United States: Anarchist Jerry Koch Imprisoned for Refusing to Testify to Federal Grand Jury

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via Jerry Resists

jerrysketch-webJerry was taken into custody of US marshals today at 4:18 PM. Throughout his hearing, he did not answer any questions; he remained silent the entire time.

Over a hundred people showed in support of Jerry. The court room was packed, and he knew as he was taken by the marshals that we support and love him. The crowd yelled out their support for him as he was escorted out of the room.

Jerry asked that we release this statement to his supporters after his incarceration:

By the time you read this, I will be in the custody of the United States government for continuing my refusal to cooperate with a federal grand jury. This is the right thing to do.

I continue to believe that the government is using this federal grand jury in an abusive manner to force me to divulge information about my political associations and social networks.

If we mean what we say when we talk about radical politics, then we do not participate in witch hunts, inquisitions, or the assembly of black lists. As an individual, I will not lend legitimacy to government brutality and intimidation; I will not be used. As an anarchist, I will summon the courage to be stronger than the forces of the State’s all-too-real repression; I will not break.

Your show of truly powerful support has done nothing but strengthen my resolve in refusing to cooperate. We must not let ourselves be isolated by the government’s heavy-handed tactics. We must not give the state that last inch it tries to break in every one of us.

With Love, with Dignity, in Solidarity

Jerry Koch

If you haven’t already, please sign up for a recurring donation so that we can ensure that Jerry has immediate access to his commissary and will be able to be in touch with his loved ones.

Catalonia: Five ‘Black Flag’ Anarchists Arrested in Raids in Catalonia

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via Darker Net

spainFrom comrades in Barcelona we have been informed that five members of ‘Black Flag’ have been detained in dawn raids on the anarchist-syndicalist CNT centre in Sabadell near Barcelona, Spain. They are accused of belonging to a terrorist group. The Police broke into and searched the Anarchist Workers Centre (Ateneo Libertari) in Sabadell. The operations included another raid and search in Sabadell and two more in other municipalities in Catalonia, one of them in Avignon (Bages County). On the same day police evicted the Can Piella ‘Land and Liberty’ squat. International solidarity is requested.

UPDATE: a statement from the FIJL (Federation of Iberian Libertarian Youth) has been released and is published below at end of article.

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Kiev – News about Activist V.N.

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via Autonomous Action

In the evening of 14th of April, comrade V.N. was seriously wounded. He was attacked by a group of 5 Nazis in the region of the metro station Dorogožitsi. Young “patriots” used knives and cut arteries of activist in three places, and also knocked out several teeth. Besides these, V.N. got a brain concussion.

V.N. has recovered well from the attack, his jaw was operated and next phase is recovering the teeth. Thank you for everyone, who was concerned and showed us solidarity! Your letters provided more support for the comrades, and donations were helpful with financing the costs of the operation.   Solidarity is our weapon!

Prisons: Factories Of Hate

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state-prisoners-working-posterizedRight-wing Tory Justice Minister Chris Grayling’s declaration in late April that prisoners would now be made to “earn” basic privileges by “working harder” probably wasn’t just the usual “popularist” promise to stick the boot into one of the most powerless and demoralised social groups. During times of economic austerity and potential social unrest scapegoating marginalised and outcast groups like prisoners, is always useful as a means of deflecting and re-focusing public anger away from the true culprits of the country’s economic ruination, in this case Grayling’s pals in the city of London. Behind the rhetoric and the guise of “getting tough” on prisoners is the actual purpose of the prison
industrial complex: to turn prisons into privatised forced-labour factories.

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United States: FBI Subpoena NYC Anarchist For Second Time To A Federal Grand Jury

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via Jerry Resists

Statement by Jerry:

My name is Gerald Koch and I have been subpoenaed to a federal grand jury based in the Southern District of New York regarding the 2008 Times Square Military Recruitment Center bombing. This is my second subpoena concerning this matter; I was also subpoenaed in June of 2009. I refused to testify at that time based on the assertion of my First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights, as I will be doing again for the duration of this grand jury. During the first grand jury, the government informed my lawyers that it was believed that I was at a bar in 2008 or 2009 where a patron indicated knowledge of who had committed the bombing. When I was first subpoenaed to the grand jury in 2009 I had no recollection of any such incident— a fact that I expressed publically. Now, almost 4 years later, I still do not recall the alleged situation.

Given that I publically made clear that I had no knowledge of this alleged event in 2009, the fact that I am being subpoenaed once again suggests that the FBI does not actually believe that I possess any information about the 2008 bombing, but rather that they are engaged in a ‘fishing expedition’ to gain information concerning my personal beliefs and political associations.

