October 12, Antifascist in BCN

Every october 12th ,  the  Spanish state  celebrates the ŒDay of Hispanity¹ that means, the day Columbus invaded America in 1492. On that same day spanish fascists gather in several cities spreading their messages of racial hatred and exhibiting all kind of franquist and Nazi ­symbols.

In Barcelona, the fascists meet in the district of Sants, on a square called  Països Catalans (Catalonian Countries) claiming for the ³unity of Spain². Main actor of the event is right wing ­ ultra Ricardo Sainz Ynestrillas, leader of the fascist ³Alliance for National Unity² accused of the assassination of Josu Muguruza, member of the Basque Country Independence Party, Herri Batasuna in 1983. Although he was acquitted miraculously of all charges in that occasion he was condemned, in 1998, to 7 years of prison for shooting down a cocaine dealer who refused to sell him the drug.

Several years ago, fascist used to beat up ­ with total impunity- all people of different colour, ideology or just because they looked different, who dared to pass by close to where they were holding their meeting. By creating the Plataforma Antifacista, radical and autonomous groups tried to prevent the fascist meeting, organising demonstrations the same day in Barcelona, but police dissolved the demonstrations even before getting started.

So, the Plataforma Antifacista changed strategy and during 4 years an Anti-fascist/racist Festival was celebrated in the same district of Sants, just a few hundred meters away from the fascist meeting. This more cultural event was supported not only by radical left and autonomous groups, but by broad sectors of society such as worker unions, neighbourhood and immigrants organisations, etc.

This allowed that since 1998 it was possible again to organise a demonstration, trying to disturb the fascist meeting.  This year, 2000 antifascists gathered some 200 m from Països Catalans Square, only divided by a huge building which made us impossible to face us directly with the fascists. The demonstration started half an hour before the fascist meeting and its purpose was not only to disturb but also to impede it.

Another time the police ­aware of that it could be possible that the demonstration reaches its purpose ­ tried to protect the fascist and anti-riot squads were sent out using plastic bullets against the demonstrators, who started to build barricades and to defend themselves with everything the found on their way. The riots spread all over the district where the demonstrators smashed windows of banks and real estate agencies.

As a result of the 3-hour riot, 26 antifascists were arrested and various injured by plastic bullets. Immediately after, companions, friends and relatives of the arrested gathered in front of the police station demanding the liberation of the arrested.

The day after, on October 13th, mass media gave their own peculiar version of what had happened: Fascists = antifascists, who ­not enough- are criminals, instructed by Jarrai (Youth organisation of Herri Batasuna usually linked by the media with E.T.A)), armed to their teeth with Molotow Cocktails and similar weapons; intending to criminalize, in public opinion, the antifascist movement in general and specifically Barcelona¹s squatter movement.

Meanwhile, the mobilisations demanding the liberation last and, on October 14th, 12 of them are set free, but the other 14, accused of public disorder, outrages, injuries and ³illicit association² (which is part of the anti-terrorist laws in the criminal justice bill) are imprisoned by the judge who justifies the measure with the ³social alarm² provoked by the riots and the mass media.

The arrested are sent to 3 different prisons: one for the juvenile, one for women and another for adults. In the following days antifascists organise different activities for the liberation of the prisoners, marching some 500 people every day to each of the 3 prisons.

Afraid of the growing solidarity with the prisoners all over the country, the adult prisoners are dispersed and isolated in prisons outside of Barcelona. Penitentiary authority threatens the juvenile and the women that they would take the same measure with them if the mobilisations go on.

But when neighbourhood, lawyer and other social organisations join the protests, the judge, arguing that the ³social alarm² has ­ suddenly (!) - minimised, sees herself obligated to set, at last, all prisoners free, 8 days after they had been arrested and ­ by accident?- one day before a demonstration summoned in the centre of Barcelona that, nevertheless, was joined by nearly 10.000 persons.

But the 26 arrested on october 12th still face sentences up to 3 years of prison. So our struggle remains in order that the judge withdraws all the charges. One aspect of that struggle is to work against the criminalization of the antifascist movement. Also, we¹re trying to gather the money, which is necessary to pay the lawyers and the costs of the trial. And last but not least we¹re trying to impede next years Nazi-meeting on Catalonian Countries Square. From Barcelona we invite you to join this struggle and the demonstration on october 12th 2000.

RESISTENCIA ANTIFASCISTA:

NO PASARAN!!!

Send support messages to <nopasaran@sindominio.net>

(please forward this info to all antifascist groups you know)
_________________________________________________
Forwarded by Usurpa!
usurpa@sindominio.net
www.sindominio.net







+---|---+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|  o|o  |        /"\  ESTAMOS HART@S DE LOS ENVIOS CON HTML!!!!!!!      |
|  /V\  |        \ /  CAMPAÑA DEL LAZO ASCII - CONTRA EL MAIL HTML      |
| // \\ |         X   ASCII RIBBON CAMPAIGN   -  AGAINST HTML MAIL      |
|/( . )\|        / \  CAMPANHA DA FITA ASCII   -   CONTRA MAIL HTML      |                                          
| ^`~'^ |===============================================================|
|#105432|            AlterNETive Live - Linux - MSX - Usurpa!           |
+-------+---------------------------------------------------------------+