To contribute translations, editing-corrections and/or original material for publication, such as updates from the streets, reportbacks from actions, responsibility claims, texts of imprisoned or persecuted comrades, calls, brochures, opinion articles, etc.: contrainfo(at)espiv.net
You’re invited to an Intersquat Block at the Chaos and Discussion days in May in Berlin. We want to offer the space for an exchange on our tactics and techniques, discussions and information within the Chaos and Discussion days at Rigaerstrasse.
Structurally we don’t plan on this being an equal replacement for the past Intersquat meetings, unless you want to make it such. We do think this is a good opportunity to connect the general discussions on the sense and future of urban struggles with questions that come up when considering squatting as more than a tool to satisfy basic housing needs. We hope for a discussion on the importance of squatting for other liberatory struggles, houses as political tools, questions on working within and with neighbourhoods and more.
Evictions, Repression, Surveillance, Prisons, the maggots using and supporting oppressive structures are everywhere let’s get together to support each other and smash the ball not just into their court but through its heart.
If you personally or as a group are interested, have workshops, stuff to discuss, an info event or anything else in mind for the intersquat block or the whole weekend, just write us @ rigaerstrasse [at] riseup [dot] net PGP-Key-ID 0x3971B260E4B15B69
You can find more info about the weekend on gegenstadt.blackblogs.org some informations are updated in german first and translated a bit later though
[black and insurrect memory] Viva Javier Recabarren,
anarchist!
He roamed the streets of Santiago do Chile with full conviction of what he felt, against a terrorist police, against a society that mistreatsand tortures human beings and other animals. His deep revolt against thegrids of cages and prisons arose directly from his heart. Wild and free, he wandered his brief anarchist life like a comet, bright with love andrebellion. The comrade Javier Recabarren dies, ran over by a killing machine in the same street where he fought so many times (18 mars 2015). An indomitable wisdomof the acracy ran through his veins, in a young 11-years-old body!
Viva Javier! Honor to your memory. You live in us, we live with you by our side. With the black and insurrect memory of all those who fight and give us strength, like you, Javier Recabarren!
Paper Chained is a journal of writings and artistic expressions from individuals affected by incarceration. We are currently seeking
contributions from prisoners, ex-prisoners and family members of prisoners for our second journal publication. Please circulate this
callout throughout your networks.
If you are currently in prison, have experienced time in prison or have a loved one in prison, we welcome your contributions to this journal! If you know somebody who might be interested in contributing, please pass this information on to them.
Attached is an information sheet that can be printed and mailed to prisoners and a poster you are welcome to share on online media as well as print and display in your neighbourhood, workplaces, schools and other community hubs.
Read the first journal online: tinyurl.com/paperchained1
On Tuesday, March 6th, in Bogotá, Colombia, two explosions burst during the quiet of the lessons. In between the fully painted walls of this eternally leftist university, located in the middle of a financial district, the students playing on the sports field turn their heads in all directions. The sound of chattering suddenly vanishes. It is 10:30 AM and the gatekeepers put their backpacks on and immediately leave the scene. Rapidly, a small group of hooded people meets the crowd, without talking. In a kind of dancing manner, without much useless noises, the students peacefully leave the playground and the encapuchadxs progressively take their place. It is quickly possible to count as many as 50 of them, now facing the stone benches.
On the benches, a crowd interested students gather. We can hear some of them express their disagreement “it’s gonna be bad”, but they leave the spot as fast as they can. Oh the field, it is easy to see at least 3 different groups. The hoods are made from black clothing, their bodies are completely covered, even their shoes with large socks. Some of them are completely dressed with black plastic bags. Despite the first explosions, they don’t seem to hurry. Some of them throw what seem to be little metallic balls on the wall, which explodes in an incredible BOOM. You’ve just met papas bombas, a tradition here in Colombia.
They ask the audience to be silent and begin to explain the purpose of all this. Two anarchist individuals shout their words at the benches from behind their hoods, before a feminist does the same. A trans woman in the audience then speaks too, after asking to interrupt an anarchist’s speech. She says that what is going to happen is very good, but the struggle also takes place in our day-to-day life, that for women, gays and lesbians, and trans, we have to fight against all aspects of oppression. The encapuchadxs and the audience applaud loudly. During the speeches, several encapuchadxs distribute leaflets with political content, including anarchism and feminism (with calls for the March 8th march). Then it is the time for the FARC dissidents to talk.
The FARC, the well known 50 years old Colombian guerilla group, finalized a peace agreement with the Colombian state a couple of years ago. Some of the encapuchadxs we can see, well marked with their black
and yellow armbands, are dissidents from this group. But as soon as they start to talk, a loud siren sounds and they abort their speech, which made us smile as anti-authoritarian individuals. The students and the
encapuchadxs then take their places at the gates of the university. Lots of people mask their faces and gather rocks and empty bottles. The ESMAD, the anti-riot police, can be seen through the bars of the university, slowly deploying around the university, as the encapuchadxs go out, their hands full of papas bombas. The confrontation begins, the cops respond to the powerful bombs with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Some of the encapuchadxs go out of the buildings to attack either Davivienda, a large Colombian bank, or a big Renault shop. Renault is a big French car manufacturer. Seeing their windows shattering, we had thoughts for comrades imprisoned in France since the recent social movements [1]. Some rebels also break billboards around the university, and spray paint some anarchist graffitis (Rabia y solidaridad (A) ; ¡Arriba el tropel! ; Tombos = bastardos ; (A)-K Anarchistas al Kombate).
As more and more cops arrive, they try to come closer to the gates of the university, but could never really surround the campus. Two or more police trucks with water cannons were seen too, throwing gas canisters inside the university. Inside the gates, people light little fires to inhale the fumes and heal the effects of the gas. They also breathe rosemary branches for the same reasons. Others throw molotov cocktails or papas bombas at the trucks. Outside it is complete chaos. The cops are physically blocking a huge crowd of spectators who seem to be very friendly with the savage students who fight the police, shouting to warn them when the truck or police motocycles are coming.
An important fact to notice is that in Colombia, the police is not allowed to enter universities, and even stranger, they seem to respect this rule. This is probably the reason why the riot could last for hours without any of both sides being really able to move forward.
A sad event though occured at the end of the riot. A loud explosion could be heared and 3 or 4 students were severely injured, probably by an artisanal explosive device (papas bombas). It seem that some of them have lost either an eye or a hand. They were sent to the hospitals. We strongly express our solidarity with these injured comrades.
After this riot, which was the second one in less than one month at this university, we can read in the newspapers that all politicians from right to left call to cease those protests and to change the law to make it possible for the cops to enter universities. The whole campus was shut down for one week to conduct investigations. Despite this classical conservative backlash, some voices, even from workers union at the university, have expressed their solidarity with the events and with those injured.
In Colombia, the anarchist offensive movement is alive and well, and the will to express radical ideas in radical ways is definitely palpable.
For anarchy. For chaos.
some anarchists
[1] Specifically, we talk about the prisoners of the anti-labour law movement of 2016, some of them still in jail, and some people in prison after the eviction of the Bois Lejuc, an occupied zone in struggle against a big project to bury nuclear waste in eastern France.
