http://en.contrainfo.espiv.net/2012/01/10/athens-anarchists-detained-en-mass-after-solidarity-intervention-in-a-commercial-radio-station-for-the-revolutionary-struggle-case-trial/
In the morning of January 10th, nearly twenty members of the solidarity assembly for the case of Revolutionary Struggle (Epanastatikos Agonas, whose trial is currently underway) entered the corporate radio station flash.gr on Kifisias Avenue and interrupted the station’s program, to transmit a message of solidarity with those on trial.
Despite the fact that neither the station’s management, nor its staff asked officially any police intervention, scores of police (DIAS motorcycle units, squads such as MAT, plainclothes cops, among others) soon arrived on the spot and encircled the building. At about 14.00, after hours of being blocked inside the radio’s offices, anarchists who took part in the solidarity intervention were detained en mass and taken to the police headquarters on Alexandras Avenue: two prosecutors along with police squads stormed the radio station, forcing the comrades to exit the premises; all were handcuffed and held in police buses, while their mobile phones were confiscated.
As soon as the news was circulated, anarchists gathered opposite the police HQ (GADA), where a solidarity protest of approximately 100 people is underway (pre-gathering point: outside Ambelokipi metro station).
Here’s a text released by the 20 detainees themselves:
Today, January 10th, 2012, comrades from the anarchist/anti-authoritarian space carried out an intervention in the corporate radio station Flash 96 FM in the context of a series of solidarity actions for the Revolutionary Struggle case, which was brought to trial since October 5th, 2011, in the special court of Koridallos prisons.
We have taken this action in an effort to break the wall of silence and the political order to gag the trial process and the political discourse of the defendants in the Revolutionary Struggle case.
A confirmation of this gagging was the immediate reaction of police forces during the broadcast of our audio message with the words of the prosecuted for the same case. This mobilization of the executive and law enforcement authorities is indicative for anyone who resists, for whoever puts forward the total overthrow of the system through the social revolution, which is the only way to escape from the modern totalitarianism of the Troika of EU, ECB and IMF and their trustee, the Greek State, that have submitted the entire society in poverty and misery.
A society doomed by the full dismantling of labour relations, the ‘chinesization’ in front of the threat of more and more unemployed people lining up in long queues, the onslaughts of predatory taxation, the dissolution of public-benefit corporations, the privatizations, the selling off of public assets and the development of financial zones on starvation wages.
It is worth noting that under this treaty, in their bid to shield the system, and while everything is reduced and cut, the only thing that’s increased are the armies of the watchdogs of democracy, armed guards, capitalism and its State. Therefore, under this treaty, more commonly referred to as Junta, we are in solidarity and proud with our comrades and their choices.
Our choices are side by side with all parts of society who choose the fair way of social liberation.
SOLIDARITY WITH MAZIOTIS, ROUPA, GOURNAS, STATHOPOULOS, NIKITOPOULOS, KORTESIS, BERAHA AND KATSENOS
Solidaritarians’ assembly from inside Flash radio station
Solidarity banner opposite Athens police HQ: ‘Down your limbs from the fighters! We are all terrorists!’
Although it is most likely that the station’s owners or even its security guards had notified some authorities about the presence of anarchists in the building, it has been reported that all detainees were charged in ex officio indictment, meaning that no call from the company’s staff was required for the prosecutors and cops to invade in it. Initially, it was feared that the charges may fall under Greece’s third terrorism law. It seems though that all comrades are charged with the misdemeanor of ‘incitement to violence’. They are now threatened to be held in detention and stand trial tomorrow, 11/1, at Evelpidon courts in Athens, at about 12.00. We call for their unconditional acquittal!
No prosecution for the comrades who intervened in Flash 96 FM!
Freedom now to all!
Solidarity with the three members of Revolutionary Struggle, Nikos Maziotis, Pola Roupa, Kostas Gournas, and the other defendants in the same case, Vaggelis Stathopoulos, Sarantos Nikitopoulos, Christoforos Kortesis, Marie Beraha and Kostas Katsenos. We demand the immediate release of K.Katsenos who is still held hostage under pre-trial detention.
SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON
Ongoing gathering outside Athens police headquarters,
on Alexandras Avenue, from 17.30
Ongoing PA’s counter-information gathering
at Kamara, Thessaloniki, from 18.30
Contra Info Latest update, Wednesday, January 11th:All 20 comrades have now been released. Still, they will be facing trial (on Friday, January, 13th).