Call for a popular assembly at the liberated town hall of Agios Dimtrios in Athe
Occupation of Agios Dimitrios town hall- Athens, Greece | 13.12.2008 12:37 | Analysis | Free Spaces
It should be evident to all by now that this uprising is not merely an honorary response to the death of Alexandros. Ever since, there has been much talk about theft, burning and looting. For media and politicians, violence is understood only in terms of what disturbs the public order
This is a translation from the blogspot of the occupied town hall of Agios Dimitrios in Athens- a fantastic response and a brilliant way of horizontal organising, the birth of something exciting, creative with great potential, for all those who understand a bit of greek here is the link:
http://katadimadim.blogspot.com/
OPEN CALL TO JOIN THE POPULAR ASSEMBLY ORGANISED BY THE LIBERATED TOWN HALL OF AGIOS DIMITRIOS IN ATHENS.
On the 6th of December 2008, a police man pulled a gun and shot dead a 15 year old child. Peoples’ rage is growing despite the attempts of both the media and the government to mislead public opinion.
It should be evident to all by now that this uprising is not merely an honorary response to the death of Alexandros. Ever since, there has been much talk about theft, burning and looting. For media and politicians, violence is understood only in terms of what disturbs the public order.
For us, however:
Violence is working non stop for 40 years and wonder whether you will ever retire.
Violence is the stock market, stolen pensions and shares.
Violence is to be obliged to take on a mortgage which you end up repaying double
Violence is the managerial right of an employer to dismiss you of your duties any time he or she likes.
Violence is unemployment, precarity, 700 Euros salary.
Violence is “accidents” in the work place, because bosses reduce their costs against the security of their employees.
Violence is being on prozak and vitamins in order to cope with overtime.
Violence is to be an immigrant, to live in fear that you are likely to be deported any time and experience a constant insecurity.
Violence is to be a housewife, a wage labourer and a mother at the same time.
Violence is to be sexually harassed at work and being told: “Smile, we are not asking you for much are we”.
The uprising of school children, students, unemployed the workers on temporary contracts and the immigrants broke through the violence of normality. This uprising must not stop! Syndicalists, political parties, priests, journalists and businessmen are determined to maintain the type of violence in which we refer to above.
It is not just them; we are also responsible for the indefinite continuation of the situation descried above. This uprising has opened a space for communication where we can finally express ourselves freely. We therefore decided to occupy the town hall of Agios Dimitrios and the call for a popular assembly, open to everyone
An open space for dialogue and communication, to break through the silence, to take over our lives!
http://katadimadim.blogspot.com/ OPEN CALL TO JOIN THE POPULAR ASSEMBLY ORGANISED BY THE LIBERATED TOWN HALL OF AGIOS DIMITRIOS IN ATHENS.
On the 6th of December 2008, a police man pulled a gun and shot dead a 15 year old child. Peoples’ rage is growing despite the attempts of both the media and the government to mislead public opinion.
It should be evident to all by now that this uprising is not merely an honorary response to the death of Alexandros. Ever since, there has been much talk about theft, burning and looting. For media and politicians, violence is understood only in terms of what disturbs the public order.
For us, however:
Violence is working non stop for 40 years and wonder whether you will ever retire.
Violence is the stock market, stolen pensions and shares.
Violence is to be obliged to take on a mortgage which you end up repaying double
Violence is the managerial right of an employer to dismiss you of your duties any time he or she likes.
Violence is unemployment, precarity, 700 Euros salary.
Violence is “accidents” in the work place, because bosses reduce their costs against the security of their employees.
Violence is being on prozak and vitamins in order to cope with overtime.
Violence is to be an immigrant, to live in fear that you are likely to be deported any time and experience a constant insecurity.
Violence is to be a housewife, a wage labourer and a mother at the same time.
Violence is to be sexually harassed at work and being told: “Smile, we are not asking you for much are we”.
The uprising of school children, students, unemployed the workers on temporary contracts and the immigrants broke through the violence of normality. This uprising must not stop! Syndicalists, political parties, priests, journalists and businessmen are determined to maintain the type of violence in which we refer to above.
It is not just them; we are also responsible for the indefinite continuation of the situation descried above. This uprising has opened a space for communication where we can finally express ourselves freely. We therefore decided to occupy the town hall of Agios Dimitrios and the call for a popular assembly, open to everyone
An open space for dialogue and communication, to break through the silence, to take over our lives!
Occupation of Agios Dimitrios town hall- Athens, Greece
e-mail:
tristinikians@hotmail.com
Additions
New announcement
13.12.2008 16:24
[ A very, very hasty translation from here: http://katadimadim.blogspot.com ]
Liberated Town Hall of Agios Dimitrios (occupation committee, Saturday)
From the very first day that the Town Hall passed to the hands of the citizens, members of the "Democratic" municipality board aligned themselves across the street for where the Town Hall is. They aligned - as always - as enemies of the local community, when that latter community is geared into action bypassing bureaucracy. The mayor, after having tried to end the occupation by force, suggested "assuming a respectful attitude towards democratic processes" that we stop by his office to explain to him what it is exactly that we request & that he, in the end, decides whether the occupation will go on or not. Since then, the mayor, board members, & various lackeys camped opposite to the occupied building transferring [the stage where] the valuable profession of sitting [on your ass is played out] in the cafe. Using either their big mouths or force & even ridiculous slanders regarding material damages that, supposedly, the building has suffered or will suffer, they're trying to provoke against the occupation. Meanwhile, the region is chokefull with secret agents on motorbikes which patrol the region or trying to mix themselves - unsuccessfully - with the crowd.
