Multiple Updates From the CCF Prisoner Hunger Strike

March 26th, 2015

Disturbance in the Type C prison – Solidarity to those who fight

From 325.nostate

A small riot happened in E1 wing of Type C prison Domokos where Nikos Maziotis, Giannis Naxakis and Christos Rodopoulos are, it occurred Wednesday morning after the suicide of a Pakistani prisoner. According to reports, detainees destroyed CCTV cameras and caused extensive damage to the wing.

The 42 year-old Pakistani detainee from E2 wing of Domokos was found hanging in his cell, -according to others, the garrison headquarters-, by prison officers at 20:20 on Tuesday night. Reportedly, the 42 year-old committed suicide by making a loop with a sheet.

March 26th, 2015

Urgent: CCF comrade Theofilos Mavropoulos in critical condition

From 325.nostate

Imprisoned member of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, Theofilos Mavropoulos, is in a serious state of worsening health in a critical condition in the hospital. According to the laboratory tests he showed electrolyte imbalance, which is being addressed by physicians, while respecting his personal choice to continue his hunger strike.

This comes as the ‘Ministry of Justice’ gave notice that it would delay the decision about if to release or not the family and relatives of CCF, gambling with their lives. The Ministry is expected to announce a decision tomorrow on that of the CCF relatives, and that of the general demands of the hunger strikers on the 30th March. In this way, prolonging the hungers strike in the hope to annihilate the comrades, the government are gambling with their own lives and all those of the representatives of the Greek state and economic interests. Revenge.

Solidarity with the hunger strike

Immediate satisfaction of the demands

Fire and bloodshed to SY.RIZ.A & ANEL

March 26th, 2015

Hunger Strike: Medical reports of comrades Antonis Stamboulos, Anastasios Theofilou, Nikos Maziotis and Dimitris Koufodinas

From 325.nostate

I, the undersigned doctor, today on 03/25/2015, visited in turn:

Antonis Stamboulos (32 years) in Larissa prison, Anastasios Theofilou (32 years) and Nikos Maziotis (44 years) detainees in the prison of Domokos and wing E1 prison Domokos (Type ‘C) respectively, and Dimitris Koufodinas (57 years) and Kostas Gournas (34 years) hospitalized in secure-hospital Lamia, hunger strikers from 03.02.2015 until today.

All mentioned hunger strikers are on the 24th hunger strike day in a critical condition with now visible symptoms that they are at risk of destabilization of their bodies that may threaten their health and even their very lives.

All strikers have lost 13% -15% of their initial body weight, report feeling weakness, dyspnea, and fatigue on minimal exertion. Exhibiting hypotension, hypoglycemia, hyperuricemia, ketonuria, electrolyte abnormalities and mild mucosal pallor.

Considering the clinical picture, the results of laboratory tests and the particular problems of each, (from their personal history) I point out the seriousness of their situation, and I urge the competent institutions to take responsibility of their part immediately, to avoid any negative development .

The doctor
Pantelia Vergopoulou

March 27th, 2015

Text written by the comrades – hunger strikers Mihalis Nikolopoulos and Damiano Bolano from Evaggelismos hospital

From 325.nostate

Wednesday, March 25, while we’re on the 24th day of hunger strike and our physical condition and health gets worse, we are hastily transferred for hospitalization to Evaggelismos hospital. There, from the first examination, from the pathology clinic and the full care of the hospital doctors, we are “delivered” to the outer guard of Korydallos prison. And there, with the head of the shift (details will be published in the future), a series of disturbances in the form of hazing begin, aiming to affect our psychology and humiliate our personalities, in vain of course.

The story begins the moment when our relatives come to visit us for a few minutes and they were forbidden to. Shall we mention here that there already was an assurance from the council and the prosecution authorities of the prison that both our relatives and our doctors can regularly visit us on a daily basis, as patients. Of course, this was just the beginning. Then, we asked for bottles of water from the canteen, and he refused to give us some. This one, tragic as it may sound, is true. The ultimate surrealism. Paranoia was obvious even from his answer: “Water not, maybe a cup of coffee”. Such a paranoia that even we were dumbfound. And the finishing touch. While we were waiting for some exams, when doctors arrived to take us to the radiological wing, we saw the head of the outer shift bringing a wheelchair with him and wanting to tie us up on it! We told him that we can go walking, normally, in handcuffs, the way we came. Immediately and in a captain’s style, he mentioned that in handcuffs only with hands behind their back (to individuals on hunger strike for 24 days!) or tied up on a wheelchair. While we bluntly mentioned that this can’t happen and that we’re on the 24th day of hunger strike and it is unbearable to be tighten up with hands behind our backs, he turns to the doctor saying “they don’t want to do the exam”. We answered to the doctor that we obviously wanted (to do) the exam, we just wanted them to carry us “in a humane way” with the handcuffs on the front, when he rushed to say “you’re not humans, you’re prisoners”. That was when our limits were reached and he suffered a verbal attack with tones of verbal abuses by us and he went away sending away the doctor and repeating “they don’t want (to do) the exam”.

This specific update is not a “pointless complaint”, but a notification of the incidents that took place here. The answers from all of us, all people of the struggle, won’t be legal complaints, but anarchist action through the “sphere*” of the anarchist struggle. This is why, as we said, in the first chance, we will publish details on the identity of this tormentor.

