Originally posted on 01/12/2015
In mid-December 11 anarchists in Barcelona were arrested in what the Spanish state called “Operation Pandora”. Several private homes, squats, and social centers were raided including the 25 year old Kasa de la Muntanya. While the charges have yet to be made public, authorities have claimed the accused were “organized” anarchists using encrypted email services from Riseup.net, and all owned copies of a book (soon to be translated into English) called Against Democracy. Apparently using an email address from a particular service and owning the wrong books can land you in jail in Spain now. These arrests come after a series of bold new authoritarian laws put into place, such as the Citizen Safety Law or ‘Gag Law’, which has recently been used to suppress the actions and speech of activists, revolutionaries, and even lawyers in Spain. Spanish police arrested at least 16 lawyers of Basque political prisoners. Three were arrested on their way to the Spanish Special Court for the first day of a mass trial against 35 pro-independence activists. This is only two days after a 80,000 person protest for the rights of Basque political prisoners. Spanish anarchists have made a call out for a day of international action for Friday January 16th to show solidarity with the 7 comrades who are still imprisoned.
In recent years the US has seen a large increase in state suppression of social movements, from the entrapment of Occupy anarchists and activists, to the imprisonment of Comrade Jeremy Hammond for his hacking of the Stratfor security files, to the harassment of eco-resistance Rising Tide organizers in the Pacific Northwest and organizers against police brutality in the wake of Michael Brown and Eric Garner’s tragic murders by the pigs in Ferguson and New York, dissidents and anarchists are under attack by state and capitalist powers from Spain to the Americas and elsewhere.
The struggle is international in scope and to give our solidarity and mutual aid is but a small token of support to those facing more immediate danger. It will surely lift the spirits of our comrades in this difficult time to see that people around the world stand in solidarity with them. The imprisonment of Spanish anarchists abroad begs our attention to look at our own movements and actions at home. These brave comrades who are facing down the power of the Spanish state remind us of those, both recent and in the past, who have been targeted for their political activities here. As the police become more militarized the stakes are raised. Those who have stood up to the forces of white supremacy have become targets for our speech by simply saying “Hands up don’t shoot!” We have become targets for our opinions and thoughts just as our comrades in Spain have. Their struggle against the state and capital is our struggle. We are targeted because we are dangerous to the oppressive systems that grind profit out of human suffering. It matters not to the police if our actions are against the new Jim Crow, private capital, the security state, fascist organizations who organize unchecked, or the false political parties who seek to represent us: we are all targets.
In mid-December 11 anarchists in Barcelona were arrested in what the Spanish state called “Operation Pandora”. Several private homes, squats, and social centers were raided including the 25 year old Kasa de la Muntanya. While the charges have yet to be made public, authorities have claimed the accused were “organized” anarchists using encrypted email services from Riseup.net, and all owned copies of a book (soon to be translated into English) called Against Democracy. Apparently using an email address from a particular service and owning the wrong books can land you in jail in Spain now. These arrests come after a series of bold new authoritarian laws put into place, such as the Citizen Safety Law or ‘Gag Law’, which has recently been used to suppress the actions and speech of activists, revolutionaries, and even lawyers in Spain. Spanish police arrested at least 16 lawyers of Basque political prisoners. Three were arrested on their way to the Spanish Special Court for the first day of a mass trial against 35 pro-independence activists. This is only two days after a 80,000 person protest for the rights of Basque political prisoners. Spanish anarchists have made a call out for a day of international action for Friday January 16th to show solidarity with the 7 comrades who are still imprisoned.
In recent years the US has seen a large increase in state suppression of social movements, from the entrapment of Occupy anarchists and activists, to the imprisonment of Comrade Jeremy Hammond for his hacking of the Stratfor security files, to the harassment of eco-resistance Rising Tide organizers in the Pacific Northwest and organizers against police brutality in the wake of Michael Brown and Eric Garner’s tragic murders by the pigs in Ferguson and New York, dissidents and anarchists are under attack by state and capitalist powers from Spain to the Americas and elsewhere.
The struggle is international in scope and to give our solidarity and mutual aid is but a small token of support to those facing more immediate danger. It will surely lift the spirits of our comrades in this difficult time to see that people around the world stand in solidarity with them. The imprisonment of Spanish anarchists abroad begs our attention to look at our own movements and actions at home. These brave comrades who are facing down the power of the Spanish state remind us of those, both recent and in the past, who have been targeted for their political activities here. As the police become more militarized the stakes are raised. Those who have stood up to the forces of white supremacy have become targets for our speech by simply saying “Hands up don’t shoot!” We have become targets for our opinions and thoughts just as our comrades in Spain have. Their struggle against the state and capital is our struggle. We are targeted because we are dangerous to the oppressive systems that grind profit out of human suffering. It matters not to the police if our actions are against the new Jim Crow, private capital, the security state, fascist organizations who organize unchecked, or the false political parties who seek to represent us: we are all targets.
Stand in solidarity with all the prisoners by joining us as we march and rally in support of our comrades in Spain and at home this coming Friday January 16th. Solidarity is our strength and our most powerful weapon.
No Nations (///) No Borders (///) ¡No Pasarán!
Long Live (A)narchy!