Video compiles solidarity graffiti and banners for Libertatia squat, a project of the Collective for Libertarian Communism in Thessaloniki (member of the Anarchist Political Organization/Federation of Collectives), that was burned down by fascists on the 21st of January 2018. It also includes recent antifascist propaganda being spread to counter the ongoing nationalistic hysteria surrounding the ‘Macedonian issue’.
Moscow Anarchist Black Cross released the review of repression of anarchists by Russian state in 2017 and early 2018. During this period, the authorities continue to frame and persecute the Russian comrades. Anarchists are also a subject of repressions in prisons. Here is the extract of recently published list of repression in Russia.
St. Petersburg and Penza
In October 2017, Russian Special Services (FSB) fabricated a large-scale criminal case against anarchists and anti-fascists, whom they declared members of the terrorist organisation called The Network. Russian authorities allege that the accused planned and prepared terrorist acts to be conducted during the coming presidential elections in March 2018 and the World Cup over Summer the same year.
In Penza, Yegor Zorin, Ilya Shakursky, Vasily Kuksov, Dmitry Pchelintsev, Arman Sagynbaev and Andrei Chernov were detained. In St. Petersburg, the cops arrested Victor Filinkov and Igor Shishkin. Ilya Kapustin is currently a witness. The relatives of the arestees reported that their loved ones were tortured in order to extract confessions from them. All detainees in this case are in a difficult situation, under the threat of repetition of tortures, and very much need your support – and your solidarity. You can make a donation towards their legal costs here. The arrested will also be delighted to recieve letters of support. Here are their addresses:
St. Petersburg:
191123, St. Petersburg, Shpalernaya St., 25 PKU SIZO-3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia
Shishkin Igor Dmitrievich
Filinkov Victor Sergeevich
In Penza:
PKU SIZO-1, st. Karakozova, 30, Penza, Penza region, Russia, 440039
Shakursky Ilya Alexandrovich
Pchelintsev Dmitry Dmitrievich
Chernov Andrey Sergeevich
Sagynbaev Arman Dauletovich
Moscow
Two activists, Elena Gorban and Alexei Kobaidze, are charged with criminal damage of Putin’s United Russia Party offices. They were charged after, at the end of January 2018, unknown activists smashed the window of one of the branches of the United Russia Party in Moscow and threw a fire inside in protest against the upcoming presidential elections.
“No matter who becomes president, their policy is always the oppression and exploitation of a simple working people. We, as anarchists, offer self-government and direct democracy in exchange for presidents and other state institutions. Join our fight! “- the people responsible for that action said in their statement.
The police broke into the apartments where Gorban and Kobaidze lived on February 13. After the interrogations, the activists were released on bail, and now they are on the run.
Chelyabinsk: criminal case for anti- FSB banner
In Chelyabinsk, five activists were detained on 19th February 2018 after the action near the local branch of the FSB. Persons unknown hanged a banner saying “FSB – the main terrorist” and threw a smoke bomb over the fence of the FSB property. The action was held in support of the anarchists arrested in Penza.
The activists, who prefer their names to be published, reported that the FSB officers tortured them with a taser gun, demanding that they admit that they hung the banner. They were eventually released on bail, but with a condition preventing them from leaving the country or changing address. You can help them with legal costs by transferring money to the account of ABC.
Crimea: Yevgeny Karakashev arrested for “justifying terrorism”
In February 2018, Crimean FSB arrested anarchist Yevgeny Karakashev. He is accused of “inciting hatred” and “justification of terrorism”, or in other words, posting a video on Russian social media page VKontakte. Karakashev is currently under arrest.
Eugene has been busy with activism for some time. Prior to his arrest, he took part in a picket near the FSB building in Crimean city Simferopol, and in November 2016, along with like-minded people, planned to hold a picket “against police arbitrariness in the Crimea” near the building of the Ministry of the Interior. This picket was banned by the local authorities.
Administrative Persecution of Anarchists
In Janury 2017, on the anniversary of the political assassination of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova, there were memorial events across the country, which the cops tried to break. Anarchists were detained in Moscow, Petersburg, Murmansk and Sevastopol. The police conducted more arrests this year during commemoration actions for Markelov and Baburova.
On 23rd February 2017, dozens of people were detained on left-wing “Desertir Fest” in the southeast of Moscow. The festival was held in protest against army conscription. The police considered such a cause unduly radical. In 2018 the festival did not take place because the cops prevented it in advance.
In Irkutsk in April 2017, searches were conducted with the participation of the SOBR (Russian Special Forces) unit and the Center for Countering Extremism. Nine people were detained. With regard to one of the activists – Dmitry Litvin – a criminal case was initiated under Article 148 of the Criminal Code (insulting religion). The rest were interrogated as witnesses in the case – the detainees themselves were sure that the main reason is different: local anarchists are the most active participants political life of the city and repeatedly intensified social protest.
In November 2017, when Russian antifascist traditionally commemorate Timur Kacharava: a musician and antifascist murdered by neo- nazis, the police broke the celebrations. As result, one person was arrested.
Persecution of Russian Activists Abroad
In April 2017, an anarchist Alexei Polykhovich was deported from Belarus after 12 days of arrest for participating in a rally in Minsk, where people protested against new taxes. During Summer, in the Belarusian city of Baranovichi, the riot police rushed into the lecture of Alexei Sutugi. The subject of the lecture was how to oppose the authorities from prison. Almost all those present were detained until evening. On October 12, a local court ruled that the materials confiscated at the lecture were extremist.
In October 2017 in the Belarusian city of Grodno the riot police interrupted a lecture of the philosopher Pyotr Ryabov. Pyotr Ryabov is sympathetic to anarchists associate professor of philosophy at the Moscow State Pedagogical University. He specialises in the history of anarchist thought. After the lecture entitled “Informal movement of Belarus 1991-2010” in Baranovichi, Ryabov was sentenced to 6 days of arrest for “dissemination of extremist materials”. After that, the Citizenship and Migration Department of the local militia decided to deport Ryabov and barred him from entering the country for 10 years. In Moscow, a series of pickets took place against the arrest of Pyotr Ryabov in front of the embassy of Belarus.
“The state overestimated my contribution to revolutionary propaganda: several of my lectures would have produced less hype than their prohibition. I think that the whole thing is in the term “anarchism”. The authorities remember, and the fact that the anarchists were condemned for the arson of the Russian embassy in 2010, and the fact that the anarchists in many cases led a mass protest against the law on parasitism, “ Ryabov said in an interview after his release.
In 2017 anarchists of Belarus were the most active force of protests against the tax on parasitism, which the Belarusian authorities wanted to introduce for the unemployed.
News from prisons
The Crimean anarchist Alexander Kolchenko celebrated his 28th birthday in prison where he is still kept – despite the recent exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia. On his birthday, the anarchists from Ukraine, Czech Republic and Poland held actions at airports in solidarity with him.
Kolchenko was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the case of the so-called “Crimean terrorists” – he participated in actions against the entry of Russian troops on the peninsula, in particular, the arson of the local branch of United Russia and the office of the nationalist Russian community of Crimea. In November, the convict was diagnosed with a “weight deficit”. At the same time, the FSIN denied him the opportunity to study in absentia at a Ukrainian university.
