News | Page 34 | Bristol Anarchist Black Cross

Spanish State: Conditional bail for comrades detained during Operation Pandora

admin February 5, 2015 repression, soldarity

In the night of January 30th, 2015, the 7 comrades who were still imprisoned following the arrests on the 16th of December 2014 as part of Operation Pandora were released.

One day before, the instructing judge of the Audiencia Nacional (Madrid) permitted access to the investigative file, and what we know at the moment is what has been circulated through the website of Mossos d’Esquadra in a press communiqué. They are facing charges such as membership in GAC (Coordinated Anarchist Groups), attacks against banks, posting parcel bombs (one to the Archbishop of Pamplona, one to a member of the fascist congregation Legionaries of Christ, and others to Italian companies), while “they are linked”—always according to the police—with the explosive attacks against the Cathedral of Almudena in Madrid (February 7th, 2013) and the Basilica of the Pillar in Zaragoza (October 2nd, 2013), the latter having led to the indictment and pretrial detention of our comrades Mónica and Francisco.

The police statement ends with a victorious “according to the investigators, the structure of the GAC/FAI-FRI is disrupted in Catalonia, the stronghold of this criminal organisation with terrorist purposes against the Spanish State”. What these servants of Power do not recognise (and never will) is that they sought to generate fear to all other comrades with this operation, which not only failed, but we can say without a doubt has generated the opposite effect.

No doubt their release from prison and to receive them amongst us is an opportunity to celebrate, because they are no longer locked up, as much because they are with us again to fight shoulder to shoulder against this world of shit. But it is a “celebration” which remains incomplete. The charges remain, as do the bail conditions—obligation to sign three times a week, passport confiscated, etc. Furthermore Mónica and Francisco are still incarcerated… not to mention all the comrades who risk other prison sentences in other cases, and those who have already been convicted.

UNTIL WE’RE ALL FREE!

Benefit Gig for Spanish Anarchists

admin January 30, 2015 BDS, events, repression, soldarity

A BENEFIT FOR SPANISH ANARCHISTS

** SHOT
“female fronted politically distressed/Pissed up Punk Rock n’ Roll from the pits of London, that maintain the anarchist sentiment.” and celebrating the release of their debut album on RSR.

** SPANNER – No introduction needed for these local veterans of everything that is mischievous and militant. They aren’t too bad at that ska punk thing either 😉

** ATTERKOP – Heavyweight Skacore from Bristol

** ZEALAND
nomadic acoustic punk/folk/singsong

+ 1 More to be confirmed

06//02//15
@ The Red Lion, Whitehall Road, Bristol
Door – suggested donation of £3

************ BENEFIT DETAILS ************

On the 16th December Catalan police raided 14 houses and social enters in Barcelona and Madrid, destroying or stealing everything of value. Without concrete accusations and with the greatest secrecy, 11 comrades were sent to a high court in Madrid. 4 have been released with charges and 7 have been locked up (in part for supporting the 2 anarchists who have already been in prison for the past year). So that’s now 7 people imprisoned simply for being anarchists.

The situation in Spain has taken a massive turn lately when the state passed the new ‘Gag’ laws. These laws basically mean complete control from a totalitarian and fascistic regime, here is a few examples of what is now ‘illegal’ and can face hefty fines. Google to find out the full list.

✮ Photographing or recording police – 600 to 30.000€ fine.
✮ Peaceful disobedience to authority – 600 to 30.000€ fine.
✮ Meeting or gathering in front of Congress – 600 to 30.000€ fine.
✮ It allows random identity checks, allowing for racial profiling of immigrants and minorities.
✮ Police can now carry out raids at their discretion, without the need for “order” to have been disrupted.

To show solidarity, Riot Ska Records (us) and Pumpkin Records will be donating any money made through our Bandcamp pages to the Spanish anarchists for legal costs, fines, and whatever they think it’s best used for.

www.riotskarecords.bandcamp.com
www.pumpkinrecords.bandcamp.com

First issue of the Incarcerated Worker

admin January 28, 2015 prison industrial complex

Introducing a new publication from the Industrial Workers of the World, the Incarcerated Worker! Over the last year or so, some prisoners in the U.S. and outside supporters have gotten together and formed the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee to address concerns such as prison labor and conditions.

