The case of the 27 activists of Parnitha (Athens, 2007)

Ok, This isn't exactly news. It is a report on the case of the 27 activists prosecuted for an eco-action in Parnitha mountain, near Athens, back at 2007. They are all free without charges, though I thought since this contact wasn't active at the time, there should be a report on that even now, for archive use.

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Sunday, July 29 2007, one month after the destructive sprawl arson at Parnitha mountain, Athens, 27 activists got arrested near the mountain, accused for a symbolic attack with paintbombs against the "Mont Parnes" casino, earlier that day.

The casino is built within the natural forest of Parnitha, and remained untouched during the arsons that destroyed a large part of Greece's forests and wildlife and costed more than 67 people their lives, since the local firemen were sent to protect the casino's infrastructure and not the forest. The casino is even planning its expansion inside the damaged forest area, a part of wich (around 20.000 acres) was donated to the casino by the Greek government, right after the arsons, so as to "protect" it. The casino belongs by 51% to a Greek state's agency, and by 49% to private companies, mainly "Regency Entertainment-BC Partners".

Two days before that, an "Open Assembly from Strefis hill" organised a march in the forest and blockaded the casino's teleferik, facing intense police pressure.

On the 29th, the police mobilised riot-policemen, police cars, helicopters and special police squads. This operation resulted in the arrest of 27 activists, who were beaten while hand-cuffed. Inside GADA (Athens police headquarters), they were tortured and deprived of any phone calls, even to their lawyers. After their strong dissent inside GADA, and the gathering of supporters outside the building, those injured heavily were sent to a hospital, and the police announced the accusations against the 27.

On Monday 30, the 27 activists appeared before a district attorney. The riot police, outside the jury, attacked supporters gathered but was repelled succesfully.

The activists, in a communique they circulated on August 5, signed "The deers of Parnitha" state they decided to act against the casino "recognising the fact that its presence is irrelative and totally competitive to the natural forest, and that it is needed to kick it out and prevent its expansion. That's why this paint attack was a symbolic, fair and posetive action aiming to contribute in the awakeningof an equal social justice". They also mention that "The day we climbed up the mountain was when a provocative declaration of a goofy celebrity of the ruling class named Aris Spiliotopoulos, parliament member of New Democracy, accusing the anarchists for the forest arsons" and that "as friends of the forest and the mountain of Parnitha we couldn't limitate to the protests that took part in the city, we went up to the place of the crime, where the forest was burnt and the monstrous casino raised among thousands of burnt trees. Thus, the morning of Sunday, June 29 we realised an intervention outside Regency Casino at Parnitha, lifting a banner writing "Kick the casino out of Parnitha" and chanting slogans as "Our rage won't be put out - kick the casino out", "Either a casino or a forest, take your roulettes and go home", while the security guards run away inside the casino from where they kept watching us, once they realised they 're not in danger. During the intervention, red paint (symbolizing the blood of innumerable animals lost during the last fire) was thrown at the entrance and the front walls of the casino, and slogans were spray painted on them, against the presence of the casino in the forest. Then, after our intervention and the symbolic attack against this church of gambling, and after we passed through the burnt zones, we continued our route through passages inside the forest zones and the streams of our beloved mountain, while above us two police helicopters were looking for us, and police units with buses, jeaps and motorbikes, riot policemen, crime units, special police forces, frontier patrols and undercover policemen where hunting us. We are also aware of the fact that the chief leaders of the Greek police went up the mountain and settled outside a refuge at "Bafi" where they headed the whole operation asking desperately for the arrest of all those that "dared to hit the casino".

According to witnesses, local municipality officers but also a few residents helped the police spot them.

On Monday, January 7, around 30 persons occupied a radio station in Athens and transmitted messages of solidarity to the 27 arrestees. Meanwhile, many groups around Greece circulated posters and communiques in solidarity to the 27 activists.

On January 10, the 27 activists faced a jury in Athens, where more than a hundred supporters attended. All 27 were found not guilty for the accusations concerning throwing paint at the casino, while two of them were found guilty for "dissobedience" and set on parole because they denied to give their identity while they were under arrest. After the trial, while they were leaving the jury, the cops tried to stop the two claiming they had to pay around 70 euros for extra jury expenses, though supporters from the audience intervened so they managed to leave without paying anything.

The 27 are set free, without charges.

