LETTER FROM COMRADE NIKOS MAZIOTIS FROM KORIDALLOS PRISON

Monday, July 19, 2010

Hunger strike against vengeance.

The treatment that the state reserves for captive rebels and its political enemies is a given. Vengeance, sadism, physical and psychological violence, disrespect for human dignity, indifference about their health, their physical wellbeing, for human life itself.
For the security of the state and power, the deprivation of freedom is above everything, above life itself or "human rights".
For the officials of the state, the political and economic elite and the rich, "human rights" only concern themselves and those of the same class.
They are not concerned about the people, the poor, the workers, the unemployed, the veterans of work, the immigrants, those who search in the garbage of the local markets to eat.
Neither are they concerned about prisoners - social prisoners, of which the overwhelming majority come from the poor social strata and whose life is worth absolutely nothing to the system-.
And they are not concerned of course about the revolutionaries and political prisoners, for which the system has always pursued their physical and moral annihilation.
In this framework, my companion, comrade and co-fighter Panagiota Roupa and I, who are members of Revolutionary Struggle, are deprived of the right of visiting each other thanks to the public prosecutor of Koridallos prisons, who has rejected for "reasons of security" my transfer to the maternity clinic "Alexandra" in order to visit my comrade who will bring our son into the world, the youngest political prisoner of Greek "democracy".
Also he has rejected, for the same "security reasons", my application to visit the female section of Koridallos because, due to her condition my comrade is unable to visit
the male prison as would normally happen.
Requiring, therefore, the "obvious" as a comrade and as a father to visit my comrade-cofighter and our son, I’m going on hunger strike from the 15th of July in order to satisfy the two following demands:
1. My transfer to visit the maternity clinic "Alexandra" on July 25th to see my companion Panagiota Roupa and our son, since the birth has been scheduled by caesarean section for July 24th and she will remain hospitalised there for a few days and
2. My transfer to visit the female prison for the first period after the birth because my comrade and our son will inevitably be too weak to be moved.

If the repressive mechanisms believe that by putting us jail they’ll get rid of us politically, they are wrong.

From outside or from inside the prisons the struggle for us is a question of honour and dignity, it will continue.

The revolutionary struggle continues.

NIKOS MAZIOTIS

translate bourbouras... actforfreedomnow...

NEWS FOR OUR COMRADES IN GREECE

Sunday, July 25, 2010

 A couple  of hours ago today ,25 july the hunger strike of comrades Nikos  Maziotis and Kostas Gournas and the abstinence from

prison food of about 90 prisoners across the country in solidarity with Nikos Maziotis to see his newborn child, all ended.

Nikos was moved this morning to Alexandra hospital to see  his partner Panagiota  Roupa who gave birth to their son yesterday with

PROPER CARE  from their doctors and WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF ANTI-TERRORISM COPS AT ANY STAGE. Almost certainly the

satisfaction of the second request, to visit Pola at Korydallos women's prison, is being considered. The mobilization succeeded. The

hunger strike and abstension from prison food  is finished.

Our best wishes to the baby!!
Solidarity to all the comrades!

Letter from the comrade Pola Roupa of July 9, 2010

Letter from the comrade Pola Roupa of July 9, 2010

I am in prison for involvement in Revolutionary Struggle, for which I assume political responsibility. I said in a joint letter with my comrades Nikos Maziotis and Kostas Gourna and I still say we will not stop struggling against the economic and political State even within the prison. I know that my political choice to join Revolutionary Struggle and my attitude from inside jail classifies me as a registered political enemy of the system, a fact which not only I don't deny but is my choice and honours me.

As it is known to my political opponents that no "special treatment" or form of pressure is going to bend me, the revenge is directed against the life of my unborn child, who suffers the consequences of this "special treatment" from the repressive mechanisms and is now treated as a political prisoner.

Let me explain:

From the first moment of my arrest I was not given the slightest careful treatment because of my pregnancy by the "anti-terrorists" and the E.K.A.M. (special forces) that held me and were in charge of my transport. I was subjected to the “special treatment” of total isolation in one of the airless cells 1 × 2,5 m on the 12th floor, (meaning G.A.D.A.'s 12th floor of the "antiterrorist" police) with the light on 24 hours (actually it is a method of psychological torture) for five days, transported to the prosecutor and investigator with my hands cuffed behind my back for hours, transported to jail in Thebes with my hands tied in the same way (no pregnant woman wears handcuffs when transported, let alone in the way they were put on me), and to violent treatment during my transport to the office of the investigating prosecutor, which ultimately resulted in my injury. After my insistence and after they feared I was going to lose the baby in the "anti-terrorist" office, they eventually took me to the hospital for tests.

During the two months I was held in the prison in Thebes, and while there was evidence from previous medical examinations that I might be suffering from severe complications of pregnancy which, if not treated immediately, could create very serious problems, my examination to confirm this complication was completed one and a half months late after I reacted strongly to the criminal indifference of the prison and bureaucracy concerning my health, and thus the health and life of my child.

It is, of course, a given that prisoners who need medical care are most often treated as prisoners first and as patients second. A characteristic phrase is that of the obstetrician in Thebes who said I cannot expect to do all the tests and with the frequency that I would if I was not in prison, a phrase that reveals the racist treatment that the prisoners-patients get in certain medical services of at least some prisons, which often puts their very lives at risk.

