Aris Seirinidis is an anarchist who was arrested on the evening of May 3rd, 2010, in central Athens, at a police check-point set up for an irrelevant to him case. Initially he faced a misdemeanor charge but in the end the anti-terrorist unit pulled out a forgotten case related to the shooting of a police riot van in the area of Exarcheia in the summer of 2009, which became known by the media as ‘the case of the pistolero with the sombrero and flip flops’ (due to the attire worn by the person that carried out the shooting).
The main ‘evidence’ against Aris was the matching of DNA taken from his wallet after his arrest with DNA found on one of the many surgical mask strewn around Exarcheia (due to a demo and rioting that had taken place in the summer of 2009, exactly the previous to the incident day) that was collected on the day of the shooting.
Aris’ trial will commence tomorrow, June 8th – and today has seen a series of actions across Greece in his support.
In Athens, the Council of State was blockaded by anarchists this morning. In Thessaloniki, a local radio station (fm100) was occupied and solidarity texts were read out on air. In Thessaloniki, Ioannina and Xanthi, anarchists will be setting up PA’s (mikrofoniki) and distributing texts in solidarity.
A motorcycle demonstration will commence from Athens’ Propylaea today at 17.30 and a solidarity gathering will take place at the courthouse tomorrow at 9 am, at the first-degree courthouse (Protodikeio) of Athens at 4, Degleri Str.
Read also:
About the case of Aris Seirinidis (Solidarity fund for prisoners in struggle)
Letter from the anarchist comrade Aris Seirinidis (Act for freedom now)