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Also check out some photos of the marches at Parnitha:

at athens IMC

http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=784086

http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=782687

Of the paint attack against the casino:

at indy.gr

http://www.indy.gr/newswire/drasi-enantia-sto-kazino-27-syllpseis-gia-plimmelmata-6-traymaties-meta-apo-ksylodarmo-astynomikn-sygkentrosi-allileggyis-ekso-apo-ti-gada

Of a march, at the site of the Open Assembly at Strefis hill:

http://strefis.ath.cx/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=27&catid=2

Earth Liberation Prisoners Support! - Greece
http://greekelp.blogspot.com

On Vaggelis Botzatzis' case

Vaggelis Botzatzis has been remanded into custody accused of setting fire to two company cars owned by a energy/power company. According to the communique claiming responsibility for a group called "Antiauthoritarian Conscience Brigade" the person or persons unknown who carried out the arson did so in protest at the destruction of the natural environment and in support of the workers who died at the power plant.

You can check out that communique at: http://directactiongr.blogspot.com/2007/10/arson-against-ppc-vehicles-thessaloniki.html

Vaggelis is also accused of setting fire to a bank and starting a fire inside a French car dealership in the days of the recent riots by young people. Vaggelis denies all the allegations against him and maintains his innocence. You can communicate with the detainee (in Greek, English or French) at:

Vaggelis Botzatzis
Komotini Juridical Prison ("Dikastikes Fylakes Komotinis")
T.K. 69100
GREECE

Vaggelis is accused (under the "anti"terror law) with "Arson, repeated and in common, explosion, making and possessing explosive material, criminal organization, terrorist actions", and three felonies, and is in pre-trial detention (up to 18 months, according to the Greek laws). Three more persons are still fugitives, under the same case.

Letter from Anarchist Vaggelis Botzatzis

From the judicial prison of Komotini (24/1/8)

I am already 2 months imprisoned in the galleys of democracy. In the prisons effigies of prison society. I am pre-trial imprisoned with a made-up bill of indictments which is based on the testimony of a security guard (who asserts that he saw my car license plates) and by black-mailing inhumanely my companion, the secret police after an hour-long detention and intimidation threatened her and forced her to sign a totally made-up deposition. This deposition after a few days was denounced and refuted by my companion on her own in front of the interrogator as a product of black-mail.

Imprisoned by the anti-terror law, a law that aims at de-sensing acts and practices of resistance of symbolic actions, so it can show them as a threat to society, hiding in the meantime the fact that the terrorists are those who put forward these laws. In these frames, warrants are issued for 3 other comrades who are wanted by the police now.

Nothing is new or unfamiliar for anyone that has open eyes and is not possessed by illusions. Judges, prosecutors and interrogators imprison people before trial for each case that reaches their hands and give life-long sentences in order to hide their involvement in para-judge groups, who use the 18 month long pre-trial imprisonment as a penalty for cases that they know will get acquitted in the auditorium, following orders of each of their masters. Police that humiliate human dignity in police stations, who shoot in cold blood unarmed immigrants at the borders, who shoot in the head to "save" insured money, who "suicide" prisoners, who spray with chemicals those who decide to go against the will of the rulers. Media and journalists, political party, ministry, MP, millionaire employees, show an objectiveness which is nothing but the interests of their bosses. Assignees who are not boggled to sell-out for money and job careers. And next to this hodge-podge of institutionalists, a diffused social informery. Truck drivers, shop-owners and guards, everyday informers, defenders of the "honest sweat" of the banks, security guards and uniformed men, everywhere supervision and social control. Across this silence and obedience that is forced by this whole meshwork of authority, there are those who stand with clear glance and with sure steps they walk on the roads of insurrection.

Whether from inside the galleys of society, whether inside the social galley, the struggle goes on...

FREEDOM to the anarchists Yannis Dimitrakis, Yiorgos Vousis-Vogiatzis, Marios Tsourapas, Hrisostomos Kontorevithakis, Nikos Kountardas

FREEDOM for the fighter Vaggelis Pallis

SOLIDARITY to the 3 wanted comrades

FREEDOM TO ALL PRISONERS

Vaggelis Botzatzis
Judicial prisons of Komotini

Letter from the 3 wanted (27/1/8)

-Early hours of Monday 26/11/07

Comrade V.Botzatzis is arrested by plain clothes police while he was at his friend's house in Ano Poli, Thessaloniki, and his car is confiscated. He is taken to the main police station of Thessaloniki, where he is held for over 48 hours, in total isolation and without legal coverage.

