latest news 23rd & 24th February 2010

latest news 23rd & 24th February 2010 rosso negro 3:26πμ, Thursday 26 of February 2010 from athens indymedia

Tuesday 23rd February 2010 The Stock-Exchange building in Athens is squatted by members of PAME (syndicalists of parliamentary Communistic Party) since today mourning. Mr Chr. Katsiotis, member of PAME’s Executive Secretariat, stated on public TV-station that the movement will last the whole day and it is a part of the Wednesday’s General Strike. The representatives of PAME stated that their aim is to show to the auditors of European Comission, to Central European Bank, IMF who are in Athens where are the money for real and to stop searching in the workers’ pockets. The services of the Stock-Exchange were transfered to a different building and the protestors left the blockade at 14:00. The occupation of the rectorship building in the University of Athens keeps on against the decesion of the rector to enforce the pigs’ entrance in the area (watch older updates) The Dean of Athens University in Sciences sector occupied by students since today mourning. The announcement: Cops – Tv – Rector Authorities … All the creeps work together. Eventually nobody but nobody wants to abolish the university asylum. Invoking the “defense” of it from alleged small damages in the old buildings of electricians, on Saturday night 20th February, the rector and prosecutor authorities call for strong police forces within the University campus. For them, the unlawful acts that affect academic freedom are two youth’s parties – one in the field of chemical engineering and the other in the building of SEMFE. The commandos of Delta-team, with full support from two teams of special pig forces invade on their motorcycles in the corridors of the school. They swear against people, beating them up and bring 30 persons in the local pig station who are left free after a few hours without charge. It’s fifteen years back since the last invasion-evacuation of the technical university in ’95 by the police in the current situation is quite different: The cops now invade even without apparent political events (social struggles and revolting situations). By implementing the new framework law the character of the university asylum changes dramatically. Under this law, the competent authority will become the Rector’s Council (rector and two step-rectors), which means that the requirement to have student consent for the removal of asylum no longer exists. So Mr Moutzouris and each other rector can call the cops at any time … to ‘protect’ the asylum from occupations, events, parties and non-university elements, which are now considered illegal if they obstruct the educational process and the “right to work”. For us, the university asylum is not a sterile area for “pure academic research”, through which, not to forget, knowledge is promoted to the dominant military and economic interests. Neither an institutionalized oasis in the desert of capitalist relations, a no-go area for police. It is a situation through which gets occured continuesly the competition against the power ratio and its corresponding practices. And we support this situation. Therefore university asylum does not get its meaning on the benches of parliament but in the streets and through social struggles. We ourselves give meaning to it. And this situation does not apply only in universities: During December the students gave asylum in Patission street, the squatts do not require legal frameworks, they are socially acquired. Against the general targeting of university sites and ventures, within these we only have to answer with the ongoing sense-university asylum on the basis of social character. Neither institutional or academic: The Asylum regulates what the power is afraid of. Symbolic squat of the European Union’s offices by members of SYRIZA (parliamentary leftish party) against the EU ‘Stability Programm’. Announcement for antifascistic gathering on 24th February in Athens: SOLIDARITY TO THE IMMIGRANTS! There has been an effort by a fascist “citizens group” formed by extreme right wing racists and nazis, with the police in the leading role, to establish a type of Apartheid in the square of Agios Panteleimonas. Now, a new racist experiment is attempted in Plateia Amerikis (Amerikis Square). In this neighbourhood, where locals and immigrants have been living together for years, coexisting in their daily life, in the streets, in schools, in squares and public spaces, racists and the state are trying to artificially create a field of racist brutality and police occupation. In the reality of the financial, social and political crisis, the state and the bosses are launching and attack against the whole of society, intensifying exploitation and oppression. Immigrants and refugees, as the poorest and most excluded part of society, are the ones on whom this attack is focused in the most cruel way: Many are murdered in the borders, imprisoned in concentration camps, tortured in police stations. Living in the country, they are facing the most savage exploitation by the bosses. And they are hostages of the anti-immigration policies of the greek state which divides them into “legal” and “illegal”. A perfect example is the new bill on citizenship that is defining which children have rights and which don’t! This way it is justifying the repression and manhunt of refugees and immigrants without papers while it promotes the incorporation of a small number of immigrants under the condition that they submit. In this context, the state has every interest in spreading racism within the society. Through a racist campaign by the media, the state is trying to force “national unity to save the greek economy” and it is targeting immigrants as a “threat to security and stability” in order to cultivate fear, class divisions and social cannibalism, so that in conditions of poverty the oppressed will be turned against each other, against the most oppressed among us, and not against the real enemy: the state and the bosses who are looting our lives. This way the state intensifies police repression to force its anti-social policies, especially after the social revolt of December ’08 where locals, refugees and immigrants met in the barricades, giving only an image of the future the bosses will have to face. The state itself is breeding racist groups through its policies and it is supporting them through its official repression forces. This is what happened in Agios Panteleimonas neighbourhood, where the police covered the locking of the playground, arsons against places of prayer for Muslim immigrants, attacks in which immigrants were beaten and stabbed by racists. These racist groups are presented as “local citizens committees” in order for the state to give the image that police brutality against immigrants is supposedly a “popular demand of society”. And it is also using these groups to attack against people and spaces of social struggle that fight in solidarity and against fascism. In mid December ’09, a fringe of “citizens”, mainly members of LAOS ultra-right party, showed up in Plateia Amerikis asking that the place will be “cleansed and evacuated”. Their gathering ended ingloriously, and Th. Plevris, a fascist member of LAOS in the parliament, left immediately, when dozens of people went to the square and declared that racists and misanthropists are not welcome in the neighbourhood. This effort of a hate committed to be established was also presented in “Eleftherotypia” newspaper, supposedly progressive. In an article published on 31 December ’09, under a heading saying that Plateia Amerikis is “a bomb about to explode”, a fake image of the neighbourhood is presented and the real motives of the racists are obscured by a discourse about cleanness and degradation problems of the area. Ultra-right conservatives and neo-nazis, with the blessings of the police, think that they can turn this multicultural neighbourhood of Athens, where locals and immigrants have a tradition of living together, into a field of intolerance and racist hatred. They think that they will be allowed to assault refugees and spaces of self- organization and social struggle (social centres, housing squats, parks). Never! Like in every neighbourhood, locals and immigrants, we are people who live together everyday, in our workplaces, in schools, in the squares. We share common problems (unemployment, work exploitation, devastating way of life in an urban jail, without sufficient green and free spaces, control and repression). And we will fight together for a world of equality, having solidarity as our weapon and having as only enemy the enemies of freedom for all people. – No racist and no fascist will define which people are allowed to live together in the neighbourhoods, to hang out in the squares and to walk in the streets of the city. – No consent to the racist policies of the state against immigrants. – No tolerance to the fascist – racist gangs. EVERYONE TO THE RALLY IN AMERIKIS SQUARE Wednesday, 24 February at 6 pm Anarchists, Anti-authoritarians, Antiracists, Antifascists from Athens neighborhoods Also squatted the Polytechnic University in the center of Athens. First announcement: CALL OF THE UNIVERSITY SQUATTERS Today, 23rd February, we squatted the Polytechnic University to highlight the prolonged repression methods which are taking place during the last year. From the cop-occupied neighborhoods, arrests of social fighters with fake blames, the attacks against self-managed spaces and comrades’ homes until the braking of University Asylum and murders caused by state. A reason for our action was the vulgar invasion of cops in the University campus at Zografou district on Saturday night, after the breaking of Asylum with the rector’s order, in an effort to turn public opinion against Asylum. In the face of the repressive moves, we respond by holding occupied until at least tomorrow evening the Polytechnic. This way, the Asylum is used effectively and makes stronger the tomorrow’s mass protests against the imposition of the social model that wants us to work and consume in full submission. We call for a meeting of the squat today at 10 pm in the Gini building. P.S. The chairman of the school of architects gets ridiculous after his hasty and spasmodic lock-out movements and statements concerning the theft of photocopiers. We took the photocopiers after we talked with the guards and we want to use them for printing leaflets. Wednesday 24th February 2010 On Tuesday evening took place in the centre of Athens a motorcycle demonstration to call the people for participation in the today’s General Strike. For two hours on all the streets of the centre and Kypseli neighbourhood the voice of the strikers was heard loudly. The first surprise of the people around was easily turning into happiness. The demonstration used to stop only to give info flyers at bus stations, squares and super markets. On the dozen thousands of flyers that were spread it was written: “On Wednesday everybody join the strike, everybody on the streets”, “Warning: On TV speaks the European Comission”, “Let’s make them feel afraid, down with the stability program”, “This strike shall be only the beginning”, “The Germans occupy us again?” Fotos: http://www.dikaioma.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126:… Demonstrations in Naousa and Veroia towns. In Veroia on the top of the demonstration anarchists/antiauthoritarians instead of the parliamentary communists. Comrades with flyers, slogans, flags, plakats started demonstrating after the gathering in the town’s Working Centre. Spontaniously people who were on the spot joined them. Anarchists’ presence also in “the dinasaurs’ nest” (frozen parliamentary syndicalists) at Naousa town. Demonstration in Volos town. The bosses of METKA factory (watch older update) tried to stop workers to participate in the strike by announcing that the building was needing 32 persons inside for fire safety. Striker Workers gathered early in the mourning around the building, blocked the entrances and allowed this way the workers to participate in the strike. 