photograph found in provo.gr-kinimatini
*The announcement was originally titled ”A tear shed for the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund” which was switched with the phrase ”collectivize and unite social struggles” found in the final paragraph since the latter entails a truly powerful message. The text has been translated in full below:
It would have been really difficult for us to understand the reasons why, had there been more people appart from a small minority, who were not happy with the tearing down of the Asset Development Fund which is located in the city centre of Athens. Since we are the kind of people who move within the workplace as well as coffee shops on a daily basis, our conclusion is the obvious: most people converge with the phrase : ”they should have done more”.
Ofcourse we are not delusional regarding the aftermath of this mobilization and we are aware that it has not caused any operational issues in the organization besides the opening hours on that day. It’s clear that our political action was purely symbolic. We hope that the extensive disasters caused in the safe house of privatizations would mirror the social catastrophy caused by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund.
In the next few months the Fund’s revenue is estimated at 1.2 billion euro in order to cover the financial needs of the state. The state coffer must contain 4.8 billion euro by the end of 2016 and a staggering total of 6.2 billion euro by the end 2018. That means that 900 million must be made every three months. Are you feeling dizzy yet? All this money will be the result of privatizations that are explicitely stated in the preamble of the third memorandum.
The entire amount of money will be accumulated through the sale of public property to domestic and international loan sharks for next to nothing. Let’s clarify something so that justice-seekers won’t be left wondering: no prosecution will ever be ordered for any case involving the sell-out of public property. However, the district attorney has decided to prosecute five comrades who are members of the collectivity Rouvikonas. It was the managerial counsellor Antonis Leousis who asked for these prosecutions, a man who happens to be one of the main managers of the gang-leader of the Asset Development Fund, Stergios Pirtsiolas.
The latest development in this orgy of privatizations is the sale of the Port of Pireaus. The Asset Development Fund has proceeded to the concession of public land which is now made part of Pireaus Port as a pre-requisite to proceed with the sale. The fisherman’s port, the small castle, the coastal area of Drapetsona, the port area of fertilizers, the space intended for a healthcare centre and parts of the city of Pireaus, will all be given to private investors as gifts. Also, 14 prefectural airports have been sold to FRANPORT which is a public company in Germany. The ski resort in Parnassos, the Xenia hotels in all tourist areas, the Zeas Port, the Port Authority in Thessaloniki, 176 acres of land belonging to the sports centre from St. Kosmas to Glyfada, 383 acres of land in Sounio and thousands of properties across the country. The list is endless. But, ofcourse no one must be delusional at this point and consider that part of the money made through privatizations, even a small amount, will be used for the benefit of people. The money is directly deposited to the bank account of Greece’s loan in Luxembourg. Their tactic is tried and tested and always remains the same: it consists of the devaluation of the public character of commodities so that citizens will quietly consent to the sell-out. Honestly, after citing the above mentioned amounts of money, is there anyone feeling vertigo, chills and indignation for ”the money of Greek tax-payers used to restore the damages caused in the HQ of the Asset Development Fund?”
To all those well-intentioned citizens wondering why ”are anarchists against privatizations” (insinuating that in this way we support the public ownership of the properties being sold) we answer: we are not dupes. We are aware that these privatizations will be paid for by citizens since the new service providers will increase the cost of service provision, which will benefit ship-owners, businessmen and the rest of domestic large-scale loan sharks. We are aware that the money from these sales are installments for the payment of an odious debt that is forcibly paid for by workers, unemployed and pensioners. The workers are forced to endure conditions of employment that resemble those in sweatshops, while the unemployed are living in poverty and the elderly get pensions that don’t even suffice to purchase food. These were the results of three consecutive memoranda signed by the right wing, the centre and the leftist political powers, which have opressed society in succession and even formed coalitions since, to a great degree, they are all within the same political framework in terms of governmental and political management of the country.
