Belgium, Catalonia: anti-capitalist sabotages

This month there have been several anti-capitalist sabotages in Western Europe:

Belgium:

(Dated to September 12th)

A large telecommunications station in Koningslo, near Brussels, was destroyed by fire arson. Flames reached 50 m. high and firefighters needed many hours to stop the fire. Regional communications of Base and Movistar were interrupted, the damage is set to affect the communications for months. 

A police car was set on fire before the Mortsel station. Apparently it is a revenge for the killing by beating of a youth two years ago in those dungeons. It is already the second such attack.

At Dinant, a forestal truck was set on fire. Again this is the second such attack with an apparently ecologist background, as permission to exploit forests has been expanded in Belgium recently. 

In Louvain, a bank office was also arsoned.

Source: Contra Info.

Catalonia:

In September 16th, locks of the offices of energy company Endesa were sealed in protest against the construction of very high voltage line.

Source: Contra Info.

Greece: Nazi thugs attack communists in Athens

Is Big Capital orchestrating a descent into "civil war" or fascist terror in Southern Europe? The answer is probably yes. This kind of terrorist attacks are becoming more and more common, not just in Greece but also in Spain, France, etc. 

From From the Greek Streets:

Golden Dawn thugs attack KKE members in the neighbourhood of Perama; 8 seriously injured

On the night of September 12th, a group of approximately 30 Golden Dawn thugs approached members of the KKE (the stalinist-communist party) in the neighbourhood of Perama [Piraeus, Athens]. Perama hosts the ship construction zone and has been a traditional KKE stronghold. Eight KKE members were seriously injured and hospitalised. So far, no GD members have been arrested. The KKE is calling for a gathering tonight at Perama’s Iroon square, at 6 pm.

It's time to act against fascism. No pasarán!



PS- Other cases of Nazi terror related news in Europe just in today's morning feed:

• Germany: police dismantled a Nazi terrorist cell in Freiburg (Baden-Würtenberg) who were preparing a bomb to attack left-wing and antifascist comrades in some gathering → SA[es].
• Nazi graffiti against the see of the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) in Eixample (Barcelona) → SA[es].
• Elect representatives ask the Spanish government why does it tolerate Nazi corpuscles like AN, with a large terrorist curriculum and zero representativity. Days ago it was also asked about their continued apology of Franco's fascist regime. → SA[es].
• Police intimidates those who concentrated in Madrid in solidarity with the victims (largely elect representatives) of the Nazi attack in the Diada → SA[es].

Update: Or also (evening feed) this scary propaganda act at Termopylae by Golden Dawn, which is way too close to our worst memories of Hitler → I can't relax in Greece.

More than 1.6 million people in the Catalan human chain

The Via Catalana cap a la Independencia (Catalan Way towards Independence), human chain from the Pyrenees to the Ebro river (and beyond) to demand, once again, the sovereignty of Catalonia, was a total success. 

According to the Catalan Government (Generalitat), the demonstration gathered no less than 1.6 million people, figures that are perfectly comparable to the last year's Diada, in which the figures danced around 1.5 or 2 million. The Catalan demand for independence remains undauntedly strong. 

However this year's format was much more challenging: imitating the initiative of the Baltic Countries decades ago, they organized a human chain from the port of Pertús in the Pyrenees to the border with the Valencian Country by the South. In fact this last border was finally overcome after the Supreme Court accepted in the last minute that the extension of a kilometer to Vinarós was fully legal.

Soon after that historical Baltic chain, spanning Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, these states became independent. Will that be the case of Catalonia? Nobody really knows at this stage but it is clear that it is what the Catalan People wants and denying such a massive demand is outright imperialist and antidemocratic. 

Fascist attack in Madrid

The negative point in such a day of democratic celebration was the attack suffered by the act in the delegation of the Generalitat in Madrid by a group of some 15 neonazis who injured several assistants, including elect representatives, and threw pepper gas inside the hall. 

So far the attackers, who acted with their faces uncovered (except one), are at large.

Sources[es]: Naiz Info (→ photo gallery), La Vanguardia (→ fascist attack video), El Periódico.


Update: Six arrested so far for the fascist aggression in Madrid, the most notorious one is Íñigo Pérez de Herrasti Urquijo, born in 1957, and who already was in prison for terrorism: arrested in 2000 with weapons and explosives and an organized cell that planned to attack relatives of Basque political prisoners when they had to travel to Madrid for visits. Sentenced to 14 years, he's already at large, while Basque prisoners are forced to do their sentence in full or even more.

