FREEDOM FOR THE SALONIKA 7 HUNGER STRIKERS! pics from the Dail demo + 24 hour greek embassy vigil

by Kevin Wed Nov 26, 2003 20:27

more.

reading the letter to Brian Cowen & Dick Roche

reading a letter from Simon Chapman in prison

by Kevin Wed Nov 26, 2003 20:29

more

handing in the letter to the Dail

marching up to the embassy

by Kevin Wed Nov 26, 2003 20:30

more.

signs stuck to the embassy door

the Garda arrive after about five minutes.

by Kevin Wed Nov 26, 2003 20:32

more

taking the signs down

greek diplomats

signs on the ground around the embassy

by Kevin Wed Nov 26, 2003 20:34

more.

cops on guard (they had one guard on constant duty all night)

settling down for the evening.

tent city - the following morning!

temperature was low but spirits were high

by Kevin Wed Nov 26, 2003 20:37

last pic. report up soon from someone else, they said they would. i am too tired.

faces in all my pix from now on will be blurred unless otherwise requested.

well done to all concerned on the release of the prisoners.

this last pic is great, its a spoof on the US army doing that thing with raising the stars and stripes during the Gulf War (part one)

raising the black flag on the steps of the greek embassy

by magpies Wed Nov 26, 2003 22:40

yesterday we began a 24 hour fast in solidarity with those in greece. we began at 12 midday at the dail(government buildings) and proceeded to the greek embassy, where we spent the next 24 hours surrounded by banners, flyers and black flags.....and for some reason we were constantly watched by some freaks in luminous yellow jackets.

we were frozen, soaked and starving but we had a good time and managed to inform hundreds/thousands of something that lacked any coverage in the irish media....

we were ignored and brushed off by greek diplomats and sneered at by police, although a wonderful greek woman was visibly inspired by our action and reaffirmed our beliefs that the greek police were some of the most horrendous scumbags in the world.

we also managed to get a lend of a scissors from the embassy secretary to cut down our banners, which didnt seem to please the (possible-very shady lot those greek diplomats-) ambassador.

so after the whole thing we returned home to hear the great news that they had finally been released.

so this is just a message of joy, support and solidarity with the (ex)prisoners and their thousands of brothers and sisters outside......

by kay velvet - Magpie Anarchist Collective (personal opinion though) Wed Nov 26, 2003 23:00

we were freezing our holes off and it was nasty nasty NASTY out there for 24 hours. not much sleep. but loads of people came down to support us and for the demo as well. a good few people stopped by including some very (conf/bem/am)used night workers around the 5am mark. all were given leaflets telling them about the thessaloniki 7.

we were joking we were going to do a GR style press release and claim that our action outside the greek embassy had single-handedly freed the hunger strikers (cf. Joe Carolan and his forcing the WEF to cancel their summit here!)

but seriously. small things like this are important to keep up the pressure. the greek embassy is obliged to inform the government of its country whenever a demonstration takes place near it or concerning it, and every call to the embassy has to be logged. us being there was very embarrassing for them also.

a possible ambassador pulled up there today in a huff, in his diplomatic plated car, around 11am. he denied he was the ambassador but it was him. one of us followed him down to baggot street from the embassy and asked him questions about what he was doing to set the prisoners free.

i was asleep when another Magpie woke me up to tell me the good news... you could hear the happiness in her voice... victories are few and far between these days for anarchists and anti capitalists so we may as well enjoy them for all they are worth...

well done and thanks to everyone who helped in this campaign under the umbrella of the Irish Supporters of the Thessaloniki 7 - including Dublin Anarchist Prisoner Support, the Magpies, (especially those who stayed the night in the tents outside the embassy) the WSM, TCD Anarchists, the Catholic Workers, and the other non-affiliated lunatics who showed up at some point or another in the freezing Irish winter to offer their support for us and the hunger strikers in Greece.

onwards & upwards.

by Yvgrvny - T7support(melb) Thu Nov 27, 2003 05:40

Goodonya. Thanks for the inspirational photos. Solidarity from Oz.

down with state terrorism
power to the people!

by - - (for the magpies :-) Thu Nov 27, 2003 12:39

Three for a Girl and Four for a Boy
Five for Silver
Six for Gold
Seven for a secret...
never told.

