During the last two months (July and August), at least five fascist attacks have been carried out against the CSO La Fábrika (Squatted Social Center “The Factory”), at dawn as always. The first one consisted of threatening slogans signed with Nazi symbols and the slogan “Alpedrete resists” (a nearby village, where many fascists meet). Only two weeks later, a group of strangers tried to set fire to the social centre, but did it in such a clumsy way that the fire itself melted a water pipe which finished with both the arson and the hopes of the wannabe terrorists.
After this failed attack, that could have been felt not only by the social centre but also by the lives of our neighbors and the surrounding forest, measures were taken by the Assembly. With the support of dozens of other groups, we stepped up security and kept more aware at all times, and as a result we caught the fascists red-handed in three new attacks —this time with stones and bottles that almost caused material and personal damages, but were easily repelled (the mere presence of witnesses made those valiant assailants run).
Linking these facts to the tens of violent acts suffered for years by neighbors from Alpedrete and other villages in Sierra de Guadarrama is inevitable. These acts have been carried out by fascists factions protected by the silence —even the complicity— of municipal councils, such as the one of Alpedrete, led by the mayoress Marisol Casado, that still denies hypocritically the existence of these groups whilst they support the clubs used to recruit youngsters. The last grotesque act took place in the Eurocup Finals, when the mayoress did not hesitate to celebrate the victory of the Spanish team by playing the Francoist anthem surrounded by pre-Constitutional flags fluttered by members of those very same groups which, according to her, “do not exist”.
Likewise, it is inevitable to link this aggression to the modest support that La Fábrika has always tried to give to those who suffer most directly from this violence, as well as the squat’s contribution to the creation of a popular and mestizo culture which have made Collado Villalba a less fertile ground for the stupid and cowardly approaches of these groups; and let’s just not forget our presence in participating in the diverse acts of memory, justice and redress with those repressed during the Franco regime. Therefore, we do not feel as victims, but proudly repressed because of our work of solidarity, memory and culture against fascism, racism, patriarchy and any other curses which oppress, separate and confront those from below.
Fortunately, this solidarity is reciprocal, and these attacks renew the links between the different social movements, show new generations the true face of these terrorists and make us stronger. After years of fighting, the social movements of these mountains enjoy good health and we have sufficient resources and experience to repel these attacks, but we are sure that other less visible and more vulnerable areas to these attacks also suffer this curse, and we are determined not to give fascism any amount of impunity.
We call on social organizations and people from the area to isolate and condemn these terrorists now, when they are trying to gain followers out of the discontent and frustration generated by the crisis. Those of us who seek the union of those from below must give priority to the struggle against those who are trying to divide us.
Sierra de Guadarrama is working-class, mestizo and antifascist, and we will show them in the streets that WE ARE MORE, more intelligent, more supportive, more courageous, more creative, more sensible and more forceful.
Mutual support and solidarity against fascism and impunity
For coexistence in freedom
September 29th demonstration:
With la Fábrika, against fascism. We are more!
C.S.O. LA FÁBRIKA (Squatted Social Center “The Factory”)
Vía de servicio A6, Collado Villalba, Madrid
lafabrikaii[at]gmail[dot]com
[Originally published by Contra Info]