The other five arrested are quite younger, born between 1978 and 1989 (i.e. people who have no first person experience of living under fascism). Their names are: Javier Marcos Aroca, Pedro Chaparro Velacoracho, Victor Diego Villalba, Santiago Cabezuela García and Paula Mijares.

Source: Sare Antifaxista[es].

Catalan Countries: Spain forbids independentist human chain in Valencia, German think tank ponders Catalan independence

Tomorrow is the Diada, the national day of Catalonia, which last year was marked by some two million people marching (or rather just standing because there was no room) through the streets of Barcelona in demand of independence.

This year instead the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) plan to do a human chain through 400 kilometers of roads. 

However when this initiative was extended to the Valencian Country, the Spanish proconsuls have moved to ban them altogether, in yet another indication of the lack of real democracy in the only remaining Southern European kingdom.

The subdelegation of the Spanish Government in Castelló forbade the extension of the human chain to Vinarós, a mere kilometer south of the Catalan border on grounds of "fundamental rights", such as "road security" (for real!) This extension of the chain was going to include famous artists like Lluis Llach and Carles Santos, and also relatives of Guillem Aguilló, murdered by a fascist death squad 20 years ago in Castelló. 

Another ban was imposed to the concentration of solidarity with the Diada in Guardamar del Segura, in Alacant province, also in the Valencian Country. In this case the Spanish neofascist authorities alleged technical reasons: the request was forwarded too late (or whatever, you know).

Germans pondering Catalan independence

A bourgeois German think tank that gives advice to Angela Merkel, the Science and Politics Foundation (SWP), thinks that Catalan independence makes good sense. 

The report, signed by Kai-Olaf Lang, thinks plausible that Catalonia declares independence if Spain does not make major concessions. The report emphasizes that the movement for independence is a civil society one, independent from parties. 

He warns that the EU must be ready for such a scenario and, considering the issues regarding EU membership for a newly independent state, he believes that the initial formula could be one in which, while Catalonia is not part of EU (yet), EU laws still apply inside their territory. Of course he's thinking about the legal protection of some 600 German companies present in Catalonia. 

The most interesting point is that the traditional European stand of defending Spanish territorial integrity no matter what has been dropped. Realism is winning the day. 

Source: Gara[es].

Catalonia: 90,000 gather in 'Concert for Freedom'

The 'Concert per la Llibertat' began with a human mosaic (photo) as the Orfeó Catalá (voice chorus) and the Cobla de Cambra de Catalanyua (orchestra) interpreted the national hymn Els Segadors (the reapers). The human mosaic demanded in English Freedom for Catalonia in 2014 (date of a proposed referendum, not accepted by the imperial power, Spain). 

A huge array of artists took part in the macro-concert, which was broadcast live by the public Catalan media, was huge, including veteran Catalan singers like Dyango, Peret, María del Mar Bonet or Lluis Llach and also musicians from other countries like the Basques Paco Ibáñez or Fermín Muguruza, the Greek Giannis Papaioannou or the North American Gisele Jackson,

The second half of the even was focused on the politically most inspiring compositions of veteran singer Lluís Llach, who had not been on stage in the last six years. He interpreted himself some of his most popular themes like Venim del Nord, Venim del Sud (we come from the North, we come from the South) or Tossudamente alçats (standing stubbornly), while many other of his songs were sang by various other stars. 

The event ended with the song Independencia (independence), perfomed together by the public.

Sources: Concert per la Llibertat[cat], La Vanguardia[es], Naiz Info[es].

Catalonia: Nazi stabbing of in Summer Solstice celebration

Josep U., 21 was stabbed by a group of Nazis inside of the Working Class Center (Ateneu) of Igualada (pictured).

The attack happened in the late part of a concert, when a DJ played the song Això no és Espanya (This is not Spain) of Francesc Ribera. Then a small group of 4-5 young men and women began singing Que viva España (Long Live to Spain) of Manolo Escobar, a singer of the Fascist era, one of them showing a pocket knife in threatening manner against the members of the band Ressaka Ska (who had played before). 

Initially the threat was not addressed and the fascist gang remained in the building. But later one of the Nazis threatened to injure with the knife a boy aged 16, moment when the Josep intervened, getting the stab in the stomach instead. The criminals then run away. 

I must say that I am quite surprised that not a modicum of security was thought of by the organizers of the event. A small group of people with sticks should have been enough to send the Nazis away or even beat them badly (I wouldn't complain certainly) preventing innocent victims.

The lesson is clear: the Nazis are here, they are very aggressive and usually enjoy a great deal of impunity, be ready! Zero, absolutely zero, tolerance against Fascism!