500 people decided to participate in the independent demonstration and 120 joint the official syndicalists’ gathering. Participation also from Matsaggou Squat, libertarian communists, out-parliamentary organisations. Fotos from Volos town, Worker Newspaper The demonstration in Thessaloniki city went smoothly with the participation of many people. At the tale of the demonstration the anarchists’ block with a plakat that was written on it “War Against the Bosses’ War”. Also a block of Libertarian Syndicalistic Union with a plakat writting “Capitalism is not in Crisis, Capitalism is the Crisis Itself”. In the last block a lot of people participated together with Antiauthoritarian Movement. A lot of flyers and press stuff were spreaded and slogans were sprayed on shops’ walls that did not participate in the General Strike. People threw garbage in Hondos Centre (multinational perfume company) so the company had to join the strike after this action. A street camera was smashed, a European Union’s flag was burnt and slogans were sprayed on government buildings. After the end of the demonstration, students in Aristoteleio University started smashing control bars at the entrences of the Campus. Pigs entered the campus and started chasing the people. More people joined the events after the pigs’ attack, smashed more bars and chased the pigs away. The rectorship building is squatted and an assembly will take place during the evening. Demonstration in Chania town on Creta island. Around 450 people participated in the out-parliamentary and independent organisations demonstration. We do not have a number of the parliamentary communists’ demonstration. Demonstration also in Irakleio town of Creta island. Around 2000 people participated after the call of parliamentary left parties, out-parliamentary communists, independent organisations, anarchists etc. Fotos from the demonstration Demonstration in Patras city. Around 1300 people joined the demonstration of out-parliamentary communistic organisations; anarchists have not make a call for today. A higher number of protestors in the parliamentary communists’ gathering. Despite the state’s repression methods in the demonstration at Athens participated around 100.000 people. One bank entrence was built with bricks from a builders’ team. The pigs started attacking the independant blocks and try to ceperate them from the main body of the demonstration. The people responded imediatelly and attacked back by smashing the cops’ shields, chasing them away and defend against any new special pig team that was arriving. In the clashes also 45 years old people against the pigs. One undercover pig had also to visit a doctor after people found out he was a cop. Also the masses of people chased away the pigs by shouting against and forbid them to come close to the demonstration. Many multinational companies were smashed down. The pigs attacked with tear-gas and sound-shine granades at Syntagma Square in front of the Parliament and people responded with some mollies, stones and wooden sticks. On Stadiou Street a special pig forces team tried also to attack. The responce from anarchists, syndicalists, indepentents, workers, people of any age was again one and the same: stones, bottles and whatever could be found on the streets flew on the heads of the cops. RAGE and RAGE can be two words to describe the situation! Attack also at ‘Zonars’ Burgeois Cafe (9 euro per coffee) when the people spontaniously entered the cafe, stole everything from inside and smashed down the front-glasses. People also entered in Papasotiriou Bookshop, took many books in zero price and gave it to demonstrators. Also clothes from a multinational company were taken away in zero price and given to people. All the actions above happened spontaniously. Also, the anarchist/antiauthoritarian/libertarian communistic block was the biggest than the rest of the others. Participation also from many refugees. Many 50 year old people joined also the radical blocks and were amused by the smashing down of banks and multinational companies. We do not know yet any number of arrests. Fotos from indy.gr: http://indy.gr/newswire/foto-kai-mia-prti-perigraf-tis-poreias-stin-athna Fotos from Radikal, tr: http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalGaleriHaber&Date=24…. Fotos from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61N20820100224 Fotos from Anarchist block: https://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1136024 Fotos from Clashes: https://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1136004 Video from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/video/idUSTRE61N20820100224?videoId=47819993 Video from BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8533240.stm Video from SkyNews: https://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1136021 In average, around 2.500.000 people participated in the General Strike all around Greece… The fascists have tried to provoce the today’s strike by organizing a gathering at Amerikis Square (watch yesterday’s update). The antifa demonstration with some hundreds of people that directed there to block the fascists could not reach the spot because the area was surrounded with masses of pigs. The fascists never appeared there and prefered to keep hidding in their holes. Around 800 antifascist gathered at Kyprou & Patision self-managed park and demonstrated through Kypseli district. Two fascists tried to reach the park with their van which was smashed down. Two other shitheads had to say goodbye to their motorcycle and their greek army t-shirt. Around 30 lovers of military junta gathered in the church of Agios Panteleimonas district. Just to remind: In the certain district are active many members of Golden Dawn (nazi party) as prostitutes’ pimps and members of the mafia. Before some days two nazis were caught by the cops with a gun but they were released…