You can write a letter to Alexander Kolchenko at the address: 456612, Chelyabinsk Region, Kopeysk, ul. Kemerovskaya, 20, IK-6, detachment 4, Kolchenko Alexander Aleksandrovich.
In Mordovia, anarchist Ilya Romanov continues to serve his sentence for terrorism: a conviction he acquired after he was injured with fireworks in October 2013. Due to the accident, Romanov lost his hand, but still, he was convicted for terrorism and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In April, the ECHR considered one of the complaints of Romanov and awarded him 3,400 Euro in compensation for unreasonably long detention during the investigation. However, it is unclear how the prisoner will be able to receive this money – all his accounts are blocked by the state. The elderly relatives of Romanov, who tried to transfer the money to Ilya via the post office, were detained by the police. In May, Romanov was placed in solitary for four months, and in July, new terrorist case against him was launched
Ilya Romanov is detained in IK-22 Mordovia, the address: 431130, Mordovia, Zubovo-Poliansky district, st. Potma, n. Lepley. Write a letter to him, he will really appreciate it.
Finally free
In May 2017, anarchist Alexei Sutuga was released from prison. In September 2014 Sutuga, known by the nickname Socrates, was convicted to three years and a month after he allegedly took part in a fight in a cafe. The anti-fascist himself did not admit guilt: he says that he tried to break the fight, but he did not beat anyone. The victims in the case were Russian neo-Nazis.
In October 2017, the antifascist from Tomsk, Yegor Alekseev, disappeared before he was due to be sentenced for “public calls for extremist activity”, or posting a YouTube video on his social media profile. At the moment he is safe in unknown location. According to Yegor, he decided to hide from the Russian justice system, fearing to get a conviction with a real term of imprisonment.
In early November 2017, historian and anarchist Dmitry Buchenkov escaped from house arrest and is currently in undisclosed European country. His escape was possible because he was not fit with electronic bracelet due to lack of resources. According to investigators, on May 6, 2012, Buchenkov allegedly attacked a policemen.He was charged despite of evidence clearly indicating that on the day of alleged attack he wasn’t even present: he was visiting his family in other town. The complaint of his arrest and politically motivated persecution is directed to the European Court of Human Rights.
This review was prepared by the team of the ABC-Moscow. It is not a complete list of the prosecutions of anarchists by Russian state – at the request of some of the comrades, the review does not mention all the misadventures of post-Soviet anarchists. If you want to help, you can find out how to transfer money for the needs of the ABC Russia on this page.
It will be the next Putin election on March 18. Inauguration rite on the reelection will take place in conditions of domestic terrorism and nuclear war threat. Russian security service has started mass repressions against all the dissenters with the regime, exerting unprecedented pressure for every dissident from liberal opposition movements to the anarchists.
Federal Security Service conducted a series of arrests and rummages in the homes of known to them anarchists and antifascists in autumn, 2017. Six anarchists from Penza were arrested and chargeed with preparation of coup d’etat. The only evidence of “preparation” was the fact that all the detainees had played playing airsoft. During several months the detainees were exposed to everyday tortures, until they pleaded guilty.
Two anarchists were arrested in Saint Petersburg in January 2018. They also were exposed to tortures as Penza anarchists. Officers made them learn the confession and repeat it to the investigator. One of the kidnapped anarchists, Victor Filinkov, was taken to the forest where he was put to tortures. Ilya Kapustin was also arrested and exposed to racks, he did not make a confession, so they nominated him a “witness”.
A lot of raids occurred against Crimean anarchists and socialists in February and March. The first of detainees was Eugenie Karkashev. The reason for the arrest was a conversation in the social network “Vkontakte”. A month later, the mass raids took place against the other anarchists and communists of this peninsula. The list of detainees in the Crimea includes anarchist Shestakovich and communist Markov, who were arrested for10 days.
Then, Moscow anarchists Kobaidze and Gorban’ were arrested and accused of a rout of the ruling party “Unified Russia”. Officers refused to admit the lawyer to the detainee, until she pleaded guilty. They violated all the rules of law.
Three anarchists together with their friends and relatives were kidnapped by FSS in Chelyabinsk. They also were exposed to tortures with electric current. It was done in order to get from them necessary testimonies and make them admit their participation in the action of banner posting against repressions.
President Putin personally gave the order to “deal with” the protest speeches and “organizers of unauthorized street actions” on the speaking engagement of collegiums Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). Our authorities are so unsure of themselves that they resort to the terror, abductions and tortures, finding the threat in any street protest.
At the same time, protest and maximum publicity of these events really can help to anarchists who are staying in prisons. There had not been any information about Penza anarchists and this enabled FSS to put them to tortures for a long time. Saint Petersburg prosecutor’s office was forced to check the statement of Victor Filinkov’s tortures only after the international campaign in February 2018. Remember that today’s silence and inactivity doom us to tomorrow’s arrests and abductions.
So, in the week before the Putin election, March 11, we call you to pay special attention to the conditions of terror, in which the election is held. Today, hangmen and terrorists want to be “elected” for the new term. And all of us can see what this election is. Now we can draw public attention (Russian and international), limit the scope of terror today and postpone its beginning tomorrow. Only public pressure can hinder state terrorism. We are calling for action. Evenings of solidarity, street agitation, spread of information, performances or rallies, everything for what you have power and fantasy, everything that could draw attention to the lawlessness, everything won’t be in vain.
Putin’s new term is a prison term for every Russian.
We are preparing the second anniversary of À da Maxada (30 -31 March, 1 April). If want to participate, get in touch via adamachada@gmail.com until March 10th!
More arrests: In the Crimea, special services detained a local anarchist and social activist Yevgeny Karakashev (02/02). In Moscow, an anarchist Elena Gorban was arrested (13/02). On the same day, anarchist Alexei Kobaidze was detained and arrested. We are calling upon everybody to continue the solidarity campaign!
USA.
Russia.
Toronto, Canada.
On February 5-12, an international week of solidarity with Russian anarchists took place. 21 actions against repression were joined by 21 Russian cities and a large number of foreign comrades, from Belarus to the US and Canada.
Information materials, leaflets, graffiti and stencils were distributed, banners were posted informing about repressions against anarchists.
Actions were held in Kaliningrad, Altai, Kursk, Novosibirsk, Samara, Kemerovo, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Izhevsk, Penza, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Nakhodka, Chelyabinsk and Vorkuta.
Pickets informing about the terror of the FSB against anarchists wer held in Yekaterinburg, Kandalaksha, Tomsk, Sochi, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Saratov.
In Samara, an evening of solidarity was organized. Visitors were told about repressions against anarchists and about the basic rules of conspiracy. After that, the film “Sacco and Vanzetti” was shown, the story of these people clearly demonstrates all the inhumanity and uselesness of the state system and the methods that it has used, to this day, to suppress any protests.
In Moscow, an unauthorized march of anarchists against the lawlessness of the FSB also took place. Several dozen people blocked Myasnitskaya – one of the central streets adjacent to the Lubyanka, where the main FSB department is located. They passed along it with the banner “FSB is the main terrorist.”
