A solidarity campaign is underway in Greece to block the extradition to Italy of five students in regards to the events in Milan on the 1st May. This is a case that will have implications for international organising.
Early on November 12th, a general strike day, police arrested 5 students in northern Athens under a European Arrest Warrant. The 5 students are wanted by the Italian state for their participation in the NoExpo demonstrations in Milan on the 1st May 2015. The students now face the possibility of extradition to Italy to stand trial.
It is unclear what, if any, evidence there is against the students. They were in Milan that day and on the following day they were briefly detained and held but no charges were brought against them and they were released. It was only six months later that the Greek police received and carried out the orders to arrest them. Following their arrest the students were released on bail and a decision about their extradition is likely soon.
Immediately after the arrests a solidarity movement started and has been picking up pace and support. Since the students were an active part of local initiatives in their neighborhood of Ag.Paraskevi, the local assembly there protested the arrests and helped to secure their release on bail. A number of protests and gatherings have been held over the last days with the Italian embassy in Athens on the receiving end of paint and spray cans a few days ago. On the night of the 24th November a large crowd gathered outside the embassy and later marched around Athens' Syntagma Sq in a strong show of support. More protests and actions are planned over the following days in order to build the solidarity movement to block the extradition.
It is believed that this is the first use of a European Arrest Warrant against demonstrators. The warrants were brought in as part of the 'war on terror' and were meant to speed up extradition for serious crimes between EU states. This current use of the warrants shows that anti-terror legislation, which of course is all the rage at the moment, is not in practice used against those who carry out massacres. This case is also a direct attack to international solidarity movements. There has recently been a number of discussions and initiatives aimed at creating greater practical solidarity across borders. The use of European Arrest Warrants aims to curtail such movements. As such the struggle to block the extradition of the five students is of importance to social movements everywhere.
More information in English, Greek and Italian can be found here.
Comments
A warning here about the
A warning here about the likely extended use of the increasing range of so-called 'anti-terror' legislation against international and specifically European cross border solidarity by the working class and it's radical minorities.
When did the working class
When did the working class develop 'radical minorities'? WTF is this supposed to be.
Quote: When did the working
what's there to not understand?
the working class and its
the working class and its radical minorities. Explain this strange concept to me Haust.
Could have said
Could have said 'pro-revolutionary' or perhaps just 'revolutionary' minorities but thought that would have been a bit too narrow a shorthand description of a process of of political clarification within the practice of working class struggle - perhaps that's a bit clearer - too bad if it's not!
Fai1937 wrote: When did the
Fai1937
How is it a strange concept? After all, you wouldn't be suggesting there's a 'radical majority' within the working class as it is now, would you? Because that would either demonstrate you have no clue about the current composition of the working class you are so proud of... or that you are fucking delusional.
As an anarchist I wouldn't be
As an anarchist I wouldn't be looking to split the working class in any way. If you think that's ok you should explain why you think it is.
Can I also make the point I am in solidarity with comrades being bullied and threatened by any authoritarians...
Serge Forward
Fai1937, The working class
Fai1937,
The working class are split in a whole number of ways both material and ideological but unity on class terms and movement in a libertarian communist direction can only be a process initially involving the activity of working class minorities seeking to extend the struggle in that direction - otherwise you imply that the global working class can somehow spontaneously and instantaneously become both united and revolutionary as if by magic!
Hi I understand what you are
Hi
I understand what you are saying, and I don't want to be nasty to you, but you have to realise you've been sold this bullshit that working class people don't realise what's really going on. Lets say they do and realise that as Marx said that we have to go through, we have to suffer capitalism, before we move towards communism. I don't consider myself anyone special but I Know where I'll be when it goes off and who will be getting hung from all those lamposts.
It's my experience that given the chance to act for themselves most people realise they need to work for each other and against the bosses.
Its not rocket science is it?
That's a very idealised view
That's a very idealised view of the working class you've got there, Fai1937. It's not surprising though as you see the working class as one identity. Your notion of class is poles apart from the idea of class struggle.
Fai1937 wrote: I understand
Fai1937
you're shifting goalposts. no one is saying this.
Serge Forward wrote: That's a
Serge Forward
Nothing to idealise, I'm just talking about my life and my experiences. How about you what do you have to share eh? Very little I'm guessing...
Haust wrote: Fai1937
Haust
Well I get called delusional by some bellend and you sound surprised I retaliate.
So what do you consider to be these minorities within the propletariat then?
I reckon we could we could keep this thread up for as long as its needed
Fai1937 wrote: Well I get
Fai1937
i was merely pointing out that no one is claiming workers aren't capable of thinking for themselves or realise what's really going on or fight in their own interest. that's not the same as saying the class as a whole is radicalised and is struggling towards the same goal.
Fai1937
groups of radical workers, that qua groups of radical workers aren't interchangeable for the class as a whole. given the context of original text, spikymike's point was pretty clear tbh.
Fai1937
or how about we end it now, seeing as your question has been answered twice and you seem more interested in trolling than having any meanungful discussion
Fine I'm done here.
Fine I'm done here.
Doing a Columbo see... So
Doing a Columbo see...
So tell me again about these radical minorities or whatever you think they are? What I've heard so far makes no fucking sense. So explain it to me properly if you can...
oh jeez. this is a joke,
oh jeez. this is a joke, right?
hahaha it all on you.
hahaha it all on you.
Fai1937 wrote: Serge Forward
Fai1937
No, I've got nothing to share and I've never felt the need to flash the proletarian credentials either. I appreciate that's really important to you though, so I'll accept that you are full working class and therefore automatically more revolutionary than anyone who is in anyway less working class than you. Anyway, I get the impression all the working class people you know are brilliant and revolutionary. Sadly, most of the people I grew up with were not at all revolutionary. That must make them all middle class eh? Oh dear.
Let be clear about what's
Let be clear about what's happening here, and @Fai1937 you have the right impression.. but didn't say it in a manner which actually discusses the conflict.
What's happening is the continuation of the present failure coalition, between opportunists in red clothes and the well funded neo-liberal immigration interests.
Solidarity is NOT done by playing off each-other, and fecklessly going along for each special interest battle... EX. SYRIZA. In other words, F*CK purple in totality. The entire construct reeks of intersectionality, and is not remotely in working class interests. In fact, anyone who cared the slightest bit about working class people would be building strong ties between countries before even touching immigration.
When Lenin talked about this 100 years ago we had a strong international, and were on the rise... now we are nothing, and neo-liberal diversity SJWs are called comrades? NO thanks, f*ck SJWs, f*ck them all. Immigrants, I feel for you I do, but you need to build strong workers movements too so we can begin to break the walls and be credible when saying this is good for working class people. NO individual is ever before the class, that is not solidarity, that would be neo-liberal intersectionality.
I'm sorry to be cold, but this is nothing more then economic interests, and at this point what we need to do. Those minority "partners" would gladly support neo-liberalism in exchange for immigration rights. It's time to define what we are, and for whome we fight.
Revolutionary? Not yet, but
Revolutionary?
Not yet, but they have potential.
I also see it among my co-workers, it's more than around, if only you wanted to fight their fights?
What would make someone anything?, I simply don't care, it's about whose economic interests you represent. Intersectionality is about not representing working class interests, that's why it's been so successful.