Until victory

Michalis Nikolopoulos

Damiano Bolano,

Members of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire – FAI/IRF

Evaggelismos Hospital,

26/3/2013

*The word “sphere” and the word “bullet” is the same in Greek

March 27th, 2015

According to a medical report published online, the comrades on hunger strike Panagiotis Argyrou and Fivos Harisis who are hospitalized at Atticon hospital in Athens, have lost 16.8% of their initial body weight and show low blood sugar indications and a high indication of uric acid.

We remind you that both comrades have suffered metabolic acidosis, which makes their health condition particularly critical.

Inter Arma

Text written by the comrade on hunger strike Panagiotis Argyrou

Inter Arma received and translated:

Today, 24/3, I am on the 23rd day of hunger strike until death, along with my other comrades of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire and anarchist comrade Angeliki Spyropoulou, in order for the mother of my comrades Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos and the wife of the latter to be released, who have been in custody for three weeks, under the completely ridiculous and groundless allegations of participation in our organization.

On Tuesday, 17/3, after having suffered a fainting episode, I was rushed to the hospital of Korydallos prison, from where I was directly discharged to an outside hospital because of the poor state of my health. I was transferred to Atticon hospital by ambulance, where, after my persistent refusal to receive serum, the doctors signed my discharge papers and I was returned to the prison’s hospital. After a judge’s order for mandatory hospitalization, I was transferred again on the same day to Atticon, where I am being hospitalized until today. I have to stress out that the judge’s order that was apparently issued by the persecution authorities of Korydallos prison, includes my forced feeding in case I lose my senses or after my refusal to accept treatment with serum, in order to force doctors to bypass my decision to continue the hunger strike until death and to submit me to the torture of forced feeding. Doctors, to their credit, have respected my choice so far and have not attempted to execute the judge’s order.

I ABSOLUTELY CLARIFY, with full awareness and by taking the full responsibility that I will continue my hunger strike until death, until our demand is satisfied. I release the doctors of Attico hospital from any responsibility for whatever happens to me and I consider fully responsible for any bad outcome of my health, the moral instigators of the imprisonment of our relatives and also their political superiors (SY.RIZ.A government, Ministry of Justice), who wash their hands like Pontius Pilate, looking away from the hunger strike until death that is taking place.

Things are on their path. We will either win or the leftist government will count the first dead hunger strikers in Europe after at least 40 years.

Solidarity with all hunger strikers since 02/03, who demand:

a) The abolition of 187/187A

b) The abolition of the hood-law

c) The abolition of the legal context concerning the taking and utilizing DNA samples by the persecuting authorities

d) The abolition of type C prisons

e) The release of the heavily injured Savas Ksiros

Defeat is to give up

Real death is to surrender

Dignity until the end

Panagiotis Argyrou

Member of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire – FAI/IRF

March 27th, 2015

“Either with Anarchy or with authority” by the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire

Inter Arma received and translated:

Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, 25th day of hunger strike – Either with Anarchy or with authority.

It’s already been 25 days that the mother of Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos and the girlfriend of the second one are locked up in the cells of democracy.

We have already been for 25 days on hunger strike until death, demanding their immediate release.

It’s been 25 days and already eight of us are in hospitals with their health condition on the limits.

25 days are not just a number on a calendar, it is the experiment of evolution of repression, with new methods of emotional blackmail against imprisoned anarchist urban guerrillas.

This is not the first time the cardinals of “justice” set up an Inquisition against relatives of imprisoned urban guerrillas. It has happened before in the past, with persecuted relatives who were ultimately acquitted in courtrooms, after they were led as trophies by the police, on the altar of media and journalistic cannibalism. But this is the first time that repression is applied with such intensity against relatives, unleashing pogroms. Three arrests, two detentions and a case file that remains open.

The velvet laws of democracy in a period of leftist management of authority, imposed their own coup, that not even the military junta had dared to impose. During the military junta, when a fugitive and wanted enemy of the regime found shelter in a relative’s house, not even the military judges dared to persecute or imprison their relatives. Today, however, democracy is revealed in an increasingly fascist and vindictive way. Even the illusions of freedom, retreat now. It wears the iron chest of law, to ensure its tyranny. It attacks by imprisoning relatives, counter-terrorism laws, hood-laws, persecutions even for political texts, increased power of the judiciary and the counter-terrorism agency, TV-trials with journalists in the role of prosecutors, raids and searches in houses… This is the background of democratic freedom.

Repression, then, is not just a word. It is not only handcuffs, investigators and locked prison doors. It is, above all, a social relationship. It is a constant promise and guarantee of the balance of power’s horror. So, this is why we say that the case of the detention of our relatives is not just a personal matter. It is the management of fear and an emotional blackmail which starts from the individual, to reach the collective. The goal is one: the complete isolation and permanent elimination of the choice of the anarchist urban guerrilla.

The power and its system knows, now, that the arrests and imprisonment of unrepentant anarchist urban guerrillas will not lead us to any surrender or truce. Even prison, can become the laboratory of subversive situations for people whose captivity did not extinguish the flame of freedom inside them. It is another thing for one to be arrested and another to surrender. The only way that the system invented to neutralize us, is to isolate us politically, through journalistic slander, and to make us hostages, held not only by the State BUT also by our choices, which now have an impact on our associates, leading them to prison.

Currently, the blackmail of authority is clear: We either make a truce or our relatives will remain in prison. These are the practices of real organized crime and mafia…

Towards the terror dilemma, we answer with the dilemma of dignity and combat – they will either release our relatives, or they will deal with the torching of social peace, on the background of the hunger strike and the interactive relationship of combat and the attack it creates.