public spaces antiracist antifascist solidarity gathering in Athens

PUBLIC SPACES OPEN TO EVERYNONE

NO SOCIAL EXCLUSION

RACISTS AND FASCISTS ARE NOT GOING TO DETERMINE WHAT PEOPLE WILL LIVE TOPGETHER IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WHAT PEOPLE WILL SPEND TIME TOGETHER AT SQUARES, WHAT PEOPLE WILL WALK ON THE STREETS.

NO CONSENT TO RACIST ANTIIMMIGRANT POLICIES OF THE STATE

ZERO TOLERANCE TO FASCIST GANGS

SOLIDARITY WITH IMMIGRANTS

@ATHENS, AMERIKIS SQ., WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 24, 18.00

Anarchists, Antiauthoritarians, antiracists, antifascists from Athens’ neighborhoods.

source http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1135016

Latest news, Monday 15 – Friday 19 Feb.

Monday Feb 15 Tention in the police station of Tripoli, Peloponese after the suicide attempt of a 35 yearold Palestinian who was imprisoned in purpose to be deported. Other migrants prisoners, also under deportation, looted blankets so a small fire was caused. The pigs entered the detention centers and evacuated the imprisoning cells by transfering the prisoners to a room beside. Later, the migrants were also transfered to the Panarcadic Hospital for health checks, where also the Palestinian was transfered whose deportation is planned to take place in two weeks. http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1133089

Tuesday Feb 16 In Archontiki village, Rethymnon, Crete, an Indian farm worker was shot and heavily injured by his boss – a shepherd himself.   The culprit then took the victim on his car which crushed on the road.  He left the victim there in a horrid condition and disappeared.  http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1132976

A shoot-out between cops and bank robbers in the neighbourhood of Vironas, Athens saw an innocent passer-by assassinated by the cops: 25-year old migrant worker Nikollas Todi was unfortunate to be at the shooting range of the pigs in uniform. He was executed in cold blood, shot with nine bullets in the back, one going through his head and another one through his heart.  Leuteris Oikonomou, head of the greek police, stated that “nothing went wrong in the operation – simply the 25-year old found himself amidst crossfire”. Trying to supposedly disassociate himself from this provocative statement, Michalis Chrisochoidis (minister of citizen protection) stated that “a crucial battle was won, even if the cost was dear”. Earlier today, Chrisochoidis announced that Athens will see “unprecedented” policing operations after easter. http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1133637

Thursday, Feb 18 50 Palestinian refugees detained at the Samos refugee center were boarded on a ship to Athens probably to be deported.   They cannot communicate and they have no legal assistance.   http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1133671

Friday, Feb 19 In Patras, the police  warned earlier today the Sudanis living in the makeshift settlement in an old train depot that they should evacuate it (the plan is to make a parking there) or be arrested and deported. http://patras.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=7337

Demonstrations in Thessaloniki and Komotini

“Legal”

…s/he supports crucially public insurance funds and banks by working informally and buying revenue stamps.

