Berlin: Demo Freedom for all prisoners affected by repression in Barcelona

Monday 22 March 2021, 16:00
Meeting point: Delegació del Govern a Alemanya
Regierung von Katalonien – Vertretung in Deutschland, Friedrichstrasse, 185. 10117 Berlin

On February 27, 2021, 8 anarchist comrades* were arrested during the riots in Barcelona, as a result of the protests that have been going on since the arrest of Pablo Hasél. All of them are currently in pre-trial detention without bail. They are accused of criminal organization, attempted murder, unlawful demonstration, attack on authority, damage and public disorder. All this as a consequence of a fire being set at one of the vans of the riot police of the Guardia Urbana of Barcelona, a police organization that has a long history of torture and violence. The media, as a propaganda tool of the State, are justifying the repression against our comrades and infusing fear to stop self-organization and dismantle the protests.

After the Pandora and Piñata police set-ups, it is obvious that we are once again facing an operation to repress an ideological current contrary to capitalist interests. They are condemned because they are anarchists. In this type of set-up, the accusation of belonging to a criminal organization or terrorism is something that is being used to create an internal enemy and justify repression. This allows them to judicialize our lives through police harassment, raids, violation of our personal and political spaces, visits to penitentiary centers, etc. Through this they intend to wear us down psychologically and economically, and thus disarticulate our struggles. [Read More]

Berlin: statement about the 8 arrested anarchists in Barcelona

On February 27th, 2021, 8 anarchist comrades* from Italy, France and Spain were arrested during the riots in Barcelona stemming from the protests that have been taking place since the arrest of Pablo Hasél on February 16th. All are currently in pre-trial detention without bail in Brians I prison (Catalonia). The serving judge of the 17th Court of Barcelona charged them with belonging to a criminal organization, attempted murder, participation in an illegal demonstration, resistance to state authority, damage to property and disturbance of public order.
All this happened as a result of a vehicle being set on fire which belonged to the riot police of the Guardia Urbana of Barcelona, a police force that has a long history of torture and indiscriminate violence against migrants and homeless people (1) and which the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau (Barcelona en Comú) promised to disband during the 2015 municipal elections (2). However as we can see, they are still there.

All these accusations are accompanied by a propaganda apparatus provided by the media, which, as a tool of the state, justifies the repression against our comrades* and sparks a climate of fear in order to crush the protests. [Read More]

Spanish state: temporary end of the anarchist terrorism myth

After a total of 33 arrests, three years of investigation during which hundreds of documents were analysed, house searches across the country, hours of phone conversations recorded, bank accounts frozen, and, worst of all, after subjecting some of the accused to months of imprisonment, Spain’s Audiencia Nacional tribunal has closed the legal proceedings and state persecution of anarchists known as Operación Piñata. The reason: lack of sufficient evidence to put anyone on trial. The decision follows the request by defense lawyers to dismiss the investigation.

The police Operation Piñata joins Operations Pandora and Pandora II as criminal cases against the so-called ‘anarcho terrorism’, as the Secretary of State for Security, Francisco Martínez, called it during the morning when the arrests took place in March 2015.

Five of the twelve defendants under Operación Piñata were placed in custody for months. The arrest warrants made reference to acts of sabotage, possession of explosives and even possible criminal offenses related to trafficking of narcotics or psychotropic substances’: none of which was supported by evidence. [Read More]

Spain: Pandora, Piñata and beyond, we will retaliate!

Demonstration and day of action
June 13th, Barcelona, Plaça de Sants, 18:30
Call for International Solidarity

The last few years have seen an increasing wave of repression against Anarchists and other radicals, here in Spain, best characterized by the police operations Pandora and Piñata. Acting in response to movements, uprisings and upheavals across the country, particularly in Cataluña, the state has arrested dozens of comrades, often under the pretext of anti-terrorism. The result has been to foster a climate of fear and in-action. [Read More]

Spanish state: Three of five prisoners of Operación Piñata released

The Audiencia Nacional (spanish special court) has ordered the release without bail of three of the five people that were still in preventive prison, arrested under the Operación Piñata last 31th of March. According to what was declared to Diagonal newspaper by one of the lawyers who represents the defendants of Operación Piñata, Daniel Amelang, they are now waiting that the court decides about the freedom of the other two persons that are still in preventive prison.
[Read More]

Paris: A JCDecaux van up in smoke in solidarity with Operation Piñata prisoners, Mónica and Francisco

In the early morning of May 27th, it smelt of burning by Télégraphe [metro station]. A JCDecaux van went up in smoke. They enrich themselves with the gentrification of cities and exploitation of convicts.

Solidarity with comrades imprisoned during the Operation Piñata in Spain. Solidarity with Mónica and Francisco.

[Translated by Squat!net from Nantes Indymedia]

Brussels: Banner drop in solidarity with anarchists arrested raided in Spain

Recently, a banner was displayed on the entrance of the Botanique tunnel reading:

FREEDOM FOR THE ANARCHISTS ARRESTED IN SPAIN

Signed off: “Until all are free! Death to the state and long live anarchy, now and always!”

Full communique: Brussels Indymedia

Operation Piñata: Five comrades imprisoned, ten conditionally bailed, address for three of the prisoners

Early afternoon on Wednesday 1st April, the judge of the Audiencia Nacional [National High Court] Eloy Velasco, remanded in prison 5 of the 15 individuals arrested on Monday 30th March during the police operation named Piñata. 24 others were arrested during the 17 raids, which took place in Madrid, Barcelona, Palencia and Granada, for “disobedience and resistance”, who were then subsequently released. [Read More]

Rennes, France: Solidarity with the detainees of Operation Piñata

Last night [March 30th] the Spanish Consulate in Rennes, France, was attacked with paint in solidarity with the detainees of Operation Piñata.

“The terroist is the state”
“Fuck Piñata”
and paint against the consulate car.

From Granada to Rennes, active solidarity against all forms of repression. [Read More]

Barcelona/Granada/Madrid/Palencia: Police Piñata raids

This morning in Operation Piñata (following Pandora in December) cops have raided social centres and arrested people (at least 26) in Barcelona, Madrid, Palencia and Granada.

La 13-14 in Madrid announced it was being raided this morning.
[Read More]