en es - Veria, northern Greece: Mass arrests of counter-protesters and police raid in the Autonomous Hangout Baruti during ‘national day’

Banner in solidarity with the PIKPA squat (Heraklion, Crete), made by comrades of the autonomous ‘steki’ Baruti in Veria in February 2011: ‘Hands off the squats and liberated spaces. No prosecution against our comrades!’

Pancarta en solidaridad con la okupa PIKPA (Heraklion, isla de Creta), realizada por lxs compas de Baruti, el febrero de 2011: ¡Quitad las manos de las okupas y los espacios autogestionados. Ninguna persecución para nuestrxs compas!


By 9.30am on March 25th (one of the two dates celebrated as a ‘national day’ by the Greek State, which holds obligatory military and student parades in major cities across the country) a counter-protest was held in the city of Veria. The protest, as many others in several Greek cities, was called for against the dictatorial-democratic regime on the occasion of the annual nationalist parade that includes platforms for officials and politicians, national flags, uniformed marchers, etc. More than 150 police pigs surrounded the crowd at the gathering place — near the spot of the parade — and arrested 29 comrades, members of the Autonomous Hangout Baruti (‘Gunpowder’). According to reports, 3 more protesters were also dragged and detained by the police from the street. At this moment, 29 comrades are held in custody in the Imathia police headquarters, in Veria, which had been cordoned off by cops.

The initial reports mention that the arrestees will have to appear in court tomorrow, accused of resisting authority and other possible charges that the prosecutor may add. It must be noted that several people remanded in custody from previous cases are still packed inside the detention rooms of the same police headquarters, because the Greek prisons are so overcrowded that they cannot really accept anyone new!

Meanwhile, various police units in large numbers, assisted by the presence of a prosecutor and police dogs, raided the Autonomous Hangout Baruti and searched the building, located on 21, Pyrrou Street. The cops confiscated everything that was inside (just furniture, posters and books, because they couldn’t find anything to incriminate the comrades).

Letter of some people from the police holding cells in Veria
Sunday, March 25th, 2012, 21.38 (GMT+2)

The regime of emergency imposed on the large number of oppressed in the country by the banks and the State launched an offensive in Veria with its praetors and detained 32 people from 10 in the morning.

After 6 hours of waiting in the police department, 26 of them were charged with resisting and insulting authority and possession of weapons. Since 16.00 we are held in the cells of the regime. Simultaneously, the police with dogs raided the autonomous social hangout of the city.

THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE AND FREEDOM CANNOT BE GAGGED OR REPRESSED; IT GOES ON FOREVER!

Some people from the police holding cells in Veria
The presence of repressive forces in Veria is unprecedentedly massive, given that nearly 400 police agents have occupied the city, including cops from nearby regions.

This crackdown against participants in the self-managed space was carried out only a few days before the scheduled event by Baruti for autonomy, self-organization and self-education, from 6th to 8th April, with various activities in Dimarhiou Square and inside the steki (see the event’s poster here).

Solidarity with all arrestees and prosecuted! Hands off free spaces!
Against state violence!
sources i, ii, iii

http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1387986
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1388005
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1388091


Update, 23.26 (GMT+2): Indymedia Athens reports that arrestees held in the police headquarters in Veria were a total of 26 people, who were charged with ‘resisting and insulting authority’, as well as ‘possession of weapons’. Already, 10 of them have been released after appearing before the prosecutor (5 people at a time). It is estimated that all arrestees will be released in a few hours. A trial date was set for May 2012.

http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1388115

http://en.contrainfo.espiv.net/2012/03/25/veria-northern-greece-mass-arrests-of-counter-protesters-and-police-raid-in-the-autonomous-hangout-baruti-during-national-day/


Véria, Grecia: Detenciones masivas de compas e invasión de la policía al Ateneo Autónomo Baruti (actualizado)

Desde las 9:30 del 25 de marzo, en la ciudad de Véria, en el norte de Grecia, se realizaba una concentración de protesta en contra del regimen dictatorial democrático. Dicha protesta, como muchas más en varias ciudades griegas, fue llevada a cabo con ocasión del desfile nacionalista anual y vomitivo, donde las banderas nacionales y lxs niñxs, uniformados, desfilando en marcha militar son la orden del día. Más de 150 cerdos policiales rodearon la concentración y detuvieron a 29 compas que se encontraban en el lugar y 3 más que arrastraron desde la calle. Lxs llevaron a todxs a la comisaría local y siguen en custodia, mientras que las primeras informaciones hablan de que lxs compas tendrán que presentarse ante los tribunales mañana, acusadxs de resistencia a la autoridad, y el resto de cargos que la policía añada.

http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1388005
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1387986

Mientras tanto, la policía en grandes cantidades de agentes de varios tipos, incluso con la presencia del fiscal y perros policía, allanaron el Ateneo Autónomo Baruti (“Pólvora”), y confiscaron todo lo que había dentro (muebles, carteles y libros). La presencia de las fuerzas policiales es masiva y sin precedentes, dado que unos 400 agentes, incluso de otras regiones cercanas, han ocupado la ciudad. Cabe destacar que esta operación represiva se da solo unos días antes de las jornadas programadas (del 6 al 8 de abril) en favor de la autonomía, la autogestión y la auto-educación, organizadas por lxs compas del Ateneo Autónomo Baruti.

http://baruti.squat.gr/files/2012/03/3003-011.jpg

Carta de algunas personas, desde los calabozos de la comisaría de Véria
Domingo 25 de marzo de 2012 a las 21.38 (GMT+2)


El régimen de emergenica impuesto a un gran número de oprimidxs a lo largo del país por parte de los bancos y el Estado lanzó una ofensiva en Vería con sus praetores y detuvo a 32 personas desde las diez de la mañana.

Después de 6 horas de espera en la comisaría de policía, 26 de ellxs fueron acusadas de los cargos de resistencia e insultos a la autoridad y de posesión de armas. Desde las 16:00, se nos retiene en los calabozos del régimen. Al mismo tiempo, la policía, con perros, asaltaba el centro social autónomo de la ciudad.

¡NO SE PUEDE AMORDAZAR Y REPRIMIR LA LUCHA POR LA VIDA Y LA LIBERTAD!¡CONTINUARÁ PARA SIEMPRE!

Algunas personas desde los calabozos de Véria
23:26 (GMT+2): Indymedia Atenas informa de que lxs arrestadxs que se encuentran en la comisaría de policía de Véria son un total de 26 personas, a las que se les acusa de “resistencia e insultos a la autoridad”, así como de “posesión de armas”. Ya han sido liberadas 10 personas después de presentarse frente al fiscal (5 personas a la vez). Se estima que en unas horas saldrá el resto de lxs detenidxs. Se ha fijado una fecha para el juicio, en mayo de 2012

¡Solidaridad con lxs compas detenidxs!
¡Quitad las manos de los espacios autogestionados!
¡Contra toda violencia de Estado!

http://es.contrainfo.espiv.net/2012/03/25/veria-grecia-detenciones-masivas-de-compas-e-invasion-de-la-policia-al-ateneo-autonomo-baruti/