CONTENTS

The IWW by Sean Swain
Biographical Profile: Dennis S. Boatwright, Jr. by Imam Siddique Abdullah Hasan
Understanding the Role of Prisoner Intellectuals by Dennis S. Boatwright
Forgotten Warrior Waits on Death Row By Isa Abdur-Rasheed
Lynching: Then and Now By Imam Siddique Abdullah Hasan
Induced Failure By Imam Siddique Abdullah Hasan
Crime and Punishment by Bomani Shakur
A Flicker Turns into a Flame: Alabama’s Prisoners want change by The Free Alabama movement

PDF AVAILABLE HERE

Four people arrested after solidarity actions

admin January 28, 2015 repression, soldarity

On January 20-21 four activists were arrested in Minsk after solidarity
actions with people previously arrested at New Year Punk Party in Minsk.
One person was captured by the police at the prison gates, when people
came to meet their comrades, who were supposed to be released after 10
days of arrest they were sentenced to after the concert.

Four people were sentenced to 15 days in prison for disobeying police
orders. Some activists connect the continuation of repressions with
solidarity actions that were carried out on January 16. That day several
autonomous anarchist groups organised protest actions in three places
simultaneously: at the Court where their comrades had been tried, at the
Prison where they had been kept and at the Police station which had been
in charge of the raid. There they made a picture with hands behind their
heads to show their protest against the police raid at the New Year Punk
Gig and the following detention of three people that were doing distro
tables during the concert.

After the concert police officers started visiting people that gave
their IDs during the gig privately as well. Anarchist Black Cross
Belarus reports at least about one person who got official warning of
unacceptable extremist activity. Several more people reported police
attempts to meet them or arrange “private” talks.

With elections in Belarus getting closer repressions against the local
anarchist movement intensify. Only in January all in all seven people
were arrested six of which got from 10 to 15 days in prison. All these
people face or will face problems at work, some of them had to change
their workplace because of the previous arrests.

Pictures of solidarity action are available here:
abc-belarus.org/?p=5509

Source:
abc-belarus.org/?p=5539&lang=en

Kevan Thakrar Urgently Needs Your Support!

admin January 21, 2015 prison industrial complex, repression, soldarity

Despite being found not guilty of attacking three prison officers, but instead that he acted in self-defence after months of racial, physical and psychological abuse (a ruling that goes against prison officers is VERY unusual in a court) Kevan Thakrar continues to be held in the prison services ‘Close Supervision Centres’ more than five years later.

The CSCs are places of extremely restrictive solitary confinement where he, and his family visiting him, have suffered constant harassment. Kevan’s solicitor recently arranged for an independent psychologist to make a report on Kevan. Kevan has suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as a direct result of the way he’s been treated by prison guards, since before he was placed in the CSCs. The independent psychologist’s report concluded that as Kevan has displayed no violent behaviour since being in the CSCs, and because solitary confinement and the regime in these units only makes PTSD worse, Kevan should be moved back into the mainstream prison population.

The CSC management did not like the conclusion in this report so have instead decided they want to move him to Rampton high security psychiatric hospital to treat his PTSD. In a place like this doctors will be allowed to force mind altering and damaging drugs on him. Kevan, his family, and supporters are very worried about this proposed move, and whilst he tries to challenge this legally, he needs help to campaign against this happening.The number of people suffering from PTSD in England’s prisons is probably too high to imagine. It is extremely unusual to transfer someone that has PTSD to a high security psychiatric hospital.

For more information about Kevan’s case:
www.justiceforkevan.com
www.facebook.com/JusticeForKev

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Join the protest:

Monday 16th February, 12pm
HM Prison Service
Clive House, 70 Petty France, London, SW1H 9EX

If you can’t make it to London for the protest please try to find the time to phone/fax the following places on that day (or another day if that one is not convenient).