Of course, repression has an expansionary intention, as it wishes for fear to take up every possibility of subversive relationship and action. The pre-trial detentions of our relatives work as the forefront of fear, aiming to generalize it. It is no coincidence that, in the investigative offices, they possess and have checked the books of the visits we had in prison since 2011… It is no coincidence that in the courts against us, not only is the name of everyone present kept in the cops’ files, but they’re also “mapped” (even photographed) by the counter-terrorist officers and the undercover cops inside the court room. So, the message is clear- since they didn’t hesitate to imprison our relatives, then every comrade in solidarity can be found captive in an investigative office because they helped us financially, because they sent us a letter, because they talked to us… Here’s the point where the puzzle of repression is being set up. The counter-terrorism law describes exactly this condition – “Whoever helps morally or financially a terrorist organization, can be charged with being a member of it”. The more indefinite power is, the more totally it governs… So, the counter-terrorism law wished to repress every expression of solidarity. In what other way could the term “moral help” be interpreted? This way, everything is placed on the vice of repression. Moral help can even be to send a book to a prisoner or distribute a text of theirs, or even to publish it on counter-information sites. The same goes for the financial help. Collectives funding political prisoners for their living inside prison, can be targeted.

The wager set against the onslaught of fear is demanding and unconditional. We can reverse the terms and make fear change side. Towards the fear of repression, we can stand up with the stubbornness and the decision to attack, with no truce. The beginning of the judicial coup that imprisoned our relatives can be the starting point of a restart of rupture and battle for total liberation. The hunger strike is a mound of dignity against the suffocating siege of laws. The hunger strike can work as a detonator that may trigger a fairly heterogeneous explosive mixture. It is a meeting point that, on the background of the invasion of the police and judicial state, it connects people of fight, regardless of the individual starting points, the specialties and one’s differences. In no case do we promote the fake “unity”, projecting the collective amnesia of the ruptures that have taken place. It is not a fake “all together”, but an imperative “now it is the time to act”. The challenge set by the enemy with our relatives’ imprisonment, goes over the individuals’ likes and dislikes and this is why it can release a huge dynamic. The dynamic of the sharpening of the constant anarchist attack against every form of power. There, in the attack does one discover him/herself and his/her desires. And we can argue again tomorrow, if we want… But, today, it is time for decisions.

Either with Anarchy or with authority

HUNGER STRIKE UNTIL DEATH FROM 2/3,

FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE CCF MEMBERS’ RELATIVES

NO TRUCE, LONG LIVE ANARCHY

Conspiracy of Cells of Fire – FAI/IRF,

Prison Cell

Two solidarity demos for hungerstrike comrades outside Lamia hospital

25.03: Solidarity demonstration by anarchists outside the Lamia Hospital where the hunger striking comrades D.Koufontinas and K.Gournas have been hospitalized (D.Koufontinas has stopped his hunger strike now*, K.Gournas remains on strike). The rooms that the comrades are in have small windows and both comrades responded to the chants and presence of the demonstrators with raised fists.

Second Solidarity Demo Outside Lamia Hospital on 27.03.15

Check out more infos at this blog: http://anarxikoilamias.squat.gr/

–

*Dimitris Koufodinas wrote the following statement: “After the filing of the bill in the House of the Ministry of Justice, which satisfies our basic demands, I interrupt the 2 March hunger strike. The struggle continues. Dimitris Koufodinas, Lamia Hospital, 27/3/2015″.

March 28th, 2015

Text written by the comrade on hunger strike Haris Hatzimihelakis from Gennimatas hospital

Inter Arma received and translated:

On Tuesday 24/3, I was transferred to the general hospital of G. Genimatas in Athens because of my deteriorated health after 22 days of hunger strike. Today, Friday, while writing this I am now in the 25th day of strike and I have lost 15.5 kg of my initial body weight of 84.5 kg. And in a similar situation are also the other hunger strikers, members of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, most of whom are hospitalized in various hospitals at the moment. Our demand for the release from the clearly retaliatory custody of the mother of the comrades Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos and the wife of the latter has become a “ball” in the hands of the judicial circles, which move the date of reviewing it from week to week, motivated either by an unprecedented disregard for our life or an active effort to cause irreversible damage to our health which deteriorates rapidly. More specifically, although the prosecutor handling the case has made a positive proposal on Tuesday 17/3 neither of the councils handling the cases of the relatives of the comrades has reviewed the request for replacement of custody with a release on bail. Meanwhile, the political leadership stands defiantly indifferent to the judicial practices, likes of which we have not seen throughout the post-junta history of Greece. Apparently the “left” SYRIZA government is not interested in the fact that family is officially being criminalized for the first time and relatives of political prisoners are being detained clearly in an vindictive way with ridiculous and loose accusations.

I, from my side, declare that for every effect that the hunger strike may have on my health (which from this point on is tragically possible) the Political and Judicial authority which arranges the physical and moral annihilation of the hunger strikers, is solely responsible.

NOT A STEP BACK

IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE RELATIVES OF THE CONSPIRACY OF CELLS OF FIRE

VICTORY TO ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS ON HUNGER STRIKE

Haris Hatzimihelakis

Member of the Conspiracy of Cell of Fire FAI/IRF

Friday 27/03/2015

P.S. I salute all solidarity gestures both in Greece and abroad. Comrades your actions give us strength.

Solidarity and complicity with Alfredo Cospito and Nicola Gai. Brothers your words burn like fire in my heart.

