AGAINST REPRESSION… NOT EVERYTHING GOES
The State uses different strategies to eliminate its enemies and anyone who raises their voice to criticize the established order.

It wants to eliminate and eradicate all initiatives of rebellion; for this purpose it can rely on a powerful judicial apparatus which holds a wide punitive spectrum, ranging from light sentences, which in general result in fines or suspended sentences, to the use of harder instruments, including the wild card of the Antiterrorism Law, a card frequently played at power’s game table. For anyone who sees prison as an eventuality in the struggle against dominion, we observe how the current political context tends to make this more likely for many others: there are many who don’t know if they’ll wake up in a cell tomorrow, and we who are already inside don’t know how long we’ll be in here. At times the situation becomes confused as we are faced with a machine of repression set in motion by its own paranoia and hallucinations; and ultimately this is one of the many ways of exercising power. The rapidity of several police operations in succession adds to the confusion, especially as the charges are often ‘imaginary’, and everything goes with the spectacularization made by the media of Power. Whoever exercises and supports domination will never understand our antiauthoritarian tension, because they try to place us within their line of reasoning.

As we’ve seen, the collective spaces and individuals hit by the repression are heterogeneous and have differences and common points concerning their view of the State and its function, and consequently of how to face the blows of Power and prison, and how and with whom to make alliances.

In this respect it is often said that it’s better to overcome divergences and prioritise common points with the aim of facing the blows of power efficiently, an approach that in all respects favours the quantity issue rather than determination and will, aspects we consider fundamental. We acknowledge the importance of making alliances, the point is with whom. History has clearly shown us the nefarious consequences for anarchists of alliances with authoritarian groups and/or groups that support institutional politics, as these groups always aspire to power, crushing all libertarian initiatives in the end.

Should we bow our heads and pass over aspects that are fundamental to us? No way.

Among other things, when one gives up certain important ethical aspects one ends up following the track of leftist, citizenist and democratic movements, with which we have nothing in common: they support the Power that we want to erase from our lives. A clash is inevitable and necessary for us to develop politically. How do we distinguish ourselves from those who defend and strengthen the present established order? With the consistency of our actions.

So, as anarchists we consider any alliance or common project with groups or persons linked to institutions impossible, and at the same time we think it impossible to make alliances with those who opt for strategies against repression that we don’t agree with or want to support in any way at all. In times marked by repression, arrests and prison, our beliefs and their coherence come into play and are inevitably put to the test; but not everything is all right in order to avoid prison or get out of it. We believe that certain choices efface our dignity and ideas.

The petition for amnesty is one of these choices.

As anarchist prisoners we are making it clear that we are not, nor will we become, part of mobilizations or demonstrations against repression along with those who opt for the strategy of amnesty (be it partial or not). We don’t want to start a trajectory with them because of the irreconcilable differences we mentioned; we do not want to be complicit by omission of a strategy which for us is a decisive turning point.

And if in the end the consequences of our beliefs bring more years in prison to us, we’ll accept them with our heads held high and with dignity.

We don’t want the State’s pardon, we only want its destruction.

Mónica Caballero and Francisco Solar
June 2015
Prison of Villabona

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Comrades contact address:

Mónica Caballero Sepúlveda
Francisco Solar Domínguez
C.P Villabona-Asturias
Finca Tabladiello s/n
33422 Villabona-Llanera
(Asturias) España/Spain

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From croceneranarchica
Translated by act for freedom now
Source: Publicacion Refractario