Solidarity actions were also held in other countries.
In Belarus, anarchists distributed leaflets informing about then persecution of Russian anarchists.
In Lutsk, Ukraine, there were also grafitti in solidarity with Russian anarchists.
Actions of solidarity took place in Warsaw, Gdansk (Poland) and Prague (Czech Republic).
In Prague, Czech Republic, a concert was held in support of repressed Russian anarchists. At the concert information was spread about repressions in Russia and money was raised for the Anarchist Blac Cross, which provides assistance to political prisoners. Also fundraising was carried out in Estonia at concerts of musical groups Ognemöt, Adrestia and Prophets V in Tallinn and Tartu.
Also, an event to inform about repression in Russia and fund-raising was held in Budapest, Hungary.
In France, a solidarity dinner was held, the funds from which were directed to support the Russian anarchists.
Also, many solidarity events took place in the United States. So, in Minneapolis there was an evening of solidarity, in Brooklyn – a film show. Antifascist online store from Portland spread information about repression and raised money to support the repressed anarchists. In Kansas, a street demonstration was held in support of Russian anarchists. In New York, a picket took place at the Russian consulate.
Also, representatives of the Revolutionary Abolitionist movement from New York expressed solidarity.
Solidarity action was held in Toronto, Canada. Anarchists held a picket on the most crowded square in the city, informing passers-by about repressions in Russia.
The week of solidarity was held in solidarity with Russian anarchists, subjected to repression by the FSB. In the fall of 2017, the FSB arrested six anarchists from Penza. The reason for the arrest was that all the six played airsoft, which was regarded by the secret services as a training for the overthrow of state power. Weapons were implanted to the detainees, they were accused of organizing a terrorist community.
For months, the detainees were daily tortured and beaten until they agreed to slander themselves. They were hung upside down, beaten, tortured with electric shockers. In January 2018, several anarchists were kidnapped in St. Petersburg. Two suspects and one witness were seized, all of them were tortured. One of the detainees for this purpose was taken to the forest near the city. Another detainee was tortured for more than a day. Only officially the interrogation lasted a day – from three o’clock in the morning until three o’clock in the morning.
Although one of the suspects and the witness made a statement about the torture, their statements were not checked by the state authorities.
The FSB is announcing plans for arrests on the fabricated case of a terrorist group of two dozen anarchists in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Penza and Belarus.
Also in the Crimea, special services detained a local anarchist and social activist Yevgeny Karakashev. The reason for the detention is the active participation of Eugene in the social struggle of the inhabitants of the peninsula. On the day of the arrest, the Mayor of Evpatoria met with protesters against point-building and made a hint about possible arrests. The reason for the arrest was Yevgeny’s correspondence in a group chat in social networks.
Immediately after the end of the week of actions in support of Russian anarchists, repressions were continued in Moscow. On February 13, early in the morning, an anarchist Elena Gorban was arrested. In violation of all norms, the lawyer was not admitted to Elena for several hours until she agreed to admit guilt in the pogrom of the office of the ruling Russian party, “United Russia”. On the same day, anarchist Alexei Kobaidze was detained and arrested for the same charge. The reason for the arrests was an unauthorized demonstration in Moscow against the FSB terror. Early in the morning, before the appearance of information in the media and the Internet about the arrests of anarchists, the pro-government telegram channels published a video of detention and a message that anarchists taking part in the demonstration had been detained in Moscow. The investigators who questioned Elena also ask her about the demonstration although the detainees were charged with the pogrom of United Russia, and not participation in the demonstration.
After the arrest, actions of solidarity were continued in Russia. In Chelyabinsk, anarchists placed a banner near the FSB building and threw a smoke bomb to its territory. And in the suburbs of Moscow a mobilising raid was held in solidarity with the repressed anarchists.
We are calling upon everybody to continue the solidarity campaign!
More photos and videos: naroborona.info (Russian and English)
From Rigaer Street, we send signs of solidarity and rage to anarchist prisoners in Russia, responding to the call from Russia for International Days of Solidarity with Russian Anarchist Political Prisoners.
These days we heard from the arrests of antifascists and anarchists in Russia. Already before, in the months of October and November 2017, in the city of Penza, six people got arrested and brutally tortured by the federal secret service FSB. In January this year, in the city of St. Petersburg, a second wave of arrests followed with two persons first being kidnapped by the FSB for one day and only the day after being officially registered in remand prison. The secret services‘ offensive, led by Putins regime, was accompanied by house raids in different cities of the country. As a reason for the repression the FSB constructed an anarchist terrorist group, named „Net“, planning a series of attacks on the presidential elections in March 2018 as well as on the World Cup in June / July 2018 in Russia leading to armed insurrection and which is supposed to exist in several cities of Russia and Belarus. There is no evidence proofing the real existence of the group. The only evidences used are the statements of the arrested, which the FSB extorted from the prisoners using torture and the threat of further acts of torture. In Penza, the group got constructed by the statements of the first arrested person. The link between the „members“ of the group is having played airsoft games together. Except of this first person, who got released beginning of the year into house arrest, all the others are still kept in the remand prison.
The experiences of intimidation and physical violence in the remand prison which the prisoners were subjected to, reveal the cruelty of the state apparatus. While democracy in Germany is still trying to veil the brutality of state power, the accounts from Russia affirm us, that the watchdogs of the system – the wretched trash of the executive – are capable of maintaining their authority only by the threat and implementation of physical violence.
Repression is meant to discourage us, to defeat movements and strain us individually into the controlled system or even destroy us. It‘s anything but easy to not feel powerless, to not feel incapable of opposing their massivity. But if we listen to the messages of rage and anarchist struggle from exactly these places, the lines and images encourage us. They show us, that in every place where there is a human heart beating to the rhythm of rebellion, moments of resistance are likely to occur. They show us, that no matter how fierce the repression may be, there will be people who do not surrender to fight for their ideas. The resonance of solidarity is our weapon.
From the G20-prisoners in Hamburg to the prisoners in Penza or St. Petersburg to Berlin – the stronger their repression, the more furious and passionate our resistance.
Info-talk on the case of Peike from Amsterdam, currently standing trial in Hamburg for alleged participation in the G20 riots last summer.
He has been convicted to 2 years and 7 months imprisonment, but on the 9th of february his higher appeal started. On the 16th of february is the second court session, after that an unknown amount of days are still scheduled until the verdict. For more info on his case check: freepeike.noblogs.org
Daycafe the Zwarte Uil is open like usual from 12:00, with snacks and the anarcho-library. See ya then!
De Klinker, Van broeckhuysenstraat 46, Nijmegen
Action weekend 23-24-25 Feb against the new squatting ban in Belgium!In the summer of 2017 a new law was voted in Belgium to make squatting illegal. In autumn the law came into action.
We would like to call out for an international weekend in solidarity against the new law. Because autonomous spaces are endangered worldwide, because we will never stop to claim our spaces.February 23rd – 24th- 25th 2018
Solidarity from so-called Victoria, Australia, with imprisoned comrades from the Hambach forest occupation in Germany. On January 22nd, cops raided tree houses and barricade structures in the forest, and took 9 people into custody. We took this photo as a small part of the international day of solidarity with the Hambi 9 on February 3rd.
