International call out April 17-23, 2017 for decentralized actions in solidarity with comrades accused of bank-robbery in Aachen (Germany)

In 2015, a comrade from Amsterdam was arrested. She was accused of having participated in a robbery in 2013 against the Aachener bank in Aachen. After a few months spent in preventive and several weeks of trial, she was finally acquitted and released. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that the Aachen Prosecutor’s Office will appeal this verdict and go to the revision court.

In April and June 2016, two other comrades, this time from Barcelona, were arrested and incarcerated by the spanish state, accused by the same prosecution office of having participated in another bank robbery. The two were then extradited to germany in June 2016, where they have since been under the U-Haft regime (investigative preventive prison). The trial against them began in January 2017 in the Aachen Justice complex and it is scheduled to run until May 22, 2017.

It does not come as a surprise to us that those who oppose and fight against the misery of this world forged on domination are attacked, prosecuted and punished. We are not interested in discussing about guilt or innocence, it is the language that belongs to our enemies and we refuse it. Our enemies follow the logic of separation and categorization of individuals, in order to then have the possibility of locking up the undesirables. We share with the accused comrades an aversion to this system, and towards the prison system which perpetuates the distinction between good citizens and those who deserve to be punished.

We hate all the repressive infrastructures of all States, just as all the far-reaching tentacles of the Church, with its long tradition of oppression. The Church is part of the State, linked directly to banks and participating in the maintenance of the control that is imposed on us daily.

Considerable steps have been taken in the development and the role of repression in our daily lives. New technologies and progress in the deciphering of DNA, biometric analysis, surveillance cameras, …. So many instruments used to study, scrutinize and control. They also represent part of the structure, part of our enemy, against which we take a position and which we want to destroy.

The collaboration of the police, judges and investigators from different States is an old strategy that has been updated in Europe to contribute to a faster, clearer and more cruel Capitalist system.

With our veins filled with rage, strength and courage, we set off to the streets. Reinforced with every repressive blow, we stand by our comrades. We show them through the continuation of our struggles and through our solidarity the desire for the destruction of a system we do not want or need.

This is a call to solidarity with the anarchists accused of robbery in Aachen. It is a call to maintain the links between the rebels and the oppressed wherever possible throughout the world.

We use our instruments to sabotage and attack, destroying the structure of power. We use our imagination to express our solidarity in all its variations while our passion inspires us to continue our struggles.

We therefore call to express solidarity with the comrades in the week between April 17th to 23rd.

Nothing is finished, our struggles continue! Until all are free!
Solidarity with comrades on trial in Aachen.

Freedom for them! Freedom for all!
For revolt! For anarchy!

February 2017

‘Down with patriarchy: On the social, racist & patriarchal problems faced by women in prison’ – Letter from imprisoned anarchist comrade (Germany)

Here we publish a letter from our anarchist comrade who is locked up in a German prison, in Köln, since several months. She is accused of carrying out a bank robbery in Aachen and is already facing the trial. She wrote this letter in the context of the 8th of March, International Day of Women’s Struggle.

Down with patriarchy: On the social, racist & patriarchal problems faced by women in prison

It is generally well known that German society is rife with inequality. The upper classes are secure and cared for, they have no existential concerns and, despite all the wider problems of the world, they are able to offer their children a promising future which is not available to the under classes. Whilst a small minority of people are able to get richer, the majority are left to exist on the bare minimum, working for a shitty low wage and constantly being pushed towards pointless consumption so that the profit driven system that we live in can continue to function.

While some sun themselves on their extravagantly expensive yachts in the Mediterranean, or get flown around the globe in their private jets, many cannot afford to go on holiday once in their lives, or to pay their rent or electricity bill or to buy a couple of new teeth. While the super-rich save their abundant wealth from taxes by securing it in off-shore tax havens or mailbox companies, for which they never face any serious judicial proceedings, the poor are doing months or years in prison for fines or petty crimes- for sums of money that the rich spend in minutes on a daily basis.

The state and the media promote the idea that every child is born into a world of equal opportunity, but every child knows that those who are rich and powerful don’t end up in prison because they are able to afford an expensive, good lawyer. Those who have a bad lawyer or, due to social or racist reasons, are perceived as one of the ‘usual suspects’ are simply dealt a bad hand. Those who aren’t able to use the German language or who aren’t able to read or write have practically no chances of being defended and are constantly dependent on the help of others which is often not available. Society doesn’t care about any of this. As per usual an image of the enemy is created around the idea of the criminal foreigner, the Arabic and north African terrorist and the dangerous refugee who should all be either locked up or deported as quickly as possible. Germany likes to promote itself as a country that is open to the world and that takes in refugees but this is only the case when they either successfully integrate into the work system so that they can be profited from, or when they allow themselves to be labelled as victims. When, however, they come to Germany as families or in their so called ‘gangs’ logically hoping to find a better way to survive in a richer country where people have more than they do, then they are not only locked up or deported but are also made an example of and used to justify xenophobic politics. For the state this is all about the protection of the rich and their property. Those who reject this notion of ownership will be punished hardest. Prisons are filled with so called burglars, fraudsters, robbers and thieves, not with murderers and rapists as is so often presented. And of course the quota of foreigners is very high but not because foreigners are more criminal than Germans are but because in general they belong to the under-classes. In a land of immigrants like Germany this was always the case and this is how it will stay.

