemning letter to "AGRA" publish company:
We were informed from Employees Association in Book-Paper sector of Attica about the discharge of a worker from your publishing company.
The worker brought the Labor Inspectorate for a labor dispute he had with your company. The Labor Inspectorate opinioned positive for his request. Three days later, it was announced his discharge because of "unconventional behavior".
So, what really happens in AGRA PUBLICATIONS? After struggling for your rights, you get fired??!!
Do you really believe that in the name of the crisis, we the workers will accept the employers' arbitrary and the abuse of our labor rights without fighting?
We think that the worker's dismissal is unfair and vindictive. We join our voices with the employees in book-paper sector and we ask for: RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW WITHDRAWAL OF THE DISMISSAL!
Send your condemning letter to the company: info@agra.gr
Express your solidarity to the Employees Association in Book-Paper Sector: sylyp_vivliou@yahoo.gr
- The pigs of greek police blame Avgoustis Dimitriou for "resistance against authorities" and "throwing bottles and stones" during the demonstration of 17th November 2006 in Thessaloniki. On this day, Avgoustis was brutally beated up from undercover pigs who blamed him later for participating in riots. In the court they stated that "he was never beated up and his injuries came after he fell down on the sidewalk". The video that came up later denied all the pigs' statements. The student from Cyprus asks now through a trial for 1 million euros because of physical and psychological damages that were caused after the event. The pigs now start a counter-trial action.
Video of the pigs' actions on this day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqnRkXXPfN4&feature=related
- Translation from the blog of the Anarchist Initiative of Aigaleo (west Athens) on the situation in the women division of the Petrou Ralli prison for migrants – very close to downtown Athens. (http://anarxikoiaigaleo.squat.gr)
Testimony from the hell of Petrou Ralli by comrades that were detained in the prison wing for migrant women on P. Ralli St. after the occupation of the Keratsini Town Hall in solidarity to the 22 persecuted in the “Resalto” social space on 5th December 2009.
The scene is the same as if it were a high security prison; the difference is that no one has committed any “crime” here. The cctv that are everywhere in the cells, apart from the toilets, are an example of how human dignity is violated in here. The detainees are under 24/7 surveillance, they can’t get a moment of privacy and no personal data protection policy is in effect. Even the cell doors are made of iron bars, from top to bottom, and in order to create a somehow private space the detainees have hung bed sheets. “I cannot bear it that everyone walking up and down the corridor can see me”, an immigrant woman told us. The wings made of cement have electric doors of latest technology, windows (some without pane) that look out on… the rest of the cells and are at a height that you cannot reach in order to see what is happening outside. The cells are equipped with “post-modern” beds made of cement (square ones that remind of benches) with worn-out foam rubber on top, a “soft” blanket that resembles emery cloth (exclusively sponsored by the Greek army) and no pillow whatsoever.
Hygiene conditions are non-existent, which explicitly shows the intention to “decompose” the body and to eliminate any characteristic that reminds detainees that they are human. The medieval-style toilets – which often host cute insects such as cockroaches– are only four and superdirty. The idea in the Petrou Ralli St hell is that cleanness is a fallacy [trans: play on words on a popular Greek saying]… Soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper and sanitary towels are considered “small bourgeois residues” and consequently are unnecessary. Instead of a mirror, they use a piece of plastic that reflects like tinfoil the faces of those who live there for up to 6 months (according to the new law): distorted and partial reflections of persons that eventually forget who they are. All adds up in order to forget your very own existence.
Food is transported daily from GADA [trans: police headquarters] and of course it does not contain milk because there is fear that it will go bad during transportation. Everybody is given an instant coffee, a juice and a chocolate croissant. Even children are given the same (from 12-month babies to 10 year-old boys); age and personal needs do not matter. For lunch we were given bean soup, olives and one loaf of bread per cell to be shared by all the detainees, as well as oranges from Arta [trans: Greek city] at preference. The detainees serve themselves in plastic yoghurt-pots. There is no refectory or special room for food to be served, and they are obliged to place their bread on dirty, miserable blankets. Special needs are not taken into consideration, and diseases like diabetes, intestinal dysfunctions, cardiopathies etc do not receive any special alimentary treatment. We heard the detainees complain that they and their children suffered from itching. Cases of dermatological problems, such as mycoses, scabies, allergies and other kinds of dermatitis are frequent; they are mainly due to the sordid mattresses and the horrendous hygiene conditions in the cells and the toilets. They even face serious problems with their teeth, as they are not given enough bottled water and are forced to drink tap water from the toilets.