March 28th, 2015

Text written by the comrades – hunger strikers Giorgos Polydoros and Gerasimos Tsakalos from Tzanio hospital

Inter Arma received and translated:

UNTIL THE END…

We continue the hunger strike for the 27th day and are now hospitalized in Tzanio hospital. Our health may be at a “worrying point” as doctors say, but this does not affect us at all. Let us make ourselves clear once again. There is no return from our choice to die if necessary in order to stop the vindictive detention of the mother of Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos and the partner of the latter. We are people that keep their word and we will remain consistent as anarchists in it. We will not step back. It may sound strange to some, the fact that we are on hunger strike without asking anything for ourselves, but we could not leave this vindictive witch hunt pass. Punishing our relatives for our choices, is a fascist practice. From this position, we can only attempt to put a stop to these practices – by hunger strike. We sincerely thank the comrades who help in all ways the struggle that we give in here to be heard by making solidarity action outside. We will not take even one step back. We do not stop. We are determined to rather die than to accept the idea of ​​our relatives in prison. Until the end and let everyone take his/hers responsibilities.

NEITHER LEFT NOT RIGHT AUTHORITY

DEATH TO THE ENEMIES OF FREEDOM… UNTIL VICTORY

Solidarity and strength to all hunger strikers

Gerasimos Tsakalos
Giorgos Polydoros

Members of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire – FAI/IRF

PS1. Our thoughts are with all the comrades on hunger strike in hospitals in Greece and especially with Mihalis and Damiano who suffer in the hospital of Evangelismos, known for its history of torturing urban guerrillas during their hospitalization there. Stay strong brothers until victory.

PS2. After the well-aimed intervention in Tzanio hospital by some comrades in the past days, in response to the behavior of the hospital towards anarchist hunger striker Fivos Harisis, the behavior of the medical staff towards us is the one that suits to hunger strikers.

–

Update on comrades – hunger strikers Giorgos Polydoros and Gerasimos Tsakalos

Inter Arma received and translated:

Gerasimos Tsakalos suffers from very strong headaches almost permanently on a daily basis as a result of the multi-day hunger strike. Giorgos Polydoros has α very low pulse (36-40 beats per minute) in combination with low pressure (8/4) which means an immediate risk for a heart attack. Both have already problems with their liver and bile.

March 29, 2015

A few words by anarchist Giannis Naxakis concerning the incidents that took place in Domokos prisons on Wednesday 25.3.15

Actforfree receives:

The suffocating and authoritarian world reserved for us its most vicious
reality, the experience of living in physical incarceration, the tough consequence
of a dangerous adventure. Living the existing dystopia, we come up against the horror of the smell of death
more and more often, more and more subtly.

Suicide in prison is the fact that speaks better than anything concerning this institution. This time however some of us in this prison-symbol of the institution, when hearing of the suicide of this prisoner of Pakistani origin who had stated his concerns, showed a sign of life by trashing the area of the wing, releasing in this way also much of the oppression accumulated inside us, having come to live in the opposite extreme of our desires.

The director and his mob of correctional officers hidden behind the fortification of the wing’s outpost, received -even if just for a bit- a taste of guilt for the disgraceful role they play in this world.
For sure smashed windows and the destroyed instalation of electronic control cannot mitigate all the disgust encompassed in this world. The disgust is here, its there, its everywhere and will always exist. Its how we stand before it that matters…

STRENGTH TO THE HUNGER STRIKERS OF DAK (COMBATIVE PRISONERS NETWORK) AND DOMOKOS

P.S. Ch. Rodopoulos had no involvement in the incidents as it was reported.

Giannis Naxakis
Wing E1, Domokos prisons
27/3/2015

Germany – Frankfurt in flames: burn cops cars and clash with riot cops at opening of European Central Bank’s new HQ

London: Burning barricades as ‘para-military operation’ launched against squatters on Aylesbury estate

inthebellyofthebeast receives & transmits:

17th Feburary 2015

On Tuesday (corrected) night Southwark council workers along with 100 cops attacked squatters on the abandoned Aylesbury housing estate (one of the largest in Europe), in a ‘para-military’ operation.

The cops & council workers were prevented from entering the squatted building earlier in the evening by a burning barricade of mattresses and a steel sheets. An army of TSG (Tactical Support Group, riot police unit) then descended upon the other steel plated entrance with angle grinders, as sparks started to fly a ferocious resistance ensued, the squatters preventing the cops from entering for two whole hours, as they pelted the cops with any object to hand and broke their angle grinder several times.

Meanwhile as the eviction took place another building was occupied by the squatters just next door, to the embarrassment of the authorities, a building that had previously been squatted but evicted by force by council workers and cops in previous days.

The Alyesbury estate is due to be demolished during the first phase of a £1.5billion, 18-year ‘gentrification’ of the estate. The squatters, who moved in on January 31 (corrected), object to the scheme and other large ‘social cleansing’ operations that have been taking place at speed in London in the last decade. One squatter claimed that “What’s going on here is effectively social cleansing to make London a nice ‘clean’ place for the rich. A group of us wanted to stand in the way of that so we took over some of the flats as an act of solidarity.”

As the night went on a large mob had formed in solidarity with the squatters inside the newly occupied building as it became apparent from threats by the cops that an attack was imminent on the new building too, with accusations of ‘criminal damage’ being used as a pretext. Many anti-gentrification and anti-cop slogans could be heard coming defiantly from the occupied block, creating an energy in the mob below. Then the TSG violently attacked the crowd outside arresting individuals violently with snatch squads, who they later accused of assaulting cops in the earlier resistance, others of incitement and further assault upon cops. The mob were incensed by the violent arrests and attacks upon them, leading to fights between the TSG and the mob.