Now there is a chance that s/he will be granted citizenship, by paying 1.000 € to file an application (=hundreds of millions channeled into state funds), which will be pending two years, during which the applicant must not be convicted of resistance to authority or giving refuge to immigrants without papers; s/he must also sit succesfully a test on “civil conduct”, be checked for not posing “risks to public order and national security “… S/he is  ready, steady, legal and with appropriate social conscience!

DEMONSTRATION FOR THE NEW LAW ON CITIZENSHIP
Saturday, February 20, 1.00 pm Kamara, Thessaloniki

“Illegal”

They left behind wars, juntas and devastated countries.  They sold their belognings in order to pay the traffickers.  Some people die at the border (30 deaths in the Aegean in 2010), some are stacked in detention centers. Wednesday, February 3: Revolt breaks out in the detention center in Venna. Friday, February 5: without a lawyer and an interpreter, 42 refugees were sentenced to imprisonment and deportation.

DEMONSTRATION  AGAINST REFUGEE CONCENTRATION CAMPS, Saturday, February 20, 1.00 pm Komotini, Thrace.

Group of Immigrants and Refugees / Clandestina Network

Political prisoner from Togo to be deported – sweep operation in Patras.

source: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1131944

The political prisoner Adoui Aboudou Wassiou  from Togo is at risk of deportation to the tyrannical regime of his country of origin.  Since last Sunday he has been detained at the Achaia, Peloponese Police headquarters.

Adoui was charged for possessing a fake visa, and although he was acquitted at court he is still detained and to be deported.

In case Adoui is deported his life would be jeopardized because of the difficult political situation in Togo. He was probably transferred to Athens last night until next Thursday when his deportation is believed to take place.

At least 150 economic and political refugeesof  have been arrested in Patras.  Given the lack of places of detention in the Police Headquarters of Achaia, the majority of detainees have been transferred to Agrinio and Pyrgos (nearby cities); these are people mainly from Sudan and Somalia.

Yesterday a delegation of the Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Movement visited the Director of Security of Patras,  discussed the matter and was authorized to determine the needs of the detainees and aid them.

Among the prisoners there are enough people of Albanian nationality, as well as Afghanis,  Palestinians and possibly Algerians.

Testimony from the Petrou Ralli hell

more about the Petrou Ralli in these posts.  Source of the following text: anarxikoiaigaleo.squat.gr article translated at occupiedlondon.org/blog reposted at athens indymedia.

(Testimony from the hell of Petrou Ralli by comrades that were detained in the prison wing for migrant women on P. Ralli St. after the occupation of the Keratsini Town Hall in solidarity to the 22 persecuted in the “Resalto” social space on 5th December 2009).

The scene is the same as if it were a high security prison; the difference is that no one has committed any “crime” here. The cctv’s that are everywhere in the cells, apart from the toilets, are an example of how human dignity is violated in here. The detainees are under 24/7 surveillance, they can’t get a moment of privacy and no personal data protection policy is in effect. Even the cell doors are made of iron bars, from top to bottom, and in order to create a somehow private space the detainees have hung bed sheets. “I cannot bear it that everyone walking up and down the corridor can see me”, an immigrant woman told us. The wings made of cement have electric doors of latest technology, windows (some without pane) that look out on… the rest of the cells and are at a height that you cannot reach in order to see what is happening outside. The cells are equipped with “post-modern” beds made of cement (square ones that remind of benches) with worn-out foam rubber on top, a “soft” blanket that resembles emery cloth (exclusively sponsored by the Greek army) and no pillow whatsoever.

Hygiene conditions are non-existent, which explicitly shows the intention to “decompose” the body and to eliminate any characteristic that reminds detainees that they are human. The medieval-style toilets – which often host cute insects such as cockroaches– are only four and superdirty. The idea in the Petrou Ralli St hell is that cleanness is a fallacy [trans: play on words on a popular Greek saying]… Soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper and sanitary towels are considered “small bourgeois residues” and consequently are unnecessary. Instead of a mirror, they use a piece of plastic that reflects like tinfoil the faces of those who live there for up to 6 months (according to the new law): distorted and partial reflections of persons that eventually forget who they are. All adds up in order to forget your very own existence.

