On May 25th, from afternoon until dawn, nearly 40,000 of all types of neo-Greeks filled Syntagma Square to validate in the worst way the Troika memorandum, the austerity measures and the exclusive privilege of the use of force by the State.
Yesterday’s necrophilic, petit-bourgeois gathering took place just two weeks after the State’s fierce attack against the strike demonstration of May 11th with a record of hundreds of heads bleeding and the demonstrator Yannis Kafkas hospitalized in a coma, and only a few days after the unprecedented escalation of racist violence and social cannibalism a bit farther than Syntagma –in the other, downgraded centre of Athens: with repeated attacks of cops and fascists against homes, shops of immigrants and anarchists’ squats, with devotees of fascism abusing the brutal murder of Manolis Kantaris while neo-Nazi groups launched pogroms injuring a total of hundreds of immigrants, and fatally stabbed the Bangladeshian Alim Abdul Manan.
The peaceful gathering at Syntagma was held in about the same time when comrades gathered in Victoria Square to resist actively against the State terror, the racial segregations and the scums of the national backbone.
In accordance with the standards of the pathetic movement ‘Democracia Real YA’ of Spanish reformists and ‘geração à rasca’ of Portuguese pacifists, one more apolitical gathering was called out through facebook, in front of the Greek Kynovoulio this time [Kynovoulio, Doghouse instead of Koinovoulio, Parliament –an untranslatable play of words]. The symbolic presence of cops in front of the ‘Unknown soldier monument’ should not fool us. It wasn’t only the riot police that defended the symbols of Power but mainly the large number of ‘indignant citizens’ that declared by all means allegiance to bosses and the State.
The compulsive pacifism of a pseudo-movement of resistance was, is and will be one more version of State violence. The proponents of parliamentary system, wherever these might be, propose pacifism expecting to manipulate the crowd and canalize the peoples’ rage into reformist paths of the existing system instead of its overthrow. After all, the profile of the peaceful democratic demonstrator is what the State and the Capital demand as well.
These particular first gatherings at Syntagma Square in Athens, as well as in central spots of other cities in Greece have given an unofficial vote of confidence to a system rotten from its foundations. We see in a European level such movements functioning as relief valves against the social and class war. What a cop’s baton and a fascist’s knife cannot reach, is handled by the reformist propaganda of apolitical facebookers.
The antagonist movement and radical dissidents should reveal the reactionary and counter-revolutionary nature of this counterfeiting of revolts in the Arab world. One of the fundamental characteristics of capitalism is its power to transform and absorb the voices of defiance. By designificating words such as rage, revolt, revolution the system and its applauders hope that they will demean the movement of social liberation and divert it into paths which are painless for themselves.
The warnings given by Madrileños to the campers of Syntagma like ‘make no riot attacks’ have resonance to many people. The regimes’ Press worldwide reproduces, invests and adorns the arguments of pacifists, and sells those as the only ‘hopeful’ perspective.
As long as we don’t act towards the seizure of the means of production, the abolition of property, the multiracial rebellion and the setting up of structures of mutual aid and self-organization but instead we surrender our flags and weapons at Syntagma [also Constitution] or anywhere else by singing and listening the national hymn; as long as we’re in a playful mood with guitars and treacly songs whereas we should have been grabbing a stone, we remain slaves of the bosses.
To refer to three of the (most vomiting) minutes of the so-called ‘first open assembly of Real Democracy Now at Syntagma Square,’ according to the official website of the movement:
– The youth comes out with soul, with faith, peacefully, not like in December 2008; we have all matured.
– The other day, the extreme-rightists were beating and stabbing the immigrants, the immigrants from the countries that pioneered and taught every insurrectional thing has happened in the world in the recent months.
– After the HNS Velos [mutiny] and the Polytechnic [uprising of 1973], this is the first act of direct Democracy and moral uplifting in Greece.
See also: a / b / c / d / e / Spanish f
Updates in English: a you may read Comments’ section / b / c
Former call for a gathering at Syntagma Square [February 27th, 2011]
No Comments “How many Friends does the compulsive Pacifism have on facebook?”
these people would still call “peace” if they are beaten up by the police -.-
Who are they calling “purists”, those idiots with constipated “non-violence” dogma up their arse?
‘Real democracy now movement’: an isolated incident?
About the ongoing ‘real democracy now movement,’ in Athens. The following comment on Athens Indymedia seems as an absolutely frustrating (or at least, not ‘wonderful’) experience of persons attending Syntagma’s ‘assembly’ on Sunday, May 29th; an (isolated?) incident which has been confirmed by others, here:
https://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1297322
Comment #1297469
[Rough translation:]
« I want to write about some interesting things that we learned yesterday [May 29th] at Syntagma after the assembly was over.
