Video below is from Athens IMC: “first footage from Parliament before the bulk of the demonstrators arrived. The amount of people there at the moment is unbelievable”.
- In Exarcheia, police have blocked off two social spaces (the Nosotros Social Centre and the office of the Anarchist Archive) in order to stop people from joining the demonstration (!) At the time of writing (13.50 GMT+2) the siege continued.
- Police are detaining people across the city, very difficult to even record all detentions here. A group of students of the Polytechnic school were arrested while exiting their institution; on Tritis Septemvriou street, riot police have been reported to have violently beaten pensioners who were preparing to join the demonstration.
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at http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1172740
Why such a paucity of news reports from today’s general strike on OL ?
At a guess, it’s cos the day was a total disaster? I’m thinking that the Marfin incident, combined with the two fatuous bombings that injured two ordinary people (and tactfully claimed last night by the RCF) has had more of an impact than people care to admit. Exarchia ‘justifiably’ repressed, isolated, kettled, and a nice cheerless, demoralised, pointless, and impotent march of 40,000 people took place…The cops even mass-arrested a load of SYRIZA activists early in the day. This was kind of inevitable given that the Dow Jones fell 1000 points on 5 May (put down to ‘fat fingers’ rather than class struggle), and since the Euro is in such serious trouble…
On Wednesday evening, some 200 protesters marched through the city of Frankfurt, Germany, in order to express their solidarity with the struggling people on the streets of Greece.
Your struggles are in our best interest!
On Wednesday evening, some 200 protesters marched through the city of Frankfurt, Germany, in order to express their solidarity with the struggling people on the streets of Greece.
Partly in the pouring rain, the procession went one and a half hour through downtown Frankfurt making station at various points of interest, including the European Central Bank ECB), the state-driven kfw Bank and the Greek consulate. Trenchant speeches at the particular stops reinforced the criticism against the prevailing political circumstances and conditions.
The demonstration, which has been called to the eve of the newly general strike in Greece, enjoyed a quite eclectic participation. Beside many anarchists, and activists of the antinational ‚Krisenbündnis‘ of Frankfurt, there were also many students, organized communists, and members of attac and various trade unions.
An answer to the class war from above
„Of course it would be better if hundreds of thousands of people in Germany took the social struggles to the streets as well,“ said a representative of FAU-IAA Frankfurt. There would be thousands of good reasons for a social uprising, and certainly not just in Greece.
Multi-billionaire Warren Buffet said in 2005: „Yes, there is class war, but it is conducted by my class, and we are going to win!“
As long as people in Germany wouldn‘t understand this, the representative of the anarcho-syndicalist grassroots union said, „we can just wish the best to the striking workers, retirees and the rebellious youth in Greece, because their strikes, the general strike and their struggles are in our best interest just as well!“
Nationalist sentiments stabilizing the system
An orator of Kritisches Kollektiv also harshly criticized the smear campaign against Greece, which was fueled by German media and politics. At the same time he pointed to the fact, how susceptible people in Germany were for nationalist resentments. Greece-bashing had completely superseded criticisms of the the political system in many circles of society.
While a radical criticism of capitalism would indeed open the possibility of a liberated society, at the same time it were just as necessary to combat regressive tendencies in society. „The more exacerbated the crisis gets, the more important is the battle against a recent wave of nationalism.“
Being thankful for the „financial aid package“? Against the politics of pauperization in Greece.
An activist of the social revolutionary ‚Krisenbündnis‘ severely criticized the so called „financial aid package“, which the people in Greece would not have any reason to be thankful for. The money would flow only in return for „painful, brutal reforms“ which were especially painful for the workers, retirees and the poor.
On the other hand, German banks and the German armament industry would massively profit by the financial aid for Greece, because their credits and arm orders were safeguarded. At the same time, Germany had been shirking from paying some 50 billion Euro of reparation payment for German war crimes.
Unhierarchical organisation proved – now does the wave of solidarity go on?
In a quite relaxed mood, the protesters got in touch with many pedestrians. Especially around the main station some even joined the speaking choirs, while most others at least watched the scenery with some interest. Besides „Antinational solidarity“, „Anticapitalista“ and some Greek slogans, the demonstrators often chanted „Social struggles in Athens – attack the system here as well“, even Bert Brecht’s song „Arbeitereinheitsfront“ came to unusual fame.
