[fse-esf] Final declaration / Repression Network

[Rollhaeuser]

Europe is really beautiful, an oasis in a bad, bad world. We all love our European countries, our governments, our peaceful movement. Does anybody want to change this idyll? 

 

How did the self-determined "leaders" of the ESF come to a declaration where you find only one sentence about repression in Europe? And this sentence doesn't even speak of repression. ("We condemn the witch-hunts and criminalization of alterglobal and other progressive movements in Eastern and Western Europe.") Did anybody ever speak about (anti-)terrorist laws and Black Lists; did anybody hear about Political Prisoners or their isolation? Was there any criminalization of (mostly Muslim) communities? (All this isn't really about "alterglobal and other progressive movements"...) Were there seminars with more than 300 attendants about these issues?



When I heard Sophie Zafari reading the declaration I thought I didn't understand her well because of her beautiful English. But finally I realize that the ESF must preserve its alternative playground. We must avoid under all circumstances any clash with the European states and governments. They could get a little angry with their disobedient children.

 

Really, folks, I don't know what's happening here. After Iratxe of our Network read the conclusion (results) of our network we gave an excerpt to Sophie to be included in the final declaration or at least to be attached to it. Some lines only; see below at the end of the "Contribution". It seems that nothing happened with it. Very nice indeed.

 

The days before I asked where and to whom I could give our contribution for the final declaration. Unfortunately I did not get any sufficient answer. Nobody told us where and when this declaration was discussed or how we could influence it.

 

I don't think that this declaration has very big importance. But I'd wish anyway that the ESF finds a little more democratic way to set up such documents.

 

Below you find the full résumé we read at the Assembly of the Movements. 

 

Achim

 

 
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CONTRIBUTION TO THE 2006 ASSEMBLY OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS BY THE ESF NETWORK AGAINST REPRESSION

 

 

The ESF Network against Repression has carried out intense work during this 2006 ESF. We have held 4 seminars.

 

During the seminar on Black lists and political trials we heard about the use of special, so-called antiterrorist laws and measures to criminalize political organizations and individuals and ban them from legal activity. The EU is at the forefront of this attack on our hard-earned civil and political rights; which affects all of us, whether in the Basque Country, in Germany, Greece, Turkey, or further afield. It is important to put a stop to this antidemocratic dynamics.

 

In the seminar on political prisoners, we welcomed the testimony of the Turkish and Palestinian comrades, who outlined the terrible nature of the isolation policy they suffer and the inhuman living conditions their prisoners are held in.

 

We had the privilege of hearing the reaffirmation of their political nature sent by Greek political prisoners. Greek and German support organizations insisted on the referential position Political Prisoners play in revolutionary movements. One thing was clear: solidarity with political prisoners is a task for all of the emancipatory movements

 

All speakers insisted on the importance of the acknowledgement of political status and on the need to promote information exchange and joint solidarity work, for instance, the Kalera Project.

 

The seminar on the War on Terror denounced the criminalization of Muslims and highlighted the need to confront the fallacy of the "war on terror", used to legitimize the most reactionary measures and move us all further away from the hope of democracy and justice.

 

In the seminar about criminalisation of migrant communities, we talked about the issue of how the migrants are harassed and humiliated in Europe, and suspected as enemies. We call it a system of European apartheid.

 

Because of this, activists of the network against repression and activists of the migration network together, protested in a Greek police station, protested against how the Greek police humiliates migrants.

 

We demand the right of free movement to and in Europe for everybody, and to stop deportations and extraditions.

 

This idea of a European Fortress and the attempt to impose mind-control, criminalizing entire political, racial and cultural communities by branding anyone who dares to dissent as a "terrorist" must be stopped.

 

All these issues affect any and all of us who aspire to build a better world. Bear this in mind. Think, organize and work!

 

 

THIS IS OUR PROPOSAL FOR INCLUSION IN THE 2006 ESF FINAL RESOLUTION

 

We call on everybody to reject any attempts to legitimize torture, detention centres and executions; both domestically and abroad (including candidate states to EU membership, like Turkey).

 

It is necessary to raise the issue of the connection between the "war on terror", racist exclusion and the attack on civil and human rights and against the banning of social and political organizations. We reject special courts and proceedings.

 

"Antiterrorist laws", old and new, and "antiterrorist" lists are being used to criminalise and attack political dissidence, with the EU playing an active role in this.

 

We call for the recognition of the Political nature of Political Prisoners, which will allow a political resolution of the issue, leading to their definitive release.

 

We call on everybody inside and outside the ESF to include the struggle for the freedom of political prisoners, against torture, against the "antiterrorist" laws and the migrants' detention camps in all our political and social struggles. The right to have rights is on the agenda of the day.

 


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