A few words for the mobilization
We understand that when a group of individuals manages to enter one of the most secure buildings in Athens during the morning and climbs up 7 storeys, smashes everything and then gets away without any of its members being arrested, this would be problematic for the image of the Ministry of Justice as well as the operations of the police. The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund was on a list of possible targets composed by the Ministry of Citizens’ Protection and the police. This was confirmed on the website nantia.report: ”Since the 11th of September the surveillance of possible targets such as facilities, residences of state officials and financially powerful individuals has intensified under the pretext of information for upcoming attacks. According to sources from the police, the authorities have been informed of preparatory actions being made by the self-proclaimed anti-authority group Rouvikonas, whose characteristic move is the simultaneous gathering of a large crowd from different directions before a targeted attack against facilities and residences of government officials and financially powerful individuals. In order to prevent any attacks, the homes of high raking officials of the Hellenic Petroleum and other financially powerful individuals as well as government officials and ministerial facilities, have been under tight surveillance since noon (11/9).” (Note: the 11th was two days before our political direct action at the Asset Development Fund).
Essentially, they were aware of our intentions and that we were preparing something, hence the close surveillance of targets such as the Asset Development Fund. The fact that our symbolic action was made possible is not attributed to luck, or us being paramilitary or having any support from politicians, as various journalists claimed. They are just incapable to understand that anything is possible with good organization and moral superiority stemming from justice. The false information that Rouvikonas is related to certain politicians of the left-wing would even fail to convince small children. Our political stance and opposition against the ruling left are defined and crystallized by the occupation of Syriza’s political offices in support of the hungerstrikers in prison and the attempt to occupy them again in mid-July and our written announcements explaining the purpose of these mobilizations. What exposed the ministry of the ”leftist” Yiannis Panousis more than ever was our intrusion into the parliament.
For the cunning ones who impute a connection to politicians belonging to a recently formed left-wing party, a product of Syriza’s break-up, we suggest you read our announcement and poster against elections. Those were created for our rally in St. Panteleimon which was co-organized with the anti-fascist Distomo. Our mention of ”no delegation to any kind of potential saviours” refers specifically to Popular Unity (LAE), whose most significant members consider the participation of Greece to the wolf-pact that is the E.U. as the only way and now they are selling fool’s gold in the name of revolution and anti-memorandum propaganda.
The prosecution of our comrades
Since the prosecutors have failed to make any arrests and detentions following a series of dynamic disruptions (at the facility of the Hellenic Petroleum in Marousi, at Latsis’ residence in Ekali and in the Asset Development Fund HQ), they have instead lauched two simultaneous processes:
1. Targetting certain comrades following the mobilizations
State security proceeded to the arrests of the following comrades and members of the anarchist group: George Kalaitzides, Thanassis Petratos, Lambros Goulas and Michalis Mathaiou. A fifth member was also searched for the day after our direct action in the Asset Development Fund. The way the supposed ”identification” of the comrades in relation to the mobilization was made possible is very interesting and significant. According to cops and official documents in the case file, this was the result of comparisons between photographs taken from the security cameras in the Asset Development Fund and photogaphs kept in police archives. Basically, three officers compared photographs from the security cameras to the photographs in police archives and recognized their faces. The officers’ depositions were also identical. What is strange is that four out of the five comrades have never had their photographs taken by the police before! So, how was this comparison possible, did it never happen, or does the archive consist of photographs taken on the street by paparazzi police?
It was not the first time these comrades were targeted. George Kalaitzides and Thanassis Petratos were found in the midst of one of the most poorly consturcted attempts to falsly accuse someone in years. After a political intervention of tens of armed anarchists against the drug trade at Exarcheia square (an intervention that eliminated drug dealing on Themistokleous street), the comrades were called to the investigator. Based on what evidence? An unidentified person called the police on a landline device without call recognition and mentioned that this intervention was carried out by ” the group of George Kalaitzides which also includes Thanassis Petratos”! After a whirlwind of complaints and everyone laughing at the ridiculousness of the case, the prosecutor, puzzled by content of the case file, dropped the case. A few days before the arrest of Lambros Goulas for the case of the Asset Development Fund, the police paid him a visit in his home. The police conducted a search despite the absence of a prosecutor. Is anyone still wondering whether members of our group are actually targeted or why their names were included again in this case?
2. Prosecutors began the penalization of the anarchist group Rouvikonas
Kathimerini, a national newspaper in Greece, published the following on September 15th: ”The prosecuting authorities were competently informed of the previous interventions staged by the group and left open the possibility of their actions to be treated in total”.
Our announcement titled ”Is the way paved for a dynamic backlash by the authorities?” which was published on July 31st predicted the provocations and the repressive operation waged against us. For some time now the television, newspapers and blogs have shaped a climate that attempts to convince people that the anarchist group Rouvikonas is ”terrorist”, ”provocative” and… ”a military unit of mountain troops”. Just so there is no misunderstanding we are in support of armed struggles and armed militants since we consider those as part of the wider movement.