A siege ensued between the occupiers and the TSG late into the night. In the mean time the cops put a ‘dispersal order’ on the whole estate in an attempt to break the solidarity between the group outside and those inside the block. Fortunately for those inside the group kept on coming back despite the police moving them on each time, managing to bring much needed supplies.

As of now the occupation on Aylesbury estate continues with the police hardly present. The squatters were allowed to leave and enter as they please but now security has been employed to try to prevent them from doing so. The arrestees have all been released now with trials occurring at later dates.

The conflict occurring on Aylesbury estate is a light in the darkness that is the belly of the beast, the signal fire that burns must lead to others. The unabated ‘social cleansing‘ that is occurring in London against those who do not fit into authority’s image of the perfect city, must be answered with a violence that signals the breakout, instigated by those who do not consume, who refuse the slavery of work, who taint the glass palaces that rise in the urban nightmare, those caught in the prison being built around us.

The city has never been for those who refuse to obey!
It must burn instead, not negotiated with, we do not fit within their plan of a cleansed urban landscape, their regimented excuse for life!
Lets lay waste everyday of our lives to the prison that is the city, finally taking our existence back amongst ashes left behind!

ps All TSG are targets!

 

Berlin: 2 vehicles of the prison industry torched in run up to the opening of the European Central Bank – Destroika takes responsibility (Germany)

In the night between the 28th and 29th of January 2015, Destroika struck in Berlin, and two prison industry vehicles turned into ruins. Through these pinpricks, we will limit the flexibility of the relevant companies. A van of Wisag in Lichtenberg and another of Sodexo in Moabit came under attack.

The company WISAG provides, in addition to the exploitative cleaning sector, security staff for transport services such as the BVG transport company in Berlin, and is responsible for filling the Berlin prisons of fare-dodgers, with ticket inspectors plain-clothed as well as in uniform.

The company Sodexo now runs five prisons in the UK under their own responsibility since the privatisation of the British justice system. In addition, Sodexo is blacklisted in Belgium for their involvement in deportation prisons, besides providing facility management services to deportation lagers in Germany. The company is owned by the Zehnacker group, which is presented in this way: “As a partner of the armed forces, we accompany them in their operational areas at home and abroad. Our mission is to take care of both the troops and their command for a better quality of life. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice, Sodexo plans and delivers solutions that contribute to smooth operations in correctional facilities. In all our activities, we respect our values and ethical principles. Our work in this domain is further proof of our strong commitment to society.”

Freedom for the prisoners of Operation Pandora and all the others!

On the 18th of March 2015 off to Frankfurt – to reduce the European Central Bank to ruins and ashes!

Autonomous Group “Muslim H.”

(Muslim H., originally from Kosovo, was 28 years old when he was killed by 8 screws in the prison of Landshut on May 24th, 2014, in revenge for his successful resistance to his deportation to Hungary.)

Translation note: On January 30th, the remaining seven prisoners of Operation Pandora were released on conditional bail.

– ContraInfo

http://325.nostate.net/?p=14571

Kadıkoy, Istanbul: Anarchist solidarity with imprisoned anarchists in Spain Prisons (Turkey)

January 23, 2015 by actforfreedomnow

Last night, anarchist groups called ‘Anarchist Front’ and ‘Shadowlesses’, took an action in support of imprisoned anarchists after Pandora Operations in Kadıköy. With black flags and masks, anarchists started to march to a street much used, attack to the ATM’s, bank windows and some capitalist shops like Adidas and chanted for solidarity with anarchists prisoners in Spain and all around the world.

During march, anarchists took down dustbins to blokade roads and attack some ATM’s and multinational capitalist shops. Also, they spoke out about the situation of imprisoned anarchists in Spain prisons. And they chanted: “İnsurrection, Destruction, Anarchy, Long Live Statelesness of People, Freedom for Anarchist Prisoners”.

http://actforfree.nostate.net/?p=18790

6 Ways Cops Have Used Sex to Infiltrate and Disrupt Protest Groups

by Michael Loadenthal on January 20, 2015

Editor’s note: Environmental activist Eric McDavid was recently released after nine years in prison following a court ruling where the government acknowledged withholding evidence during his trial. New evidence has surfaced of how an FBI informant, “Anna,” not only attempted to coerce the group into illegal actions, but used McDavid’s romantic feelings for her to entrap him. Such devious tactics by law enforcement are unfortunately not unique. This is a case study by Professor Michael Loadenthal of how police have used sexual relationships in the pursuit of activist surveillance.

Policing Through Sexual Infiltration

“It must be a horrifying experience to discover that your partner is not the person they say they are; that they may have been relaying information provided in confidence ‘on the pillow’, to the state; and that the fundamentals of the relationship were lies. Many have described the sense of violation they feel.” – Tamsin Allen

The exploitation of human sexuality is a well-known pressure point in the repression of social movements. Typically such measures are thought to be reserved for military conflicts involving complex, multi-tiered, counter-insurgency campaigns, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Throughout the first and second Palestinian uprisings, Israeli intelligence forces regularly recruited Palestinians for collaboration after first documenting them in precarious sexual situations. Classically, Israeli handlers would observe and record a Palestinian engaging in extra-marital, homosexual, or otherwise ‘deviant’ sexual behaviors and then leverage the publicity of these filmed vices in exchange for actionable intelligence leading to the capture of wanted Palestinian fighters and activists.