There is another point that must be mentioned here that perhaps even surpasses the already stated inequalities and structural oppressions: patriarchal violence. And that affects the women in prison even more. Women make up a tiny percentage of the prison population. As a whole and for this reason their needs are hardly considered. The health, medical and hygiene related options available to women in prisons or women’s facilities are shockingly bad. There are fundamentally more activities, sports options and educational or training options for men than for women. Most women come directly from situations of domestic or sexual violence, often they will have been forced into stealing or shop lifting by their husbands or fathers or are imprisoned because they have defended themselves against their tormentor. If women take part in criminal activity the state and society scandalises them on a sexual level especially if the women take on roles that normally men fulfill. Aside from this the state even now maintains its hold on and decisive power over women’s bodies and, when necessary, holds them criminally responsible if they refuse to give their bodies up to authority. Nothing has really changed since the middle ages, it is simply the case that instead of women being burnt at the state they now end up in prison.
While men are often visited by their wives in prison, the reverse is much more rare. Often the husbands of women in prison are also incarcerated themselves, on the run, or do not take care of them. In addition almost all women in prison have children on the outside and therefore the problem of who is able to look after them. So women are forced to look after their families and to keep them together from inside prison despite it being enormously difficult to organise. In the best case the women still have contact to their own mother. Finally, in almost all cultures women in prison are frowned upon and scorned at, and even more so if they are suspected of having been violent as any act of self-empowerment rejects the classical role of women. In this way it can been seen how patriarchal state structures and the law work together with family power dynamics towards the complete domination and oppression of women.
And despite this crushing reality small initiatives of self-determination and self-organisation between women in prison continue to exist. It is perhaps the case that empathy is stronger than between men, in certain situations people will sometimes help each other and show solidarity with those who are weaker or less privileged or rebellious. Each example of such behaviour and gestures, although so small, is vital to each individual in prison but also as a sign against oppression and the structures of repression.

The struggle continues- until all prisons are destroyed!
For total liberation from all social, racist and patriarchal power structures.

Strength, rage and rebellion for all those in struggle!
Freedom for everyone!

January 2017

(reposted from 325)

Hambach forest: Hodei, Siao and Maya out of prison!

Originally published December 21st 2016 on ‘Libertad Preses Hambach‘:

“It has been confirmed that Hodei, Siao and Maya have just been released from prison.
We hope to have more information soon.”

ABC Rhineland also confirm their release and provide a few more details, here.

Massive international repressive operation ‘Ardire’ launched against anarchists across Europe; A statement from Tomo + Prisoner addresses (Italy)

From 325 and contra-info:

At 4 o’clock in the morning of June 13th, 2012, the carabiniers of the Special Operations Group (Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale, ROS) raided about forty homes, implementing the so-called ‘operation boldness’ (operazione ardire), a crackdown against people from the anarchist movement ordered by Manuela Comodi, public prosecutor of Perugia. According to the regime’s media, a total of 10 arrest warrants were issued—eight within Italy, one sent to Germany and one sent to Switzerland—while 24 suspects have been put under judicial investigation. The Italian bourgeois Press did not hesitate to connect the arrested with ‘the anarcho-insurrectionist FAI/FRI [Informal Anarchist Federation / International Revolutionary Front]’.

The eight comrades, who were arrested in Pisa, Roma, Perugia, Genova, Terni and have been remanded in custody, are Stefano Gabriele Fosco, Elisa Di Bernardo, Alessandro Settepani, Sergio Maria Stefani, Katia Di Stefano, Giuseppe Lo Turco, Paola Francesca Iozzi and Giulia Marziale.

As for Germany and Switzerland, the precautionary measures were ordered against two anarchists that have already been kidnapped by the State several years ago, namely Gabriel Pombo Da Silva and Marco Camenisch.

Among the names of investigated suspects are also those of some imprisoned comrades that are prosecuted for the CCF [Conspiracy Cells of Fire] case in Greece.

Informa-Azione will try to publish the addresses of Italian prisons in which the eight arrestees have been incarcerated, inviting anyone who has relevant information to contact them.

In addition, according to the independent Radio Azione, it is possible that house searches have taken place against three comrades in Naples, too.

Among the raided houses—where the police were officially in search of explosive materials and electronic and printed documents—was the residence of an editor of Informa-Azione; apart from other items, the cops confiscated the editor’s computers that were necessary for updating the website. The homes of comrades from Culmine (who are now under arrest) and ParoleArmate (one of them is under arrest, the other one is investigated) were raided as well.

Political prisoners list July 2011

Here is the monthly list of political prisoners compiled by Bristol ABC, for July 2011.
As an open office doc: prisoner-list_july2011

It is a worrying fact that the list of political prisoners is growing both here in the UK and around the world. The fact of the matter is that we barely scratch the surface of the list of people doing time for their political beliefs and actions. Indeed, if you look through our list, you will note that details of political prisoners across eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and the middle east are almost entirely absent. These peoples’ plights are virtually unrecorded (in the english language at least) , and they number in the tens of thousands, with many disappearing forever, as often as not murdered by their repressive regimes.

Prisoner support letter-writing night and hot prisoners

Bristol ABC prisoner support group returns this month to Kebele social centre for November’s public letters to prisoners night.

Wednesday 10 November, from 7 to 9pm at 14 Robertson Rd, Bristol BS5 6JY. Hot drinks available, bring snacks to share please.

Once again we will have lists of prisoners here and abroad who welcome support.