"Special security measures"

In my case, the "medical care" of the prison led to my staying for one and a half months with a health problem, not undergoing the necessary tests, which the doctor in charge considered to be of minor importance, constantly creating problems so I couldn't do them, although I myself asked for them several times. After finally being taken to the hospital in Livadia where this complication was confirmed, I still did not to have the opportunity to face the problem, waiting for minister of justice  Kastanidis and Chrisochoïdis to decide when to transfer me to Korydallos prison where I could face the problems more effectively.

The first image of "special security measures" that would be imposed by the 'ministry to protect the regime'[*](former public order ministry) for each of my transfers to the hospital was in Livadia, which "took" several dozen uniformed and non-uniformed cops from various regions of Central Greece and Athens, involving of course the "antiterrorists" and the E.K.A.M., who were escorting me and were stationed everywhere at the hospital. Please note that during my transport to this hospital I was also handcuffed.

And if the delay in transferring me to the hospital in Livadia for the necessary tests was due to the indifference of the prison medical staff of Thebes and the bureaucracy, the delay in transferring me to Athens was merely the brutal revenge of Chrisochoïdis, which was covered up behind the "special security measures" which he imposed on every one of my transfers and transports. This finding is not merely an estimate, since from the moment it became known to the authorities of Thebes prison that
I face a serious complication in my pregnancy, which was by now threatened, they began to put pressure not only on the Ministry of Justice and Public Order but also on Kastanidis and Chrisochoïdis personally for my immediate transfer to Athens. Nevertheless, they delayed my transfer for one and a half weeks, without in the meanwhile providing any medical care for the problem that I faced, a delay thanks to the "special security measures".

Delays due to the measures ordered by Chrisochoïdis for me did not stop here. The day after my arrival in Korydallos, an emergency situation demanded my immediate transfer to the hospital. While in any other case, the transfer would be very fast, I had to wait hours for the "special forces" and E.K.A.M. to gather. Of course at  Tzaneio hospital where they took me, I was constantly surrounded by armed E.K.A.M. who, naturally, caused panic in the corridors of the emergency rooms. The same image prevailed at Alexandra clinic, which I was referred to by the doctors of Tzaneio due to the jurisdiction of the hospital.
A key issue for me is that, because of these "special security measures" that are taken for each of my transfers to hospital, the danger for the health and life of my child is increasing.

"In Alexandra hospital"


But these pressures and the vindictiveness of my political opponents, did not stop here. This peculiar war continued with the conditions during my 5day stay at Alexandra Hospital. There I was in a stifling ring of cops and in a state of isolation. The guards outside the room-cell in which I was held constantly harassed me with continuous monitoring, - even at very private moments in which I was forced to yell and make gestures to make them leave.
This practice can only be described as brutal psychological warfare. Please note that I was alone and constantly locked in a small room on the 1st floor, with bars and without any contact with other people other than medical and nursing staff. This perverse practice that they were preforming, on the orders of their superiors, male and female cops, constantly watching me from the window of the locked door, stopped largely after my intense intervention and after adding additional forces outside the window of the room-cell where I was.

All the days I was hospitalized in Alexandra they forbade me to have relatives visit - other than one a week for about half an hour - and phone calls - but one phone call a day for a minute and just one person (relative or lawyer) -, minimized the time spent with lawyers, of whom they kept all personal belongings (bags, phones, etc.) and imposed the constant presence of the guard in any medical and hospital visit.

The consequence of this is that all medical and hospital visiting and examination was always under police supervision and was circumventing any notion of medical confidentiality as all the details of my medical history were known to any cop who happened to be there.

The continuous monitoring of each review, any discussion with doctors and nurses was no longer just about me but it was a blatant intrusion in the work of the doctors, which they treated as another "possible threat to security".

The presentation of the patient-doctor relationship in a regime of continuous monitoring by the repressive mechanisms and their political bosses, who are informed in detail about any medical development, undermines the special relationship and inevitably harrasses the smooth operation and medical treatment.
Eventually the whole process of treatment is converted into a perversion of control by organized power, which alienates it.

These "special conditions of detention", applied to me during my stay in hospital are not legalized by any law. The treatment of each patient-prisoner depends on the "risk" that he is for "security" and the "chances he has to escape". Therefore, every security measure (presence of cops during examinations, surgeries, etc.) is determined either by the political leaders of the cops or from the operationals and sometimes left to the discretion of those who form the prisoner's guard. Thus, we have cases where police attend a birth on the grounds that the prisoner can escape.
I have never called for and never will call for humanitarianism from my political opponent. I do not believe that any kind of authoritarian is interested in the survival or health of my child, let alone mine. Instead, I think if they could, without taking into account the political cost, I would be left in total abandonment and it's likely that I would - based on many factors and my high risk, according to the opinion of the doctors, pregnancy - not be able to make it and my child would not survive. It is no exaggeration to say that this would be the wish of my persecutors and would be the best revenge for them.

It is also true that whatever proper medical care I receive at this moment is due to the doctors of Alexandra Hospital, which because of the emergency that happened to me took the situation into their own hands, completed a full medical diagnosis and put in proper order the way my problems will be treated from now on.

"Natural right"


I do not believe in any de facto respect of human and political rights by the regime, since both are covered and defined by the conditions and intensity of the social and class war which in each historical period it is conducted.

For those who make up the economic and political elite, humanity and value of human life is not for anyone other than class peers and their families.
It does not concern the proletarians, the poor, those who have nothing, who get sick and die in the increasingly squalid and inhuman living conditions that apply to the low social and class backgrounds.