Though such methods may be more familiar to students of ‘traditional’ warfare, the collection of intelligence through the exploitation of trusted social network is a common domestic policing strategy as well. A 2014 study demonstrated that 81% of “law enforcement professionals” use social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) in their investigations, and that 80% agree that the creation and management of fake social media profiles is an “ethical” practice in law enforcement. In 2011, the British press was made aware of several undercover police agents who were infiltrating protest movements throughout a 40-year period. Of the seven undercover officers initially exposed, five were found to have had sexual relationships with women. Often times these were women the officers were tasked with monitoring. These sexual liaisons between cop and activist were the product of misrepresentation. Subsequent investigation into the actions of these officers exposed 10 individuals, nine of which who had sexual relationships with activists.

The following will provide brief biographical profiles of these individuals. In doing so it is my hope that movements can learn from these examples and improve our resistance to infiltration and disruption. The purpose of these methods is to reverberate distrust, fear, uncertainty, suspicion and divisions amongst our friendship circles, our communities and our wider social networks.

Bob Lambert

Bob Lambert, posing as Bob Robinson, infiltrated leftist and animal liberation networks, using a job at Greenpeace London as an activist cover, and targeting activists affiliated with the ALF. Between May 1987-November 1988, Lambert was engaged in a sexual relationship with a 24-year-old female, not affiliated with political activism, whom he met at a party. Lambert reportedly maintained the relationship for 18 months to create the background of a personal life for his projected activist persona. To this end, Lambert even arranged to have his own home raided by police to show that he was a ‘known activist.’ In total, Lambert spent 26 years in the Metropolitan Police’s Special Branch (including the Special Demonstration Squad), and recently issued an apology for the relationship stating:

I also apologise unreservedly for forming false friendships with law abiding citizens and in particular forming a longterm relationship with [the woman] who had every reason to think I was a committed animal rights activist and a genuine London Greenpeace campaigner.

Not only was Lambert involved with the unnamed 24-year-old, but a year or so prior, he also had a sexual relationship with a second female whom he fathered a child with before disappearing. Lambert met the female activist whom he was meant to spy on in the “mid-1980s” and had a son with her in 1985 before breaking up in 1987. When the child was two years old, the female activist married a second man and Lambert surrendered his paternal rights. The woman came forward in early 2013 after seeing Lambert’s 1980s picture in a newspaper and recognizing it as that of her long lost ex-boyfriend and the father of their son. The woman reports that she met Lambert in 1984, and became involved in animal rights and involving herself in direct action networks. In 2013 Lambert admitted to having relationships with four women while undercover. Throughout this infiltration, Lambert was also legally married. Lambert is one of at least two UK police infiltrators that fathered a child with a female activist who was targeted for surveillance.

In addition to his service as a police agent and sexual infiltrator, Lambert also served as an agent provocateur carrying our acts of property destruction, including the use of arson, and attributing such actions to the ALF. According to Member of Parliament Caroline Lucas, in testimony given to Parliament, Lambert was responsible for placing and detonating an incendiary device in the Harrow, northwest London branch of the Debenhams department store in 1987 in protest of its selling of fur.

Lambert is also said to have admitted his involvement in the arson to a female activist. The arson was part of a three site simultaneous attacks with only two perpetrators arrested. According to testimony from one of the convicted arsonists Caroline Lucas as well as other evidence, Lambert was the third participant. Lambert, as expected, has denied these accusations but proudly asserts his role in providing intelligence that led to the arrest of the other two arsonists. The fires caused £7-8 million in damages and according to some, were instrumental in motivating the chain to cease the selling of animal fur. The purpose of the attack was for Lambert to garner credibility amongst his ALF community and convince them he was a committed activist.

Lambert played other key roles in the animal rights community penning an ALF leaflet explaining the group’s philosophy and even co-writing the infamous McLibel leaflet in 1986 which defamed McDonalds and led to the longest civil trial in UK history. During his dating and sexual exploits, Lambert also used his role as the boyfriend of an activist to encourage more militant action. According to “Charlotte,” one of Lambert’s sexual partners, “He would tease me for not being committed enough…he got me to become more involved in ‘direct action.’”

Mark John Kennedy

Police Constable Mark Kennedy, posing as Mark “Flash” Stone, infiltrated environmental and leftist networks for approximately eight years (~2001-2009) in the area of Nottingham (sometimes working alongside a female spy playing the role of an “eco-activist”), hosting meetings with activists in up to 23 countries including the United States, and participating as an activist in illegal actions including blockades, site occupations and sabotage, sometimes playing key logistical roles such as transport. In numerous accounts from activists, Kennedy is portrayed as a provocateur, encouraging activists to commit acts of violence including attacking police. For his work, stone was paid £50,000 annually, plus an additional £200,000 annually given for “bribes, drinks, accommodation, a vehicle and travel abroad to meet other anarchists.” During this time, Kennedy presented himself as an “avid rock climber and former drug smuggler,” maintained a four year relationship with a 26-year-old, female activist named Anna who reports having sexual intercourse with Kennedy more than 20 times. After Kennedy’s true identity was revealed, Anna spoke to the news media stating, “‘If somebody was being paid to have sex with me, that gives me a sense of having been violated.”