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Bristol Defendant Solidarity Benefit May 10th

admin BDS, Uncategorized

Brewhaha with support from babylon crew presents pub link up!

Venue: White Heart and Red Lion

Here’s the line up:

FIRE PIT COLLECTIVE ft Jay Innerterrestrial
PRIMEVAL SOUP
CALICO JACK
BELLADONNA

DJS
Ironside (Dissident)
Dan Breakwhore (neverlution)
Abomination (Tossers)
Frith Element (Rambunctious sounnds)
Ambisinister (Brouhahah/Tossers)
Spacedocker (Jigsore)
Pev (Kebele sounds)
Kingofthebins
Clunge kartle (GSC)
Dan Guydance

£5 ON DOOR

Russia: Well-known Russian anti-fascist, Alexey Gaskarov, arrested

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via Autonomous Action

On sunday, the 28th of April 2013, a well-known Russian anti-fascist, Alexey Gaskarov, was arrested in Moscow. He is a member of the Coordination Council of Russian opposition. The investigation committee of the Russian Federation has accused him of having pacticipated in riots and violence against representative of authorities on the 6th of May 2012, when OMON (Russian riot police) attacked a peaceful demonstration.

The 6th of May was one day prior to Putin’s inauguration, and a mass demonstration had been called by the opposition. The winter and spring of 2011-2012 saw the biggest wave of political demonstrations in Russia in almost 20 years, as tens of thousands of people went out on the streets to protest election fraud. The 6th of May was also the first time authorities moved to crush these protests. According to the opposition more than 600 people were arrested, and as of now 28 people have been charged, who have been remanded, been put under house arrest or have been forced to emigrate.

On that day, Alexey Gaskarov was beaten up by OMON with batons and boots. He filed a complaint against the officers who beat him up, but nobody was charged. Now, a year after, and just a few days before the anniversary of the 6th of May demonstration, as Alexey was about to be at the head of the column of the left-wing and anti-fascist bloc, he has had a set of absurd charges brought against him and has been arrested.

Alexey Gaskarov was born on the 18th of June 1985, and has been politically active since his school years.

Gaskarov gained fame in the summer and autumn of 2010, when during the protest campaign against the destruction of the Khimki forest, he was  arrested along with Maxim Solopov and was accused of orchestrating an attack by 300-400 young anti-fascists, who supported the environmental struggle, against the administration of the city of Khimki.  In autumn 2010, Alexey Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov were released from prison, thanks to a massive international campaign for the “Khimki Hostages”. In the summer of 2011, Gaskarov was cleared of all charges.

Since the beginning of the mass demonstrations against the falsification of the elections in Russia in December of 2011, Alexey Gaskarov has been an active participant. He was one of the speakers in the biggest of the demonstrations, on the 24th of December 2011 in Sakharov street in Moscow, and was in charge of the security for that meeting, who fought back against the Neo-Nazi provocations.

He is being held in the police jail of Petrovka 38, awaiting his appointment in court at 11am on the 29th of April 2013 at the Basmanniy courthouse in Moscow. Pending court decision, Gaskarov will be remanded or released.

Additional information:

Russia: Anarchist Attacked in Moscow

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solidarity birds

Anarchist activist seriously wounded in a Nazi attack in Kiev of Ukraine

In the evening of 14th of April, social activist V.N. was seriously wounded in Kiev. He was assaulted by 5 Nazis in the area of metro
station Dorozhichi. Young patriots used knives and cutted three times
arteries in the legs of the activist. V.N. also lost teeth and suffered a brain concussion.

If it was not purpose of attackers to murder, at least they attempted to permanently main activist who takes active part to anti-government,
anti-capitalist and animal right actions. V-N. lost much blood, but due to an operation made in time, his life is no more in a danger.

Currently money is needed for covering his medical costs.

Paypal of ABC-Moscow for donations: abc-msk@riseup.net

Please write by e-mail how much you have donated, as same account is
used for multiple campaigns.

Besides paypal, it is possible to use bank transfer or Western Union.
For details, please write to abc-msk@riseup.net

His life is not in danger, but he was wounded pretty bad, groin artery
and femoral vein. 5 attackers hit him with log of wood and stabbed when
he was already swoon so he had no chance to fight back. In fact, his life
was saved by a doctor who suddenly turned up nearby, because they waited
about 30 minutes for ambulance, it’s to much to survive with such
injuries.
Today doctors learned, that his jawbone is also broken and a surgery is
needed.
But, thanks all of you, he knows about solidarity from people and it helps
him to stay in good mood:)