The poor are undernourished and have to eat poison, do not have basic medical care, have to die on the stretchers of the decaying public hospitals.
Concerning the above facts, over the last few decades the social conditions are becoming more brutal because of the deep economic crisis that the system has plunged into, resulting in a growing number of social groups going into the category of the excluded, being condemned to a slow death, while the -for years now- substandard public hospitals are collapsing under the weight of public spending cuts imposed by the government and the Troika (Eur.Committee, International Monetary Fund, European Social Fund) which completely controls the business operation of the country and public funds.

The natural right of every single human to nutrition, housing, health, life, is already being abused in increasingly large parts of the population, while the regime steals wages, pensions and public money in order to preserve the economic and political elite and to ensure the perpetuation of power.

Their humanitarianism does not concern the prisoners stacked in prison-soul warehouse, who are treated as third-class people by the regime and the value of their lives is priced according to the space their death will fill in a newspaper column.

Their humanitarianism does not concern the enemies of the system, which, in reality and despite the ridiculous assertions by the Government to respect human rights, wants their physical extermination. If anything prevents it, as I said, it is only the political cost.

The fighter Simos Seisidis, who the regime has classified, using a range of police scenarios and assumptions, in their list of enemies, is an example. Seisidis, after being seriously injured by a cop’s bullet and risked losing his life, faced throughout the duration of hospitalization all available means of psychological torture and revenge by his persecutors, and wannabe killers: isolation, presence of cops in the ICU, continuous harassment, obstruction of medical and nursing staff - which reached the point
of police surveillance being imposed even during the amputation of his leg.

This brutal behavior of the mechanisms of repression against Simos Seisidis ended with the decision to remand him in custody while his health is in this very bad situation.

"They Seek revenge"


The invocation of any human and civil rights is an outdated practice and refers to the remains of an era in which a series of social and class compromises coordinate the balance between oppressor and oppressed, allowing the maintenance of the regimes normalcy and peace. These balances are of the past, the class and social compromises have been invalidated by the system itself, which is attacking society more and more viciously, while the regime's peace hangs by a thread.

Within the current historical period it is known that the system, political and economic power and those who compose it, are creating public outcry continuously at all levels. On the other hand, rebel forces, such as Revolutionary Struggle, are finding a wider and wider social base.

Despite the regime’s efforts to discredit us as political figures and discredit the activities of Revolutionary Struggle, our organization receives the political acceptance of a large segment of society, which will eventually turn into options and practices of rupture and violent conflict with the system of representative democracy, capitalism and market economy.

In this historical context, where the rulers are expressing extreme vindictive fury against those who are fighting the dilapidated system, the attitude of law enforcement mechanisms can be interpreted in political terms, and that of Chrisochoïdis personally, towards me, since after seeking revenge for Revolutionary Struggle and for my political stance they are constantly threatening the health and life of my child with every available means.

Because for all the time that I've been in prison nothing has been given to me and any medical care was granted by a struggle on my part, I declare I will continue to pursue the necessary medical and pharmaceutical care and I will fight for his life and health.
To do so, I demand:

-No repeat of delay in transferring me to hospital, whether for scheduled appointments for medical examinations or in an emergency, with the justification of the maintenance of "special security measures". Particularly in the latter case, any delay can in fact be crucial for the survival of my child.
I'd like to emphasize that I do not care how many and what kind of armed ones accompany me in my transport or my stay in hospital. What interests me is that the time that these forces take to assemble works against the life of my son which is continually compromised.

-There shall not be any interference by government entities and repressive mechanisms on where to nurse me again, for reasons of "security." It would be another brutal act of revenge.

-Not to repeat the petty status of isolation and continuous control that is imposed on me in Alexandra Hospital, which can only cause problems to the successful completion of my hospitalization, and can affect  the birth in the most negative way as well.

-No guard shall attend my examinations, visits of doctors, the nurses' care and, of course, no cop -  including a female cop - should be in the room where I deliver, a practice which is the greatest insult to the dignity of female prisoners. Also, not only will I not tolerate my medical history, my personal information associated with it and my body being under the perverse control of the repressive mechanisms, but I consider this whole process to be a practice of war, punishment and revenge by my political opponents imposing it on me.
-To also stop the vindictive regime of isolation, allow me to get visits and be able to communicate by telephone. Also, to have the 24-hour care of my relatives, which is absolutely necessary.

Because until now, since I've been taken over by the ministry of the regime and the anti-terrorists, I have constantly faced problems that have threatened the health and life of my son, i declare that, if they do not respect the above basic requirements to have a safe delivery, this would mean that not only my political opponents have no intention to stop targeting my child, but want to persist and intensify the war.

Any bad course of my pregnancy under these hostile and vengeful conditions, any new threat to the life of my son would be a blatant attempt to politically murder my unborn child, who of course is not a prisoner even if he is treated as a hostage of war. I charge this attempted assassination in advance to Chrisochoïdis personally.

But to blame will also be his political and operational officers, Papandreou and the entire government.

Pola Roupa

Koridallos Prisons

[*]it's actually now called 'the ministry for the protection of the citizen'

...boubourAs translations... actforfreedomnow...

LETTER FROM KOSTAS GOURNAS FROM TRIKALA PRISON GREECE.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

As a member of Revolutionary Struggle and a political prisoner that continues to fight from inside the prison, i declare that i begin an

INDEFINATE HUNGER STRIKE as of today july 23d and untill the demands of comrade Nikos Maziotis. This move is just a minimal

debt and duty so i can stand next to the struggle of my two comrades. It is a action of solidarity and struggle for the unconditional

right of the prisoners to see their families. It is selfknown for me that a hunger strike, especially in the summer and with a existing

health problem (low blood pressure), is a prossess that has a personal cost. But it is also selfknown that the struggle and solidarity

require always the significance of sacrifice. And its this significance that the revolutionary, the fighter should have rooted deep inside

him that promotes the interests of the revolution, of the fight. If your not willing to lose everything, you will never be willing to aquire

everything.