Food is transported daily from GADA [trans: police headquarters] and of course it does not contain milk because there is fear that it will go bad during transportation. Everybody is given an instant coffee, a juice and a chocolate croissant. Even children are given the same (from 12-month babies to 10 year-old boys); age and personal needs do not matter. For lunch we were given bean soup, olives and one loaf of bread per cell to be shared by all the detainees, as well as oranges from Arta [trans: Greek city] at preference. The detainees serve themselves in plastic yoghurt-pots. There is no refectory or special room for food to be served, and they are obliged to place their bread on dirty, miserable blankets. Special needs are not taken into consideration, and diseases like diabetes, intestinal dysfunctions, cardiopathies etc do not receive any special alimentary treatment. We heard the detainees complain that they and their children suffered from itching. Cases of dermatological problems, such as mycoses, scabies, allergies and other kinds of dermatitis are frequent; they are mainly due to the sordid mattresses and the horrendous hygiene conditions in the cells and the toilets. They even face serious problems with their teeth, as they are not given enough bottled water and are forced to drink tap water from the toilets.

The women also talked to us about the aggressive behaviour of their underage children. And what is more reasonable for a child that grows up in prison than to develop an “antisocial” and aggressive behaviour. How can it not hate the world, as it is experiencing it from this hell? It has been marked for life by this experience and we better not dare to ask it in puberty why it’s throwing stones. Surely, in any case, the prisons on P.R. St. are an ideal environment for panic crises and psychosomatic conditions. The human being is a part of nature itself, and therefore it cannot survive in an environment made of cement.

Some prisoners have made artistic interventions to their cells in order to make them feel cosier. A Russian detainee has drawn huge cartoons on the walls. My soul is in pain… she misses her baby. She has transformed the cell into a child’s room. Love graven in hearts, and around the beds graven lines that mark days and months that have gone by. Engraved poems, promises, memoirs, names. In other cells the detainees have made an iconostasis; they have hung pictures of Saints everywhere in an effort to keep their hopes and dreams alive. Above their heads Angelina Jolie and Helen Menegaki [trans: Greek television star] next to shampoo labels, anything that can fill the empty walls.

Communication with the outside world is difficult and only those who have the money to buy a phone card have the possibility to make calls. Even the communication between the detainees is difficult as many of them do not speak nor understand Greek. There are no interpreters whatsoever and communication takes place through eye contact and gestures in an effort to exchange information on daily survival. Of course, this means they are deprived of their right to claim their rights or to be informed on their detention status and the date of their release. Complete isolation and loneliness.

Contact with the air, the rain and the sun is simply zero, as there is no yard to go out to. Detainees can only walk in the corridor (1 meter width and 20 meters length) that is outside the cells. They are deprived of a room where they could sit or do physical exercise; as a consequence they can only walk or lie down, in other words they carry around their pestered body. In this decorative background we saw small kids holding dolls, climbing up the iron bars and walking barefoot on filthy water and liquids of unknown origin. Their shoe laces had been taken away from them, thus they cannot even run. Some older children have understood what’s going on and every spark of life in their eyes has disappeared. Who can explain to them how one day they were returning home after school with their mum and suddenly they found themselves behind prison walls?

Mobilisation in solidarity with the Venna persecuted, against all immigrant concentration camps

For background see this post

A call has been made by the Initiative Against Concentration Camps in Rodopi and Evros (text in greek)  for a solidarity coordination meeting with the following demands:

• abolishment of all concentration camps
• immidiate release of all detained immigrants
• acquittal of all persecuted immigrants for the Venna insurgency
• struggle for life and dignity is not illegal, it is fair

The meeting is to take place today, Thursday, Feb 11, 19 pm, at the prokat building of Xanthi Polytechnic.

Dead bodies of immigrants washed ashore at Samos island

One more fatal shipwreck in the Agean.  The coast guard found early today 8 bodies at the Potokakio area of Samos island.

Yesterday, a Palestinian was rescued by a commercial vessel at the sea area near Turkey.  He told the authorities that he had boarded on a plastic boat along with 10 or 12 more people and sailed from Turkey to Greece.  Due to strong winds and rough sea the boat capsized.

The weather conditions were so adverse that rescue and coast guard helicopters could not fly.

The exact number of people missing is not clear since there is a probability that there have been more than one shipwrecks in the area in the last night(s).

source: http://www.protothema.gr/greece/article/?aid=60704

YFANET squat in Thessaloniki comes under fascist attack

source: http://www.occupiedlondon.org/blog

The YFANET squat has come under attack by fascists at about 2330 hours local time tonight. Reports now indicate that the intruders have been chased away from the occupied building; we are expecting a report from the comrades who were inside very soon and will be publishing it here once it’s out.

