Czech anarchists have faced a wave of repression and intimidation due to the recent ‘operation fenix(phoenix)’.
Houses were raided, squats evicted, organising spaces attacked, dozens arrested & injured, websites taken down and draconian ‘anti terror’ legislation used.
What led to this repression? What have activists been doing on the ground in the Czech Republic? Most importantly, how can we offer our solidarity? Continue reading
Tag Archives: English
A Letter From IGOR – Reckless endangerment and other police blunder.
At first thank you all for your support. I have to say that thanks to you, it’s not so bad here!
Like many other people I was brought in for questioning by well known police officer Kavka. On June 18th, I went out to get some lunch. Besides campus I was stopped by Mr. Kavka where he informed me about questioning and asked me not to run. Through psychological coercion and lies he managed to get into my dorm room where he confiscated my personal computer, camera, tablet and than I was escorted to Letná police station where I was interrogated, threatened, lied to, intimidated for following six hours. After this my fingerprints and traces of odour were taken and I was finally released about half past eight in the evening.
I would be much better off now if I knew my legal rights better, and if I would not succumb to psychological pressure of investigators. I was brutally arrested by police at an anti-fascist blockade in Brno on June 26th and I spent the evening in three different cells and than during the night the Police escorted me to Prague. Continue reading
Žhářské útoky v minulých dnech // The arson attacks of past days
Podpálené policejní auto u služebny poblíž nádraží Praha-Bubny (4. července 2015)
V minulých dnech na několika webových stránkách proběhly zprávy o útocích na vozový park PČR. Později se k nim přihlásila SRB a na svých stránkách vydala k útokům komuniké. Zajímavé je, že jedním z hlavních argumentů policie na “Fénix” bylo potlačení militantních akcí. Police přitom sama akce vymýšlela pomocí svých infiltrovaných agentů a následné represe vyvolaly další vlnu útoků. Evidentně represe nejsou, a ze své podstaty nemohou být řešením sklíčenosti pocházející ze stávajícího sytému. Naopak to vypadá, že u lidí vyvolávají nespokojenost a vztek.
Past days we have read news about arson attacks against police vehicles all over Czech media. Later SRB released communiques on their web pages. It is interesting that the main argument of police for operation Fénix was to eliminate militant activities. It was police themselves using infiltrated agents to create more actions, following repressions just provoked more such actions. Evidently repressions aren’t and from its essence can’t be the solution to depression coming from the system we live in. It seem to do the exact opposite – making people more discontent and raging.
Dnes večer – Psaní dopisů a přednáška na Salé
Dnes v úterý 7.7. proběhne na Salé další psaní dopisů kamarádům do vězení. Od 20h začne přednáška a diskuze na téma “Političtí vězni a jejich podpora, propojení solidarity anarchistickým vězňům s bojem proti vězeňskému systému” (USA). Přednáška bude v AJ s českým překladem. Večeře od 19h.
Today, Tuesday 7.7. there will be another letter writing dinner. We will write letters to political prisoners. At 8PM a talk and discussion ‘Political prisoners and their support, connecting solidarity with anarchist prisoners with the struggle to abolish the prison-industrial complex’ (USA). The talk will be in English with a Czech translation. Dinner starts at 7PM.
DALŠÍ KAMARÁD VE VAZBĚ!
Včera (29.6.2015) obvodní soud Prahy 6 vyhověl požadavku policie na uvalení vazby na dalšího člověka obviněného v rámci represí proti “ultra-levicovému extremismu”.
I. byl policií zadržený už v pátek (26.6.2015) a odvezen do Prahy k výslechu.
Podle policie měl být I. součástí útoku zápalnými láhvemi, který měl být proveden na dům ministra obrany (více zde)
K útoku nikde nevyšla žádná videa. Zajímavé také je, že ze čtyř údajných láhví žádná nezačala hořet. Kromě toho, že nebyly ukázány žádné důkazy, se k útoku nikdy nikdo nepřihlásil.
Po tom, co víme, že přípravu údajného útoku na vlak s vojenským materiálem naplánovali infiltrovaní agenti, tento údajný útok vypadá přinejmenším pochybně. (Více o agentech zde)
Fakt, že obviněný z útoku na dům ministra obrany je občanem Ruské Federace se podezřele hodí do kontextu politického diskurzu ministerstva obrany.
I. dostal koluzní vazbu, nejpřísnější možné opatření.
Jsme s tebou!
Yesterday, 29.6.2015, the district court of Prague 6 ruled to put I. in custody.
I. was accused in another case of repression of ‘ultra-left extremism’.
He was taken on Friday in and charged on Sunday.
According to the police, I. took part in the ‘attack’ on the house of the minister of defense of Czech republic with Molotov cocktails. (8.6.2015) More info here, soon in English.
There are no photos nor videos of this ‘attack’. There was no actual fire, despite 4 bottles having been thrown. No other evidence of the ‘attack’ has been made public, nobody claimed responsibility for it.
With the knowledge, that the alleged planning of an attack on a military train was staged by infiltrated police agents, this ‘attack’ looks suspicious.
The fact that I. is a Russian citizen, plays into the context of political discourse rather suspiciously well.
I. got the worst type of custody with very strict conditions.
We are with you.
Song Of The Day: V.A.P. – Zpráva komu?// V.A.P. – A message to whom?
