Criminalization of antiracist and antifascist action shall not pass
On 16th December 2013, Thanasis Kourkoulas, member of “Εxpel(Deport) Racism” movement and militant of the antifascist and antiracism movement is to be tried in the 4th Single Judge Misdemeanor Court of Athens, as a result of the provocative and slanderous lawsuit of a supporter of the “Agios Panteleimoinas residents’ committee”, who are essentially Golden Dawn members & supporters. The plaintiff accuses him of “giving orders to a group of men bearing bats”, a group which he claims attacked him in the evening of Sunday 25 May 2009. It is a completely unfounded and slanderous prosecution, which is part of the general strategy of intimidating and targeting people and organizations who were then giving a fight openly, collectively and in broad daylight to prevent the Agios Panteleimonas square and the centre of Athens in general from coming into Golden Dawn’s control.
Since neither Thanasis Kourkoulas was present at the incident the plaintiff is referring to (which will be proven beyond doubt in court), nor is there any other testimony apart from that of the plaintiff, we will only put forward the following points:
The plaintiff “recalled” the alleged “leader” one month after his initial lawsuit and submitted a supplementary complaint! In his lawsuit he claims that his collapsible baton had been stolen! Although he states that he a resident of Brahami, he accidentally found himself is Agios Panteleimonas on 25 May, the day when the fascists were celebrating on the square, as the previous day Golden Dawn supporters had attacked an event with the writer Gasmet Kaplani, where residents, antiracist movements’ members and immigrants had been beaten on the square.
This trial is a part of a whole scheme of prosecutions set up by the neonazis and their supporters in that period, such as the notorious multi-lawsuit against a big list of organisations (among which are Deport Racism movement, local SYRIZA organisations etc) which led to the triumphant acquittal of Savvas Michael and Panagiotis Moutzouris. In the case of Thanasis Kourkoulas, the manufactured prosecutions makes a step forward, as it does not only refer to so-called opinion crimes against the neonazis, but it sets out to “prove” that there is such thing as a direct relationship of members of the massive movement and the left with violence towards fascists. Not taking a stance against the prosecution of Thanasis Kourkoulas, or the recent procecutions of petros Konstantinou and the “Workers’ Solidarity” newspaper, simply means supporting the theory of the two edged which is equating the massive movement with the neonazi crimes. For the same reasons militants from Skouries and workers who are on strike are taken to court or even to prison, antifascists are tortured in Police Hadquarters, immigrants in concentration camps are prosecuted.
For all these reasons, the answer to this prosecution is a matter of every part of the movement or the left, of every progressive person. We ask every union, city council, social institution, movement of resistance and solidarity, the parties and organisations of the left, to take a stance with statements for the acquittal of Thanasis Kourkoulas and invite people to the solidatity demonstration at Evelpidon courts on Monday 16 December at 9 am, in the 4th Single Judge Misdemeanor Court of Athens in Building 9.
“Expel(Deport) Racism” Organization
We demand that antifascist militant Thanasis Kourkoulas be aquitted. No to criminalization of antiracist/antifascist action
On 16th December 2013, Thanasis Kourkoulas, member of “Expel Racism” movement and militant of the antifascist and antiracism movement is to be tried in the 4th Single Judge Misdemeanor Court of Athens, as a result of the provocative and slanderous lawsuit of an extreme rightist who accuses him of “giving orders to a group of men bearing bats”, a group which he claims attacked him in 2009. This trial is a part of a whole scheme of prosecutions set up by the neonazis in the last few years, which aims at intimidating and targeting people and organizations who are giving a fight openly, collectively and in broad daylight in order to bring down the Golden Dawn gang as well as their collaborators in the state mechanisms. We condemn the unprecedented attempt to criminalize the antifascist action and we demand that Thanasis Kourkoulas be acquitted. Those who belong in prison are the neonazis of Golden Dawn, not the antifascist movement militants. Fascism never again!