During the assembly, it was decided that after its end we’d immediately march towards the Syntagma police station to demand the release of a 15-year-old immigrant who had been caught by the cops for stealing. Suddenly and while the whole situation was being delayed, we were stunned to hear that this immigrant was directly ‘delivered’ to the cops solely by the assembly’s ‘defense’ [περιφρούρηση: group of people that alternately guard the gathering] of the formation with the project ‘direct democracy now.’ We were told that this boy stole the handbag of a young woman, and that the assembly’s ‘defense’ caught him and led him to the cops.
Naturally, people became furious.
A) Because the ‘defense’ as an ideal pimp/snitch delivers people to the cops, and
B) because the coordination group of the assembly (for the role of which I will soon post a detailed text on Indymedia) knew the whole story but decided (in accordance to direct democracy practices, I guess) to conceal the fact from the body of the assembly and to manage it by its own!
When explanations were requested, a guy appeared. Although I am not a physiognomist, I would say for this dude that he was very close to the qualification kickback, and I think that this may be justified by the following. He then said:
— “The immigrant indeed stole the handbag, and I don’t understand why the young woman (which had her bag stolen) withdrew the indictment against him. (Apparently, according to this mister, everyone should be punished for what they do, even if they are 15-year-old boys.) Some people of the assembly’s ‘defense’ took him and drove him to the police. This was their assholeness [: malakia] because they should have come to me first, since I’m the HEAD of the group of ‘defense’!”
At this point, of course we were left with open jaws! There was a fuss, and the guy corrected himself:
— “Okay, not the Head but the COORDINATOR. Each team must have a coordinator; otherwise, everything will be screwed up!”
Also, yesterday we found out that one of the guys guarding the assembly who ‘delivered’ the kid to the cops is an owner of a security guard company!
The coordination group of the assembly decided to conceal all these from the assembly itself.
I believe a minimum conclusion may be that the hierarchies and segregations among the ones ‘from above’ (coordination group of the assembly, Heads (!) of ‘defense’ groups, etc.) and the ones ‘from below’ (the body of the assembly) are right here and operate just perfect every day at Syntagma Square beneath the veil of DIRECT DEMOCRACY. »
– – – – – – – – – –
controversy :
– – – – – – – – – –
The above comment, is being circulating along the Internet since yesterday in news sites (e.g. Tvxs.gr). It looks like some people try really hard in order to “prove” or “testify” that the starting movement has already established hierarchies.
The incident has indeed happened since many people confirm it did. But, on the other hand, the Syntagma square assembly that makes all the organizing decisions (and all the decisions in general) is open to everyone and follows strictly the direct-democracy procedures.
Usually more than 1.000 people participate in the assembly each day. So, it’s rather easy such behaviors to be controlled and stopped by the people participating.
No matter how hard some persons try to mislead and misinform the public (even in English), it seems that the ongoing movement retains fully its basic characteristics of direct-democracy and self-organization.
– – – – – – – – – –
other info/conversation(but only in Greek): http://real-democracy.gr/el/%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%AC%CE%B4%CE%B5%CE%BA%CF%84%CE%BF
I’m the Spanish assemblies so I can perfectly understand what happened in the last post. We’re talking about huge gatherings and assemblies, and there will always be some isolated events. Believe me, they’ll become less and less. Nothing to worry about!
Regarding the article, I find it pathetic and we’ve been hearing the same stuff in Spain too. Pacifism doesn’t mean being stuck in one place doing nothing, here we chose civil disobedience instead of rioting, and it’s working. The State already sent cops to many camps and showed its violence, which means that even if it’s pacifist, it hurts the State.
And yes, even if we’re being beaten by police, we still call for peace. Do you have any idea of how many people have in Spain realized this last few days about police violence? If I asked one week ago, maybe only one out of ten people would agree with me about this issue, now it must be around 5 out of 10. Direct democracy, self-organisation, as well as repression, are terms that thousands and thousands of people are learning these days. And that for me, is already a victory, a huge step.
Jordi, yo también soy español, y creo que este artículo tiene toda la razón. Es ridículo pedir pacifismo cuando la policía actúa con el nivel de represión que hay en Grecia, pero sobre todo es ridículo pedir pacifismo cuando ya tienes la capacidad de movilizar a cientos de miles de personas de forma más efectiva y ejerciendo más presión, como es el caso de las huelgas que han llevado a cabo hasta ahora.
En España tenemos que conformarnos con el pacifismo porque la sociedad está tan alienada, engañada y adormecida (no creo que me lo vayas a negar) que incluso actuando de forma pacífica no hemos llegado a reunir ni cien mil personas en todo el país, y un tercio de la población (o más) no nos apoya. Si hubiéramos actuado con violencia, serían todavía menos y no se habría podido llevar a cabo ni una asamblea.