The occupation has for years now been an amazing and inspiring site of resistance against the continued expansion of Europe’s largest coal mine. It is part of a global struggle against ecological destruction brought on by capitalism.
Spontaneous protest against repression in the streets of many German cities after police raids in early December 2017 (in Kiel, about 70 participated in the protests)
Summary for our internationalist comrades
G20-Repression
Prisoners * Conditions in the prison * Trials * Video- and Photo publications * House raids
The G20 summit and the euphoric days in the streets of the Schanzenviertel were shaped by the massive anger and motivation to attack, which we did not expect since Heiligendamm and Frankfurt.
The wave of repression that followed afterwards, and actually had already started before the summit with the implementation of the new §114ff and preventive policing, reached its climax with the publication of dozens of mug shots, by the special commission „Soko Schwarzer Block“ on December 18th, 2017.
The wave of repression, remained rather unnoticed from comrades in others countries who fought with us on the streets and euphorically followed the riots in the media. They told us, that they did not receive any information on the prisoners, the condemned and the persecution mania by the state.
Part I: Prisoners
The situation in december 2017
The cops implemented a 40 man strong Soko (1), which searched the Internet for pictures and videos, in order to further criminalize activists. About 200 cops are currently sitting in front of their computers, watching special face detection softwares do most of the investigation work. Even when you think, you have nothing to hide or you are sure, you always changed in a dark alley: Solidarity doesn‘t just start, when the repression hits you or your friends. The state, including the media, cops and active citizens, is clearly trying to redefine the riots. We managed to dominate the discourse of these days during the summit, but we have to recognize that in the face of brutal sentences, denunciations and public agitation, we are being pushed back into a position of simply reacting: Day X demos, prison rallies and a couple of broken windows here and there. Prisoners and the trials:
After the three days of riots in Hamburg, 51 people had been taken into custody. Ultimately 28 remained in the JVA (prisons) Billwerder, Hanhöfersand and Holstenglacis until their trials. Being mainly non German, the prisoners came from the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary and Russia. Additionally several hundred people had to stay in the GeSa (custody) for a short time and had to give their fingerprints and pictures.
The remaining G20 prisoners are accused of various crimes, which in many cases would not justify longterm custody. The charges go from violating the law of gathering in public spaces and breach of the peace, to resistance and assault against officers. The last one can, after the laws were tightened last year, be punished with up to three months in prison, in severe cases with up to six months.
Currently, in the beginning of January 2018, 7 people are still imprisoned in Hamburg. Additionally, many comrades are going to appeal their sentences. For example Peike, who was sentenced to 2 years and 7 months prison, in the first G20-trial.
The conditions in „Gesa“ (short term/provisional prison) and „U-Haft“ (detention while awaiting trial)
Over 100 lawyers worked in 24 hours shifts at the GeSa in Hamburg- Harburg. 250 people were attended to during the summit. Several prisoners said, they were denied basic hygienic articles, even though they asked for it repeatedly. In one case, the request from a young women was met with the statement: „Demonstrators don‘t get periods.“ In another case a young women said, she had to insert a tampon in front of police officers. It was burning up in the cells, there were up to eight prisoners in one cell, instead of five, even though not all the cells were occupied. The prisoners got two slices of bread in 24 hours, access to restrooms was granted very scarcely. There where few mattresses and no blankets. With kicks against the cell doors, the prisoners were kept awake. Some cells had constant light, while others had none at all. An injured women, who was taken to the GeSa on Friday (July 7th) with a suspected nose break, did not receive food for 15 hours. Her injury was not x-rayed. She was only seen by a judge 40 hours after her arrest, who released her at 11pm that same day. The prisoners in custody are generally only allowed visitors with a permission from the judge. These visits where being strictly surveilled (letter from Fabios mother to her son from August 7th, 2017). Additionally, it was impossible to send packages with clean clothes to the prisoners for weeks. The continuance of the custody was justified with „defending the law“.
Fleeing or hiding evidence, which is usually the reason for enforcing custody, did not play any role. Therefore the custody itself presents as a preventive measure. A non-German passport, strenghtened the accuse – of being a potential enemy to society – leading to longer custody and harsher sentences. Additionally many released prisoners received letters, asking them for a voluntary DNA analysis.
Part II: Trials and Sentences
In general, one can say it became pretty obvious through all the trials that no matter which person was in front of the judge and no matter what the charges were – every single one of them was blamed for the riots, especially those on Friday night and ultimately sentenced for them. This type of mass participation during street fights and attacks on cops should be prevented in the future. The fear of the power hungry advocates, became clear in the politically motivated pleas, in which they tried to paint the activists as isolated criminals, without any political identities. A technique used worldwide. In order to understand the outrage about the sentences and its justifications, it is important to explain how German police is regularly trying to get sentences with the use of „Tatbeobachter“ (Tabos), loosely translated as crime witnesses, as well as isolated video scenes. Arrests, especially during demonstrations, are often only based on alleged observations by „Tabos“. In the past, their statements could usually not stand the cross examination in court, so that few people (excluding especially Kurdish activists), were placed on probation, but very rarely received prison time.
Another issue can be found in the German so called left scene: In the 80s a campaign arouse from the German left scene: „Anna and Arthur shut up“. A campaign, which was based on the right to refuse any statements. According to this right, anyone who is arrested or on trial can refuse any statement in front of the cops or the judge, except stating the details on the passport. Understanding this right as a weapon- as a way of protecting structures or other people – but also as an act of resistance – in the sense of withdrawing yourself from any dialogue with the state, is sadly not a given anymore. A decision of making a statement in court or not, is often an individual one or left up to the strategy of the lawyers.
The strategies from the lawyer often focused on reaching deals, which can be described as an understanding between the judge and prosecutor and the defense attorney – which usually forces the defense to agree to certain points brought up by the judge in exchange for a softer sentence and in confessions, which under certain circumstances can be justified. Though there were not only deals and confessions within the prisoners, that could under certain circumstances be a valid choice, but it went as far as prisoners apologizing to the judges and cops, as well as to the HASPA bank and Budnikowsky (store). One Example: A 28 year old guy from Hamburg read his confession out loud. He said, he did not know what possessed him that evening. It was simply his curiosity that drove him to the Schanze, after he saw pictures of the riots in TV. Upon arrival, the crowd swept him along. „If I could turn back time, I would just stay home that night and watch everything on TV.“, he said on Tuesday. He was actually on his way to Barmbeck that night, where he know lives, when he coincidentally passed the riots at Pferdemarkt, where he was attacked with pepper spray, which made him angry, additionally he had taken cocaine that night as well. The verdict: 3 years of prison.
Fabio marks a clear exception here, he wrote a political statement, which he read out in front of the court. This is not only sign of bravery and political knowledge, it is also an important step for all of us to fight against the repression, not buckly in the face of danger and fight against the criminilisation of our struggles.
There are several examples of the G20 trials at the end of the article. Until today, Konstantin’s, Christian’s and Fabio’trials are still ongoing and their documentations can be found on the „United we stand“ web page. Some are also in English. Keeping the raids and the recent publication of mug shots in mind, more trials are probably soon to follow.