Étienne Balibar, Professeur émérite de l’Universite de Paris X – Nanterre, France
Pierre Laurent, president of the Eurepean Left Party, France
Liliane Maury Pasquier, Conseillère aux Etats (Senate), PSS (Socialist Party), Switzerland
Ernesto Herrera, editor de Correspondencia de Prensa, Uruguay
Patrick Le Hyaric. Directeur de L’Humanité. Député au parlement Européen (European MP)
Gilbert Achcar, Professor, University of London
Gianni Vattimo, philosopher, Εuropean MP, Italy
Alain Bihr, Professeur émérite de sociologie, Université de Franche-Comté, France
Franco Turigliatto, former senator of Italian Republic, Italy
John McDonnell MP, UK
Raquel Varela,Instituto de História Contemporânea, Honorary Fellow IISH (Amsterdam), Universidade Nova de Lisboa Portugal
Christian Dandres, member of the Cantonal Parliament of Geneva, Switzerland
Alan Maass, Editor, Socialist Worker, USA
Cesla Amarelle, Conseillère nationale (MP), Parti socialiste suisse (PSS), Switzerland
Aldo Zanchetta presidente Fondazione Neno Zanchetta, Italy
Irène Buche, member of the Cantonal Parliament of Geneva, Switzerland
Michel Husson, économiste, Ires, France
Imma Barbarossa, former member of Italian Parliament, Italy
David Landau, Jewish Socialists’ GROUP, Redbridge & Epping Forest Together, UK
Franco Russo, former member of Italian Parliament, Italy
Dirceu Travesso – CSP Conlutas – Secretaria Nacional Executiva – Setorial Internacional – Brazil
Maria Bernasconi, Conseillère nationale (MP), Parti socialiste suisse, Secrétaire générale de l’Association du personnel de la Confédération, Switzerland
Sergio Bellavita, Central Committe of FIOM (Italian Federation of metalworkers), Italy
Dr. Ariela Peralta (in my personal capacity) Member of the Head of National Institution of Human Rights and Ombudsman of Uruguay
Colin Barker, Manchester Metropolitan University, Former chair of Manchester Unite Against Fascism, UK
Giorgio Cremaschi, National Directorate of CGIL, Italy
Karl Grünberg, animateur d’ACOR (Association Contre le Racisme) SOS Racisme, Switzerland
Fred Leplat, Socialist Resistance, London UK
Yves Mugny, national organizer, Swiss Public Employees Federation (SSP-VPOD)
Heloísa Fernandes, sociologist, professor, University of São Paulo, Brasil
Romayne Phoenix, Coalition of Resistance, UK
Marianne Mesnil, professeur honoraire de l’université Libre de Bruxelles
Roland Pfefferkorn, Professeur de sociologie, Directeur de l’Institut de sociologie, Université de Strasbourg France
Christopher Pollmann, professor of public law, Metz Law School, University of Lorraine, France
Florent Schepens, Maître de Conférences, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
Ivana Jinkings, editor, Brazil
Prof. Antonio Moscato, storico, Università del Salento, Italy
Ricardo Antunes, professor, UNICAMP, Brazil
Jaques Aron, author, Belgium
Paul Mackney, Co-Chair, Greece Solidarity Campaign, Former General Secretary, NATFHE UK
Ricardo Festi, Professor, Brazil
Jane Kelly, UCU, London UK
Lucien Bachelard, Sarah Braunschmidt, Maurizio Locciola, Roman Seitenfus and Romolo Molo, lawyers in Geneva, Switzerland
Roger Silverman, National Union of Teachers, Newham, London UK
Piers Mostyn, barrister, London UK
Dr Teresa Hayter, No One Is Illegal, UK
Susannah Mengesha, Traveller Solidarity Network, London, UK
Dave Bangs, Socialist Resistance, UK
Franck Seguy, Sociólogo, Haïti
Dianne Lefevre, Physician/Psychiatrist, UK
Inbar Tamari, Hackney NUT, UK
Stephanie Grant, conference manager, UK
Stuart Brown, Banner Theatre, UK
István Mészáros, Professor, England
David Harvey, Professor, USA
Michael Lowy, professor, France
Plinio Arruda Sampaio, PSOL/Brasil
Ricardo Antunes, Professor/Brasil
Elisio Estanque, Professor/Portugal
Heloísa Fernandes, Professora, Brasil
Paulo Silveira, professor/Brasil
Plinio Arruda Sampaio Jr, Professor, Brasil
Ruy Braga, Professor/Brasil
Caio N. de Toledo- Professor/ Brasil