En Grecia no tienen ese problema. Su sociedad es totalmente diferente, radicalmente diferente a la española. Allí cada vez que hay huelga general salen a la calle cientos de miles de personas gritando “que se queme el burdel del Parlamento” y si no lo queman es porque no pueden. ¿Por qué exportar nuestro movimiento, que sólo es el recurso que nos queda ante la situación desesperada de nuestro país y su estupidez social? ¿Por qué deberían ellos conformarse con acampadas pacíficas cuando llevan años siendo capaces de movilizar a la gente en acciones más contundentes y efectivas?
En España se hace así porque no hay otra manera mejor, porque partimos de una situación de desmovilización y alienación impresionante y eso es lo primero que hay que cambiar. En Grecia no necesitan pasar por eso.
(Pido perdón por no saber escribir todo esto en inglés. Si algún compañero lo puede traducir y escribir en otro comentario, se lo agradecería)
“ Jordi, I’m Spanish, and I think this article is absolutely right. It is ridiculous to claim for pacifism when the police act with such level of repression in Greece, but mostly it’s ridiculous to ask for pacifism when you have the ability to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people more effectively and putting further pressure, as is the case of strikes that have taken place so far.
In Spain we have to make do with pacifism because society is so alienated, betrayed and numb (I don’t think you’re going to deny me this) that even by acting in a peaceful way we have come to bring together not even a hundred thousand people across the country, while a third of the population (or more) does not support us. If we had acted with counter-violence, protesters would be even fewer, and it would not have been possible to carry out such assemblies.
In Greece they did not have the same problem. Their society is totally different, radically different from the Spanish one. Whenever there is a strike, hundreds of thousands of people go out to the streets shouting ‘Let the brothel-Parliament burn’ and if not, it is because they can burn. Why export our movement which is only the resource that remains to the desperate situation of our country and its social stupidity? Why should they compromise with pacifist camping when it took them years in order to be able to mobilize people into action more forcefully and effectively?
In Spain this may happen because there is no better way, because we start from a situation of de-mobilization and alienation that is stunning, and it’s the first thing to change. In Greece, no need to go through that.
[I apologize for not knowing how to write all this in English. If a comrade can translate and write it in another comment, I’d appreciate it.] ”
You’re right, maybe in Greece they don’t so many pacifism, but the article was also making a reference to capitalism in general, not only about Greece. Maybe the best option would be to combine the assemblies with an “armed wing”, who knows.
Tienes razón, quizás en Grecia no necesitan ese pacifismo y estoy completamente de acuerdo en lo de la sociedad española, pero en el artículo vi también un enfoque más general, de todo el capital en el mundo y por eso hablé de España. Quizás lo mejor es que ahí combinaran las asambleas (nadie puede negar que están genial, creo) con algo de agitación violenta. Dicho esto, creo que aquí también tenemos bastantes razones para mostrar algo más que indignación (no sé si estarás de acuerdo conmigo, pero vivimos en el Estado más antidemocrático de la UE). Eso sí, sería un desastre que nosotros usáramos la violencia. Veremos qué pasa.
Me again, maybe the only serious problem I’d see in this, after seeing some pics of yesterdays gathering, is that it would become something nationalist. That would suck, at least that isn’t happening in Spain.
Hey, I’m from Chile and I’ve been observing with attention the events of Spain.
I find it interesting that there is quite a similar political environment in Chile compared to Spain. It’s been 20 years since the dictatorship ended and parliamentary democracy came back and it seems that during the dictatorship all opposition was effectively destroyed (I’m young, I was born the same year the dictatorship fell). Since, there has always been radical groups, but very limited and small, and this year there has been a kind of awakening of social conscience, albeit small, and like in Spain pacifism is predominant.
Although I don’t see an assembly forming any time soon.
I agree with jordi’s idea of an “armed wing”, but more precisely you should stress and publicize the “right of self-defense” as a fundamental right of the assembly. In the way that Raoul Vaneigem proposes in a text called “From wildcat strike to generalized self management” (That text is basic stuff, that you should pass around if you can. here is a link in Spanish: http://www.sindominio.net/ash/salvaje.htm -and English: http://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/postsi/ratgeb.html). I’ll give you some quotes:
“An assembly should immediately organize its own self-defense groups charged among other things with:
— Carrying on guerrilla warfare in unliberated zones, including the destruction of economic centers vital to the statists and individual attacks aimed at disorganizing the enemy.
— Producing new arms.
— Devising new and unexpected tactics.
— Protecting key factories, supply sources, storehouses, health care facilities, and telecommunications in the liberated zones.”