Part III: First raids before the summit
During the evening of July 1st, the apartments of two comrades was searched by police. As far as we know up until now, the raids were carried out due to „danger prevention“. During the raids, USB sticks, computers, private cell phones and clothes were taken. One affected person was charged with planning crimes in the context of the G20 summit. Observations were noticed in the days before the raids. The second person was released that same evening.
Raids on July 8th
After the G20 Summit, Hamburg police raided the international center B5 in st Paul. At 10:45 AM, riot police stormed the center and attacked the people who were present at the time.
Without stating any reason, the people were handcuffed and the rooms on the center and two adjoining private apartments were searched. Also the cellar and the adjoining B-movie and FoodCoop was ransacked. Allegedly, the police suspected Molotov cocktails in the center, which turned out to be a complete defamation.
Raids concerning the looting
The hamburg police raided 14 residences, shortly after the summit in Hamburg and Schleswig – Holstein. Reason for that, was the looting of the Apple Store during the riots on Friday night. Several cell phones were located and the owners were charged with concealment of stolen goods. Also one cellphone store was searched, where allegedly several of the „illegally possessed cell phones“ were sold.
Ban of Linksunten.indymedia.org
On august 25th, Bundesinnenminister (Interior Minister)Thomas de Maiziere, banned the online-platform „linksunten.indymedia.org“ on the grounds of society laws. For the German left and radical left scene, Linksunten was the platform, where all the Call ups, daily political news and explanations for attacks where published. It was as important to the left scene as it was apparently to the cops, intelligence service and media, since it was obviously seen as a reliable source and early-warning system for pending riots. The operation of Linksunten since 2009 as an open network for left media activists was declared a crime by de Maziere. This led to several raids in Baden- Würtemberg, which luckily did not leave anyone arrested. Currently the BKA is searching for the location of the servers, that were being used by the platform. More raids are to be expected. The timing of this whole action can only be speculated about. It is possible that the Ministry of Interior wanted to polish up their image, after the weekly press releases about the massive police violence against the anti summit demonstrators.
Part IV: Nation wide raids on December 5th, 2017, investigation „Rondenbarg“
In the early morning of December 5th, 2017, over 600 cops raided 23 private homes and 2 social centers in Nordrhein- Westfalen, Niedersachen, Baden- Würtemberg, Hamburg, Berlin, Hessen, Sachsen- Anhalt and Rheinland- Pfalz. According to police statements, mainly laptops, cellphones and USB sticks, but also several legal weapons were upholded. None of the affected activists were arrested. All the raids were concerning the events during the first day of the summit. Approximately 200 militant comrades, were on their way to the inner city in the early hours of July 7th, when they met riot cops at Rondenbard, after which the demonstration was destroyed and left many injured. Several dozen people were arrested right there on the spot, their details were recorded and Fabio sat in prison since then. Almost all the raided people, were within the arrested group from that day.
They are being charged with severe breach of the peace, attempted physical assault and resistance. Since, this particular group of arrested people represented the majority of the arrested overall and the cops were not able to arrest many organized militants, they together with the help of the media, tried to paint a picture of the „Rondenbarg- group“ as extremely violent and probably responsible for all the destruction and direct actions during the summit. Also the raids can be connected with that attempt, the „success“ of these raids, were presented by the cops during a press conference on December 5th.
We clearly see the raids as a public spectacle as well as an attempt to uncover the alleged organisational structures behind the actions, rather than collecting evidence concerning alleged individual participants. Not confirmed by official sides, but published in several press releases, the cops were mainly searching for evidences on structures, which prepared militant actions and made them possible in Hamburg. Especially around the area of the Elbchaussee, the cops allegedly discovered containers with masking material, fireworks and clothes, which the police interpreted as evidence for the theory, that local groups organised the logistics for international comrades. Though the police suspects mainly international comrades for setting over 20 cars on fire in the Elbchaussee during July 7th.
Part V: Mug shots from hamburg police:
During the night of july 8th, the hamburg police established an online portal for tips and leads. They appealed to the curious crowd, to upload any picture or video material from their own smartphones and cameras. Only 12 hours later, they celebrated the fact, that they had already received over 1000 files. With this call out for denunciation and betrayal, the police provoked an online coursing. The Soko „Black Block“, is working on 12 terabyte of picture files. In total 163 cops are working on 3340 cases. On monday, december 8th the hamburg policed published 104 pictures of 104 alleged criminals and 5 videos concerning the „Elbchaussee“, the „G20 not welcome demo“, „looting“, „attacks with bottles and stones“ and „Rondenbarg“(here you can find an anonymous link to the pictures). Additionaly several pictures made it into the german media. The hamburg police anounced: „There will be more mug shots, because we have a lot of material, which has not yet been evaluated.“
Five G20 Trials: The first trial was held against Peike, from the Netherlands. He is being accused of having thrown two bottles at Berlin police in the Schanze on the 6th of July. The only two witnesses, cops from Berlin, had suffered from major memory loss and both described a bottle throwing person, who did not look at all like the defendant. The prosecutor explained his persecution for prison time, by taking Peike into responsibility for the „civil war like circumstances“ on Friday night (where Peike was already in custody!). The judge Johann Krieten, known as a right wing hardliner, proclaimed his judgment as followed: „Police officers are not fair game for the fun society, they are not fair game for action orientated criminals“. He called the riots on Friday night, riot tourism with the aim of hunting cops and smashing the windows of the HASPA bank. The harsh punishment was necessary, due to reasons of „preventing violence.“ The pig proclaimed the sentence of two years and seven months. Peike is appealing against this judgement.
2nd Trial: The defendant was stopped and searched on Saturday, July 8th, close to Dammtor train station. He was insinuated with being on his way to the „g20 not welcome“ demonstration. In his bag pack, the cops found pepper spray, diving goggles and small fire crackers. He is being accused of violating the „law of gathering“, and laws against carrying weapons and explosives. Again, the trial ended with an obszene harsh punishment of 6 within 2 years of probation. Prosecutor Elsner seized the moment to proclaim his personal propaganda: „The attacks on cops with bottles and stones increased dramatically during the demonstration. The defendant should be writing a thank you letter to the cops, who arrested him, had he thrown anything during the demonstration, he would be going to jail for a long time.“
3rd example. The prosecutor accused the 21 year old defendant, of having thrown six bottles in the direction of the cops during the demonstration on the Fishmarket, as well as resisting during his arrest. After the judge explained the right of refusing a statement, the lawyer explained extensively the defendants plea deal. In the last two months, that he spent in jail, he had learned a lot about loneliness. He never wanted to get himself or his family in such a hell like situation. He was now aware of his stupidity. Cops are also only humans. The judge, sentenced the defendant to 1 year and 5 months on two years of probation, as well as a 500 Euro fine, which should be donated to the widows and orphans of police officers.