Ivana Jinkings, Editora, Brasil
Emir Sader, Professor/Brasil
Marcos del Royo, Professor/Brasil
Claudia Mazzei Nogueira, Professora/Brasil
Maria Orlanda Pinassi, Professora/Brasil
Nise Jinkings, Professora/Brasil
Luiz Azevedo, sociólogo, Brasil
Pedro Arantes, Professor/Brasil
Mariana Fix, Professora/Brasil
Antonio Carlos Mazzeo, Professor/Brasil
Luiz Bernardo Pericas, Professor/Brasil
Paulo Barsotti, Professor/Brasil
Gilberto Maringoni, jornalista, Brasil
Bibiana Leme, Editora/Brasil
Angelica Lovato, Professora/Brasil
Anderson Deo, Professor/Brasil
Maria Izabel Lagoa, Brasil
Thaisa Burani, Brasil
Graziela Naclério Forte, pesquisadora/Brasil
Otavio Coelho, Brasil
Kim Doria, Brasil
Livia Campos, Brasil
Thiago Cavalini, Brasil
Alex Sandro Trentino, State General Cordenation of Education´s Professionals Union (SEPE RJ)- Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Gualberto Tinoco (Pitéu), National Executive Board of CSP Conlutas – Brazil and Director of Education´s Professional Union – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Renam Morais, Capital Coordenation of Education´s Professionals Union (SEPE RJ) – Rio de Janeiro Brazil
Suzana Gutierrez, Capital Coordenation of Education´s Professionals Union (SEPE RJ) – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Vera Nepomuceno, Comunication Secretary of Education´s Professional Union – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Vera Guasso, General Secretary, TI Workers Union (Sindppd – RS), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Luis Sá, Treasur Secretary – TI Workers Union (Sindppd – RS) Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil
Fabien Tarrit, Maître de conférences, Université de Reims, France
Pierre Khalfa, coprésident de la Fondation Copernic, France
Armand Creus, Conseiller Régional Rhône-Alpes, France
Arlette Téphany, comédienne, metteur en scène, France
Jean Claude Chailley, Secrétaire général Résistance Sociale, France
Cyrille Mansuy, retraité, France
Marinette Bache, Conseillère de Paris, Présidente de Résistance Sociale, France
Cédric Durand, économiste, Université Paris 13, France
Philippe Légé, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Picardie, France
Guillermo Chalar, biólogo-investigador, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay
Jorge Maiki, odontólogo, Programa Nacional de Salud Bucal, Uruguay
Oscar Andino, dirigente del Sindicato de Gastronómicos y Hoteles, Uruguay
Omar Menoni, dirigente de la Federación de Empleados de la Bebida, Uruguay
Silvia Fernández, licenciada en ciencias sociales, Colegio y Liceo Seminario, Uruguay
Luis Diosi, dirigente del sindicato de funcionarios de la Universidad de la República, Uruguay
Pasquale Voza, professor Bari University, Italy
Andrea Ricci, professor Urbino University, Italy
Patrizia Turchi, psicoterapeuta, Italy
Franco Astengo, Lega delle Autonomie locali, Italy
Fabio Frati, national executif of CUB Trasporti Trade Union, Italy
Jacopo Venier, journalist, director Libera.tv, Italy
Francesco Piccioni, journalist , Italy
Eleonora Forenza, Bari University, Italy
Fabrizio Burattini, National Directorate of CGIL, Italy
Eliana Como, Central Committee of FIOM (Italian Federation of metalworkers), Italy
Emidia Papi, National Executif of USB (Trade Union), Italy
Cosimo Scarinzi, National Secretary of CUB (Trade Union), Italy
Stefano Capello, regional segretary of Piemonte of CUB (Trade Union), Italy
Francesco Pitocco, Prof. Ordinario di Storia Moderna, Univ. La Sapienza (Roma), Italy
António Simões do Paço, Researcher at the Institute for Contemprary History, Lisbon Nova University, Portugal
Bruno Tinel, University of Paris Pantheon Sorbonne, France, Italy
Francesco Gesualdi, Coordinatore del Centro Nuovo Modello di Sviluppo, Pisa, Italy
Sabina Issehnane, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Rennes 2, France
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