Please write letters of complaint to:

Rob Davis, Governor
HMP Woodhill, Tattenhoe Street, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK4 4DA
Tel: 01908 722 000
Fax: 01908 722 320

Alan Parkins (This is the main person recommending Kevan’s move to Rampton)
Head of Special Unit/CSC
HMP Woodhill, Tattenhoe Street, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK4 4DA

Claire Hodgson, CSC Operational Manager
HMP Woodhill, HMP Woodhill, Tattenhoe Street, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK4 4DA

Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons
HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Victory House, 6th floor, 30-34 Kingsway, London WC2B 6EX
Tel: 020 3681 2770

Independent Monitoring Board Secretariat
9th floor, post point 9.52, The Tower, 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ
Tel: 0203 334 3265
Fax: 0203 334 3024

Your own MP or Kevan’s (Ian Stewart MP). When writing to any MP the address to use is: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA, or you can contact them on-line www.writetothem.com

Please write letters of support to:

Kevan Thakrar, A4907AE

Kevan was moved to HMP Full Sutton today (19/1/2015), we do not yet know if this is a temporary move or he is on his way somewhere else. Please check the links to his website and Facebook page above for his correct address.

Interview with Anarchist Black Cross Belarus on repression

admin January 19, 2015 repression

In the context of the recent acute increase in repression in Belarus,
the Anarchist Radio Berlin talked to Anarchist Black Cross Belarus about
their work, the situation in the neighbouring country of Ukraine and the
situation of refugees in Belarus. For security reasons we transcribed
the original interview and re-recorded it ourselves.

You’ll find the audio (to listen online or download in different sizes)
here:
http://aradio.blogsport.de/2015/01/09/a-radio-in-english-interview-with-anarchist-black-cross-belarus-on-the-repression-ukraine-and-the-refugees/

The length is: 10:53 min.

Enjoy! And please feel free to share!
You’ll find other English language audios here:
aradio.blogsport.de/englishcastellano

A-Radio Berlin

Solidarity with Anarchists Imprisoned by the Spanish State!

admin January 18, 2015 BDS, Uncategorized

In December the claws of the Spanish state came out, dropping all pretence of presiding over a fair & free society they launched an attack on everyone resisting capitalism & fighting for the working class, specifically targeting organised anarchists as the biggest threat to the power of the elites.

On Tuesday the 16th operation pandora was launched, with 400 police raiding anarchists homes and social centres in Barcelona & Madrid, making eleven arrests and seizing books, pamphlets and computer equipment. Days later the government enacted the ‘public security law’, which criminalised protesting outside of government buildings, ‘peaceful dissent’, resisting evictions, photographing police and even burning the nations flag.

Despite waves of protest, seven anarchists remain imprisoned, accused not of committing crimes but of being active anarchists and of spreading ideas and information. ‘Evidence’ against them includes owning literature and communicating in ways the state can’t snoop on!

The International Workers Association (home of spanish anarchist syndicalists the CNT and the UK’s SolFed) called for solidarity actions across the globe on January 16th, supporting those still held (including a CNT member). We responded to this call by calling a local demonstration, lacking a consulate, embassy or other Spanish state interest to target we instead gathered in castle park. A less random choice than it sounds as it houses an often overlooked memorial to the Bristolians that died as volunteers in the Spanish civil war of 1936-39. They fought against fascism, for the republic and for the revolution. Our demo brought together Anarchists and friends from across Bristol, we also managed to unintentionally give our police escort the slip… as they managed to go to the wrong part of the park, sorry coppers!

We stand in solidarity with all our imprisoned anarchist comrades, those held in Spain and elsewhere across the globe. There fight is our fight, out struggle has no borders, and our own government continues to act in increasing Orwellian ways not to different from the Spanish state.

If you’d like to donate to support the prisoners email bristol@afed.org.uk or come to the Ska/Punk benefit gig that is being held to raise funds at the Red Lion, Easton on Friday 6th Feb.

