A-Infos (en) A letter from anarchist -Nicos Maziotis - Greece

[Ilan Shalif <gshalif@netvision.net.il>]

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(En) Following text is in English language


On 13th of february, anarchist Nikos Maziotis with a letter to the press
admitted that he is the one who put the bomb in the ministry of industry
and development, and he is explains why he did it. The letter in english
is the following:

With the attempt against the ministry of Industry and Development at the
6th of December 1997, my purpose was to send a message to the political,
enterprising and police circles of this country that their plans either
investing or repressive, are not going to pass without resistance.
My purpose was also to send a message of solidarity to the just and and
dynamic struggle that with every means the residents of Strymonikos bay
carry out, against the installation of gold industry in northeast
Halkidiki by the canadian multinational TVX GOLD.
So, I take over completely resposibility for my actions.
The "Anarchist Urban Guerrilas" is me.
I, alone, made and placed the improvised mechanism in the ministry of
Industry and Development in 6/12/97.
What was found in the house in 13 Spartis str. is exclusively mine.
I don't consider myself as an armed guerrilla, but a social guerrilla.
I struggle, according to my individual strength, for the subversion of
the state and of the State and of the existing social regime, without
either rejecting any form of action or considering one as superior of
another.

During my political action, I have written and distributed leaflets,
posters, I have participated in mass demonstrators and marches, in
occupations and conflicts with the repression forces of the state. In a
specific moment of my struggle, I chose this way to send my political
message, the message of social solidarity.
My past certifies the multiplicity of my revolutionary activity.
In 1991 was convicted for my refuse to serve the army, being detained
for eight months in military prison, and there are still charges against
me for desertion and offense of the army.
I was convicted in August of '94 along with 51 other comrades of mine,
for the occupation of the economic univercity, as an expression of
solidarity with the anarchist prisoners on hunger strike Odysseas
Kampoyris and Giorgos Balafas.
I was also convicted for my participation in one of the most serious
social events of the political reform period, the revolt of the
Polytechnic in November of '95, that was an expression of solidarity
with the revolted prisoners of Koridallos jail and also with the
political prisoners of that period, anarchists K. Kalaremas, who was on
hunger strike, S. Dapergolas, Od. Kampouris, Chr. Marinos, G. Balafas,
with the 4 anarchists arrested in a demonstration in Salonica, and also
with the objector of military service N. Karanikas.
I am an anarchist and I aspire the total destruction of the State and of
the capitalistic regime and its replacement by antiauthoritarian
Communes. The only charge I can accept, and it's my honor, is that of
subversive activity.
If freedom is a crime for my enemies, then yes I admit I am a criminal.
So, I recognize as my class enemies those who belong in specific social
classes and are responsible for the sufferings of this world, poverty,
exploitation, oppression, drugs, prisons, wars, enviromental
destruction. And these social categories are not else but those of
state's officials, politicians, technocrats, mandarins of the capital,
bureaucrats, uniformed murderers of the Security Forces and the
militarists.
These social castes will never disappear from the proscenium of the
history and will never give up on their authorities and their privileges
by their will or by persuasion.
This is why the social and class war is inevitable. And I am not but a
political prisoner, a prisoner of the social and class war that is
simmering and many times it spreads as a blaze in society.

There has been a lot of talking in the media (which broadcast the
organized Lie) that i belong in the "second generation of terrorists" I
consider these interpretations, rather misinterpretations, ridiculous.
I have to say the following about these kind of comparisons. There are
three Kinds of Political Violence.
Terrorism of the state, which is the most usual and most organized, as
the state possesses the monopoly of Violence; the "revolutionary
terrorism" of organizations with marx-leninist ideology, that through
their hierarchical structure reproduce the structures of the state and
they are a state in miniature; and there is the LIBERATING VIOLENCE.
Social revolutions and revolts are mostly driven forward by fighters who
act inside an open mass movement, rather than from "jacobean" clubhouses
and isolated military organizations of marx-leninist ideology.
So, the characterization of "terrorist" i sent it back to my accusers.
More than twenty years of bourgeois parliamentary false-democrasy can
prove that.
In July of 1976, during conflicts in the center of Athens between
construction workers and the police, one armored vehicle of the police
murdered 66 years old woman Anastasia Tsivika.
In 1978, men of MEA (special police units) murder doctor Tsironis in his
home in N. Smyrni, when he declared that his house is a dominion
autonomous from the greek state.
On the 16th of November 1980, during the demonstration from the
polytechnic to the american embassy, Iakovos Koumis and Stamatina
Kanelopulou are beaten up to death by the MAT (riot police).
On the 17th of November 1985, during clashes around the polytechnic,
riot-policeman Melistas murders 15 years old Michalis Kaltezas.
In 1986, in Kessariani, during clashes between strikers of the EDOK-ETER
and the MAT, the worker Agelos Mavroudis is killed.
On the 9th of January 1991, the teacher N. Temponeras is murdered by
right-wing thugs whowanted to stop the students' occupations of school
in Patra.
On January the 10th of 1991, during clashes after the students'
demonstration, after the murder of N. Temponeras, tear-gas thrown by the
MAT
forces cause fire to the shopping center K. Marousi and four citizens
die.
On the 27th of the same month the death after torturing of the Turk
political refugee Souleiman Aknar is announced. He was detained in the
Public Security Building.
On the 10th of January 1994, police officer Lagogianis, who belongs to
the police station of Moschato, executes with five shots Th. Giakas,
during a simple identification.
In December of 1995 an Albanian prisoner is murdered during an attempt
to escape from Stavrakiou Ioanninon prison.
In July of 1996, in Piraeus, in the ship Pegasus, inside cabin 53,
anarchist Christoforos Marinos is executed.
The same year, in a police blockade outside the city of Livadia,
policeman murders Tasos Mouratis a Rom.
In December of 1997, an Albanian prisoner is murdered by policemen in
his effort to escape Diavaton prison in Salonica.