[old Irish]

by cork Thu Nov 27, 2003 14:32

well done to everyone involved, in dublin and everywhere else. this is a fantastic victory for anarchists, anti-capitalists, and everyone who opposes oppression and state terrorism. when so many other protests end in disappointment, it can sometimes feel like our actions don't make a difference - i think this will inspire us all.

by two for joy. Thu Nov 27, 2003 15:51

Mihail Papayannakis and Emmanouil Bakopoulos, members of the European United Left /Nordic Green Left Group in the European Parliament (GUE/NGL) have issued a press statement which you may read in english at the link.

It is very interesting to read ..."It appears that the 9/11 attacks has resulted in such distorted legislation that the dignity of our citizens and the right to free representation have now been seriously compromised in the name of the fight against terrorism".

and it is sadly too true and not only for Greek citizens or Greek society.

3 of the Thessalonika 7 are _seriously_ ill and weakened and face a long period of rehabilitation. The extent of which is uncertain, their hunger strike has caused their internal organs damage, and so it is impossible to even think of forgetting what the Greek State/Government/Judicial system and Police have done.

by a secret never told Thu Nov 27, 2003 15:58

http://www.italia.indymedia.org/news/2003/11/431905.php

by darren - daaa Thu Nov 27, 2003 18:43

Looks like a really cool action

well done toeveryone involved...

Great News!

by donagh - eco soc Thu Nov 27, 2003 20:11

good action, guys. i wish i had been able to come to dublin to cause some trouble at the embassy. fair dues to anyone involved in supporting the lads in greece and agitating for their release. nice to hear good news.

by padraic Thu Nov 27, 2003 20:54

Nov 26th, late

Dear supporters, as some of you must've heard by now, the Greek authorities have backed down to the hungerstrike and today ordered the immediate release of all seven prisoners. Although Simon, Kastro, Carlos, Fernando, Spyros, Michalis and Dimitris are now on bail, we are sure their cases will never come to court, for the simple reason that the Greek government will not let their 2004 Olympic dreams trashed by this worse-case-scenario publicity. We understand that Simon will be in a civilian hospital for at least a week while he starts eating again, beginning with milk and simple soups. They are also saying the foreigners cant leave the country til trial, but with a high-level nvestigation going on into the arrests themselves the Greek government will do everything they can to drop this hot potato as quick as poss. So be happy, and rejoice, but let's save the big celebration til Simon and the others are back home. Thanks everyone, esp the Dublin 24h hungerstrikers, what a wonderful ending to your action! xxx

by J26 Thu Nov 27, 2003 23:29

Great news to hear that they're out - hopefully the trumped up charges will be dropped quietly now.

by Andrew Fri Feb 13, 2004 16:45

"Today, a Greek judicial council decided that evidence against British protestor Simon Chapman is not convincing and acquitted him from all charges"

According to a report on Athens indymedia by the Legal Team, a judicial council in Thessaloniki, Greece, decided today that evidence against 13 defendants accused for riot during the June 2003 EU Summit, including British protestor Simon Chapman, is not convincing and acquitted them from all charges.
The council transformed the charges to less severe ones for another 6 protestors, including one Spanish citizen who participated to the hunger strike, and they also ordered that further investigation be held for 8 other prisoners, as the police's evidence against them are not clear and conclusive.
The court's decision is a clear disapproval of the police's repressive attitude and a victory of the solidarity movement in Greece and abroad."

by MARIA ELENA TRELLES RODRIGUEZ - LA HABANA, CUBA Fri Jul 29, 2005 18:31 maria_elena_trelles_r at hotmail dot com santo domingo...dominican republic 1809-1-764 9332

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