Von: Theodoros Karyotis [mailto:tkaryotis@gmail.com]
Gesendet: Freitag, 1. November 2013 18:39
Dear friends,
As you might know, we are currently experiencing a situation of emergency in the anti-mining struggle in Skouries, Chalkidiki, Greece .
While the anti-mining movement is turning into a mass popular movement, while the disastrous effects of this mine promoted by Canadian and local interests are becoming evident, the government has started a brutal campaign of criminalization and defamation, threatening anyone who speaks or acts against the mine with severe jail sentences, against any notion of human rights and despite the Greek constitution.
According to its theory of the „two extremes“, the Greek government tries to equate the popular movements fighting neoliberal plunder and destruction with the Nazi criminal murderers of Golden Dawn, who until recently the state has been protecting, and who act in collusion with the armed forces.
To this end, the government deploys a massive operation of prosecutions in Chalkidiki and Thessaloniki. With non-existent evidence and comic accusations, the state prosecutes 210 people involved in the struggle, and accuses many of them of forming a hierarchical and militarized „criminal organization „. Little do they understand that our struggle is a peaceful grassroots struggle of brotherhood, solidarity, equality.
But this campaign of defamation and criminalization is proving difficult for the Greek government. The accusations against the activists have been deconstructed by the mass media, and the public opinion is not easily convinced that the hundreds of thousands of members of the anti-mining movement are common criminals.
We are not scared! On Saturday November 9 we organize a massive demonstration in Thessaloniki.
We also invite all of you to show your solidarity by any means available. Those who have capacity for mobilization could perhaps organize a peaceful protest in front of the Greek or Canadian Embassy of their city or some other public place. Those who do not, could perhaps organize an event in their spaces, among the members of their collectives, maybe take some pictures of banners with the slogans of the struggle.
Because the fight for dignity has no frontiers!
Please forward this message!
- If you organize any events, please let us know in advance so we add it to the struggle calendar!
- Send us photos of any events to show the people and upload on the web!
- Those of you who use twitter use the hashtag #saveskouries
- Send in your solidarity messages to read during the march and post online!
in solidarity,
Teo
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WE WANT THE FORESTS, THE LAND AND THE WATER, AND NOT A TOMB MADE OF GOLD
PS1: Follow me on twitter.com/TebeoTeo
PS2: Here are some great articles providing the background:
Gold and Democracy Don’t Mix – Eldorado Gold Faces Determined Opposition in Greece
Mining interests trump local democracy in Greece
And on the recent criminalization campaign:
Media interviews used in investigation of anti-mining activists
PS3: Find annexed below the joint appeal of the struggle committees. Feel free to republish it on your blogs and sites, or post this link on the social media:
For French, Spanish, German and many more languages see the site.
International call for solidarity with the struggle against gold mining in Halkidiki
We, the people of the movement against the destructive extractions in Halkidiki, turn once again to you, our fellow citizens, fellow fighters, fellow people.
A crime is taking place in Greece these days. With the pretext of the financial crisis, the environment, human rights, human dignity, democracy, freedom of speech and the quality of life are all being sacrificed on the altar of business interests, political ambitions and a neoliberal capitalism, which shows its most inhuman face in Greece.
In Halkidiki, we have been witnessing for a long time the policy of “national salvation at any cost”. At the cost of human lives, of human rights and of the natural environment.
Large scale extracting activities have been planned in our land, which are threatening to destroy a forest of incredible beauty and ecological value. They are threatening to contaminate the aquifer, the air, the ground and the sea. They are threatening our productive activities. They sentence and mortgage the future of our children.
The social movement of protest and resistance to those destructive plans has suffered terrible state repression, police violence, prosecutions, imprisonments, defamation, muzzling and criminalization. And yet we hold on. We continue to fiercely claim our right to live and to dream.
Our strength is the love for our land, our natural and cultural space. Our strength is our unity in a common struggle for life. Our strength is solidarity.
On the 9th of November we will meet in Thessaloniki for a rally of protest, struggle and solidarity.
We call on you to stand by our side, on the same day, and to meet at your own gathering places in a joint action of solidarity.
Only united and in solidarity we can fight for a dignified present and a better future.
STRUGGLE COMMITTEES OF HALKIDIKI AND THESSALONIKI
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