The women also talked to us about the aggressive behaviour of their underage children. And what is more reasonable for a child that grows up in prison than to develop an “antisocial” and aggressive behaviour. How can they not hate the world, as it is experiencing it from this hell? It has been marked for life by this experience and we better not dare to ask it in puberty why it’s throwing stones. Surely, in any case, the prisons on P.R. St. are an ideal environment for panic crises and psychosomatic conditions. The human being is a part of nature itself, and therefore it cannot survive in an environment made of cement.
Some prisoners have made artistic interventions to their cells in order to make them feel cosier. A Russian detainee has drawn huge cartoons on the walls. My soul is in pain… she misses her baby. She has transformed the cell into a child’s room. Love graven in hearts, and around the beds graven lines that mark days and months that have gone by. Engraved poems, promises, memoirs, names. In other cells the detainees have made an iconostasis; they have hung pictures of Saints everywhere in an effort to keep their hopes and dreams alive. Above their heads Angelina Jolie and Helen Menegaki [trans: Greek television star] next to shampoo labels, anything that can fill the empty walls.
Communication with the outside world is difficult and only those who have the money to buy a phone card have the possibility to make calls. Even the communication between the detainees is difficult as many of them do not speak nor understand Greek. There are no interpreters whatsoever and communication takes place through eye contact and gestures in an effort to exchange information on daily survival. Of course, this means they are deprived of their right to claim their rights or to be informed on their detention status and the date of their release. Complete isolation and loneliness.
Contact with the air, the rain and the sun is simply zero, as there is no yard to go out to. Detainees can only walk in the corridor (1 meter width and 20 meters length) that is outside the cells. They are deprived of a room where they could sit or do physical exercise; as a consequence they can only walk or lie down, in other words they carry around their pestered body. In this decorative background we saw small kids holding dolls, climbing up the iron bars and walking barefoot on filthy water and liquids of unknown origin. Their shoe laces had been taken away from them, thus they cannot even run. Some older children have understood what’s going on and every spark of life in their eyes has disappeared. Who can explain to them how one day they were returning home after school with their mom and suddenly they found themselves behind prison walls?
- Behind the jailbars two underage children from georgia, brothers 13 and 15 years old, who stole some stuff of 10 euros value. The event happened on 5th February in the town of Giannitsa and the children were cought on the spot. The trial took place on Monday, the children were judged with one year of imprisoning and were driven to Kassaveteias' jailhouse in Volos town. According to information there was a reaction from the prisoners of the jailhouse when they saw transfering two minors behind the bars. Already actions have started so the children will be immediatelly released and because of this certain event also to release all the hundreds of imprisoned underage children.
- "Club of Night Experimentations" urban guerrilla organisation took the responsibility for the looting action against Agricultural Bank in Ioannina town. They want direct release of the comrades Alfredo Bonnano and Christos Stratigopoulos. Freedom for Ilias Nikolaou. Fredom for Masouras, Giospas, Chatzimichelakis, Nikos and all the people who are accused as members of the "Conspiracy Cells of the Fire". Solidarity with Giannis Dimitrakis and all the comrades who are chased by the law. Solidarity with Polykarpos Georgiadis and Vassilis Chrysochoidis who are judged these days for the kidnap of Mylonas industrialist case.
- Today at 17:00 spoke on anarchist radio through phone connection P. Georgiadis and S. Stratoulis persons who have already inspired and enforced the movement in prisons. The program took place under the radio series of Initiative for Prisoners' Rights Organisation.
