Anarchists defiant in face of repression

ANARCHISTS are reacting with defiance to the latest clamp-down on their resistance by the forces of neoliberalism.

The June 2012 of the Dark Nights zine focuses on the international repression unleashed in recent days under the title of 'Operation Ardire'.

It reports: "At 4 o’clock in the morning of June 13th, 2012, the Special Operations Group [Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale, ROS) of the Carabinieri [paramilitary police] raided about forty homes in Italy, implementing the so-called ‘Operation Boldness’ (Operazione Ardire), a crackdown against people from the anarchist movement ordered by Manuela Comodi, public prosecutor of Perugia.

"According to the regime’s media, a total of 10 arrest warrants were issued — eight within Italy, one sent to Germany and one sent to Switzerland — while 24 suspects have been put under judicial investigation.

"The Italian bourgeois Press did not hesitate to connect the arrested with the 'anarcho-insurrectionist FAI/FRI'. [Informal Anarchist Federation / International Revolutionary Front]

And Dark Nights comments: "When public debt has reached staggering proportions, the state answer is to increase taxes. When banks and speculators have brought the economy to its knees, the state answer is to give a green light to privatization.

"When work becomes a privilege and its lack brings waves of suicides, the state answer is to facilitate firings.

"More. When functionaries of the institutions soil themselves with the worst infamies, the state answer is to make their “crimes” expire.

"When the oil wells risk running dry in international conflicts, the state answer is to take part in the war.

"If the damned of the earth are forced to flee their countries and disembark on our shores, the state answer is to lock them up in concentration camps called CIE.

"Still more. When local populations don’t want harmful developments (high speed trains, incinerators, waste dumps), the state answer is to massacre demonstrators and militarily occupy the territory.

"If the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer, the state answer is to protect the luxury of the former and suppress the desperation of the latter."

Occupy WEF build igloos at Davos

ANTI-CAPITALIST igloos have been built in Switzerland at a protest camp against the World Economic Forum.

Occupy WEF says on its website that it has contructed five of the ice homes at Davos, plus a couple of yurts and a field kitchen.

It adds: "Every year, self-proclaimed 'global leaders' allegedly committed to improving the state of the world meet up for the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss mountains to propagate their own businesses and network amongst the so-called global economic elite.

"This year, we will not let them exclude us, the 99%! We say: occupy WEF!"

The protesters re calling for people to join them in Switzerland for a week of protests - updates via their Twitter account.

A video of the igloos being built can be seen below. 
 


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Anarchists attack Swiss court

ANARCHISTS have claimed responsibility for an arson attack on a penal court in Switzerland.

At 2 a.m. Monday officials found a fire at the court entrance in Bellinzona, with the message "Fire for the courts — we defeat the state" spray painted in Italian on the walls.

Also on the walls was a circled A - the anarchist symbol.

In an interview with World Radio Switzerland, Major General Peter Regli, former director of Switzerland’s intelligence services, described an upsurge in anarchist activity across Europe and the world and warned that a network of anarchist cells was operating "without rules or regulations" in a bid to destroy capitalism.

Swiss riot against police violence

A POLICE station was damaged and two cops injured in an angry protests against police violence in Fribourg, Switzerland.

20 Minutes Online reports that the authorities were 'astonished' when protesters set off smoke bombs and flares outside the city prison.

The police claim this is why they then fired rubber bullets at the demonstrators who had gathered under the rallying call of 'Justice for All - Against Police Violence'.

Anti-police rioting erupted during the evening and more than 40 people were arrested.

Explaining the background to the protest, Swiss Indymedia says that on Sunday 18 April, an 18 year old called Sebastien from Vaulx-en-Velin was killed by Swiss police.

After the theft of three vehicles, police organised an ambush and shot him dead at a roadblock.

A leaflet against 'social pacification' was handed out by protesters on the day.

Swiss football fans fight brutal police

SWISS football fans turned on brutal police on Saturday night, leaving seven cops injured.

As usual, corporate media put the blame on the supporters, with the likes of Le Matin reporting that the FC Zurich supporters started throwing stones and lumps of concrete at the police and smashing shop windows, with the situation escalating to the point where the cops had to use rubber bullets.

However, a comment from a fan on the 20 Minuten Online website tells a different story. He writes: "Everything was quiet until, without any warning, the police rushed at one fan and started firing rubber bullets. The FCZ fans then responded with the stones and concrete."

The riot took place between the Brügglifeld stadium and Aarau station.

FCZ had won their Super League match against Aarau 3-1 - not the circumstances in which fans are usually looking for any trouble. There were six arrests.

Anti-WTO riots erupt in Geneva

RIOTS erupted in Geneva on Saturday during massive and angry protests against the World Trade Organisation meeting being held there from Monday.

Black Bloc anarchists smashed windows of banks and other capitalist premises and set fire to cars.

Said a report on Indymedia: "Police used tear gas, concussion greandes and water cannon. Further protests are scheduled with the WTO meeting starting on Monday 30th November, ten years exactly since the famous Seattle WTO protests."

According to the Associated Press, Eric Grandjean, a police spokesman, said Black Bloc protesters threw fire bombs at police from the march.

"They also damaged 12 businesses, including a bank at Place Bel-Air and a jewellery shop and a hotel on the Quai des Bergues," he added.

A BBC report, which includes a video, helpfully explained that the protest was being staged because of the arrival in town of the WTO "which protesters say works on behalf of big business and exploits the developing world".

Swiss paper Le Matin has a gallery of photos on its website. The protest involved 4,000 to 5,000 people.