During the last few weeks, Greek prisoner and hitman of the famous revolutionary organisation 17 November Dimitris Koufontinas went on a hunger strike to protest against the conditions the Greek state had him under. This inspired a series of solidarity protests all over the Greek state. These linked up with the increasing number of large protests that were being help to express the Greek people’s anger against the disastrous handling of the pandemic by the government, the increased authoritarianism of the police forces and the state, and the disillusionment with the entire conceit of capitalist democratic rule.
This is currently embodied by the New Democracy Party, which has been making use of the democratic structures and the state of exception during the pandemic to impose the kind of authoritarian measures most people associate with dictatorships. Seeing that the New Democracy party came to power on an extreme right platform and that, despite the Greek junta falling in 1974, many of its members and proponents are still alive and active within the state institutions (especially the police), this association is particularly real in Greece.
We shouldn’t see this as a break with the previous administrations, but rather a continuation and maybe a culmination of processes initiated long before the current government took power. They are the result of dynamics taking place in many other countries as the current world system approaches its end amid economical, social and ecological collapse and the ruling classes try to reconfigure its future. Including the UK under the Tories, who have escalated the level of police repression since the start of the Pandemic to the point where even peaceful protests have been forbidden. Furthermore, they are now seeking to enshrine these powers and authoritarian measures into law in the form of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
But we should remember this is happening regardless of the political affiliations of the parties in power. The repression taking place under the Spanish state, helmed by a so called left-wing coalition, is a clear example of this. Not only in its ruthless put down of protests, but also in its refusal to derogate the Gag Law which continues to be used against protesters to this day, despise electoral promises to repeal it. This mirrors the Patriot Act the USA passed using the September 11 attacks as an excuse. The lesson is clear: once the state gains authoritarian powers to control its population, it won’t willingly let go of them.
And so, we see that no matter what matter what form it is organised under, democracy or dictatorship, left-wing or right-wing, our enemy is the same: rulership and domination.
Dimitris Koufontinas, with his valiant action, has tapped into this tension. And just like the imprisonment of Pablo Hasel did, it has opened the floodgates keeping all the pent up anger boiling under the surface. Many have taken action in solidarity with Koufontinas in Greece, and this has in turn inspired others around the world. Including in London. We have received the following anonymous statement reporting on some actions taken against members of New Democracy Party and other associated groups living in London.
The hunger strike of Koufontinas may have ended now. But these actions show that the struggle is very much alive. And if it can even reach the shores of this island, maybe its example can be carried through too. Maybe the anger and grief unleashed by the vile murder of Sarah Everard and the brutal repression of her vigil can spark a fire to burn down not only this bill, but this whole wretched place to the ground. This may not be the end of the white supremacist patriarchal capitalist state system we live under. But it may finally give back some of the terror and suffering it has imposed upon us.
You can read their statement next in both English and Greek.
(As usual, we don’t necessarily condone the statement or the actions taken, nor do we encourage anyone to imitate them. We’re simply sharing what we’ve received)
[Greek translation bellow]
The last few days we visited the houses and stores of members of the executive committee of New Democracy in the UK and we decorated them with colours, slogans, posters and leaflets. Our actions was a small taste of what they deserve for their participation in the sadistic treatment of Dimitris Koufontinas and the state repression against everyone resisting brutality. We also targeted a greek-orthodox church for their decision to send their priests to make a hunger striker receive the holy communion at a time when he was fighting for justice with his own body. The clowns of New Democracy who fantasise that they are imparting the greek political civilisation abroad have names:
Vassilis Zafiris, Christos Kassapis, George Palikaras, Nikolaos Lilis, Kostas Papakostas, Fotios Stikas, Theodosis (Ted) Zaimis, Sokratis Ochtaras, Michael Arapis, Panayiotis Kalambokis, Vasilis Repakis, Marianna Lykourentzou, George Kratsas, Panayiotis Dimakopoulos, Greg Hadjigregoriadis.
They are wrong to assume that distance from the motherland will save them from the consequences of their choices. Wherever they go, they will carry the stamp of the torturer of political prisoners, radicals, migrants and “delinquents”.
You have no reason to feel safe.
SOLIDARITY TO DIMITRIS KOUFONTINAS
NEA SMIRNI RIOTS WARM OUR HEARTS
Anarchists of the north
Τις ημέρες που πέρασαν επισκεφτήκαμε τα σπίτια και τα μαγαζιά μελών της διοικούσας επιτροπής του τομέα της Νέας Δημοκρατίας στη Μεγάλη Βρετανία και τα διακοσμήσαμε με χρώματα, σπρέι, αφίσες και τρικάκια. Οι δράσεις μας ήταν μια μικρή γεύση από το ξεφτίλισμα που τους αξίζει για τη συμμετοχή τους στην σαδιστική μεταχείριση του Δημήτρη Κουφοντίνα και την κρατική καταστολή έναντια στον κόσμο που βάζει αναχώματα στη βαρβαρότητα. Στοχοποιήσαμε επίσης μια ελληνο-ορθόδοξη εκκλησία για την επιλογή τους να στείλουν τους παπάδες τους σε έναν απεργό πείνας για να μεταλάβει την ώρα που εκείνος αγωνιζόταν για δικαιοσύνη με το ίδιο του το σώμα. Οι γελοίοι της ΝΔ που φαντασιώνονται πως μεταλαμπαδεύουν τον ελληνικό πολιτικό πολιτισμό στο εξωτερικό έχουν ονοματεπώνυμα:
Βασίλης Ζαρίφης, Χρήστος Κασάπης, Γιώργος Παληκαράς, Νικόλαος Λίλης, Κώστας Παπακώστας, Φώτιος Στίκας, Θεοδώσης Ζαϊμης, Σωκράτης Οχταρας, Μιχαήλ Αράπης, Παναγιώτης Καλαμπόκης, Βασίλης Ρεπάκης, Μαριάννα Λυκουρέντζου, Γιώργος Κράτσας, Παναγιώτης Δημακόπουλος, Γρηγόρης Χατζιγρηγοριάδης.
Ας μη νομίζουν πως η απόσταση από τη μαμά-πατρίδα θα τους γλυτώσει από τις συνέπειες των επιλογών τους. Όπου και να πάνε, θα κουβαλάνε τη στάμπα του βασανιστή των πολιτικών κρατουμένων, των αγωνιζόμενων, των μεταναστ(ρι)ών, των “διαφορετικών”.
Δεν έχετε κανένα λόγο να κοιμάστε ήσυχοι.
ΑΛΛΗΛΕΓΓΥΗ ΣΤΟ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗ ΚΟΥΦΟΝΤΙΝΑ
Η ΝΕΑ ΣΜΥΡΝΗ ΖΕΣΤΑΙΝΕΙ ΤΙΣ ΚΑΡΔΙΕΣ ΜΑΣ
Αναρχικ@ του βορρά