Wait, can we fit more anarchists into our opening picture? I think we can…

Source: https://bristolaf.wordpress.com/2015/01/17/solidarity-with-anarchists-imprisoned-by-the-spanish-state/#more-1717

Greece’s new ‘Type C’ prisons: a brief intro

admin January 4, 2015 repression

From: http://rabble.org.uk/greeces-new-type-c-prisons-a-brief-intro/

Over the new year Greece started moving prisoners into the first “Type C” maximum security prison designed to isolate anarchist fighters, urban guerrillas and other rebels.

On 30 December, anarchist Nikos Maziotis, member of the Revolutionary Struggle group, became the first prisoner to be transferred to the new maximum security wing at Domokos prison. On 2 January he was joined by four more prisoners: anarchist comrade Kostas Gournas (Revolutionary Struggle), Dimitris Koufontinas from the Marxist organisation 17 November, and anarchist prisoners Yannis Naxakis and Grigoris Sarafoudis. (All links to articles and tags on 325, which has much more information on these prisoners and their struggles).

The state has continued to transfer prisoners in dribs and drabs throughout the week; the corporate media states that 17 people are now being held there.

Domokos prison, in central Greece, is the first prison to be revamped and classified as “Type C” under a new law passed in July. Type C prisons are the first Greek prisons that will meet Europe-wide maximum security standards. The regime prohibits day release and rules out parole for those serving life sentences before prisoners have served at least 20 years behind bars. The general operation and supervision of the prison will be tightly controlled and prison access guarded by the police rather than screws. Visits and phone calls will be restricted.

Type C prisons are specially made for ‘terrorist’ prisoners (urban guerrillas & revolutionaries), and other detainees deemed to pose a serious threat.

The new Domokos wing opens just as more fighters from the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire are handed prison sentences of up to 25 years.

These are the actions of a state desperate to contain the spread of rebellion in Greece since the explosion of the economic crisis in 2008. One Domokos prisoner, Revolutionary Struggle fighter Nikos Maziotis, has already issued a call for the formation of an assembly in solidarity with political prisoners. Maziotis writes:

“the passing of legislation of the Type C prisons are an expected development in the repressive attack of the State against the armed Revolutionary Organizations and against armed direct action. Subsequently, the legislative changes and reforms that have been under way for about 14 years are directly linked to the political and economic conditions, applicable for years internationally, and none other than the “war on terror” and the neoliberal reforms intended to impose the dictatorship of the markets, and its doctorate of supranational capital.”

If the huge wave of prisoner hunger strikes against the law & recent riots in support of Nikos Romanos are anything to go by, the Greek state can only expect more resistance.

Domokos Priso

Cardiff: 2 anti-militarists up in court on Tuesday

admin January 4, 2015 BDS, repression

From Radical Wales

Two anti-militarists are up in court this coming week, having been accused of disrupting last year’s DPRTE arms fair in Cardiff. The pair are due to stand trial on Tuesday 6th January 2015 at Cardiff Magistrates Court and could potentially face custodial sentences.

They are accused of damaging the luxury goods of DPRTE arms dealers and organisers -including a £400 suit and a £200 pair of designer shoes – with childrens play paint.

According to it’s website, DPTRE (the Defense Procurement, Research, Technology and Exportability exhibition) is the “UK’s Premier Defense Procurement Event” and is now being hosted annually at Cardiff Motorpoint arena. Their first time hosting the arms fair in Cardiff was on the the 8th of October 2014, with exhibitors at DPRTE include BAE Systems, the world’s 3rd largest arms producer with a very special relationship with the UK government & Saudi dictatorship. BAE also supplies Israel with the tools to wage war on the Palestinans and after the horrors seen perpetrated by Israel over the summer, from bombing a UN school to the killing of children playing on a beach, there is no doubt that BAE systems is complicit in these crimes through it’s arming of the Israeli state.

There has been active opposition DPRTE since 2013. The arms fair had previously been hosted at the UWE campus in Bristol, but was subsequently driven out, hence the move to Cardiff. The protesters involved a variety of actions including blockading the UWE north entrance causing queues trailing back along the A4174.