4th example: The charges: Criminal assault with a dangerous weapon (glass bottle), as well as resistance against police officers. The defendant confessed the charges and regretted his actions. He agreed to a DNA sampling, which took place on a break during the hearing. The TABO Hachmann allegedly followed the defendant after he allegedly threw the bottle and saw him, taking down his mask in a little kiosk and changed his clothes on the next street corner. Verdict: 1 year on 3 years of probation. The defendant, had questioned the monopoly of the state and did not see the human in uniform during his actions. The police deserved respect and honour for their committment and should not be targeted.
5th example: Fabio was released from youth arrest in exchange for a bail of 10000 Euro. His trial is still ongoing. The charges: Severe breach of the peace in the case of „Rondenbarg“. This is an excerpt of Fabios declaration during the trial: First of all i want to say that the ladies and gentlemen of politics, police inspectors and prosecutors probably believe they can hinder the dissent on the streets if they arrest and lock up a bunch of kids.
Likely they believe that prison is enough to hold back the rebellious voices that arise everywhere. Likely they believe that repression will stop our thirst for freedom. Our will to create a better world. I have made my decision and i am not afraid if there, unjustly, will be a price i have to pay for that. Nevertheless is there something i want to say to you, if you believe me or not: i do not like violence. But i have ideals and i decided to fight for them.
Explanations
„Tatbeobachter*innen/Tabos“ (Crime Observer):
Tabo‘s are dressed as demonstrators, sometimes they would be dressed colerful, sometimes with a beerbottle in their hand, sometimes they would be masked. They run side by side with us in the demonstrations and they can be hard to detect. They watch alleged crimes, without intervening. Later they are called as witnesses in front of court. Tabos are cops from a certain unit. On the contrary, there are cops dressed as civilians, the so called PMS. These civil cops usually move around in bigger groups, very obviously next to the rows of cops, they carry earphones and weapons and they pass on information about well known activists to the BFE (unit, responsible for arrests and securing evidence).
Tightening of laws:
Since the 30th of may 2017, the paragraph 113 ist now divided into §113, which includes acts of resistance and §114, which scales assault. The newly structured §114 includes the assault against officers (cops, paramedics) as its own element of a crime. An assault can be any kind of act against the body of an officer, for example when you try to to free yourself from the grip of a cop during an arrest. The minimal sentence here would be a three months prison sentence. Additionally, simply carrying a weapon or a dangerous tool, can be defined as a severe act of resistance or assault, independent from your intentions with that tool. You can also be charged, for your comrades carrying such a tool like a glass bottle or another sharp instrument.
(1) SOKO is an abbreviation of the term “Sonderkommission” (Special [Police] Commission – meaning special investigation team) in German.
Society has failed, when it imprisons those who question it!
Fire and flames to repression!
Between the 16 and 17 of june, the Anarchist bookfair will take place in Malmö, Sweden.
The first aim is presentation of books and publications inside the anarchist spectrum, also holding talks, discussions and workshops.
We see the need of learning from different experiences, sharing ideas and ongoing struggles. Spreading those theories and practices nourishes our movement locally and globally and makes our community stronger. This is why we want to invite people from different areas to come here and participate in this event.
If you are interest in doing a talk, hold a discussion or workshop or having your distro at the bookfair, please contact us as soon as possible so we can organize it together. We are still organizing the bookfair and it is many things that still has to be done, if you have any idea or suggestions you can send us an email.
In the upcoming weeks we are going to release more information about the bookfair and a statement.
ANTI AUTHORITARIAN AGITATION FOR THE ANARCHIC OFFENSIVE AGAINST OPERATION EREBO
Insubmissive solidarity to all persecuted anarchists in the southern region of the territory dominated by the Brazilian state.
We call for extensive action to months of February and March in response to the operation erebo.
In 2017, the civil police of Porto Alegre initiated the so-called “operation erebo” to persecute anarchists and libertarian spaces. It is clear for us that the state wants to overthrow everyone who makes their ideas a real threat.
No aggression will remain unanswered. In light of this, we call for immediate responses to come from all corners against the enemy. We will not be in the cowardly defense, waiting for the next juridical police step to hit us.
Let the idea spread within all dominated territories like the fire of unconquered rebellion. May the words of rebellion blow upon the wind through the world.
Let’s be creative.
COMMUNICATION IS A WEAPON!
FOR STATELESS SOLIDARITY!
FREEDOM WILL PREVAIL!
“We are anarchists, we love freedom and yes, we despise all the values and institutions that this war machine called capitalism and civilization”
Fundraising for lawyers working on cases about police raids and arrests of anarchists and antifascists in St. Petersburg and Penza, Russia has begun. At the moment two persons in St. Petersburg and five in Penza are arrested, more are connected to the case as witnesses. Raids and repressions are likely to continue. Arrested are charged with part 2 of rticle 205.4 of russian Criminal Code (participation in terrorist organisation) at the request of court from Penza.
On January 23, on the way to Pulkovo Airport the Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Victor Filinkov. In order to get the testimony he was beaten up and tortured with electric shocks in the woods. Signs of torture were confirmed by the Filinkov’s lawyer and members of the Public Monitoring Commission (ONK) who have visited him in the pre-trial detention center. Filinkov is arrested for two months.
On January 25 the FSB came unexpectedly with a raid to Igor Shishkin’s apartment. After the raid neither his lawyer, nor members of Public Monitoring Commission were unable to find Igor for more than a day. On January 27 Igor with signs of a beating was brought to a court session where he was arrested in Pre-trial Detention Center for two months.
Journalists were not allowed to attend the hearing and evenmore two of them were arrested.
Tortures were also applied to witnesses. Ilya Kapustin was beaten up and tortured with electric shock while police demanded him to give testimony that some of his acquantances are up to “something dangerous”. Numerous
traces of the stun gun usage were recorded later by health service.
In Penza, arrests began already in October of 2017. Local FSB arrested six young persons, five of whom are currently in a pre-trial detention.
All of the arrested were brutally tortured. One may read in detail about the Penza events from this article.
Legal help is necessary for prisoners (whose number can increase) and witnesses. So far it is early to speak about the certain amount of money, but it will be at least 200 thousand rubles for work of lawyers in the next months.
Anarchist Black Cross St.Petersburg
DETAILS FOR TRANSACTIONS TO SUPPORT ARRESTED
PayPal: abc-msk@riseup.net ABC Moscow
In case you want to support a particular prisoner, add a note about that. In case you want to donate to St. Petersburg and Penza case, write a note For “St. Petersburg and Penza”. We recommend to send euros or dollars, as other currencies are automatically converted to euro according to PayPal rates.
Yandex-wallet of Anarchist Black Cross St. Petersburg 41001160378989
In October of 2017 in Penza six anarchists and antifascists were arrested by officers of Federal Security Service on a charge of creating a terrorist group. Moreover, in that time the period of raids in anarchists and antifascists’ houses has started all over Russia. The objects of Security Service’s attention were different people from absolutely different towns. At last, a new wave of detentions was launched in January of 2018. An antifascist Victor Filinkov was kidnapped by Security Service in Saint Petersburg. The officers of Federal Security Service have been torturing him in the forest out of the city. They told Victor to admit his participation in mythical anarchy-terrorist group. Unable to withstand the torture Filinkov was forced to incriminate himself and now he is remaining in Temporarily-staying Isolation. Filinkov’s lawyer claims that he has never seen so serious damages and trails of the torture during his practice of struggle with a police outrage.