"Struggle and solidarity is to leave your unborn son alone in the incubator of a maternity clinic with a likely infection, in order for you

to contribute to the revolutionary process"

- SATISFY ALL DEMANDS OF NIKOS MAZIOTIS
- NO PRESENSE OF POLICE DURING THE BIRTH OF POLAS AND NIKOS SON

Kostas Gournas, member of Revolutionary Struggle

Trikala prison

E1 wing


Solidarity gathering in hania Grete Greece 22/7

Yesterday there was a solidarity gathering for N. Maziotis and Pola R. and also to the struggle of the prisoners of Koridallos hospital

"saint paul", aswell as the struggle of the prisoners in Trikala prisons,in the main market square of Hania Crete. Letters were read and

given out to passerbys and the gathering ended around 1pm.

SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON

POSTER FROM ATHENS CALL OUT SOLIDARITY DEMO ...

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL ON FRIDAY 23 JULY 6:30 m.m.our comrade Panagiota Roupa since the birth has been scheduled by caesarean section for July 24th

Excerpts from Pola Roupa’s July 9 letter

Thursday, July 22, 2010

21 07 2010 translate from ''this is our job'' blog/thisisourjob.wordpress.com/ From Lxs Niñxs Salvajes (July 20, 2010):
Note from TIOJ: For background on this story, see Nikos Maziotis’ letter from Korydallos Prison. Maziotis is Roupa’s partner, as well as the father of her child.
“Since my political opponents know that no ‘special’ treatment or pressure will break me, their vengeance is being directed at my unborn son, who is suffering the consequences of that ‘special’ treatment by the repressive mechanisms, and who is now a political prisoner.”

She goes on to condemn her frequent, intentionally delayed transfers between prison and hospital—which take place while she is handcuffed and heavily guarded—as well as her total isolation in cells and hospital rooms.

“A key issue for me is that, due to these ‘special’ security measures, my son’s health and life is endangered each time they transfer me to the hospital.
“Every hospital examination has been conducted under the supervision of abusive police officers, and without any semblance of medical confidentiality. The police at the hospital know all the details of my medical history.
“I am guarded during every exam and every discussion with my doctors and nurses, which flagrantly interferes with their work, but they are considered another possible ‘threat’ to security.”
Pola here recalls the experience of her comrade Simos Seisidis, who was harassed to such a degree by the police that he was even kept under heavy guard during the surgery to amputate his leg.
“Despite the regime’s attempts to politically discredit Revolutionary Struggle and its activities, our organization is winning the acceptance of a large segment of society, which has ultimately chosen practical rupture and violent conflict with representative democracy, capitalism, and the market economy.
“In these hostile, vengeful conditions, any turn for the worse in my pregnancy or any new threat to the life of my son would constitute a brazen political assassination attempt by [Citizen Protection Minister] Chrysohoidis himself, which means that my unborn son is a prisoner of war.
“However, blame also lies with the politicians and businessmen, [Prime Minister] Papandreou, and the entire government.”

From today hunger strike started in Trikala prison, Greece

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

. Today, Tuesday, 20 July, about 200 prisoners of Trikala prison
 have begun a hunger strike  after 2 weeks of abstaining from prison food. The  Members of the Initiative for  Prisoners' Rights have made it known that “they are going on hunger strike for three particular demands:

That applications for authorisation for days out be granted, at the moment 97% are rejected. When granted, to be done without probation, or prison social workers because although their role is to defend the  prisoners, they “have passed into the enemy camp”, that of repression. And concerning the serious conditions inside the prison.

UPDATE FROM KORIDALLOS HOSPITAL ST' PAULS PRISON 20/7
* 8th day of abstaining from prison food Korydallos prisoners with chronic illness*
From yesterday prisoners with chronic diseases began to abstain from prison food in protest against the continued torture of the comrade Simos Seisidis, the delays of the 'antiterrorism' for accompanying him to have an artificial leg fitted...

Also 60 prisoners of Korydallos prison are abstaining from prison food from yesterday for the above reasons and in solidarity with the demands of Nikos Maziotis and Panagiota Roupa

SOLIDARITY TO ALL PRISONERS! FIRE TO THE PRISONS! actforfreedomnow!

SOLIDARITY ACTIONS IN ATHENS 18-19/6/10

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

-On Friday 18/6/10 there will be a gathering at Propilia for the imprisoned comrades: Seisidis, Seirinidis, Stratigopoulos, Bonnano, Masouras, Hajimihelakis, Karakatsani, Roupa,

Gournas, Maziotis, Kortesis, Stathopoulos, Nikitopoulos, Georgiadis, Dimitrakis, Voutsis-Vogiatzis, Nikolaou and all persecuted comrades.



-On Saturday 19/6/10 there will be a gathering at Eleutherias (Freedom) square and a march to Koridallos prisons for the comrades: Seisidis, Seirinidis, Stratigopoulos, Bonnano, Masouras, Hajimihelakis, Karakatsani, Roupa,

Gournas, Maziotis, Kortesis, Stathopoulos,

Nikitopoulos, Georgiadis, Dimitrakis, Voutsis-Vogiatzis, Nikolaou and all persecuted comrades.



THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM IS STRONGER THAN THEIR PRISONS



Solidarity Assembly



boubourAs translations....

UPDATE ON "REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE" case.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

29/04/10

UPDATE ON "REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE" case. 29/04/10

Today 3 of the accused comrades in the "Revolutionary struggle" case, admitted being members of the

guerilla group. With a 16page letter, N.Maziotis P. Roupa and K.Gournas took the political

responsibility for the groups actions. In the letter they mention that Lambros Foundas was also a

member of Revolutionary Struggle and that he fell in the battle for freedom and the revolution., they

are proud of him and will always honour him.
They also say that they are proud of their organization,of their history and of every moment of their

political actions. They also say that they will continue their struggle whether its outside or inside

jail,because its a matter of dignity to them.

SOLIDARITY TO OUR COMRADES

THEY ARE NOT TERRORISTS,
THEY ARE FIGHTERS

SOLIDARITY GATHERINGS FOR THE 6 ANARCHIST COMRADES PRISONERS‏

Monday, April 26, 2010

26/4/


Comrades gather outside Korinthos, Trikala, and Thiva prisons where some of the 6 anarchists accused of the "Revolutionary Struggle" case are held.

In Korinthos prisons were Christoforos Kortesis is held,there were about 150 comrades.There were many cops, and they had closed all the roads with riotcopvans so there was no view of the prison and so no one could get close. At some point one van left and the people could see the prison yard.
The comrades are chanting, throwing leaflets and a loudspeaker has been set up.

In Trikala,where Kostas Gournas and Vaggelis Stathopoulos are held,100 comrades gathered and chanted while throwing leaflets,not a big police presence and after the gathering,there was a solidarity demo in the city of Trikala.

In Thiva,where Panagiwta Roupa,who is 8months pregnant, is held (along with Kwstandina Karakatsani now since friday, accused of the "conspiracy cells of fire"case),150 comrades gathered. The cops shut the road from far away so noone could hear them inside the prison. The people then cut through some fields and came up right next to one wing of the prison,they chanted and they prisoners responded with chants from the inside. After a while,some riotcops showed up in the inside of the prison yard,where the people chanted and made fun of them.

All demonstrations were very strong and emotional and finished with no trouble.

THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM IS STRONGER THAN THEIR PRISONS

FREEDOM TO THE 6 COMRADES ACCUSED FOR THE
"REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE" MORE FOTOS LATER...

FREEDOM NOW TO THE 6 ANARCHISTS COMRADES

Thursday, April 22, 2010

FREEDOM NOW TO THE 6 ANARCHISTS COMRADES

Kostas Gournas is one of the six anarchists arrested recently in Athens, accused by the cops of participating in the urban guerrilla group'' Revolutionary Struggle.''
Kostas has since been transferred to the prison of
Trikala in the north of the country where, together with another one of the six arrested anarchists (Vaggelis Stathopoulos) he is being held under ISOLATION – that is, with limited access to toilet and water and with many obstacles in his communication with relatives and lawyers. 19/4

The Philadelphia Experiment athens greece 19/4

Translator’s note: What follows is a communiqué by anarchists on the recent arrests supposedly linked to the organisation “Revolutionary Struggle” and the media-led hysteria that accompanied them here in Greece. Its title is a play of words on the well-known US naval military “Philadelphia experiment” and the Athens neighbourhood of Nea (New) Philadelphia, where the most recent police operations and arrests have taken place. Freedom to the Six, freedom to all of us.



Cops with machine guns in hands; police roadblocks at night, humiliating checks on every corner; secret agents of the regime knocking on doors, demanding from the population that they give names; willing informants rushing to offer their services; scared people walking on their streets trying to “mind their own business”. Is this 1936 Berlin or 2010 Philadelphia, Athens? A return to the past or an experiment for the future?
The only thing certain is that no coup d’état has been declared so far, nor has [greek prime minister] Papandreou decided to trim off his mustache to make it shorter. And the reason why this has not happened is simply because it is not at all necessary. Western democracies, in exactly the same way that they integrated those elements of nazism useful to them, also learned from its mistakes. The state of exception, that is, the condition imposed under the pretext of the capturing of the organisation “Revolutionary Struggle” does the job just fine, without a need for the eye-sore of tanks, let alone concentration camps or the suspension of constitution.
…. and the “job” is nothing else than the turning of a condition now presented as concerning very few into a vehicle for changes that will concern everyone. The state of emergency imposed at this moment in Nea Philadelphia is cementing its functioning as a normality, as something that can take place whenever the state deems necessary. The force of the state is never applied exclusively toward its occasional target. Rather, every time it is applied without meeting any resistance, it gets diffused toward all directions, further establishing itself, establishing its capacity to be applied again, anywhere, against anyone, under any pretext that will be presented as a “necessity”… the state of exception tends to become the rule.
And so, anyone believing that the state of exception imposed in Nea Philadelphia does not concern them, is asleep – and their awakening will not be pleasant at all. Anyone believing that the night road-blocks, the raids, check-points, police patrols on foot and the “friendly interrogations” of the counter-terrorism unit are the logical consequences of a “necessary capturing” [of the organisation Revolutionary Struggle], of a safe lead or at least, some grounded suspicions against someone who was “looking for trouble” does nothing else than to cheerfully saw off the branch they are sitting on.
Anyone calmly watching people in struggle being prosecuted, imprisoned and presented as some kind of beasts on TV screens simply because they are “terrorists” in the eye of sovereign power, must understand that this rationalising is part of the same strategy that names the politicians as innocent, shipowners as philanthropists, cops as citizen protectors, syndicalist leaders as protectors of the workers’ rights, migrants as criminals, strikers as illegal. They must understand that the “capturing of the Revolutionary Struggle” is in its essence a tool for the potential capturing and dismantling of any and all social disobedience. This of course concerns not only the urban guerillas nor just the anarchist/anti-authoritarian scene but rather, everyone for whom the alibi of the capitalist system have started to run out.
No sociology degrees are necessary for anyone to understand that the falling apart of the first-world consumerist euphoria, the emergency fiscal measures and the forthcoming subordination of the country to the IMF combined with the increasingly suffocating everyday reality of surveillance and control leave little leeway for people to remain oblivious. They leave little leeway for silent or scared inaction and most certainly, they should leave no leeway for the formation of a wiling, subservient reserve army and authority collaborators. A reserve army that personifies itself in one or the other scum who find an exit from their individual misery in the social “recognition” of the informant, the one willing to do the dirty job in some “common cause” against the “absolute Evil”.
All those willing to join the ranks of this underground army of the bosses must be isolated and routed immediately. Their position and motives must be exposed and pilloried. The sordid motives they present as a merit must be countered publicly. Every unsolicited protector of the law should take notice.
Zero tolerance against the terrorism of the state and mass media. Immediate release of everyone prosecuted in connection to the case of the organisation “Revolutionary Struggle”.
Anarchists / Anti-authoritarians

