Berlin, November 23, 2016
End of august in Greece the anarchist group “Rouvikonas” carried out an action against the toll station of the highway Korynthos-Patras smashing the toll booths‘ windows and leaving behind flyers. After the attack 10 comrades were arrested and sentenced to up to 37 months of imprisonment without parole. The action was directed against the construction of a privatized highway of a consortium which, besides of some Greek enterprises, the German construction giant HOCHTIEF PPP SOLUTIONS GMBH is a part of, too. The anarchist group “Rouvikonas”’ letter thereto states:
„We often read about the accidents on the National Road connecting Korynthos to Patras, a road characterized as ”guillotine” by its users. Also, we read on the scandals surrounding the construction of a modern highway […] This project, which never seems to come to an end, has been funded by the state with millions of euro raised in taxes, which were imposed upon the most vulnerable people in society.
[…] while the project remains unfinished, tolls are already in operation bringing extra revenue and increasing the profits of the construction companies. As if it weren’t enough that people will be expected to pay road fees for many years to come for a project already paid by them through taxes, the company now demands from travelers to pay tolls before the highway is even built. […] They demand from people to pay for a road that kills. To us this does not come as a surprise, since we are well aware of how capitalism and authority operate.“
HOCHTIEF, one of the world’s biggest construction companies is known as a German winner of the crisis, relevantly profiting from privatization measures like this highway or the airport of Athens in Greece. With most of the people getting worse and worse, profits are siphoned off their backs.
At the same time companies like HOCHTIEF add significantly to the destruction of nature and landscape. In the capital’s interest there is no sustainable constructing. There’s only bigger and faster, optimized for the flow of goods and the profit. All other claims serve to improve their image and are hypocrisy.
In the night preceding November 23rd we attacked HOCHTIEF’s new building with color and stones. With this action we salute the comrades in Greece who experienced the state’s repression for their acting. We think the destruction of the toll station is legit and necessary and we see our attack on the office building as the continuation of their fight.
But the new building’s location at the Spreeufer (banks of river Spree) between Mitte/Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain contributed to the choice of our target, too. There, where there has been space to live, meet and celebrate outside of state’s control. There, where the former trailer camp (Wagenplatz) „schwarzer Kanal“ has had its home and the abandoned Eisfabrik [ice cream factory] has served as a refuge for homeless people, properties are sold out one after the other. Everything that can’t be commercialized gets evicted or displaced to pave the way for the entry of capital. That results in sterile office buildings monitored by cameras and high-priced condominiums, only affordable to an exclusive circle of people with the necessary cash. The city of the rich gains ground and those who can’t or don’t want to afford being part of it have to look after themselves.
G20 in Hamburg, a suggestion…
We despise this world and its defenders. Egoism and greed. Arrogance of power and complacency of those in charge.
This world and everything it represents finds its expression on G20. The conference offers us the opportunity to transform despise of the establishment into open hostility, reflected in our actions.
Much already has been said and written about the protests against the summit, the large-scale events and the spectacle, which not only the ruling class understands to stage. It has been reproduced repeatedly by parts of the protest movement, too. We are aware of the limitations of such events. Nevertheless we think it’s right to occupy ourselves with it, to exchange about it and to develop chances and perspectives of our struggles along those summits.
We don’t want to limit ourselves to appear in Hamburg in the summer of 2017, organize a riot and return home with a quiet conscience. Rather trying to connect local struggles, to create references between each other and to fuel affinities via actions, texts, analyses and reports from the widest variety of locations already now in the run-up is much more important for us. To sustainably support and inspire ourselves in our struggles should be the goal.
We welcome a militant campaign like in the run-up to G8 in Heiligendamm, as well as an informal coordination just like the one that arose from the call from Greek prisons for a black December.