“During the period of experimentation and inevitable errors, the best self-defense is to concretely demonstrate to everyone:
a) That total self-management brings everybody an immediate improvement in the quality of their daily life (by giving highest priority to de-alienating passions, abolishing forced labor, and constructing real human relations).
b) That any regression toward money, hierarchy, or commodity relations is subjectively repugnant and objectively impossible.
c) That the abolition of the commodity system radically changes the orientation of human interests and activities. Freed from the problems of survival, we will finally have no other care than to learn how to live.”
Although the part of the book that brings up self-defense is the third part, which talks about already established self-management as a second power defying directly the state, -first spanish assemblies have to figure out if they want generalized self-management or if they are only concerned with a reform of the state, that’s a question to pose when the time is right (general strike?) and if the second we have nothing to do in them -the basic concept still applies now and how defiant are the actions carried in self-defense depends on what’s the level of support that you have among the community where the assembly is established. For example, I can imagine you could at some point sabotage or take away the vehicles of the anti-riot police, cut road to prevent armed forces to get into the city, cut their supplies (not letting the resupply with tear-gas,etc or simply cutting water, electricity and basic supply to police stations). All this is just example and probably not really useful in most situations, but you get the idea.
I don’t know precisely what’s being talked about now in the assemblies, but you really need to push forward the understanding that “real democracy” or direct democracy will come from the assemblies and the road of making petitions to politicians is a dead-end, stress the understanding of the role of the state in the discussions. Also you need to communicate with workers, urge them to drop their union leaders, form councils and join the assemblies, push for a wildcat general strike, you guys have a lot of work to do! ha ha.
It’s a long road from here to there, but the assemblies movement is only an opportunity, and yes, there is a lot of criticism to be made, everything remains to be said and done, but you cannot indulge yourselves in writing articles like this one, full of hyperbolic and loaded language; criticize seriously and pose alternatives, speak clearly, without rhetoric and without talking down. After all an Assembly based on direct democracy can only move forward to generalized self-management or die, It’s very existence poses that question, and which happens might depend on movements like the anarchist’s ability to radicalize it.
Maybe I’m being too positive, and I only have an idea outsider’s idea of what’s happening that may not be so close to what’s really happening
well, that turned out a long post.
¡Long live internationalism! and all power to the assemblies?
Bruno, I completely agree with you! All power to the assemblies!
Support for your fight in Chile.
This article is pathetic. I have read many criticisms like this in my country, but never have I seen such a mean-spirited attack on this new movement. It’s at times like this that I am ashamed of calling myself an anarchist.
The movement that sprung up in european squares is far from perfect, it has serious flaws and internal contradictions. I am not here to defend it. But it has managed to get the people out of their homes, get them to talk and listen to each other, get them used to assemblary and direct democratical procedures, and gradually it is getting more and more to the streets, the workplaces, etc. Granted it is mostly of a reformist nature, but a movement is as politically mature as the people that compose it.
Meanwhile, what do the so-called “anarchists” like the authors of this article do? Slander and attack the movement instead of standing by and listening, observing and respecting the first popular and massive response to the situation we are experiencing, or even better, instead of getting inside the assemblies, talking to the people about their vision and trying to influence them. But of course the holders of “absolute truth” would never mingle with such common, “petit-bourgois””counter-revolutionaries”. Talking and listening is not part of your political identity, you keep this for “after the revolution”. It is the same small-minded, isolationist, snubbish, “me-against-the-world” approach that has made the present day “anarchist” movement insignificant, and little more than a lifestyle option. To all well-meant anarchists out there, please excuse these harsh words (I call myself an anarchist normally). But it seems the author of this article is only worried about losing their “exclusive rights to protest” like some trade unionists are more worried about losing their priviledges than actually making a change.
So here are some questions for you: Do you believe in assemblary and direct democratical procedures here and now, or you will only believe in them once you have made sure everyone agreees with you? And how will you get everyone to agree with you in this libertarian vision of yours?
WE SHALL NOT WITHDRAW OUR FLAGS OF PROLETARIAN ANTAGONISM
Rough translation of an extract of an Autonome (BLOCK) poster from the streets of Athens:
In Greece the gatherings of the ‘indignants’ represent the public and massive victory of the counter-revolt, against all these possibilities that brought the revolt of December 2008. The “indignants” in their majority – especially at Syntagma Square in Athens and at the White Tower [Lefkos Pyrgos] in Thessaloniki – are friends of the law. This is why they accept among their lines not only the bullies of public order, mafia and real estate companies, but also all the applauders of the pogroms against the immigrants proletarians.
This spectacle of ‘pacifist protest’ will be the measure and the limit of what is permitted. From now on, all those who struggle by clashing will not be facing only the police and the Justice but the greatness of the ‘civilian society’ as well. And what about those that are ‘a few’? They will be vanished.
http://www.meneame.net/story/criticas-desde-grecia-movimiento-15m