In addition to this relationship, Kennedy reports sleeping with a second female Welsh activist, though testimony from “those who knew him best” suggests that more female activists were likely victimized. It was this second female that exposed Kennedy after discovering his legitimate passport while on vacation with the spy in July 2010. Anna, Kennedy’s first activist girlfriend, stated to The Guardian that there were “several other women within the protest movement who Kennedy slept with,” but that while she knew he was sleeping with these additional women, “there was never any type of romance involved.” After his police handlers became aware of his “erratic sexual conduct” he became the subject of surveillance, wherein police officials videotaped him having sexual contact with female activists. While Kennedy joked about his use of “horizontal interrogation techniques” with activists, he maintained a second life with his wife Edel, and their two children. Kennedy defended his actions, stating that sexual promiscuity was common within the protest movement. “It was a very promiscuous scene. Some people had five or six lovers…Girls on protest sites would sleep with guys in order to entice them to stay in these horrible places: Cold, wet, with bad food and nonexistent bathroom facilities.”

Since the exposure of Kennedy as a police spy, international activists have compiled an open-source, online, database attempting to document the host of protests, meetings and convergences in which he attended. Using the Powerbase platform, activists have linked Kennedy to at least 68 incidents, some covering multiple years. According to Kennedy, he was one of 15 police spies who had infiltrated environmental movements; at least four of these spies remain embedded in UK protest movements. After Kennedy’s infiltration became public knowledge, and he left law enforcement, he used his wealth of insider knowledge for personal financial gain, establishing a series of companies (e.g. Tokra Limited, Black Star High Access) thought to be private consulting firms. In a report by The Guardian, Kennedy used the privileged access he gained in police infiltration campaigns to act as a “corporate spy” while still maintaining his Mark Stone alter ego. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that Kennedy was working for a second spy firm in the US, Densus Group, targeting “anti-capitalist demonstrators.”Kennedy claims that during his sexual exploits, his police handlers “sanctioned” his actions, stating that some echelons of British policing was aware of his sexual relationships. Acpo president, Sir Hugh Orde told Members of Parliament that “he had no knowledge of the [Kennedy] case until the Guardian disclosed the prosecution of six activists…collapsed because of Kennedy’s role in it.” According to Kennedy, he was one of 15 police spies who had infiltrated environmental movements; at least four of these spies remain embedded in UK protest movements. While the UK’s infiltration efforts targeting social movements date back to at least to anti-war campaigners in 1968, the pervasiveness of establishing sexual partnerships appears to be a newly intentional strategy.

Andrew James Boyling (aka Jim Boyling)

Detective Constable Jim Boyling, 28-years-old, posing as Pete James Sutton or Jim Sutton 34-years-old, infiltrated pro-bicycle movement Reclaim the Streets for five years (1995-2000) as a lead organizer, as well as having contact with additional environmental and hunt saboteur campaigns. During this time events were organized within the activist community designed solely to collect information on attendees. During his time within activist movements, Boyling married Angharad Bevan, the 28-year-old activist he was tasked to monitor, and fathered two children with her before divorcing. Boyling only made his superiors aware of his relationship in 2005 by informing a single senior officer close to the time he married Beven. His relationship with Beven was one of two sexual relationships Boyling had with females in activist networks while undercover. Both relationships were described as “serious.” At times Boyling worked directly under Bob Lambert, with Lambert acting as his handler.

Following Boyling’s exposure, Chief Constable Jon Murphy of Merseyside (NW England) told newspapers that sexual conduct between police agents and activists was “never acceptable…under any circumstances,” further stating in relation to the police infiltrators that “something has gone badly wrong here” and calling the undercover agent’s actions “grossly unprofessional…a diversion from what they are here to do…[and] morally wrong.”. Despite such grandstanding, Boyling’s ex-wife stated in an interview with The Guardian that superiors were knowledgeable of these incidents, stating:

Jim [Boyling] complained one day that his superiors said there was to be no more sexual relations with activists anymore – the implicit suggestion was that they were fully aware of this before and that it hadn’t been restricted in the past…[Jim Boyling] was scoffing at it saying that it was impossible not to expect people to have sexual relations. He said people going in had ‘needs’ and I felt really insulted. He also claimed it was a necessary tool in maintaining cover.

Boyling also reportedly perjured himself in court in 1997, giving evidence under oath (as Pete James Sutton) while concealing his true identity as a police spy during his prosecution alongside protestors arrested after occupying a government office.

Boyling was also present during legally protected conversations held between defendants and their lawyers, as the police spy was represented by the same legal firm. This action has led to a legal challenge where protestors have argued that Boyling’s presence during such conversations violated the defendants’ right to protected communications with council, and that Boyling thus obtained information through protected, private correspondences. Investigations by The Guardian revealed that “police chiefs [had] authorized undercover officers to hide their identities from courts when they were prosecuted for offences arising out of their deployment.”

Mark Jacobs

Mark Jacobs, 44-years-old, posing as 29-year-old Marco, infiltrated anarchist, anti-globalization, animal rights, and other social justice networks for five years (2004-2009) in the Cardiff area. Jacobs was known for taking on logistics and financial roles in his circles, and used the reputation he built within the Cardiff Anarchist Network (CAN) to infiltrate the Dissent! anti-G8 planning committees. During 2008, Jacobs maintained a sexual relationship with a female movement activist, and reportedly was responsible for encouraging CAN to engage behaviors to increase division and inebriation. On organizer with CAN reported to press:

He changed the culture of the organisation, encouraging a lot of drinking, gossip and back stabbing, and trivialised and ran down any attempt made by anyone in the group to achieve objectives. He clearly aimed to separate and isolate certain people from the group and from each other, and subtly exaggerated political and personal differences, telling lies to both ‘sides’ to create distrust and ill-feeling. In the four years he was in Cardiff a strong, cohesive and active group had all-but disintegrated. Marco left after anarchist meetings in the city stopped being held.