- Attack with stones and pieces of marbles against Z-team pigs in Athens. The pigs arrived behind the Highest Economical University after a call to the pig station about a car robbery. The rain of stones came after a pig took out his helmet and serious injures were caused to him. As it was proved later, the guy who was trying to steal the car was the owner of it and he has just lost the keys.
- Blockade in Apopigadi mountain region of Chania, Creta. Many people gathered today at Anavos on the crossroad for Spina village in response against the construction of wind energy farm by "Aiolic Mousouron" Company around the region. After the yesterday's events many people from Chania and villages around arrived to express their solidarity with the residents who oppose against the construction of wind energy park because their properties get violated and gets destroyed a whole region, the natural resources and the environment in the name of Multinational Companies' economical profit. So, today mourning a new blockade took place in purpose to stop the company's vehicles from entering the region and open a new road to start the construction of the park. But as it appeared, this time the cops did not have any orders to arrest anyone, while also a prosecutor was among them who informed the citizens that the construction will not start until certain law elements in relation with the construction company will be cleared. The prosecutor will check these elements to judge if the project is legal.
- "Cell of Unordinary War" urban guerrilla organisation took the responsibility for the looting device on 9th February in the entrence of the Judge Court of Ksanthi town. Their action a part of the clas war that has already bagun. Freedom for all the political prisoners.
- Solidarity action in Athens with the two anarchists antimilitarists comrades. Letter from the imprisoned Volkan Sevink & in Ankara, Turkey:
Dear friends, comrades
The guards have brought your letters when I was in the open-air-area. The guard gave the letters which are full of love and comrades’ salutes. “There are so many letters that our eyes hurt when reading them all.” he said jokingly. I said, “I am a political prisoner, it seems like you will get tired of the letters I receive.”
Friends, they keep me in a cell in L type prison. When I arrived I indicated that I was a political prisoner. The head of the prison rightly (!) said that it would be wrong to keep me in a ward. Then they put me in a one-person cell. I said that it did not matter to me, and I will make the necessary applications to be transferred to the F type prison. Neither the head of the prison, nor the guards or prisoners I met from other cells and at the open-air space could understand why they brought me to the L type prison. In fact, after it was finalized that I was going to be imprisoned - outside the court hall when you were waiting at one end and I was waiting at the other - I told my lawyer that I was going to be imprisoned with the ‘criminal prisoners’ and I would object to that. At the court, the offenses of “Changing the evidences according to the law numbered 100/2 in the Code of Criminal Procedure, attending a meeting and coordinating it illegally against the law 2911 on public meetings and marches, insulting the officer on duty” were tried to be imposed on me. These definitions correspond to the attack and the battering we were exposed to, that day! On, Wednesday 6th of January, on Yüksel Street in Ankara, a lynch attempt similar to the ones in Edirne, Erzincan, Manisa/Selendi and İzmir has taken place during the press declaration that was organized to raise solidarity with the conscientious objector Enver Aydemir. During the press declaration, we experienced altogether a repeated lynch attempt. The events were witnessed by the public. Yüksel Street is a location where a number of press declarations are made everyday. That day, we witnessed that the lynch campaign that is tried to be seeded in these lands is taken a step further. In order to justify their attack, they try to cancel the will power that is being attacked. The massacres and lynches are tried to be normalized in this territory. At the Sivas, Çorum, Maraş, Gazi and 19th of December massacres, oppositional voices are tried to be suppressed with the words “citizen’s sensitivity” and “the officers performed their duties”. Militarism is tried to be normalized. I am writing this letter on 19th of January: The third anniversary of Hrant Dink’s murder.
Shall we call this the irony of the history? Yesterday (18th of January) was the day Abdi İpekçi’s murderer Ağca was released! A “mysterious” hit man “full of secrets” is tried to be heroized through the intense interest of the media. This reputable (!) person said that he does not want to do his military service because of “religious and philosophical” reasons. We are talking about Ağca who was sneaked out of prison in a military uniform… Oh my! Ağca who was given an anti-social personality report is “misunderstood” and after this declaration probably he is issued the necessary reports to over come the complications. Let’s see what kind of ways the Messiah we were expecting will start looking for in order to receive the 3 million dollars bail?