At the demonstration which again wasn‘t announced to the authorities, the concept of an unhierarchical organisation „from the grassroots“ has proved to work well. The solidarity circle which had spontaneously emerged from a panel discussion at FAU, invited all interested people to pass on the appointment and to equally contribute to the demonstration.
Police brutality was omitted this time. While the state servants kept intervening in the route, they finally mostly regulated the traffic.
After the solidarity demonstrations in Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin and now in Frankfurt there is hope that people get together in many more cities of Germany, in order to order to accompany the recent general strike with an apparent wave of solidarity.
Sounds like the strategy of the state in demonising anarchists has taken all the bite out of the movement and people aren’t even fighting back when the police invade Exarcheia any more. People are so scared of doing anything which might offend the moral majority. The police are committing atrocities, destroying the movement, and anarchists are doing nothing because they’ve let the state get inside their heads and take the fight out of them. The police siege calls for an insurrection but it won’t get one because people who should be angry are still indulging themselves in tears.
What would have happened if police had done this in Exarcheia, say, a year ago? I think we all know.
AMED on Warren Buffet ” Yes there is a class war…. and we are going to win” 2005. So is the current economic smash a planned offensive by the Capitalist class? No. Buffet could no more effect the actual course of World Capitalism than he could change the weather in New York. But since he is a very wealthy man his words must be words of wisdom. Or so the dead heads controlling the news media reason. There is very limited news on the BBC about the Greek strikes. And I have no idea if there is any support for an indefinite general strike in Greece. As opposed to periodic national actions.
It is probably too soon for an indefinite general strike as the pay and pension cuts have yet to bite, so the mood for it isn’t there yet -despite the radical and inflammatory chants heard in Syntagma Square. I expect that there will be some pointless bombing by Revolutionary Struggle or Conspiracy of Cells of Fire in retaliation for yesterday’s repression, which will in turn will lead to more repression…
If it’s in response to repression, it isn’t pointless, is it? It imposes a cost on repression – unlike leftist whinging.
Oh yeah, I love that: “imposes a cost on repression”, an economy of Revolution, so the faceless bureaucrats of ‘armed struggle’ levy a tax on revolution! And anyone injured is making a down payment on their liberation? It’s pointless because it achieves nothing, it just alienates people from libertarian ideas. It’s called a critique. Who’s whinging eh? Your heroes are alienated, isolated egotists of the worst sort, with their love of Sendero Luminoso’s Stalinist bullshit.
Not FPF the ‘Costs of repression’ like other cost are passed on by the state to the working class. It is one of the many functions that allows people to distinguish this state from its feudal counterpart. At present the costs of the financial crisis are being transferred by state agencies onto the workers backs. And when the environment has become dangerously polluted(dangerous for the rulers that is) the costs of the clean up will be likewise transferred.
…and a destroyed court toilet, or a scorched (but intact) prison wall is hardly pay back is it? The actions of a few ‘doctrinally infallible’ elitist assholes benefits the state more than it hurts it. Even if they blew up a van-load of cops, it would play straight into the hands of the state, and smack of bitter desparation and impatient, ideological dogmatism. The state doesn’t play at war, the state IS War.
I am very sad to read comments by “INCUBUS”, are you really mad or you totally disregard comrades like Maziotis? You should read twice this, before posting hateful retarded comments.
http://www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/2010/05/04/a-note-on-comments/
As far as I know, this website works as a tool to spread information, not to release some age-old vulgar prejudices concerning militant anarchists.
this all sounds like some consumers aren’t satisfied. the strike was followed nearly by 100% participants and there is no MUST DEMONSTRATE!
also it’s liars bullshit that a year ago there was strong reaction. remember the sweep action in EX in beginning of january 09 with 100 arrested of which some from time to time appear as dangerous terrorists as members of the cells. anyone who was involved in social movements like the squatters in beginning of the eighties knows what hard work it means to keep on fighting for only a year. so shut up!
is there any communique of the murderer from the 5th around or can someone pl link the last cells blurb and the communique of the 3 that took political responsibility for EPANASTATIKOS AGONAS?
pl in english and greek, and the whole text! so WE can analyse 1st: if it’s written by said teams and 2nd if the cops created these groups!