Following Jacobs’ exposure as a police spy, his activist girlfriend stated, “I was doing nothing wrong, I was not breaking the law at all. So for him to come along and lie to us and get that deep into our lives was a colossal, colossal betrayal.” According to additional testimony, a second female also maintained a dating relationship with Jacobs but littler more information is available.

John Dines

Sergeant John Dines, posing as “John Barker” infiltrated London Greenpeace as well as unnamed anti-capitalist groups from around 1987-1992. He worked with the Metropolitan Police’s Special Demonstration Squad and began infiltrating Greenpeace following the departure of Bob Lambert. In 1990, Dines began a relationship with Helen Steel, and abandoned her in 1992 feigning a mental breakdown. When Steel sought to track down the whereabouts of her boyfriend, she discovered that John Barker was really Sgt. John Dines who had stolen the name of Phillip John Baker, a child who had died of leukemia years prior. Steel also discovered that Dines has been married since 1977.

The Dines/Barker case is said to be one of at least 80 similar occurrences organized by Scotland Yard over a 30 year period wherein police adopted the names of dead children in order to produce false identities and documents with verifiable back stories. Other police spies utilizing sexual infiltration, including Bob Lambert, also used the identities of dead children to create false names and documents. According to Lambert he adopted his identity from that of a seven-year-old child who died of a heart problem, and stated to media sources that the UK Home Office was aware of this practice, and that it was widespread.

Mark Jenner

Mark Jenner, presenting himself as “Mark Cassidy,” infiltrated UK protest groups from 1994-2000 as an officer in the Metropolitan Police’s Special Demonstration Squad under the direction of Bob Lambert. During his tenure, Jenner was married yet maintained a five year relationship (1995-2000) with a 29-year-old female activist, living with her in a London apartment and rarely returning to his family. After their lengthy cohabitation, the woman explained that she thought of themselves as “man and wife” having “completely integrated [Jenner] into my life.” Jenner met the woman’s family and even appeared in her mother’s wedding photographs and videos from other family events. The woman explained that Jenner used her as an “excellent cover story.”

Jenner used the woman’s credibility and trusted social network to insure his own cover story, as she explains, “People trusted me, people knew that I was who I said I was, and people believed, therefore, that he must be who he said he was because he was welcomed into my family.” Given this history, the woman was motivated to investigate his identity after Jenner disappeared in 2000 from their shared apartment stating that he was depressed. In testimony given to a Parliamentary inquiry, the woman, speaking via the pseudonym “Alison,” spoke of the deception stating, “It has impacted seriously on my ability to trust, and that has impacted on my current relationships and other subsequent relationships. It has also distorted my perceptions of love and my perceptions of sex.”

Further Inquiry

According to activists, at least two additional undercover informants were also present and had sexual relationships with activists. They have been named as Rod Richardson and Simon Wellings. According to Evans and Lewis, Richardson was not sexually involved with activists. While it is unknown if Wellings had relations with activist women, his behavior mirrors that of other informants, collecting and reporting on the personal details of activists such as their friendship circles as well as sexual preferences and partners. It is reported by the BBC that Wellings infiltrated anti-capitalist group Globalize Resistance from 2001-2005.

Michael Loadenthal has been involved in a number of political projects around the world for the past 15 years, and at present splits his time as an adjunct professor (Georgetown University & George Mason University), Dean’s Merit Fellow (George Mason University) and research fellow (University of Cincinnati/Hebrew Union College). He can be reached at michael.loadenthal@gmail.com. For a more detailed analysis, view his article in Critical Studies on Terrorism. You can read more at: http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/6-ways-cops-used-sex-infiltrate-disrupt-protest-groups/8146/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenIsTheNewRed+%28Green+Is+The+New+Red.com%29

Four people arrested after solidarity actions with arrestees of New Year Punk Gig in Minsk (Belarus)

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 organized 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.

Read the original at: http://abc-belarus.org/?p=5539&lang=en

To Obey Authority

 

 

   

 

To obey, to submit to your authority. You tell us to get on the ground. You shoot us down in the streets if we do not obey, if we do not submit.

To obey for the sake of obeying, a cowardice endeavor. One which carries no weight, lest that weight be a boot on the back of the neck of those who submit, for there is no safety in submitting to tyrants.

The oppressed, many obey out of fear. A fear kicked into the teeth and skulls of millions of unprivileged souls.

The facade, the grand veil pulled over the eyes of all those proud patriots believing in empty promises of parchment privileges written by dead capitalists.

To resist, a valiant act. One which is most admirable. To cast oneself into the throes of uncertainty opposing the monotony of our sold existence.

To be asleep, to drone under the tide not putting your head above the water to see the bleakness of tomorrow’s wave of everlasting sorrow.

To profit, a theft of life. To claim something falsely with no owner, stealing from the mouths of the poor to feed an overweight system of oppression. A cancer that runs deep into the tissue of a once healthy cell. you tell us that there’s no other way, that we must sell our lives so that you may grow. You tell us that we must obey your authority.

Authority, something which does not exist.

 

There’s no such thing as authority.