Thessaloniki – Page 6

Thessaloniki, Greece: Three anarchist comrades arrested in anti-terrorist operation, accused of attacks by ‘Anarchist Action Organization’

Posted on 2022/02/09 - 2022/02/12 by darknights

Three anarchist comrades have been arrested in a large repressive operation by the anti-terrorist unit in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. Four houses were raided, the cops are claiming that they found at the addresses, a significant amount of materials to create explosives, pistols, ammunition, fake police and ambulance uniforms, ID’s, a transceiver and a manual for information on the creation of incendiary explosive devices entitled ‘Manual for Direct Action’.

The comrades are accused for the formation and membership of ‘Anarchist Action Organization‘, regarding acts that took place in Thessaloniki, at least since 2016, as well as for ‘terrorist acts’: Explosion, jointly using explosives, the manafacture, supply and possession, jointly, of explosives, including being accused of endangering human life. Other charges include arson, possession of guns and damage to property.

The raid on the houses was initially to investigate the incendiary explosive attack upon the ‘Foundation for National and Religous Reflection’ in Thessaloniki, that occured in the early hours of yesterday.

The three comrades have already passed in front of the prosecuter in Thessaloniki & will be detained awaiting trial.

We will post more info as we receive it.

Solidarity & Complicity with the 3 anarchist comrades arrested in Thessaloniki!

Let us not leave them on their own, not just in word but also in deed!

Anarchists of the Dark Nights & 325 Collectives

Update: From comrades of Tameio/Solidarity Fund for Imprisoned, Persecuted Revolutionaries of Thessaloniki

At dawn on Tuesday 8/2, two people were arrested after an operation by the anti-terrorist police, due to the placement of an explosive – incendiary device at the entrance of the “Foundation for National and Religious Reflection” at 37 Mouson Street in Thessaloniki, according to the media. Later in the afternoon another person is brought in, which turns into an arrest. On Wednesday 9/2 the arrested comrades were passed by a public prosecutor and a criminal case was filed against them, which attributes them to the formation and membership of the organization “Anarchist Action”. The charges against them are: joint explosion, manufacture, supply and possession of explosives and bombs that can cause danger to people, arson, manufacture, supply and possession of pistols, as well as explosives and explosive devices in order to supply organizations and groups and damage to foreign property using explosives. In the morning of 9/2 a solidarity meeting was held outside the Thessaloniki courthouse with a strong pulse and the comrades managed to hear us. The comrades and the comrade were given a deadline for their apology to the interrogator for Friday 11/2.

A more extensive update will follow.

SOLIDARITY MEETING AT THE COURTS OF THESSALONIKI FRIDAY 11/2 9:00

OPEN MEETING OF SOLIDARITY IN ΣΘΕ (School of Sciences of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) SATURDAY 12/2 17:00

NO ONE ALONE IN THE HANDS OF THE STATE

STRENGTH AND SOLIDARITY TO THE ARRESTED COMRADES OF 8/2

Solidarity fund for prisoners and persecuted militants (Thessaloniki assembly)

Source: athens.indymedia

Thessaloniki, Greece: Incendiary attack on the office of Leventis lawyer Th. Alexopoulos by Direct Action Cells – Anarchist Action Organization

Posted on 2022/02/06 - 2022/02/06 by darknights

On New Year’s Eve, in a suite of the luxurious MET Hotel, an anthropomorphic gang of golden boys, including the businessman in the catering industry Manos Papadopoulos (owner of Achillion) and the owners of Coca-cola in Greece Evagoras and Vassilis Leventis, bind the 24-year-old Georgia Bika and after drugging her, proceed to gang rape her. From the first moment she finds the strength and power to stand on her feet and with determination not to remain silent, denouncing the incident. One of the rapists (Vassilis Leventis) is arrested and released, with him a few hours later posing provocatively on social media holding the newspaper that records his exploits on the cover. Into the scene of decadence enters yet another extra of misery, the defense attorney for one of the rapists. Theophilos Alexopoulos, full of audacity, unfolds his manhood behind his professional capacity, finding Georgia Bika in the police station and verbally attacking her in order to intimidate her and prevent her from taking legal action.

This ease with which some scoundrels move, overwhelmed by the feeling of impunity that stems simultaneously from the privileges of patriarchy and the security they enjoy through the social and class status they enjoy, has always been a characteristic that has armed our thinking, our will but above all our conscious duty of revenge. We take responsibility for the incendiary attack with a low-powered device on the law office of pimp and rapist supporter Theophilos Alexopoulos at 74 Egnatia Street in Thessaloniki on the morning of 31 January.