By taking advantage of this situation, a columnist in Hürriyet newspaper, Yılmaz Özdil wrote an article titled “Conscientious Objection” on 19th of January. He says “The ones who want to get away from military service can not say that they chicken out, instead they talk about conscientious objection”.
With a brazen attitude, Mr. Özdil gave utterance to the declarations of the “mysterious” hit-man while sitting on his comfortable chair. Maybe your chair is too low Mr. Özdil? It is hard for your aristocratic “conscience” to get the stance of the conscientious objectors’ struggle in this geography which is carried out since 1989. Murat Ülke, Mehmet Bal, Mehmet Tarhan and Halil Savda, who declared that they will not take orders from any power or authority, were tortured. And conscientious objector Enver Aydemir, who is exposed to several punishments, is still imprisoned in Eskişehir Prison. More than 50 thousand people died on these lands in 20 years because of war. Global lords are seizing lives of people all around world; in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. They want us to become a part of the destroyed lives. The authorities, who are responsible of the events which cause the death of 66 people every minute around the world, will not be able to seize our consciences and our lives; they will not be able to keep them under captivity. Özdil keeps on writing “there are enough people in this country with conscience!” … Yes, more than you could ever imagine! Uğur Kaymaz, Ceylan; Çağdaş Gemlik and Murat Kasap who were murdered with “stray bullets”. Alexis who is killed in Greece and all the others are in our conscience. And our conscience does not permit us to become a part of this crime. Mr. Özdil, power and authorities create fear. From a psychological view point, fear is a humane feeling. But as you know “chickening out” is not a humane thing. Thus the fear you are talking about belongs exclusively to the power and the authorities. Fear is the system that can not even tolerate a press declaration. Resisting against this militarization is justified by life.
Life is blossoming against the events caused by the hierarchical, militarist and domineering rule of the authorities. One of the crimes that is imposed on me is “coordinating a meeting illegally and dominating the protestors against the law 2911 on public meetings and marches”. As Bakunin said, "Every command is a slap on the face of liberty", so as an anarchist, it is impossible for me to dominate or command anyone. I believe in the power of the free will of the individual. What the authorities can not make sense of, and what disturbs them, is the collective initiative of the free will.
Friends, there had been some minor problems since I arrived here. Most of them are results of the attempts at psychological intimidation. But I am doing very well. These walls make me feel that you and thousands of hearts are here. Although this is not a natural place; the dialectics of the nature makes adaptation and progress within the current conditions possible. New inmates arrived to the neighboring cells, however, the first days were full of silence, there was no one except me. 4-5 days after I arrived, new inmates came. We are chatting through our windows. Behind the walls, I accompany the arabesk songs that come from the neighboring cells with the marches.
On 19th of January, Tuesday, your letters arrived. I read them all, again and again. I will reply all of them. On Mondays and Wednesdays I can send letters. I will send them on Monday. I receive the letters on Fridays and Tuesdays. I knew that the solidarity actions would develop and I have always felt the warmth of your hearts beside me since I arrived here. You have adorned the university campuses and the streets. Solidarity actions have taken place in different cities. I would rather be standing by your side behind the solidarity stands, but this time it is not the case.
Reading the letters is one of my favorite activities here. I will be waiting for your letters. It takes 8-9 days for the letters from Ankara to arrive here. My letters will arrive there around the same time if there is no problem. I might have written in a disorderly way, excuse me if I did. You may make the necessary corrections and release it. (As always, ill-constructed fragments, spelling mistakes etc.)
From the cell which is brimming with your hearts, I am sending to you all of my revolutionary and warmest greetings.
See you soon.
Volkan Sevinç
Note: To get information about the court case history and future news you can check the website www.ahaligazetesi.org, an anarchist journal mostly prepared in ankara. For this casei informations available on languages: Turkish, English, Deutsch, Castellano, French. Poetric fire to the prisons; industrial complex!
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