20/4 time 02:38 athens news.....More updates later.

20/4 time 02:38 athens news.....More updates later.

A banner was put up in "puli tis ammou" in the koum kapi area of hania, grete by anarchists, in solidarity to the arrestees for the "revolunary struggle" case.

zero tolerance to state suppression

social struggles cannot be suppressed

tramps, snitches, journalists
the banner say: no more deceptions
they are fighters not terrorists,
freedom to the arrestees for ''R.S.''

Police are saying that they found a house in kupseli area in athens, allegedely rented out by one of the defendants in the "revolunary struggle"case, filled with weapons, homemade bombs, guns etc. It is also made known that there is a metal box with an on-off switch on and the cops are afraid to touch it thinking its a bomb.
They have isolated the house and the streets surrounding it. and are not letting anyone in to see or take photos (who knows why?), so they have all the control ofcourse to say whatever they want.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

SLOGANS SOLIDARITY FOR THE COMRADES FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE'' CASE IN NORTH FRANCE LIL!

LETTER FROM ANARCHIST COMRADE KOSTAS GOURNAS OF THE'' REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE'' CASE

Letter from Kostas Gournas

"I would like to personally thank the minister of public order Mr. Mihalis Chrisohoidis for the
special treatment that he arranged for me.With the beatings, the threats against my wife and children and my imprisonment in Trikala prison,which will take away the right every prisoner has,to communicate with his family.
I really didn't believe he would sink to that level.
Because I've learned from the age of 20 to get over whatever difficulties, I shall stand tall.
You will not succeed in exterminating me physically or politically."

Kostas Gournas
16 April 2010
12th floor "gada"

The threats and torturing of the prisoners of the so called "revolunary struggle"case will not have as aresult the
extermination of any of us. We guess they havent realized yet that none of us will make a step back.
We are and will remain by their sides.
Our solidarity can not be "exterminated".

Comrades and relatives of Kwstas Gournas.

Attack with stones against the offices of "Pasok" (ruling party), in Agrinio Greece Thursday night 15/4

"In this orgy of oppression and the mudfight of the government and media against social struggles and fighters,
we salute every energy that shows that the world of freedom cannot be terrorised- cannot be suppressed."

TODAY 16/4

All 6 anarchists that have been arrested as alleged members of the “Revolutionay Sruggle” are now imprisoned...

FREEDOM NOW TO THE 6 ANARCHISTS COMRADES
FOR THE FIASCO

''REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE'' CASE...

COPS, MEDIA, JUSTICES, YOU ARE ALL BASTARDS
YOU ARE THE REAL TERORRIST!
SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!

UPDATES FOR THE ''REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE'' CASE 15/4/10

The 3 comrades today for the ''revolutionary struggle'' case the one comrade K.G. will be kept in pretrial detention (this can last up to 18 months, until the trial). And the other 2 comrades X.K. and E.S. they asked that they appear again tomorrow morning...

Update 14/4/ of the 6 accused of being members of "revolutionary struggle"

According to the lawyers of the accused, the court file they received, does not include the cds with recorded phone calls, the designs and the handwritten documents that were reported by the police to have been found in one of the houses.
THERE'S NOTHING !!!
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!

cops justices media they are real terrorists!

The prosecutor decided that all three anarchists comrades that appeared before him today with charges on the “Revolutionary Struggle” case will be kept in the prison until the trial). The other three will appear before the prosecutor tomorrow morning.

THE STATE IS THE ONLY TERRORIST!

local time news...13:00 14/4 N. M., and P. R. They pass the procedure they do NOT make a statement and did NOT recognize the fiasco trial case... Now pass the third and last for today. Then the 2 COMRADES N.M. AND P.R. they are going to the prosecutor where it is decided whether they are to stay in prison or not.. today local time 11:00 the 3 comrades arrived in the court. in their faces you see the punishment, and they are wanting... nobody to say anything... a gathering of solidarity is there many friends, and comrades, and more people coming...

WHO IS THE REAL TERRORIST?? AND LIERS??

Meanwhile, unbelievable contradictions are published by the mass media, making it quite astonishing how the greek police can not even set up “properly” a case.

