It was a big surprise for us to read at indymedia that this year the Polytechnic School (PS) was “occupied” during its three-day “celebration”. Without any further information, some comrades went there to get informed about the characteristics and the reasons of this action. At the gate of Stournari we became witnesses of a grotesque picture where about 15 people, who have no relationship with the social movement and its structures, were looking aggressively at comrades, asking them if they were cops (!), waving knives and molotofs provocatively at them, behind a locked door, of course.
From the first moment it was obvious that the PS was occupied by forces that live off the movement. This action was not product of an open process of struggle with collective terms that would end up to a common political context. It was not an open to the movement initiative of collectives and groups that may had a different approach for the PS and its three-day “celebration”. It wasn’ t even an occupation that took place some other time of the year. This “occupation” was a move with clearly aggressive characteristics towards the movement and the people of the struggle, an authoritarian action of imposition against anyone that didn’t fit the taste and the criteria of the “squatters”. A coup d’ etat that if it stayed unanswered, it would have served the dark intentions and the antisocial plans of a small group of people that claim to be the committee of the insurrection.
The heritage of such a tragedy would be devastating firstly for the anarchist movement, because it would undermine and have toxic effects upon the political principles and values of its establishment and construction. It would be a heritage that would fall as a burden upon the movement contributing to its further deconstruction regarding the motive and the number of the people. It would contribute to the vanity and the sentiment of defeat. It would be a big sign of the decadence of the self-organizing, the solidarity, the equality and the libertarian culture. It would be a coup heritage for the people of the struggle. An action of taint against the memory of November’s 1973 uprising and its dead but also an act against the insurrection events, social and massive, such as the occupation of the PS in 1995. The establishment of the open characteristics of an occupation with terms of face control, the Trojan horse of antisocial and anti-movement behaviour with social and class slogans, the prohibition of political events, assemblies and distribution of counter-informing material or the blackmailing for these to be done under the approval of the “squatters” and from the political hegemony of the “occupation” and the dark characteristics that gave itself. The justification of using upgraded means against comrades, the loss of the real meaning of the revolutionary internationalism and its replacement by riot-tourism and, finally, the fact that some people in the name of anarchy forbid people, children, students, the youth and whoever fought for a better world to pay tribute to our dead, is the highest insult.
On 15/11, the first day of the “occupation” there was an assembly called at building “Gkini” with the signature “Occupation of the PS”. There went comrades from the anarchist movement and argued against the continuation of this action. After their interventions that were to the point and the withdrawal of the younger comrades mostly, some not only they weren’t convinced but also they reached the point to threaten verbally comrades, telling them that they will make use of upgraded means against them. The same night, the “occupation”, clearly weakened, numbered only 25 people, who were mostly refugees and riot-tourists, a subject of “struggle” with common characteristic the ignorance of November’s uprising and the characteristics of the movement in Greece, that kept dancing in the rhythm of psy trance at the gates of Stournari.
The same night, after “Class Counterattack” was informed of the continuation of the “occupation” and since no other initiative was taken so as the movement would rightfully be on its natural environment, we published a text calling to a gathering the next day (16/11/2017) on Eksarheia square at 15:00 o’clock so that the movement would come together and manage to be in the PS and also calling for an assembly at 16:00 inside PS. At 16:00 of the same day groups of the radical Left were calling to a gathering for the same purpose on Kaniggos square.
The next day at 15:00, almost 300 comrades responded to “Class Counterattack’s” call. At 15:45 we marched, independently from the forces of the radical Left, without any aggressive intentions with only weapons our numbers and our right towards the gate of Stournari entering the PS and coexisting with the “squatters” without any conflicts.
The historical and bloodstained by struggles building of the PS was opened and claimed the right of its existence and political presence there in the days of November. Unfortunately, it seems that for some the rights of the working class that were won by struggles and sacrifices and are now on the gunpoint of bosses’ terrorism are not rights gained by the movement and the struggling society. Gains that a movement owes to protect and fight for, by all means, so as to expand within a suffocating capitalist environment. On the contrary, is clear the provocative and undermining role of some forces that form their strategy not on the concept of “creating new gains” and “the protection of our acquired rights” but adjusting it with terms of living off rights that came from past and present struggles, contributing this way to the loss of their meaning.
At the open assembly that took place, inside the open from the movement PS, more than 300 people that until some hours ago couldn’t approach the place attended it. Many interesting opinions were heard from comrades with many different starts and political orientations, but with common ground the opposition to anti-movement actions. During the entering of the forces of the radical Left in the PS, at about 17:00 o’clock, the remaining “squatters” directed to them calling them “whores” and warning them that in the night they would “get stabbed”.
As for us, we think that it goes without saying that the arguing with the radical Left must be political or else must not exist. Because the materials that we build our political ground and our fighting culture today determine the possibility of creating a truly antiauthoritarian future.
Although there is a distance between us and parts of the radical Left in a moral and strategical level and a political competition to the way we fight for the social revolution, this cannot in any case hooligan-like behaviours. Because, as much as the choice of participating through the elections in the parliament and the following convictions of the armed struggle and the fighting resistance can only be obstacles to the revolutionary way, our own inclusion to hooliganism can also be an obstacle to the revolutionary path.
To the public call of “Class Counterattack” the next day at 06:00 in the morning to the PS around 30 comrades responded, who threw out the former governmental youth from the annual deposit of flowers and managed to keep away government members and politicians who only abuse the meaning of the uprising.
Finally, we would like to form some rhetorical -for the time being- questions. Since when the dismantling of an authoritarian impose is not a deeply antiauthoritarian practice and is included as a part of a sustaining trouble? Did the repression fall upon the movement and the struggling society that were recipients of authoritarian behaviours and prohibitions or upon the twenty people who banned the rest? If the entering of the movement to its natural environment is considered an authoritarian behaviour then how can we call its blocking from it? If a member of “Class Counterattack” waved a knife at a “squatter” or told him that he would use “upgraded means” against him some would already speak of stalin-like practices inside the anarchist movement and would demand our isolation. Why aren’ t they speaking now? And last and most crucial: which is the answer that the movement must give to this kind of situations? As for us; silence remains guilt.
PS. The slander against those that fight and especially the ones that pose questions to the movement goes on for a long time. We won’t reproduce here this kind of potty talk. We were informed through indymedia that in the open gathering among the 300 comrades there were two people from the “security team” and possibly some others that have nothing to do with our vision and are on the opposite side of us. But the fact that some are telling on us, one of the few groups that takes part with real cost in struggles against bouncers, drug dealers and any kind of gang that develops and works against the movement demands nerve and much empathy. Especially when our accusators never opposed to them and just kept a safe distance. The ones that know us know…
Class Counterattack (Group of Anarchists and Communists)
21/11/2017