The events through the perseverance and determination of Georgia, which stood alone against the wall of the Patriarchy, occupy the public sphere where the existence of a whole pimping ring that drugs and promotes young girls for the tastes and manliness of the economic elite is methodically revealed. A circuit that has the backing of the uniformed rapists and the bourgeois justice system to wash their faces based on their economic and social status and the political-economic interests they represent in both the legal economy and the black underground economy through the drug, arms, protection and trafficking mafias. Continue reading “Thessaloniki, Greece: Incendiary attack on the office of Leventis lawyer Th. Alexopoulos by Direct Action Cells – Anarchist Action Organization” →

Thessaloniki, Greece: Responsibility claim for incendiary attacks against nationalists

Posted on 2022/02/04 by darknights

In recent times we have seen the increasing effort of various nationalist groups to establish their presence in the western districts of Thessaloniki. Various groups of fascists are trying to forcibly steer occupations that have taken place in recent months in various schools towards a clearly nationalist course. Occupations by schoolchildren who raise as their main issues the educational devaluation, the privatisation of education, the total lack of protection and prevention measures with regard to the spread of mockery, the shabby structural facilities and more. Issues, which we understand touch on the class priority of the state in terms of learning as most of these schools are EPALs (Evosmos, Stavroupoli), without making any distinctions as to which nationality students can or rather cannot claim their right to free learning. Something which, it seems, cannot be accepted by the advocates of nationalist rhetoric whose priority is to have schools composed entirely of Greek students, thus disregarding the devaluation and impoverishment that people of our class are subjected to by the state even at such a young age.

Of course, the direction of these people’s priorities does not surprise us at all. Fascist groups have always been, whether they are organisations such as Golden Dawn or more disorganised paraphernalia such as in recent events the Eneth, selling an anti-government and sometimes anti-populist fairy tale in order to convince the masses that they will make a difference, that they will bring about change. What change can we talk about when the interests of these groups go hand in hand with the interests of the state and the bosses. What solution have they given or even proposed for unemployment, flexible working hours, starvation wages and pensions, precariousness and poverty in general? What change can we talk about when, over time, where the state is unable to intervene, fascism takes action with its long arm. With countless attacks in recent years, always on the weakest or different, with knives, guns, sticks and fists on immigrants and even children, with violence against schoolchildren who reacted to the nationalist occupations, with Molotov cocktails on the balconies of foreign families, with attacks on movement structures, thus taking the role that the state does not want to take the responsibility to take. What change can we talk about when these attacks are accompanied by the complete tolerance of the police.

One of these groups that have been active in Thessaloniki in recent years is the Holy Company, an organisation with a deeply Christian and nationalist analysis in its discourse. The Holy Company was at the forefront of the riots in Oraiokastro in 2016 when refugee children wanted to go to the local school. In 2017 it spearheaded blockades and riots protesting the ”anti-Christian” performance ”The Devil’s Hour”. He was found at the nationalist rallies for Macedonia that resulted in the burning of the Libertatia squat and the attack on EKX School on 21/01/18. Created Macedonian Pride a nationalist fiesta in a desperate attempt to keep the Macedonian issue alive in an anniversary format. Organized the marches for the death of the fascist Katsifa, as well as participated in nationalist protests first against lockdown and then against vaccines. Finally, it tried to capitalize on the events by calling for a nationalist march in the neighborhood. Based on these highlights of the holy company’s activities, we can easily understand that this group over time tries to follow the news in order to gather and organize as many people as possible. Continue reading “Thessaloniki, Greece: Responsibility claim for incendiary attacks against nationalists” →

Leipzig, Germany: Vonovia offices attacked in solidarity with Biologico!

Posted on 2022/01/21 - 2022/01/21 by darknights

Vonovia has perfected the capitalist exploitation of the basic human need for shelter: apart from outrageously high rents, the company utilizes an endless list of inhumane practices to exploit and terrorize their renters (e.g. systematic fraud in additional costs, general refusal of maintenance, as well as extortion of drastic increases in rent via “modernisations”). Through all of this Vonovia is rapidly advancing gentrification and the housing shortage. Especially in the east of Leipzig this displacement has become increasingly obvious, in hardly any other part of the city the rent is increasing as quickly. Vonovia plays one but not the sole part in profiting massively from this development and in actively advancing it. Our actions are part of the diverse resistance against the so-called ‘valorization’ of neighbourhoods and the displacement of their residents. Militant attacks are one of many means in this fight, they are legitimate and necessary. Direct economic damage drags the ones responsible into the lime light and decreases their profits. But we must not stop there. Let’s work together in many different ways to achieve a city where living together in solidarity is prioritized over the profits of big real estate companies. Let’s create vivd and rebellious neighbourhoods and let’s find ways to connect the various fights against gentrification!