Telephone conversations of the comrades are leaked, but denied by the police the next day.

Photos of bullets are published on the website of the police, suggesting that they are bullets from AK-47, and were there since a day that the comrades are supposed to had gone at 5am near houses in Ymittos mountain to test their weapons, shooting 40 times! They even said that a chief of the “anti”terrorist bureau was watching them at that time from a short distance! The photo, though, is taken a different day of that they claim, the bullets are not from an AK-47, the bullets are rusted and not recent, nobody in the area has heard gunfire.

An alleged map of an area that is supposed to be found in the house of one of the comrades does not even match with the area that it is suggested to show.

Another strange thing is that it was initially reported that comrade N.M was not followed by the police since some years, but officials of the last government said that this is false and N.M. had been followed by the police at all times, making it quite interesting how the police is suggesting that he managed to be involved in a revolutionary organization while the police was around him! The case is on the air as no weapons or explosives have not been found at all, anyway.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Last night, during the evening news, 70 anarchists occupied the TV station ‘Creta TV’ in Heraclion, Crete. Above is the video of the action, and has english subtitles.

Police madness in Athens has taken proportions unseen since the collapse of the junta:

This afternoon three boys and the mother of one of them were arrested as members of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire for having unused Easter firecrackers in their homes.

The incident took place in Athens on Wednesday afternoon and was initially believed to be a common anti-hooligan detention case. But the paranoia of the Greek police has reached such heights that it would make even the colonels' junta pale in shame.
According to the official police announcement, anti-terrorist police agents intercepted a call of one of the boys to his mother to hide some "gourounes", i.e. firecrackers massively used by teens and children during Greek Easter whose festivities ended last week. The police arrested the boy his 52 year old mother and two more boys claiming that the powder in the fire-crackers is similar to the one used in a series kettle-bomb attacks performed by the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire last fall. The argument runs counter to any trace of common sense which says that if that comprises evidence then hundreds of thousands of teens using similar festive devices should be arrested as urban guerrillas.
The latest arrests indicate that the situation in Greece is critical. The State seems to be unfolding an operation of mass repression with no concern even for the most basic bourgeois judiciary procedures. It is indicative that the first three of the 6 arrested of last Saturday have been put on remand although not one single piece of not controversial evidence was presented to the court by the anti-terrorist authorities, despite this evidence being openly doubted even in the mainstream media.

More than 200 gathered, handed out texts and hang a banner reading: “Zero tolerance to state repres

ANOTHER VIDEO OF THE FUCKING BASTARDS COPS ARRESTING A COMRADE OUTSIDE THE COURT..

Last night, during the evening news, 70 anarchists occupied the TV station ‘Creta TV’ in Heraclion, Crete. Above is the video of the action, and has english subtitles.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Last night, during the evening news, 70 anarchists occupied the TV station ‘Creta TV’ in Heraclion, Crete. Above is the video of the action, and has english subtitles.

Police madness in Athens has taken proportions unseen since the collapse of the junta:

This afternoon three boys and the mother of one of them were arrested as members of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire for having unused Easter firecrackers in their homes.

The incident took place in Athens on Wednesday afternoon and was initially believed to be a common anti-hooligan detention case. But the paranoia of the Greek police has reached such heights that it would make even the colonels' junta pale in shame.
According to the official police announcement, anti-terrorist police agents intercepted a call of one of the boys to his mother to hide some "gourounes", i.e. firecrackers massively used by teens and children during Greek Easter whose festivities ended last week. The police arrested the boy his 52 year old mother and two more boys claiming that the powder in the fire-crackers is similar to the one used in a series kettle-bomb attacks performed by the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire last fall. The argument runs counter to any trace of common sense which says that if that comprises evidence then hundreds of thousands of teens using similar festive devices should be arrested as urban guerrillas.
The latest arrests indicate that the situation in Greece is critical. The State seems to be unfolding an operation of mass repression with no concern even for the most basic bourgeois judiciary procedures. It is indicative that the first three of the 6 arrested of last Saturday have been put on remand although not one single piece of not controversial evidence was presented to the court by the anti-terrorist authorities, despite this evidence being openly doubted even in the mainstream media.

More than 200 gathered, handed out texts and hang a banner reading: “Zero tolerance to state repres

ANOTHER VIDEO OF THE FUCKING BASTARDS COPS ARRESTING A COMRADE OUTSIDE THE COURT..

FROM AFTER GREEK RIOTS BLOG. 15/4

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Actions of solidarity spread across the country. Yesterday anarchists occupied a local newspaper in Volos, Central Greece. The photo above reads ‘The police talks to you through the TV. Scums, Snitches, Journalists. Your hands off our comrades’.

At the time of writing the post, comrades have occupied the offices of the ruling party (PASOK) in Heraclion. The photo above reads ‘State-Capital-Media are the terrorists, not the fighters and the revolutinaries’.

Also, in Thessaloniki a banner has been placed, reading ‘The state is the only terrorist. Freedom to the 6′
Meanwhile, today, 15th of april, is the day of solidarity to Marios Zervas, who was arrested during the strike march of last month, and is imprisoned awaiting trial, with fabricated changes. Protests have been planned in more than 10 cities throughout the country in the afternoon.

If they want to create division, indifference and passivity by spreading terror and slander, we should turn against them the weapon of SOLIDARITY.

If the mechanisms wish to present themselves as the only subject who writes its bloody history conducting the peoples’ lives, we have every reason to talk about all those struggles burst and still bursting in every place where the dictatorship of the states and the capitalists is imposed, about this eternal fight for freedom that goes on, in different ways and forms in time and space.