The prosecutors and the media are trying to lead Ruvikonas into the arms of anti-terrorism legislation (article 187) with some astounding references to some of our more dynamic actions characterised by minimum levels of social-movement violence against crimes: the murder of workers committed by the Hellenic Petroleum and the selling-out of the country by the Asset Development Fund. Could anyone forget how our protest against the pro-austerity ”Menoume Evropi” st Syntagma Square was described by the chief of police in the News? The viewers were stunned to become informed that Rouvikonas intended to set the parliament on fire while the disruption at the heart of a large crowd of neoliberals was the only thing we have done since riot police prevented us from setting the parliament alight.
The case file of the intervention in the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund consists of other case files about different interventions staged by the group. Among those was our disruption of the Attica Union of Hotels with pamphlets and texts, following the death of a maid who died from exhaustion in a Zakynthos hotel. Our intrusion and distribution of pamphlets in corporations and organizations that threatened employees with lay-offs had they voted No in this year’s referendum were also included (Metropolitan Hospital HQ, Employers Union of Eurobank and Olympia Odos, a company that serves the interests of Bobolas). We stand before the ridiculous attempt of prosecutors and investigators to penalize mobilizations of resistance, so we propose an alternative: Why isn’t an investigation opened for the march to the German embassy that we organized with other groups? Why don’t you charge us with felonies for the occupation of German behemoths Siemens and Alianz that are steeped in scandals in their relation to the domestic political system? Why won’t you indict all of us who staged a rally at the Union of Greek Banks so that anyone who has the nerve to protest bail-outs at a time when people are starving would be intimidated by you? Identify which members of our group protested at the Turkish embassy against the crimes committed by the Turkish government against militants. Wrap in a piece of paper our comrades who stood outside the residence of chief-thief Papantoniou, who led a series of prosecutions against militants enacted by (former Minister of Justice) C. Athanasiou. Call before the investigator our comrades who unfurled a banner outside Maximus Mansion (the prime minister’s seat) in protest against the third memorandum, a debt that will still be getting paid-of by our great-grandchildren. If any of us are left (because we are many), send the police to the children’s park in St. Panteleimon to arrest our comrades for ”breaking and entering” since they participated in the opening of the park along with the anti-fascist Distomo. Any attempt to penalize the anarchist group Rouvikonas will be fruitless. Our arrests and prosecutions will not prevent further actions from taking place.
It’s a fact that during a time like this, with the implementation of harsh austerity measures of tax-thievery invasions against a large part of society and the simultaneous elimination of the remaining worker’s rights, an appropriate framework of repression is needed to facilitate the management and enforcement of tax-thievery and the pauperization of society. People, groups and collectivities that react and resist the storm of memoranda, the financial bleeding of the weak and the international and domestic capital, will be brutally hit. The domestic political system enforcing policies decided by international centres of power is now united and indivisible. A concrete bloc of power, within which the lines betweeen right wing, left wing and centre have blurred. The prominence of a three-fold characterizing government policies becomes apparent: our E.U. membership and stay within the euro are a one-way street and austerity will be permanent.
Many counted on a philisophy of delegation that is now dead. The body of a ”different left-wing” politics has decomposed. The ”violent maturation” of the left has caused our final hopes to decay. The perception of an impasse generates devastation and giving-up which delineate social conditions with the darkest shades. The duties of those fighting to reverse the negative signifieds that have been formed are many: Organizing, Implementation, Vision. Organizing the forces of the movement for a better use of the dynamic of every one of our fighters. Implementation of our propositions through infrastructures. A vision for the different society we want. To collectivize and unite social struggles. Let’s all contribute to a movement with unified strategy, stance and propositions relevant to our times to resist this ongoing nightmare. For ANARCHY and social liberation.
LETS CREATE THE ARMY THAT WILL BURY THEM
HEADS HIGH
Anarchist Group Rouvikonas
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Video of the attack against the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (by ego esy)
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Athens, Greece: Antifa Social Center “Distomo” reopens the playground in St. Panteleimon area, that was shut down for almost 6 years by neonazis of “Golden Dawn” party and racists in the area, because the fascists did not want greek childen to play along with children by immigrants. (by Perseus999)
Translated by BlackCat for OmniaTV-English