Let’s also not forget about our comrades and friends in other parts of the world. Their struggles are our struggles. The squat “Biologico” in Thessaloniki has been evicted in december of last year. This squat served as a place where social struggles were united with the fights of students and where resistance against valorization and displacement was organized. In their call to action they write: “This one week should serve as another chance for fighters, individuals and groups in Greece, Europe and the whole world to show their solidarity with the squat Biologico which has existed for 34 years and is now at risk of eviction. They should do so with any means necessary and in any way which seems useful. Each eviction has its price. Be prepared, be cautious, solidarity is our weapon.”

We hope seeing the broken windows in Vonovia’s offices brings a smile to the faces of some renters suffering under this company’s harassment.

Let’s burst the bubbles of investors’ dreams! For a city for all!

Source: de.indymedia

Berlin, Germany: Ruin of a Securitas patrol car

Posted on 2022/01/19 - 2022/01/19 by darknights

Biologico is an occupation that existed for 34 years in the largest university in Thessaloniki and was evicted New Year’s Eve. There was a call for an international Action Week from 10 – 17.01! We are happy to answer this call, because we also see the city as a field of conflict and recognize the need to create and defend liberated spaces.

Last night (14/15 January) a vehicle of the company Securitas was destroyed in solidarity with the evicted Biologico. We found it in Berlin-Friedrichshain in Zelle Street, the company logo with an (A) and the name of Biologico was sprayed, all tires were slashed and all windows were smashed. So this patrol can rest for now in the workshop instead of participating in the daily manhunt.

The eviction represents the increasing authoritarian control of the Greek government over the universities. The government wants to create an educational environment free of contradictions, where there is no room for self-organization, through surveillance and the permanent stationing of cops in the universities in the future. Therefore, authoritarian surveillance must be smashed, whether by fascist states or by “security” companies!

Securitas is a company with a long tradition of guarding prisons, borders, public space, controls in means of transport, suppression of migration and defense of the elites. Active also in collaboration with the Turkish dictator Erdogan, Securitas has long been under attack worldwide.

From Berlin to Greece, abolish the police and their servants!

Source: Kontrapolis

Thessaloniki, Greece: Arson of the construction Praxis (Πράξις) that demolished the occupation of Biologica by Cores of Immediate Action (Πυρήνες Αμεσης Δράσης)

Posted on 2022/01/08 - 2022/01/08 by darknights

On the morning of New Year’s Eve, numerous repressive forces surround the facilities of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and begin the operation to evacuate the occupation of the Biologica. They invade the hangout(at Biologica) and after the end of the research, they start the demolition works of the area. The renovation project, which concerns the “Investment in education, the acquisition of skills and lifelong learning” and amounts to a cost of 1,320,600 euros, concerns the creation of a sterile waiting area.These are the real needs of academic education: sterile spaces in a landscape deliberately degraded, to create the empty man of tomorrow, a willing servant and ruler in the appeals and interests of capitalist reconstruction.

The repressive gang war of Rector Papaioannou against the squats that belong to the(ΑΠΘ)Aristotle University of Thessaloniki continues. After the evacuation of the Terra Incognita squat in the summer of 2020, the evacuation of the squat on Nikis Street in the past (buildings that remain sealed even today), the uniformed academy proceeds to evacuate and demolish a space inside the university campus that over 3 decades captured what freedom in knowledge, self-education, access without profit and price means.The academic community officially opens its arms to militarism and repression, with the rubbish of the rectory sending its excited thanks personally to Mitsotakis himself. This is the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki:a matrix of collaborators of repression in which the officials of the uniformed Republic are hatched. Sludge like Papaioannou who does not care where he puts his signature and Margaritis who enacts laws to send to cement anyone who actually challenges the state monarchy.

In hostilities we will have the last word…

The government decides to proceed with the surprise of New Year’s Eve and to lay the veil of repression claiming the war fiesta. A few hours later, we go on the counterattack.We take responsibility for the arson attack on the building of the construction company Praxis, at 49 Kromnis Street in Kalamaria shortly before the change of the Year.Praxis is the contracting company that undertook the demolition work of the occupation. We will strike each one individually that accompanies the repression against the liberated territories and the world of struggle.