Minulý týden jsme uváděli rap, dnes nemůžeme jinak, než představit punkovou kapelu Voice of Anarchopacifism, kapelu ve které Petr zpíval.
“Zpráva komu?” několikrát zazněla na sobotní demonstraci u vazebních věznic. Ve videu je text, díky kterému jsme od V.A.P. vybrali právě tuto skladbu.
Last week we presented rap, today we feel it is the right time to present a punk band called Voice of Anarchopacifism, the band in which Petr was a vocalist. “A message to whom” is a song you could hear last Saturday by the custody jail. The lyrics speak about hope of better a world. Hope that the authorities and the police will understand the uselessness of their power over the others and in the end join our growing movement leading towards a society based on equality and respect.
2015-6-9, Salé: Psaní dopisů politickým vězňům / Letter writing night
PETR S.: DOPIS VŠEM / PETR S.: LETTER FOR ALL
Dopis od Petra S., jednoho z vězněných anarchistů.
Brzy zde zveřejníme kontakní adresu na všechny tři zadržené.
Drazí přátelé,
moc vám děkuji za vaše slova solidarity a podpory. Moc pro mně znamenají, zvláště v tuto chvíli.
Vždy jsem bral svůj život jako pouhou součást jednoho velkého života spojujícího vše živé na zemi. A tak je tomu doposud. Ač jsem nebyl vězněn, necítil jsem se svobodný, při myšlence na všechny, kterým je svoboda upírána a to i mimo vězeňské zdi. Moje životní cesta byla, a doufám že vždy bude, směřující ke společnosti opravdu svobodné a spravedlivé. A to pro všechen život bez rozdílu.
Vaše slova mě utvrzují, že na této cestě nezůstanu nikdy sám.
S upřímným poděkováním a bratrským pozdravem.
Petr S.
A letter from Petr S., one of the imprisoned. We will publish the contact address for all 3 in custody soon.
Dear friends,
thank you for all your support and solidarity. It means a lot to me, especially in this situation. I have always regarded my life as a mere fraction of all life on Earth. That has not changed. Even when I was not in custody, the thought of all those whose freedom has been taken, not only behind bars, has made me feel not free myself. My journey in life has always been a journey towards equality and a truly free society for all. Your kind words assure me that I will never be alone on this journey.
With sincere gratitude and brotherly greetings,
Petr
The impetus for the General Inspection of Security Forces and the Municipal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Prague.
An open letter called “The impetus for the General Inspection of Security Forces and the Municipal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Prague” was published 2 days ago on many Czech media servers and it’s signed by many “public figures” (the term media used to label the signatories). We have no expectations of “democratic state” nor police but we hope that this appeal will put the situation under the spotlight and open new angles of perspective. Such ones, which will lead towards new discussion about the topic:
The impetus for the General Inspection of Security Forces and the Municipal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Prague.
During the highly publicized police operation Fénix eleven people were arrested and vast number of police forces and equipment were deployment. Three of them are now being prosecuted with very serious allegations of terrorist conspiracy. Police publicly announced the existence of extensive “terrorist” network but information available from other sources have raised many suspicions not just about the true purpose of the operation Fenix but also about the methods of police deployment in general. Continue reading
Interview with an activist detained during Operation Fenix
Tomas Z. describes himself as an ecological activist from Olomouc region. His most “hardcore terrorist actions” include guerilla gardening ( he planted couple of plants to other person’s land without their consent) and unconventional creation of cyclepath. On April 28th he was one of eleven people detained by Counter Organised Crime Unit of the Czech Police (UOOZ) during the undercover operation called Fenix. The police is convinced that 30 year old activist is one of the leaders of Network of Revolutionary Cells (SRB). According to police, SRB supposedly planned to attack trains transporting either military equipment or Hyundai cars with Molotov cocktails. Detention of Tomas Z. was justified with his alleged connection to destroyed police car in the city of Litvinov. Tomas Z. proclaimed this allegation to be nonsense and absurd as well as his connection with SRB. During incriminated period he was not living in the Czech Republic and police was most likely aware of that. Following interview will shed the light on practises of police which seem to be filled with fabricated pre-requisitions for the detention, at least in his case. These practises are commonly employed by police in “war against terror” around the world and now successfully practised in Czech national security services.
Can you disclose details regarding your detention?
Few officers in plain clothes detained me from the flat of my girlfriend but I think they had no rights to do so. I was handcuffed and taken to my house. All together there must have been more than 10 police personnel, because we departed in three fully occupied civilian cars. When arrived to my house there was three police vans full of police armoured with automatic weapons ready and waiting. I was taken to a rented land beside (rented by police for this occasion) and there I was shown the search warrant for my house and surrounding land. Police than started with the search, apparently looking for explosives, weapons and materials connected with anarchist movement. The special dog was used (trained for explosives search) and whole search took several hours but nothing has been found because I have never had anything like that in my possession.
Their other focus was aimed on electronic data carriers. Flash drives, camera, laptop and SIM cards were confiscated. I did not try to resist as I have been told that resistance is useless because they have a power to confiscate my belongings anyway.
So the police operation you describe was only because of you?
Yes, only because of me. My personal estimation for the expenses of my detention was tens of thousands Czech Crowns (thousands of £, $, €…) and documents I received after the search confirmed that. During my detention 24 heavy armored cops and 20 other police were employed and all this just because of one person. Continue reading