To shout for all those who are kept hostages by the states, while the regime’s propaganda, when not presenting them as “dangerous criminals”, tries to present as “harmless and weak”, “depoliticized” and “marginalized” in order to disdain the choice of resistance. And say what is really ventured, why they are affraid of them and affraid of us.

To talk about the ways that the criminal gangs of the states and the bosses have used in order to imprison the revolted people and about this spirit of revolt that they never managed to imprison... FROM ACT FROM FREEDOM NOW.. OUR SOLIDARITY TO THE 6 COMRADES IN ATHENS..

More than 200 gathered, handed out texts and hang a banner reading: “Zero tolerance to state repres

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Occupation of Creta TV – Solidarity actions spread across the country

Last night, during the evening news, 70 anarchists occupied the TV station ‘Creta TV’ in Heraclion, Crete. Above is the video of the action, and has english subtitles

Defense excerpts from six arrested in Revolutionary Struggle case (plus update and chronology)

April 30, 2010

Nikos Maziotis
Responding to the question “Do you accept or deny the charges?”:
“I am a revolutionary, and I am fighting an unjust, criminal regime known as the state and capitalism. If anyone should make a plea in defense, it is not me but those who are accusing me: the police and judges who serve the rich. I, for my part, am in the right, and I will not apologize for myself.”
Panagiota “Pola” Roupa
Responding to the same question:
“I am a revolutionary, and I do not recognize your proceedings. The criminals and terrorists are you and the system you serve: the state and capitalism.”
Sarandos Nikitopoulos
“I am being singled out for my political activity. I have been politically active in the anarchist and antiauthoritarian milieu ever since I was very little, and I can assure you that I as well as hundreds of others before me were already in the authorities’ sights, and that will continue. I consider the criminal prosecution against me to be based on and a product of my own political activity, as well as that of the entire anarchist milieu. Cases like Thessaloniki—in which even video recordings show police planting bags containing “illegal” items near people in order to charge them—or the imprisonment of demonstrator Mario Z. in Athens, and many others, must put an end to this blind faith in police accusations.”
Kostas Gournas
The prosecutor: “What do you say in your defense? Do you accept or deny the charges?”
Kostas: “I am not going to answer. I do not recognize these proceedings. Since the age of 20, I have been a worker and have taken part in the social and class struggle in Greece. I am against the regime, the political system, and the economic system. I am not a terrorist. The terrorists are the ones on the 12th floor of police headquarters who gave me a beating and threatened to kill my children.”
Vaggelis Stathopoulos
“Mixing me up in the Revolutionary Struggle case is a consequence of my political convictions. I do not condemn any type or method of struggle. My political activity has always taken place in broad daylight.”
Christoforos Kortesis
Through his lawyers, he said that he will testify alone under certain specific conditions. He demanded in writing that “they have to clearly specify the charge common to all six of us that refers to my involvement in specific actions claimed by Revolutionary Struggle.” He also demanded an itemization of the evidence for each action.
_____
Our comrades were quickly transferred to different prisons: Kostas Gournas and Vaggelis Stathopoulos to Trikala, Christoforos Kortesis to Corinth, Panagiota “Pola” Roupa to Eleona womens’ prison near Thebes (let’s remember that our comrade is seven months pregnant), and Nikos Maziotis and Sarandos Nikitopoulos to Korydallos prison in Athens. On Sunday, April 25, simultaneous solidarity demonstrations and marches took place outside Trikala, Corinth, and Eleona prisons (where, apart from Pola, Konstantina Karakatsani is also locked up after her arrest in the Fire Cells Conspiracy case).
On April 29, three of the charged comrades (Maziotis, Roupa, and Gournas) published a statement in which they proudly claim their participation in the actions of Revolutionary Struggle (Epanastatikos Agonas) and recognize that comrade Lambros Foundas, who was murdered by police bullets over a month ago, was part of the group. The letter is very long (11 pages; excerpts here), and a translation will be attempted in the coming days.
_____
Revolutionary Struggle are thought to be responsible for the following attacks, all in Athens:

• September 5, 2003: Bombing at courthouse.
• March 14, 2004: Bombing at Citibank subsidiary in Psychico neighborhood.
• May 5, 2004: Bombing at police station in Perissos neighborhood.
• October 29, 2004: Bombing of police buses.
• June 2, 2005: Bombing at Labor Ministry.
• December 12, 2005: Bombing at Finance Ministry in Syntagma Square, near Parliament.
• May 30, 2006: Attempted assassination of Georgios Voulgarakis, former Minister of Public Order, now Minister of Culture.
• January 12, 2007: Wasp 58 LAW rocket attack on United States Embassy.
• April 30, 2007: Shots fired at police station in Nea Ionia neighborhood.
• October 24, 2008: Bombing at Shell offices in Palaio Faliro neighborhood.
• December 23, 2008: Shots fired at riot police bus near Athens University in Goudi neighborhood.
• January 5, 2009: Shots fired at police guarding Culture Ministry in Exarcheia neighborhood. One riot cop critically wounded.
• February 18, 2009: Car bombing at Citibank headquarters in Kifissia neighborhood. Bomb fails to detonate.
• March 9, 2009: Bombing at Citibank subsidiary in Nea Ionia neighborhood.
• May 12, 2009: Bombing at Eurobank subsidiary in Argyroupoli neighborhood.
• September 2, 2009: Car bombing causes serious damage to Stock Exchange building.