Unoffensive Animal

Exarchia has been a target by the state for years through police control and brutality, gentrification, evictions, arrests. In 2019, the greek state began massive evictions of anarchist and refugee squats in Exarchia, trying to muzzle all the political voices. The government’s plan is to put the history of Exarchia in a “museum” that will be remembered only through tourist tours around the neighbourhood, while the place will be available only for the privileged ones, since the locals will move to other neighbourhoods.

The plan includes the construction of a metro station on the square, the conversion of the Polytechnic school into a museum and the privatisation of Strefi hill where cameras, gates and security posts will be placed. Last August, despite the continuous fights against it by groups and individuals, sheet metal was placed around the square of Exarchia for the construction of the metro station. The spot for the construction site wasn’t chosen randomly. Police forces are “protecting” the construction site 24/7, by bullying, offending, beating and arresting anyone who is trying to resist.

The neighbourhood of Exarchia (Greece) has a radical, revolutionary, anarchist political background with continuous struggles, solidarity places to welcome and protect the refugees and migrants, squats, political assemblies and social centres.

Back in 1973, Athens Polytechnic uprising began by the students against the military junta. The students decided to show their rejection to this regime with massive demonstrations. Students, citizens and workers became one and rebelled against the dictatorship. The students ended up inside the Polytechnic school and occupied the place. The tanks entered the place by crashing the gates on November 17. Many students and residents got injured, or died around the area. Years later, during the annual 17 November protests, young people continued getting murdered by the state. Iakovos Koumis and Stamatina Kanellopoulou were the victims of police brutality in 1980 and the 15 year old Michalis Kaltezas was shot dead by a cop in 1985. The Polytechnic university, which is located in the area of Exarchia, was a factor for the neighbourhood to acquire the political features that it has until today.

Until a few years ago, Polytechnic university was a place of resistance, freedom and expression.

The police brutality against a 15 year old student was repeated on December 6 of 2008. This time the target was Alexis Grigoropoulos who was hanging out with his friends in Exarchia. Two cops drew their guns on the kids and one of the cops murdered Alexis in cold blood.

Alexis’ murder was the spark that turned the anger into a fire and burnt the whole city. The riots started immediately and the centre of Athens became a war zone. The uprising lasted for weeks and was the biggest that took place in Greece, after 1973. “These days belong to Alexis” was written all over the city. Soon, the whole country was protesting for Alexis.

The “Black December” started spreading everywhere.

Hunt Saboteurs Sweden has been expanding massively in the past year, taking part in multiple actions against hunting, and are in need of support. They depend solely on donations, and to make ends meet many of the hunt sabs have been spending a lot of their personal money just to keep the fuel costs covered!

With more and more folks joining their ranks and more actions in the horizon, they are asking for economic support to be able to afford new tools to sabotage the hunts, from cameras, radios and torches to fuel costs, if you can donate a couple of coins they will be greatly appreciative of the solidarity.

They have also said that if you have spare cameras, or radios or other tools that could be useful in their fight for the wild, they are happy to receive those instead of money, so have a look around and see if there is anything spare!

Their fundraiser is only asking for 220 EUR, which means if you all donate just 1 EUR we would raise that money and much more very quickly! If you have any to spare, please drop them some coins here:

https://www.firefund.net/fightforthewildlife

You can get in touch with them here:

IG: @huntsabssweden
FB: https://www.facebook.com/HuntSaboteursSweden
Email: [email protected]

SOLIDARITY WITH THE WILD, AND WITH THOSE TAKING ACTION!

On January 18th police murdered a forest defender, Tortuguita. Immediately, a call was put out for a “night of rage”. The rage was instead was not limited to one night, nor only retaliation.These actions have been claimed in honor, memory, vengeance, revenge, for, or in solidarity with Tortuguita.

From January 18th onward across the USA people held vigils, built barricades, attacked a realty office, attacked banks, smashed the windows of the skyscraper housing the Atlanta Police Foundation, torched a police cruiser, vandalized cars in a Porsche dealership, attacked UPS shipping center, set construction equipment on fire, and attacked the offices of those responsible for cop city. Across turtle island we felt it from California, Illinois, North Carolina, Minnesota, Colorado, Michigan, Atlanta, Georgia, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Oregon,  Michigan, New York, Colorado, Indiana, and Minnesota.

 In February across the USA, banks were attacked, excavators in Weelaunee forest were set on fire, Amazon delivery vehicles vandalized, Atlas offices targeted, a Norfolk Southern rail line sabotaged, the home addresses of employees of Atlas were published, in France a transmission pylon was set on fire. Rage was had from California, Brooklyn, New York, Georgia, South Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, to Bure France and back.

 In March during the week of action in Atlanta, GA USA, a demonstration of 300 people stormed and destroyed a construction site and police staging area, and later that week machinery in Weelaunee was destroyed. More construction equipment was sabotaged and, offices vandalized. In late March the home addresses were published of several Judges, a Police Investigator, an Assistant Chief of police, and a GBI Special Agent.

 In April three excavators owned by Brent Scarbrough Company were burnt. (Brent Scarbrough is the company and individual responsible for clear-cutting the Weelaunee Forest)

By carrying our friends in our hearts and actions they live on in spirit and in memory. With Love and Rage, we carry on those who have been taken from us.