The same day, Monday morning, and while the cops have already forced entry in Vangelis house and in his friend's, she (companion of Vangelis) is arrested at her workplace.

In the afternoon and evening of the same day, 4 more arrests of comrades who are politically closely related with Vangelis. 2 of them as well while working and the 2 other ones from a cafe in the centre of Thessaloniki. Late at night the 4 are let free while there is a solidarity demo where we were more of 100 people outside of the police station where Vangelis and his friend are still held.

-Tuesday 27/11/07 after 35 hours of detention, Vangelis friend is free. The same afternoon, Ano Poli (the broader area around our places of residence) is surrounded by police forces. 2 riot police buses are lined up in the neighborhood limits and tens of undercover cops, motorbike police and cop cars are moving provocatively around in the area. At the same evening we are informed that the anti-terror unit is forcing entry in our houses (in one of the two houses without the presence of a lawyer or a resident while in the other one a comrade is arrested and let free after a few hours. This fact made it clear to us that the police is trying to set up a dirty game against us by inventing "guilty".

-On Wednesday 28/11/07, an unsubstantial, invented deposition of Vangelis friend, a product of black-mail, of threats, of psychological violence and pressure, an unbelievable list of charges is made up for Vangelis and 3 arrest warrants are issued against us.

The charges we receive are 5 felonies and 3 delinquencies, specifically: Complete arson and in attempt in a group and continuously, complete explosion and in attempt in a group and continuously, construction and possession of explosive mechanism, distinguished occasion of private property damage, formation of a criminal group, terrorist actions in a group and continuously, illegal possession of weapons.

Vangelis denies the charges, he states that he is an anarchist and gets imprisoned at the judicial prisons of Komotini. Alike, the 3 of us don't accept any of the charges.

The Media in an admirable collaboration with the agents of authority take action. Publicized on the newspapers Makedonia, Ethnos and on the channels Mega, ET3, Alter, Alpha are the pictures of the 3 of us. Only the word "wanted" was missing and a cash award that would be given to any possible informer.

Inside this entire atmosphere, from the beginning with having any doubts we chose to escape. A choice so conscious as also political. We are anarchists and as that we realize the world around us. For us the struggle for freedom is the only way. The labels of innocent-guilty, ethical-unethical, good-bad are not recognized by us and we don't attempt to do it now. That's why we choose to not be victims of authority, of the processes, of laws, of austerity or leniency.

We realize ourselves as political beings that belong in the anarchist-revolutionary movement. Our participation in this is a way to exist in the present without having to wait resignedly for an earthly paradise of social justice but by putting forward the everyday pursuit and the rupture between institutions and relationships for regaining human dignity.

We exist in a condition of today, without evangelizing a "better tomorrow", we live and struggle for today, while putting perspectives for the future. We consider the triptych "yesterday-today-tomorrow" a beginning for fertile criticism. We learn from our mistakes and move away from them.

We realize our existence-realization as an enemy towards the existing. Actively we stand opposed to all those who reflect this compromised society, which we see as a whole and not only to its authoritative factors and institutions but to the whole of its besotted citizens. Those who with their "neutral" stance which is not neutral at all because silence is complicity, are trying to gain a sure place in this system, ruled by complexes of micro-authorities. Whether those who voluntarily play their roles of lawful citizens-conscious informers where the rules, the laws and order gain ethical power alike the obedience to death of modern social cemeteries.

It was, it is and it will always be our choice to stand across all this scum, and the reason is no other than that our life and our freedom, nobody else except us can determine.

We were, we are and we will always be attackers on this world that the only it has to put front is apathy, sureness and self-slavery.

Our realizations look like impetuous waters that try to take with them the orders of authority whichever form they have. The rocks of the legality limits, which artily tries to force the radical components of this society, would not block their road.

We didn't compromise and we would never compromise with this old world. Because we never possessed a position in the authority corral. Because our dignity would never let us follow by our own will the tactic of being the sheep ready to be slaughtered. Because we know very well your "chaste" democracy, the democracy of totalitarianism, of control and security-insecurity. Because we are humans and we would never exchange our freedom at any cost.

See you at the theatrical show that you call court.

ON THE ROAD TOWARDS FREEDOM

NOTHING HAS FINISHED EVERYTHING CONTINUOUS

FREEDOM FOR COMRADE VANGELIS BOTZATZIS

Dimitra S., Kostas H., Ilias N.