The list of murders by the "democratic" state and the "democratic"
police has no end. None of the murderers ever paid for their actions.
The blame was always on the victim who "committed suicide", or the
police guns "accidentally shot", or the policeman was under the state of
"legal self-defense". "Justice" has found the murderers either innocent
or had simply dropped the charges.
So, who are the terrorists and dangerous ones for society and for the
citizens ?

I belong to a political and social millieu that in many cases has proved
the danger of its action for the state's and regime's security, as it
has repeatedly fuctioned exemplary for the oppressed social parts, about
the forms of fight and resistance against the generalized attack of the
state.
We can take a look at the social events of the last twenty years to
prove how truth that is.
During the 80s, when the social-democratic administration of capitalism
was dominating, along with a model of development fed by the state and
granting from EEC, the only social conflicts against the mood of social
peace and submission, were those caused by anarchists, with the
occupations of th eperiod '84-'85 the march against Lepen in '84, the
occupation of Chemistry University in May of '85, and the occupations of
Chemistry and Polytechnic universities because of the murder of
Kaltezas.
Some years after, in the 90s, occupations, as a dynamic form of
struggle, resistance and self-organization that was inspired by
anarchists, became appropriated by other oppressed social parts,
workers, students, farmers.
In 1989-90, when socialdemocracy collapsed and the attack of
neoliberalism began, workers in industries occupied many factories in
Patra, Piraeus, Lavrio, Mantoudi in an attempt to stop the bankruptcy of
the enterprices and their privatization that led thousands of workers to
unemployment.
In 1990-91 the movement of univercity and mostly of high-school
occupations burst out, with the riots and the occupation of the
polytechnic. In fact it is this movement that led to the collapse of the
right-wing goverment in the next elections, as it forced it to show its
in human and anti-social face, through the murder of teacher N.
Temponeras and of the 4 citizens burned inside K. Marousi by the
tear-gas thrown inside by the MAT.
In August of 1992 the wild strike of workers in EAS (public
transportation) begin with clashes in Votanicos. Mass expressions of
people's violence, like the occupations and arsons of prefectures
(Chania-June '90, Iraklio-August '91), blockades and occupations of
national roads by farmers in the period 1995-97, or by citizens of local
societies against the environmental destruction of their place (Kalamas
'87,
Aravisos '89, Pouri 93-'94, Avlonas-Keratea '96, Strymonikos '96-'97)
prove that when the oppressed people react to the hurricane of the state
and the attack of neoliberalism, they, many times instinctively,
appropriate forms of action with insurrection characterists.
Anarchists have a great part of responsibillity in that, as they keep
always alive and timely the purpose of resistance and social subversion,
even in periods of decrease of the social war.
So anarchists, that they were never after the seek for political
subtitutes and authority positions, can rightly feel proud that they
have left their own fingertip on this whole period of social and class
struggles.
I send greetings to all my comrades.
Solidarity with K. Kalaremas, S. Dapergolas and G. Vlassopoulos
Solidarity with social and class struggles    Solidarity with all the
revolted


Koridallos Prison
11/2/1998
Nikos Maziotis




Anarchist comrades published a new poster demanding freedom to N.
Maziotis, with the moto "if the "innocent" diserve our solidarity, then
the "guilty" ones diserve it even more". Among many leaflets and posters
published, there was one calling for a gathering on TUESDAY the 17th of
FEBRUARY, IN THE MILITARY COURT OF ATHENS, where Maziotis had a trial as
a deserter of the army. Nicos was the first total objector of military
service and he was imprisoned before (in 1991) for the same reason.
In the court he said once again that he denies to serve and that he will
never accept, that he considersthe army as a criminal machanism ordered
to repress revolts inside the country, and to serve the interests of the
national state.
The sentence was ten months with the right to appeal. After the trial he
was taken back to Koridallos Prison, where he is detained, charged for
the bombing attempt in the ministry and the guns and explosives found in
his house.
The comrades who were gathered outside the military courthouse chanting
slogans of solidarity with N. Maziotis and against the state and the
army, attacked the riot police who didn't let go inside the court.
Policemen were beaten up and injured were forced to run inside and close
the gate, as stones were falling on their heads, cars and inside the
yard of the court house.
G. Vlassopoulos is still in prison for his participation in the revolt
of polytechnic '95. On Monday the 23rd of February there will be another
trial of other 70 people for the polytechnic revolt in a courtroom
inside Koridallos Prison for women.


To be continued ...



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