There is another antifascist who has claimed about torture in St. Petersburg. Ilya Kapustin was also threatened by officers from FSS, but he has refused to incriminate himself and after that he was released on bail. There weren’t any proofs that anarchy-terrorist group exists in real life, only the confessions gained by the threats and torture.
Nevertheless, police is doing everything in order to force people to confirm an existence of mythical terrorist organization named “Net”, spoofed by FSS. The officers affirm that this organization has a lot of cells in every town. It means that the situation which has occurred in Saint Petersburg will be observed in the other Russian towns very soon.
Obviously, everything what’s going on in our time is an attempt to clear out an anarchist movement before the Elections of the President in 2018.
In recent years we could see how the anarchist movement increased its activity after the repressions of 2012 year. These repressions can only intimidate people and crush the anarchist movement.
In this case it’s necessary to show that we are not afraid and we can’t be destroyed by their force. Otherwise, the repressions will be used every time when the anarchist movement calls an attention of FSS. We should show them that the stronger their repressions, the more furious will be our resistance. Now it’s important to support the prisoners, to prevent the continuation of the “witch hunting” and give a global publicity for this event.
Days from the 5th till 12th of February are the days of solidarity with repressed Russian anarchists.
Arrange different street actions, evenings of solidarity, distribute information in the media and in the Internet. Do everything you can come up and implement. The only one weapon we can counter the face of the state terror is the unity and solidarity with each other. Without these two things we will be crushed by this monster one by one.
We are ready to provide the space for publication solidarity actions, just send them on media_ns@riseup.net
The address for your solidarity letters:
to VIKTOR SERGEEVICH FILINKOV,
UL. SHPALERNAYA, D. 25,
G. SANKT-PETERBURG,
191123, RUSSIAN FEDERATION Only PAPER letters
Fund-raising: Paypal
abc-msk@riseup.net (Attention! Send with a tag “205”)
How long will last the exploitation of prisoners by the police and courts?
If there’s somebody forced to work for somebody else under the threat of violence, it’s something that we usually call enslavement or exploitation. However, if Czech police and courts use this practice, they call it differently: preparation of the convicted for their jobs and helping the state. There’s no point in arguing about appropriate words, where it’s obvious that the state institutions are committing organized crime on the prisoners. The point is to make these crimes stop.
To make clear what crimes I’m talking about, I’ll first give the word to the officials of Všehrdy prison. On the prison website they write:
With the end of the year approaching, we would like to inform our fellow citizens about the fact, that the prisoners from Všehrdy prison have participated in recovery of the property of different state and municipal institutions in our region during the whole year completely free of charge, in the form of the so-called extramural working activities. …(…)… They, for example, painted the administrative building of shooting range for the Police of Czech Republic, fixed the terrain around the shooting range, removed the invasive trees, repaired and built new target equipment and pruned trees around the driveway. They facilitated moving of the police school and moving and assembling the furniture for the Police of Teplice. And, like in the last year, they painted the area of the District court in Chomutov and moved the furniture.
They taught us in school that slavery was abolished. However, when we look at the conditions of imprisoned people, we can see that slavery only changed its face. The prisoners from Všehrdy may not be a trading commodity like the slaves in the past. But they are still subjected to violent enslavement. They are forced to work hard without any claims for wage and somebody else profits from their work. They are punished if they refuse to work in that conditions. And they are also held behind the walls in iron chains by their slavers. And their enslavement is also hypocritically advocated by talking about that they offended the morals of Christian civilization by their living, and so it’s right to treat them this way.
Everybody who is not blind must clearly see, that resistance against slave practices must not stop, until all prisons and institutions, which have their interest in preserving them, are abolished. Lukáš Borl
In the early hours of January 26th, 2018, banners were hung around so-called Armidale [city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales], with one facing out onto the parklands where Australia Day Festivities would be held later that day, reading “NO PRIDE IN GENOCIDE – JAN 26 = INVASION DAY”. This action was taken by non-Indigenous people as a minimal act of solidarity with the ongoing struggles of First Nations peoples.
A small video on various attacks by anarchists in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia (BUR) from 2008 to 2017. By attacks we mean destruction or damage to enemy property – buildings, premises, cars, construction equipment, objects, etc.
Arriving early in the morning, the cops were met with activists occupying blockading-infrastructure, including 2 tripods, 3 monopods, a skypod, and a 3 meter deep tunnel.
The cutting of the Hambacher Forest was officially stopped early this season, on a court-decision, postponing cutting until October 1st 2018, however the risk of eviction of the occupation is as great as ever.
The ‘Hambi 9’ would love to get mail! Exact information, including adresses and languages, can be found on the blog of ABC Rhineland.
The fourteenth Zagreb Anarchist Bookfair will take place in Zagreb from April 6th to April 8th, 2018. The bookfair will take place in AKC Medika, Pierottijeva 11.
Anarchist Bookfair in Zagreb (ASK – Anarhisticki sajam knjiga) is annual anarchist event and first eleven bookfairs went well, and we hope to bring in more and more people every year as participants, publishers, groups, projects – whoever is interested in what the bookfair has to offer.
For discussion part everything is open, as every year, so all suggestions, ideas, etc are welcome, as well as texts that you find interesting for further debate.
ASK takes place in Zagreb every spring, as a local resource for anarchist and libertarian books and other publications. We also aim to open discussion on subjects that are important for the anarchist movement, or for our local community.
The idea for such a bookfair is not new, but is based on the positive experience of other Anarchist Bookfairs. In many different situations, these bookfairs have proven to be important events and meeting places on both local and international levels.
This is why we need your help – come and support this event with solidarity and participation!
If you can’t come to our bookfair, you can consider sending some free publications, posters and other material. Also, you can consider sending books and other publications for sale, we will organise stall for all of you that can’t come, but would like to present your work at the bookfair. Contact us at anarhisticki.sajam.knjiga@gmail.com about details, address to send stuff to, etc.
Participation
To help us organize the Bookfair and finish the program on time, we need you to confirm your participation soon as possible. Our e-mail address is: anarhisticki.sajam.knjiga@gmail.com
Get in touch and let us know in which way you would like to participate. Here are a few questions, and we welcome any additional information.
Also, let us know if you need accommodation. There are a few alternatives, but we need all the details soon as possible.
Some of the details that we need from you:
1. Questions for all guests coming from outside Zagreb:
– how you want to participate?
– would you like to do presentation, workshop or discussion at bookfair?
– do you need help with accommodation (Free sleeping places are limited)
2. If you would like a stall:
– how big of a stall do you need?
– do you need help at your stall?
– can you help with the costs of the Bookfair? (This is not a condition to have a stall, stalls are free.)
– we need some basic information about you (contact, what books/publishers you distribute [not list, just short info]…)
See program of the bookfair (coming soon!)
For more information:
web: www.ask-zagreb.org
e-mail: anarhisticki.sajam.knjiga@gmail.com
You’re invited to an Intersquat Block at the Chaos and Discussion days in May in Berlin. We want to offer the space for an exchange on our tactics and techniques, discussions and information within the Chaos and Discussion days at Rigaerstrasse.