Self-organized local struggles, like the ZAD (zone to be defended) against the airport in West-France. The refugees‘ struggles on Europe’s borders. Struggles in neighborhoods and metropolises like in Exarchia in Athens or around Rigaer Straße in Berlin. The „Prison-Strike“ in American jails or the revolt against racist murders by cops in the USA. These are only a few examples from the Western civilization which could be starting points to target the defenders of the existing across the board. Strengthening these struggles via international references and expanding the terrain of these struggles via exchange of knowledge should be the goal.
Just like HOCHTIEF, Telekom, Fraport, Deutsche Bank etc. are responsible for a number of rascalities in Greece, there are countless other corporations who expand their power over our lives all over the world. On behalf of capital and as minions of the authorities and their organs of repression.
Aside from government agencies like military and police, companies which act on a global level increasingly are put forward to secure control and against social movements. A whole industry, from armament enterprises to IT-specialists, makes a fortune from counter-insurgency. Yet also the massive lock-up of people in privatized prisons following the US model is a lucrative business. Enterprises gain excessive profit from imprisonment and exploitation of the detainees.
Often the same entities spread misery in the most distinct places of this world. Let’s name these, publish their machinations and attack them wherever they are present. G20 can outline the referential framework enabling the coordination and connection of the particular fights and attacks.
On the other hand it’s about understanding what keeps the business going and where the system’s weaknesses are. The pillars of a functioning economy are constituted by infrastructure for the flow of goods and data, by traffic routes and fiber optic cables, power grids and radio antennas and offer to us a multitude of opportunities to disrupt and sabotage these.
In Berlin some people went ahead by burning a police radio mast. With regard to this a letter states:
„[…] the surveillance of the urban area via intelligent video-systems and via links between governmental offices is pushed steadily and aims at the regulation and control of all individuals. the techniques and algorithms developed by it-companies simplify the work of repressive organs. predictions of areas where potentially more crimes are to be expected are made by massive input of information into databases.
companies and institutions participating in the development and perfection of those technologies are a crucial factor for preserving the social order and a pillar of the security architecture to keep existing power relations. […]
in order to at least temporarily disrupt the seamless flow we set fire to the federal cops‘ radio mast at südkreuz. the second fire was directed to a surveillance installation of the bundesnetzagentur.“
Especially with regard to the upcoming G20 in Hamburg, that takes place in the center of a metropolis and for this alone will take the security authorities to the edge of their abilities, we think it’s interesting to consider such options for action in the timeframe of or before the summit. Because a major city’s infrastructure can’t be completely protected even with several thousands of cops. The summoned guests as well as their watchdogs always depend on being able to go from A to B to communicate and to be supplied with energy and goods. These logistics take place in real locations. We need to understand where and how these work, to attack exactly there.
We are sure the dynamics of a good riot are adequate means to trigger a loss of control in Hamburg. If that can be complemented by well targeted pinpricks at the city’s infrastructure then this could become a true bonfire.
Solidarity with the rebel prisoners.
Salutes to the accused in context of the bank robberies in Aachen.
A lot of strength to those affected by raids in Berlin.
Against the G20. For the freedom!
…in Hamburg sagt man Tschuess!
[…in Hamburg we say bye bye!*]
We follow the initiatives directed against G20 with joy and awareness and conclude that many strongly ressemble our ideas in content and goals. Here’s an overview from the last days and weeks:
Berlin 22.11.16, Attack against arms company Thales
Berlin 21.11.16, Excavator burns in Berlin – against G20-Summit
Berlin 7.11.16, Building of municipal police colored
Berlin 6.11.16, Arson attack against Deutsche Telekom
Dresden 3.11.16, Arson attack against a Thyssenkrupp-vehicle
Frankfurt 21.10.16, Attack against Philosophicum
Hamburg 16.10.16, Buttersäure against Porsche of ceo of a bank
Hamburg 23.9.16, Arson against car of head of police Enno Treumann
Berlin 8.9.16, Radio mast of federal police burnt
Hamburg 7.9.16, Stones and color against Chinese Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO)
[*refers to a local saying which was also used on a poster that celebrated an knocked-out cop during a demonstration in the end of 2014]