Our attack is the first reflexive action of practical solidarity in the world of struggle that defends to the end the squatters and the self-managed areas of struggle, solidarity and attack. A message of strength, support and complicity with each comrade and comrade individually who insists on denial, on questioning, on war. You will find us by your side in every moment of conflict, in every roadblock because we are not finished.We are preparing a new cycle of attacks in the war of attrition, organizing new Cores of Immediate Action. And in this war we call on every struggling initiative to take action, sharpening the confrontation quantitatively, qualitatively and operationally.

We respond to war with war.

Terra Incognita/Hangout in Biologica-squats forever

Cores of Immediate Action*

Casus Belli Core

Source: athens.indymedia

Translated by Hors

*Dark Nights would like to note that ‘Πυρήνες Αμεσης Δράσης’ has been previously translated as Direct Action Cells or Cells of Direct Action.

Thessaloniki, Greece: Evicition of Biologica Squat and Call for Solidarity Week 10-17 January

Posted on 2022/01/08 - 2022/01/08 by darknights

The state, cops and university lackies decided on 31/12/2021 to realize an eviction that has already been announced the previous months. After unofficial threats for an upcoming eviction of the Biologica squat during the previous years, in September a project agreement was signed and assigned to a contractor, with the aim of “remodeling” and “utilizing” the spaces on the ground floor of the Biology building were the squat used to be. In the plans, of course, they included the squatted area with the intention of demolishing the surrounding walls and turning it into a secretariat room and a waiting room. In New Year’s Eve as in the long gone 1992 – at that time they build the door of the squat – the university campus is surrounded by police forces while underground cops are moving towards the area of the squat. They invade our liberated ground and after conducting a thorough search, while destroying anything that was in the squat, they take pictures of their “grand” findings and they give the space to the workers to finish off the first stage of their plan, the demolition of the walls. After their intervention all of the ground floor appears to be vandalized. We never doubted the pure hate of the state, cops and university lackies towards liberated spaces.

Thessaloniki’s assembly of the Solidarity Fund for Imprisoned, Persecuted Revolutionaries found a home between these walls in 2016. During all these years the squat has been the starting point of struggles and solidarity actions for imprisoned and persecuted companions, both from the structure of the Solidarity Fund and from other groups and individuals with a central idea to resist the state and capitalist barbarism and stench and defend the prisoners of this war. Political and cultural events, book presentations and self-organized bookstores, screenings, collective kitchens and workshops, local and panhellenic assemblies, bars and concerts for the financial support of political prisoners or to cover court expenses … A few words cannot describe the political bonds, trust and companionship that developed within these walls that we found demolished. This demolition cannot destroy them, as they are our way of life and memories which are reflected in our every thought and action.

The act of eviction itself works for us as a reminder of a war that we never actually forgot was raging. Targeting comrades, persecutions, arrests and tortures, repression in all the ways possible and whatever cost as well as control with upgraded means are some parts of the rotten society in which we live, yet we have consciously chosen to continue to resist and fight side by side. Squats are the starting points of this war and as it seems they do whatever they can to leave us without structures to prepare our counterattack.

State, rectors and academics, cops and other pieces of trash that state their relief after the eviction of squats, praise the success of the law-abiding state and the successful protection of the blessed trinity of law, order and security have apparently failed to mention the above correlations with the attack on the social base, which at the level of higher education was done through the abolition of asylum, and recently through the passage of the new anti-education bill (n.4777), sealing the depoliticization and demise of the university and the devaluation of student and non-student lives.
As long as we keep on fighting, we are not defeated… we create lawless reference points, relationships build on trust and solidarity structures. We have long chose a side in this war.

PS. Papaioannou you have no reason to thank the government and sleep peacefully.

PS2. Solidarity means attack.

WE DEFEND OUR SQUATS
WE CLAIM OUR LIVES

BIOLOGICA AND THOUSAND MORE SQUATS
AGAINST A WORLD OF ORGANIZED RECEPTION
FOR SOLIDARITY, SELF-ORGANIZATION AND ANARCHY

Solidarity Fund for Imprisoned and Persecuted Revolutionaries

Thessaloniki, Greece: The time has come for my roar to be heard – Denunciation of sectarianism by the Biologica haunt

Posted on 2021/12/29 by darknights

“Man, your head is haunted; you have wheels in your head! […] You have a fixed idea!” – Max Stirner

It’s been some time that I wanted my anger to be heard. An anger that awaited for its moment, so that it can be ready to be released from within me. If this denunciation won’t bother everyone, it will bother most, if not then it will bother a few. And for many reasons that I won’t analyse!