Having being driven out of Bristol, South Wales Anarchists, Stop NATO Cymru and others resolved to show the arms dealers that there is no welcome for them in Wales either. Many felt it unjust that whilst ordinary people are struggling and having to turn to food banks or are on the brink of homelessness, these arms dealers are walking around in expensive clothes worth more than most local families’ entire monthly disposable income, all bought with the profits made from mass murder. What does a statistic like 100 000 dead civilians in Afghanistan mean to the arms dealers at DPRTE? In material terms it means a bit of financial security and a couple of nice holidays a year.

One of the defendants said:“Arms dealers are complicit in slaughter all over the world. Perpetual war is in this industry’s interest and this is what’s become the norm. If the law really was a forum for justice, wouldn’t it be them on trial?”In a similar vein, Elliw from StopNATO Cymru said:

“What I would like to know is when have the arms dealers ever had to justify their horrific choice of career? Have the arms dealers ever had to look a mother in the eye and explain why their expensive suits, luxury goods and nice big homes are so much more valuable than the lives of their children, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers? These cowards never have to face the consequences of their career choice. It sickens me that we live in a society that rewards such abhorrent and frankly psychopathic behavior.”

For those arrested opposing DPRTE in 2014 there will be a short solidarity demonstration outside Cardiff Magistrate’s Court from 9:15am on Tuesday 6th January 2015. Anti-militarist banners and well-wishers welcome. Afterwards some will be supporting the defendants from the public gallery.

If you were present at the protest against DPRTE Arms Fair at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena in October 2014, you may be able to provide useful defence evidence. Please email:
bristoldefendantsolidarity@riseup.net

Spain: poster for anarchists arrested in “Operation Pandora”

admin December 23, 2014 BDS, repression

Source: http://rabble.org.uk/spain-poster-for-anarchists-arrested-in-operation-pandora/ soli_en-FREEDOM-FOR-ANARCHIST-PRISONERS-724x1024

“They wanted to bury us, but they forgot we are seeds.”

Freedom for anarchist prisoners.

Solidarity with our comrades arrested by the Spanish state during “Operation Pandora”.

———-

On Tuesday, December 16th, at 5am, hundreds of cops broke into several houses, social centers, and ateneos in Barcelona, and also an apartment in Madrid. It was part of Operation Pandora, an anti-terrorist initiative carried out by the the highest level of the Spanish court system. Several houses were searched and eleven anarchist comrades were arrested. They did not know what charges they were accused of when they were arrested, just given a vague “anarchist terrorism” charge.

On Thursday, December 18th, seven of them went to prison and the other four were released under surveillance. All of them are now accused of the participating in the GAC (Coordinated Anarchist Groups), a group of people who held some meetings and edited some books. Earlier in November, 2013, five people were arrested and two are still in prison. They are also accused of the participating in the GAC and also committing some direct actions against churches.

The coordination between the police force and the media during Operation Pandora was immediately apparent. Together, they created panic and justified the repressive operation in terms of “criminal groups”, “terrorists” and “violent ones”. These police raids happened one day after the enactment of the “Ley Mordaza”, a very restrictive law that criminalizes disobedience and protest .

We are not surprised about the repression against the anarchist movement because our struggle against inequality through the self organization outside of laws and institutions make us undesirable for the state. They talk about “terrorism” when it is they who create terror and misery: the politicians and their laws, the bankers and their blackmails, the employing class and their exploitation, the cops and military with their repression and wars. Who are the “criminals”? Who is “violent”? Who are the “terrorists”?

The arrested people are our comrades. If they are terrorists, we are too. We build affinity, create alternatives, and point out who is robbing and exploiting us.

Because they are our friends,
Because they are our comrades,
Because we fight for Anarchism
We demand their immediate release!
We are in solidarity with them and will keep on fighting!

The struggle is the only way

For more information: solidaridadylucha(at)riseup.net

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