This is an individual statement after the trial that followed an action against the Orthodox Church in Thessaloniki. Although this statement doesn’t represent anybody except myself and may include an uncompleted picture, I decided that it should be spread. Never trust the media!
Unsurprisingly, the three evictions in Thessaloniki on 27th of July resulted in furious actions. The squats were evicted by a coordinated police operation to do the Church a favor and satisfy their thirst for revenge. The Church is in this case not only an agitator but also responsible for the eviction and demolition of Orfanotrofio squat (a selforganized space and housing squat for immigrants since December 2015).
On 31st July, 25 people in solidarity have been arrested at the Metropolitan Church in the center of Thessaloniki. Thanks to the authorities of the Orthodox Church, everybody had to stand trial on 1st of August, for an action that interrupted the Sunday Mass. Most of the arrested people refused to provide fingerprints, considering the consequence that they will get an additional accusation. During the trial a big crowd expressed their solidarity and full-throated support. After some hours in the court the show was over and only those who didn’t participated in the procedure of fingerprints/photographs got sentenced. Everyone got released, but this trial is just a tiny chapter of the script that the court performs every day. And we know as well that the court fulfills the cruel interests of the state and the bosses.
Apart from that, we do not intend to make the authority by the Church look harmless. The Church has the same pillars as any other institution: obedience, modern serfdom and punishment, among others. Everybody who despise their authoritarian, patriarchal and colonial ideology becomes an enemy. Of course, we are their enemy as well. That the passion for freedom is not compromisable with conservative values and the duty to obey authority should be clear.
When it comes to religion it isn’t very clear for everybody, sometimes not even between those who fight together. To demand free exercise of religion or to dream of an utopia without religious conflicts is not a neutral position. It is a position which is taking for granted that religion is just an idea. Religion is not an idea everybody can create, transform and use, it is an instrument of power. The meanings are given by those who have the power to define values, laws and unwritten laws. It is likely that believers become an agent for their religion, but power is in any case a precondition to reframe the ruling definitions. For centuries the Church is seeking domination without knowing any limits and gained power by expanding their beliefs. Therefore an anarchist perspective must be against religion and not (only) against religion used as a vehicle for propaganda or conflicts motivated by religion.
Anarchy is something that we cannot break down to an ideology or a single idea. That’s why anarchism has many different tendencies, but there are of course practices that we can count as fully contradictory. Support for political parties and elections is for example undermining anarchist basics. We should definitely discuss more about an anarchist approach regarding religion. The indoctrinated habit to question any kind of attack against religion, is something that needs to be reconsidered and understood as belittlement. From my point of view „freedom of religion“ as a law and a concept is just victim blaming.
If we enter the courthouse it becomes obvious that the state and the Church build the same repressive organism. A painting of Jesus Christ (Fuck the Artist!) above the judge and the holy bubblegum in front of the judge symbolize the power of the Church and the strong interconnection with the state institutions. Wherever people pay in to religious beliefs, authorities will try to use them for their adventure of a giant-empire.
It was not the first time that the Church attacked selforganized structures of unconditional solidarity and resistance. Knowing that it was neither the last eviction, as a minimum response we have to confront Syriza with our rage and fight for the continuity of rebellious communities. If the caricatures in the parliament, in the church and in the media want to feed us with lies about humanitarian war-zones/borders/military camps: Lets destroy them first!
Finally, I must say that I refused to give my fingerprints because there are absolutely no reasons why I should help the armed dogs doing their filthy job. I made my decision. It is a decision against the law that represents the state and the capital. Laws that protect fascist murderers and police officers who kill unarmed people. This time we were all successful in the crucial moments, when they wanted to take our fingerprints. While this time they took only fingerprints from few people who agreed in the procedure, there have been many times before, where the police took them by force, being extremely violent.
If they try to break the solidarity between us – Lets destroy them first!
Nothing is over, everything continues!
Fuck charity! Squat the world!
Recently two anarchist comrades, Marios Seisidis and Kostas Sakkas, were arrested in the area of Sparta and beaten by police because they refused to provide fingerprints and photographs.
Strength to Marios Seisidis and Kostas Sakkas!
Latest update concerning M. Seisidis and K. Sakkas here.
Squats in Greece: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/GR/squated/squat
Groups in Greece: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/GR
Events in Greece: https://radar.squat.net/en/events/country/GR
