Poster and call-out via Squat.net. Also see earlier info below reposted from 325.
Demonstration and day of action
June 13th, Barcelona, Plaça de Sants, 18:30
Call for International Solidarity
The last few years have seen an increasing wave of repression against Anarchists and other radicals, here in Spain, best characterized by the police operations Pandora and Piñata. Acting in response to movements, uprisings and upheavals across the country, particularly in Cataluña, the state has arrested dozens of comrades, often under the pretext of anti-terrorism. The result has been to foster a climate of fear and in-action.
While most of those held in pre-trial detention have been released, all still have pending charges. Now is our moment to show that their attempts to silence us will not work, and that such action will not pass by without retaliation.
The 13th of June is a day of action and solidarity for all those facing charges, in relation to these police operations and others. On this day, in Barcelona, there will be a combative demonstration, and in Madrid there will start the beginning of a campaign. We are calling for solidarity and support from international comrades, in whatever form they feel is feasible and appropriate.
Three of the five anarchist prisoners of Operación Piñata released + 13 June day of solidarity demo in Barcelona (Catalunya, Spain)
On June 1 we got the great news that three of the five comrades being held in preventive detention, accused of being part of a terrorist group under Operation Piñata (including one who was already arrested and imprisoned in Operation Pandora) are being released without bail. They still have all their charges and have to sign in frequently at court, and two of them are prohibited from leaving the country.
Operation Pandora was launched in December in Catalunya, and Operation Piñata on March 30 all across the Spanish state but focused in Madrid. The operations resulted in the arrests of 26 anarchist comrades (plus the arrests of over a dozen more for resisting the raid on a social center) on anti-terrorism charges, the raids of dozens of houses and social centers, the theft of cash, and the seizure of computers, harddrives, phones, etc.
The 5 Piñata arrestees had just been given “dispersal”, sent to high security prisons as far away from their friends and families as possible, when the Audiencia Nacional ruled in favor of an appeal by defense attorneys, agreeing that the judge in charge of the investigation, the megalomaniac Eloy Velasco who is a crusader for the use of anti-terrorism laws and who is already infamous for his repression of the Basque struggle, did not show any direct connection between the detainees and specific acts of sabotage (“terrorism”) nor any connection between the public anarchist group GAC (Grupos Anarquistas Coordinados) and the FAI-FRI, which has been declared a terrorist organization by the European Union.
The other two detainees still being held pending trial might be released shortly.
In worst news, the same day, the Spanish government put an embargo on the bank accounts that were opened to collect solidarity money for the lawyers, commissary expenses, and transportation expenses (for family members to visit those imprisoned) around Operation Pandora. The government continues to criminalize solidarity, following the same model it used to repress the Basque independence movement (with the difference that the anarchist movement in Spain has not killed anybody, nor among its diverse currents can support be found for the type of actions that inevitably cause collateral damage or kill and maim random people, a practice the Spanish government has had no problem with in its wars in other countries). If it is able to succeed, it will be able to prosecute sabotage as terrorism, portray the struggle against domination as terrorism, and even imprison those who write or raise money or protest in support of detainees as terrorists.
AGAINST PRISONS, AGAINST STATES
UNTIL ALL ARE FREE
LONG LIVE ANARCHY!
Words from anarchist comrade Paul Jara “Pol”, arrested following “Operation Piñata” (Spain)
Greetings comrades and those in affinity. I’d like to send out some words as an anarchist, taking as good the many positions and visions that anarchism can adopt, all equally valid when they are seeking to destroy power, authority and the State.
I think that is the beauty of our ideas and in my opinion all these trajectories can coexist and merge in search of much longed for total liberation. I want to express my hatred, disgust and contempt for everything that concerns the State, power, authority and in particular that instrument of annihilation called prison, which uses isolation as its main weapon.
I have always maintained that anarchists must prepare themselves and be aware that at any moment the day can come when they will have to face prison and, in my opinion, this is logical, because if you try to destroy the State, it will try to arrest you in order to nullify you, paralyze and destroy you.
But in spite of that they won’t succeed. Anyway, if for some reason or another, prison doesn’t touch us, all the better. I want to tell you that I am well both physically and mentally. I continue to think as I did before being inside, and what’s more I feel even more convinced of my ideas, with my head very high and proud of what we are. I am as I act and interact in theory and practice, always making self-criticism so as to continue to grow, because one never stops learning and by saying all this I don’t consider myself any better or worse than others.
I want to convey strength and courage to the comrades and those in affinity, and tell you with all my strength and rage that the struggle is the only road I have. With these blows the repression wants to scare and paralyse the anarchist and affinity milieu so that we only give assistance to those struck by the reprisals. Don’t let this happen, continue your projects with determination, and keep saying what you are and what you think without hesitation.
Until true total liberation! May solidarity not just be written words!
DEATH TO THE STATE AND LONG LIVE ANARCHY!
From Soto del Real prison, spring 2015
via actforfree.