I have been active in the anarchist / anti-authoritarian milieu in Thessaloniki since September ‘21 and I was not pleased by many things and generally they do not express me. Because, as Renzo Novatore wrote, “I am an individualist because I am an anarchist and I am an anarchist because I am a nihilist.”

Nevertheless, I did not fall into the trap of dogmatism, I did not stop my activity just because most collectives and squats do not represent post-left anarchy, pure negation, direct action and informalism. Whenever and wherever I could, I showed my solidarity in practice, from participating
in postering, to taking part in protests, and only out of personal desire because I was tired from complete isolation in Athens.

But some do not appreciate it and worse, they turn against me.

Since the announcement of the plans for the demolition of the Biologica haunt, I wanted to show my solidarity and support in this situation that the squat has come. I knew very well what had happened 9 years ago, but it wasn’t an obstacle in this particular action of mine, because I was not involved in the “civil war” 1 as I did not and will never hold a position in these past events, because nothing will change, as it would be stupid of me to maintain vendettas. I always look at the present, I only study the past when there is something useful for today!

The first open assembly in support of Biologica is announced and took place in SPS 2 . In short, before the assembly began, I was asked by a person (whom I do not know if they are from Biologica or from another collective that is housed in the haunt) to leave because I am not accepted,
because I am from the anarchist haunt of Nadir. I respected this request because I had no mood for fights and quarrels. I left SPS and then some comrades (not related to Nadir) left some minutes later dissatisfied by this request. Continue reading “Thessaloniki, Greece: The time has come for my roar to be heard – Denunciation of sectarianism by the Biologica haunt” →

Thessloniki, Greece: STATE CAPITAL MEDIA AND SPECIALISTS, THEY HAVE FUCKED UP OUR LIVES

Posted on 2021/12/17 - 2021/12/17 by darknights

STATE CAPITAL MEDIA AND SPECIALISTS

THEY HAVE FUCKED UP OUR LIVES

STOPPING: house arrest, written petition to get a pre-trial hearing, curfew and assembly, certificates of sanitary legality.

“FREEDOM BUSINESS”: third dose, forced vaccination, and for non-compliant, fines, mandatory rapid tests, work suspensions, firings.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER: imposing a new social division between vaccinated and unvaccinated, between compliant citizens and unruly plebes.

ECONOMIC DIVIDE: telecommuting, working around the clock, wage cuts, unemployment, poverty, price increases in everything that concerns our living (rent, food, electricity, etc.).

WE WILL TAKE IT BACK TO THE BARRICADES

We will take them back to the streets.

– Rabid for life

Continue reading “Thessloniki, Greece: STATE CAPITAL MEDIA AND SPECIALISTS, THEY HAVE FUCKED UP OUR LIVES” →

Thessaloniki, Greece: Taking responsibility for an attack on a bank by Μητροπολιτική Ομάδα Καταστροφών [Metropolitan Catastrophes Group]

Posted on 2021/12/05 - 2021/12/05 by darknights

Source: athens.indymedia Translated by Act for freedom now!

6/12 marks the 13th anniversary of the murder of the anarchist student Alexandros Grigoropoulos by the cops Korkoneas and Saraliotis. “Normality” died overnight. The straw that broke the camel’s back led thousands of pupils, students, migrants, workers from all over the country to take to the streets, to violent demonstrations, to mass strikes, to attacks against State and capitalist targets.

December 2008 became the vehicle of an uprising that gave hope to those oppressed and excluded by the State and capital. Overnight, after years of social “stability”, the proletarian riots of December reopened the stakes of social resistance and revolution in post-communist Greece. The 2008 uprising, the occupations, the clashes, but above all the realization that we have nothing to lose and the perception that the enemy is not invulnerable, left an important legacy for the resistances in the decade of repression, poverty and exploitation that followed.

Today, 13 years later, in times of crisis, the State is stepping up its attack on those from below. Having abandoned the public health system in the midst of a pandemic, it has chosen the path of repression. It beats up students, abolishes university asylum, targets squats, bans demonstrations, unleashes a wave of persecution against anarchists and militants without evidence with the sole aim of cutting off any prospect of uprisings in the here and now. Continue reading “Thessaloniki, Greece: Taking responsibility for an attack on a bank by Μητροπολιτική Ομάδα Καταστροφών [Metropolitan Catastrophes Group]” →