Source: Xavier Rius blog[cat].

Catalonia: victim of police violence who lost an eye speaks out

Ester Quintana (pictured), one of the many victims of the brutal police repression against popular protests in Catalonia in the last years, who lost (like others before her) an eye to a rubber bullet, has published an open letter, available at Webguerrillero[es]:

This is how my face has been left after the brutal aggression I suffered by the impact of a rubber bullet shot by the Mossos de Esquadra [Catalan autonomous police corps] on November 14.

15 days ago, I was operated again to get implanted a prosthesis in my left eye, the recovery and convalescence I had to bear after the three operations have been very painful, I assure you. 

I have discovered in the last months that I am a very strong person, much more than I used to think, although the physical and psychological recovery is very slow in my understanding. 

There are still more operations to come, its number and magnitude are yet to be determined and I don't see yet the end of all this process. What I am suffering I do not wish to anyone else.

Hatred, rancor, rage are words and emotions I know but that I try to keep out of my soul's dictionary, those that are not left out are responsibility, pardon, equality, justice, courage, friendship, solidarity, truth, freedom, serenity...

For all these reasons and many more we keep fighting for the abolition of rubber bullets. OJOCONTUOJO [= WATCHYOUREYE]

Let Ester be the last victim!

Catalonia: police violently charges against firefighters' demo

Catalan police forces violently attacked today a demonstration by firefighters before the Parliament in Barcelona, injuring one and arresting another.

Some 500 Catalan firefighters staged a protest today against the budgetary cuts that will leave the Summer fire prevention campaign devoid of resources, as well as other damages to overall fire prevention. The emergency workers, who wore their uniforms for the occasion, were brutally repressed by the Catalan police, as can be seen in this video:

Source: Webguerrillero[es] (link1, link 2).

Teachers, students and workers violently evicted from University of Barcelona

At 3:45 in the night, police forces evicted violently the students, teachers and workers who were occupying the rectory of the University of Barcelona in protest for the budgetary cuts and the fascist project of a new educative law. 

Source: Webguerrillero[cat/es] (incl. video).

Update on anarchist arrests in Catalonia and Spain

Some more info is showing up on the arrests of several anarchists in Catalonia and other Iberian localities. The arrested are accused of being the administrators of a Facebook group known as Kolektivo Bandera Negra (Black Flag Kollektivity), which was used for counter-information and anarchist propaganda. 

The relationship between the arrested and the Ateneu Llibertari of Sabadell was at best accidental (one of their members may have gone a few times to this social center), what was no problem for police to raid the Ateneu mercilessly and take all the documentation in it, including hard disks and such. 

There were also police raids in Málaga (Andalusia), Zaragoza (Aragon) and Avinyó (Catalonia). So far there is no known evidence of any "terrorist" link, in spite of wild bourgeois media speculations.

In a single day, with this and other operatives (against Basque Independentists, striking teachers in Aragon and even a Venezuelan PSUV activist arrested after a conference in Valencia), 21 people were arrested for crimes of political opinion in the Kingdom of Spain. 

Source[es]: A Las Barricadas (via Borroka Garaia Da!)


Update: the Grupo Bandera Negra (Black Flag Group) of Madrid denies any link with the arrested but shows its solidarity with them and especially with the Ateneu Llibertari of Sabadell → Juventudes Libertarias de Madrid[es].

Catalonia: five anarchists arrested

Five members of the Anarchist organization Bandera Negra (Black Flag) have been arrested in Sabadell under the accusations of conforming a "terrorist group" and "apology of terrorism".

The operation is being carried under the political tribunal Audiencia Nacional (Inquisition), organized by fascist dictator Franco under the name of Public Order Tribunal for the persecution of political dissidence and the favorable treatment of elements of the political oligarchy (for example Princess Cristina was recently detached from a notorious corruption case by this special tribunal).

Judge Pedraz ordered the search of the Ateneu Llibertari (~ Libertarian Academy) of Sabadell.

No more details are known by the moment other than the arrested being expected to declare on Friday. 

Source: Sare Antifaxista[es].

May Day: police violently impedes worker march in Barcelona

A massive police deployment of hundreds of riot police agents impeded the march called by the independentist Candidatura d'Unitat Popular (CUP) to the see of the ruling party Convergencia Democratica de Catalunya (CDC, conservatives) under the slogan: Against the dictatorship of the euro: popular sovereignty.

Police charged brutally against any attempt to do the march. They call it "democracy"...

Sources[cat]: Kaos en la Red, Vilaweb.