Obviously, they're not scaring us - we can only laugh at the way they drag their decomposition around.
As a reply to the cries about the fact that, unless various services function, the immigrants will be deported, those employed with a temporary contract will be left unpaid &, in general, that the universe will fall apart unless the occupation ends, we offer the following:
- Those employed on a temporary basis under "stage" clocked in as usually, during the first day, & even this didn't have to happen the next day since there's no employee of the Town Hall in it anymore.
- Inside the Town Hall, all the necessary bureaucracy so that those employed part-time get paid was taken care of.
The person "responsible" for the applications of the immigrants, after having accused that is those people will be deported because of us, & after having committed to showing up in order to do her job... never did.
Regarding the course of the children's theater group - the person employed by the municipality didn't even deign to inform the parents that she'll not show up - we suggested that a theater game takes place with the guidance of a theater education export who's participating in the occupation.
The members of the union of those employed by the municipality, which fully understand the reasons behind the occupation of the Town Hall, are the only ones which, through a sincere interest for our municipality, are here to facilitate & to guarantee any communication & understanding we can have with those "across," are being slandered at this moment through the municipal authority's unacceptable phrasing.
The reply to the culture of terror, which they have been trying to cultivate to the residents of the region for days on end, was the [amount of] popular participation in the open assemblies, as the Town Hall is open for the first time to all citizens. This is the first time that so many citizens participate in an essential & self-organized way through direct-democracy practices. Practices which are alive & such that, no matter how many little assemblies or pseudo-festivities they put together, they will not overcome the dynamic environment that developed in the last few days in out municipality.
& to finally put a full stop here: our target are not your storefronts but the storefront & the content of the system itself, of the repression, the exploitation, the subjugation & of fear.
http://katadimadim.blogspot.com ] Liberated Town Hall of Agios Dimitrios (occupation committee, Saturday)
From the very first day that the Town Hall passed to the hands of the citizens, members of the "Democratic" municipality board aligned themselves across the street for where the Town Hall is. They aligned - as always - as enemies of the local community, when that latter community is geared into action bypassing bureaucracy. The mayor, after having tried to end the occupation by force, suggested "assuming a respectful attitude towards democratic processes" that we stop by his office to explain to him what it is exactly that we request & that he, in the end, decides whether the occupation will go on or not. Since then, the mayor, board members, & various lackeys camped opposite to the occupied building transferring [the stage where] the valuable profession of sitting [on your ass is played out] in the cafe. Using either their big mouths or force & even ridiculous slanders regarding material damages that, supposedly, the building has suffered or will suffer, they're trying to provoke against the occupation. Meanwhile, the region is chokefull with secret agents on motorbikes which patrol the region or trying to mix themselves - unsuccessfully - with the crowd.
Obviously, they're not scaring us - we can only laugh at the way they drag their decomposition around.
As a reply to the cries about the fact that, unless various services function, the immigrants will be deported, those employed with a temporary contract will be left unpaid &, in general, that the universe will fall apart unless the occupation ends, we offer the following:
- Those employed on a temporary basis under "stage" clocked in as usually, during the first day, & even this didn't have to happen the next day since there's no employee of the Town Hall in it anymore.
- Inside the Town Hall, all the necessary bureaucracy so that those employed part-time get paid was taken care of.
The person "responsible" for the applications of the immigrants, after having accused that is those people will be deported because of us, & after having committed to showing up in order to do her job... never did.
Regarding the course of the children's theater group - the person employed by the municipality didn't even deign to inform the parents that she'll not show up - we suggested that a theater game takes place with the guidance of a theater education export who's participating in the occupation.
The members of the union of those employed by the municipality, which fully understand the reasons behind the occupation of the Town Hall, are the only ones which, through a sincere interest for our municipality, are here to facilitate & to guarantee any communication & understanding we can have with those "across," are being slandered at this moment through the municipal authority's unacceptable phrasing.
The reply to the culture of terror, which they have been trying to cultivate to the residents of the region for days on end, was the [amount of] popular participation in the open assemblies, as the Town Hall is open for the first time to all citizens. This is the first time that so many citizens participate in an essential & self-organized way through direct-democracy practices. Practices which are alive & such that, no matter how many little assemblies or pseudo-festivities they put together, they will not overcome the dynamic environment that developed in the last few days in out municipality.
& to finally put a full stop here: our target are not your storefronts but the storefront & the content of the system itself, of the repression, the exploitation, the subjugation & of fear.
TGL
Homepage:
http://tapesgoneloose.blogspot.com