Babeouf
That is not my text but FAU Frankfurt
Here & Photo: : http://www.fau.org/ortsgruppen/frankfurt/art_100520-122712
Yes, I totally disregard “comrades like Maziotis” because I fundamentally believe that planting bombs is just plain wrong. Tactics like this and the statements like Maziotis’ belong in the nineteenth century. I have no prejudice against militants, only the tactics used…Should I apologise for a lack of theoretical sophistication? No, because I never had a university education, so if I appear ‘retarded’, ‘hateful’ or ‘vulgar’ then that’s just tough. I comment here as freely as others do, just because you (J.) don’t like my opinion don’t think you can make me appear ‘mad’(very Leninist!), off-topic or a troll. Your failure to engage with what I actually have to say is revealing…
J I don’t know why people use this or any other site. In my case I am searching for information on events in Greece.(From people who have not crossed the barrier into reaction) And I’m interested in other peoples political analysis when it appears. Since there is evident deep disagreements among the other users of this site it has a limited value when it comes to disseminating information. Disagreement is a function of being alive. Anyone can attain the ‘unity of the graveyard’. Incubus I don’t get the bomb thing either. I can’t see it as a challenge to the state. But I don’t see it as the grounds for a huge counter strike by the state against the working class. Its a tragedy for the families and friends of those that died. But I don’t think it will make any long run difference to the struggle in Greece or Europe.
@Babeouf
I was thinking more in terms of a counter-strike against the wider @ milieu,and that in turn limiting their ability to disseminate an autonomous praxis of resistance, in all it’s diverse forms, within the Greek working class, as conditions worsen. Spontaneous proletarian self-activity is always preferable and possible however…
Resistance? No we want offensives. And I repeat this, if the movement is so fragile that a couple of dead kills it, then it’s already dead, don’t think that the “workers” wont spill some blood as they rage against their oppressor, even their own blood. The movement is a whole you can’t take out one block and think you can still go forward… if the insurrectionnists, nihilist and all rioters are taken out the movement will become just another strike, just another big strike. Let’s see if the leftists will achieve to kill the movement by saying to other what they should do for the revolution. I’ve heard a lot of anarchist/anti-autoritarian talking about speacialist confrontation… but those specialists never told others how to do things, they call, but doesn’t order. But the anarchist/anti-autoritarian and other leftist are just putting themselves as specialists of revolution and are telling people do’s and dont’s… sorry for my bad english
Storm Heaven
Pay no attention to Incubus, he is not a revolutionary and from what I can tell not in Greece.
Hey cheer up people, Riot Dog has a huge following in the international media!
“it just alienates people from libertarian ideas” … because they are already alienated from libertarian ideas and accept the state line that it’s wrong. Good heavens, don’t try to have a revolution, you might walk on the grass, the press will say it’s not cricket and it will just alienate all the people stupid enough to accept what the press tell them
DEATH TO ALL FANATICS.
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1173150
can’t ya media horny douchbags stop this shit about the dog? what will happen: the cops will kill all the dogs of ex and ya fuckers are responsible cuz ya don shut ya mouth and trash ya cameras in the toilet.
cameras on demos only make sense in a hidden micro style to get evidence against cops. all other camerarists will loose their eyes and all blogs that denounce the greek-albanian, no-national-identiy freedom fighters will at least loose their updaters!
as the greeks rise the black flag we too!
-greekfriendly radicals of astoria
fact is that the cop-hunta is using dictors laws from 1920 in the sweeps!
and fact is that it’s happening in the shadows of ya dissin! ya fault!
specialized strategies won’t be published!
just check out the mountains to maintain greece with more efficient resistance fighters and partisans
don make any compromise no more!
DESTROY SYSTEMS BY IGNORANCE
FUCK POLITICS
FUCK DEMOCRACY
revenge for lambro and katerina!
solidarity with ALL fighters
and greetings from deep out KOSOVA!
Woof! Woof woof woof! Woof! Aoooowwwww!
It is response to repression.It imposes a cost on repression – unlike leftist whinging.
Together with every little thing that appears to be building within this subject material, many of your points of view are actually fairly radical. Having said that, I beg your pardon, because I can not subscribe to your entire plan, all be it exciting none the less. It would seem to everybody that your comments are not entirely justified and in actuality you are yourself not even thoroughly confident of the argument. In any case I did enjoy reading through it.
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