What follows is a rough translation of a statement put together by people in YFANET tonight.

At around 2300 hours tonight and while the assembly of YFANET was under way, around 20 fascists with sticks, helmets and hoodies attacked the squat. They tried to enter the space of the assembly but were successfully pushed back by comrades; they then tried to burn various parts of the squat.

The damage that they caused was relatively small – a burnt scooter, some furniture and the like. None of us has been injured.

After this, various cops started arriving outside the squat, while people in solidarity also started to gather. The fascists disappeared. There was tension between the gathered people and the cops; at some point, with no previous provocation, riot police arrived, attacked and threw much tear gas in the squat.

At this moment there are many people outside the squat, more than 200 people and the atmosphere is very comradely. Cops and fascists are nowhere to be seen.

One girl was detained while away from the squat, they probably suspected her as being a person in solidarity.

More in a bit.

YFANET squat

There was one detention of a woman near the squat, but will be set free. Hundreds of people in solidarity arrived in YFANET shortly after the attack happened. Many remain in the area of FABRIKA YFANET, and after having a short assembly, decided another main assembly for tomorrow 6pm in the squat.

There is another information for 2 fascists trying to throw a molotof cocktail at Orfanotrofio squat, that is also in Toumba (same area as YFANET in east Thessaloniki), but they were chased by people from inside. After this many comrades were walking around the squats and some fascists were chased, but most were saved by police forces.

I would like to remind that YFANET squat (old factory) is the largest occupied area in the country, was occupied in 2004, and since two years ago the state has announced that they want to use the place, that triggered actions and a demonstration in solidarity.

PS1. Also yesterday a mechanism with gas canisters was placed near the squat but did not damage anything.

PS2. The collaboration of fascists and the police is once again obvious, but this is nothing new and does not sound strange of abnormal anymore.

ATHENSIMC FRONT PAGE wrote:

Fascistic attack against YFANET Fabrica Squat

Coordinated attack together with fascists and cops against Yfanet Fabrica Squat in Thessaloniki during the night of Tuesday 9th February. Fascists tried to set on fire the squatted factory but they were perceived by people who were inside and chased them away. At the same time, the area got surrended by special pigs’ forces who started throwing chemicals and stones inside the building.
Men and women gathered in solidarity at the Polythecnical school of Aristoteleio University and directed collectively to the squat so they chased the cops away from the spot.

This was the second attack during the day, after the dawn of Tuesday when “unknown” parastatists tried again to set the squat on fire by putting gas-bottles in a garbage bin in front of the building.
Mass Media in turn, with misinformation as a weapon attack in their way trying to mislead the public mind and completely reverse the events.

Open discussion in Thessaloniki: the new citizenship bill. Τuesday 16 February.

Συζήτηση:
Ο νέος νόμος για την ιθαγένεια
Συμμετέχουν: Ομάδα Αλλοδαπών-Μεταναστών Φοιτητών Θεσσαλονίκης, Φόρουμ Μεταναστών Κρήτης, Oμάδα Μεταναστών & Προσφύγων, Κ. Τσιτσελίκης (καθηγητής ΠαΜακ), Σ. Μαρκέτος (καθηγητής ΑΠΘ), Δίκτυο Clandestina
Τρίτη 16 Φλεβάρη, 7.00 μμ
ΕΔΟΘ, Πρ. Κορομηλά 51

Open discussion:
the new citizenship bill
Speaking: Group of Foreign & Immigrant Students (Thessaloniki),
Forum of Immigrants in Crete,
Group of Immigrants and Refugees,
Κ. Τsitselikis (professor UOM),
S. Marketos (professor ΑUTh),
Clandestina network
Τuesday 16 February 7.00 pm
Koromila 51

Bisedë: Ligji i ri për shtetësinë
Marrin pjesë: Grupi i Studentëve Emigrantë & të Huaj Selanik, Forumi i Emigrantëve te Kretes, Grupi emigrantëve politikë dhe ekonomikë, K. Cicelikis (Profesor i universitetit PAMAK), S. Marketos (Profesor i UAS), Rrjeti Clandestina
të Martën 16/2 më orën 19:00
Koromila 51