BarOikE: Founding Script of the Bar for the Economic Support Of Political Prisoners and Prosecuted Combatants
After the wish to contribute actively to the support of political prisoners and those who are being prosecuted by the law for anarchist ideas and actions, but also on the ambit of the wider state oppression of the struggle, we took the initiative for the launch of a weekly bar of economic support and dispersion of ideas.
On the one hand, our goal is the material and active support of the requests and needs of the political prisoners and on the other, the development of a network that facilitates the updates and the discussion over current and established issues, as whatever goes on in the prisons is a thumbnail of the society outside. The vindictiveness of the state over political -and not only- prisoners is nothing but policy and strategy that is applied on the same scale in the outside world with specific targets and aims. Prison is a place where the capitalistic planning and the class character of the social relations are depicted, therefore constitutes one more battlefield. Enclosure is not a moment of bad luck, is not the consequence of certain choices, and of course is neither correction -and it shouldn’t be-, as it would occur the acknowledgment of the law, the punishment and their function inside an overall rotten system. Enclosure constitutes revenge, process of normalization and discipline, is a means of attack against those who resist and struggle, so that they get weakened. The support does not indicate the acceptance and the perpetuation of the enclosure, but it is rather a means of strengthening of the struggle against its very existence, as well as requests of the prisoners should not be interpreted as revisionary embellishment but as straightforward combative assertion.
Solidarity does not entail common political view and action, it is not identification, on the contrary, it is a means for the prosecution and support of common battles. So, the struggle goes on the same behind bars or not, it is collective and indivisible from the wide revolt movement, against every form of enforcement, deliberate or spontaneous, disguised or open. As political prisoners we perceive those acknowledging with their attitude the role of both oppression and power and object against them from a solidarity position. A vast amount of people who take on the political responsibility of their actions and words, but even cases where there is not necessarily a connection to actual criminal actions, resulting from getting marked, up to imprisoned by the state. The recognition and the denouncement of the state and the oppression, as well as their function in the social and economic structure on their behalf, compose the criteria required for our support towards them.
Concerning the earnings that will rise up throughout the operation of the bar, the destination is open to political prisoners that with their actions and attitude oppose to oppression and the state, obviously without collaborating with any kind of their entities or contributing in any way to their act, and also support in practice the camaraderie and solidarity. The economic assistance will have as purpose the coverage of the -usually- extortionate amounts of money that are deliberately imposed by the state (bails, deposits, sentence payoff, etc), as well as the coverage of the costs of living inside prison for those who have no other kind of support, however not for costs that have as destination to cover privileges in jail (such as payment of fellow inmates-clerks or bribery of officers), neither for lawyer fees. Also, receivers that qualify for economic support are comrades that are not under terms of imprisonment, but are still prosecuted on behalf of the state.
This project is available for everyone that wants to contribute as individual or collective, both through direct participation or with the distribution of material (books, brochures, posters, etc) that enables forwarding ideas and acts concerning political prisoners and the anarchist/antiauthoritarian movement in general, too. This, on the basis of horizontal function for the joint creation of collective action and discourse, away from representatives of political parties, institutions, and generally the establishment. The two-way critique and discussion in the limits of comradeship is essential for a rather thorough common battle contributing towards the subversion of the state of imprisonment.
The bar will be held at GARE squat (Kallidromiou 74, Exarcheia) every Thursday from 7 p.m. and will operate along with open weekly assembly, every Thursday at 5 p.m.
THE ONLY VALUES OF THIS SOCIETY ARE PRISONS OF HIGH SECURITY
FREEDOM TO ALL BEHIND BARS
BarOikE
