Amelie – Anarchist Black Cross Nijmegen https://abcnijmegen.blackblogs.org Still not lovin' prison Fri, 21 Mar 2014 08:52:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.7.1 5E: Letter from Amélie (Mexico) https://abcnijmegen.blackblogs.org/2014/03/21/5e-letter-from-amelie-mexico/ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 08:52:12 +0000 http://abcnijmegen.wordpress.com/?p=1262 Continue reading 5E: Letter from Amélie (Mexico) ]]> February 23, Santa Martha prison, Mexico DF

On the evening of January 5, I was arrested with my comrades Fallon and Carlos for allegedly attacking the office of the Federal Secretary of Communications and Transportation of Mexico, and also a Nissan dealership. Windows were broken and molotov cocktails were thrown inside the ministry, (according to what the evidence says) and inside the new cars of the dealership. Damages are evaluated to more than 70 000 pesos at the ministry and 100 000 pesos at Nissan.

Indeed, I’m an anarchist and live in Montreal, Canada. I was traveling in Mexico, and now my trip is being prolonged some time.

After being arrested, they locked us up for 96 hours, and then transfered us at the Federal Centre of Arraigo – without prior having seen a judge. We were held captive for 40 days. In a cell, 23 hours per day, a cigarette a day, smoked in 10 minutes; 3 meals per day, but with only 10 minutes to eat each time, without talking; not allowed to have a pencil; 9 minutes of phone per day… In short, it was a long wait, and there was nothing more than Mexican “telenovelas” playing on tv all day. Luckily our friends sent us some books! Thanks, I don’t know how I could have survived without.

On day 40, the General Prosecutor of the Republic (PGR – federal) transfered our files to the PGJ (state police) because they have no evidence to charge us of a federal crime. Thus, since February 17, Fallon and I are at “Santa Martha” State penitentiary for women in Mexico City, where we were transfered, and Carlos is at “Oriente” State penitentiary for men 20 minutes from us. Here, it’s a micro-society surrounded by cement and barbed-wire, but where you can do as you wish inside.

At the moment of writing this text, its 7:30 am. I’m in the yard and I’m looking at the sun rising behind the watchtower occupying the scenery. Actually, I almost feel like I’m in the yard of an apartment block when i look at the building with clothes hanging from windows without bars. There’s plenty of pigeons, garbagecans, yellowed grass, and barbed-wire. There’s also plenty of people with their own stories.

Prisons are necessary for maintaining social peace, as are cops. It is the domination and control that permits this sickening world to persist. Prison means fear, the unknown, shame, solitude, isolation. Society is the domestication of individuals into “good citizens”. Thus, my strength as individual takes root in the refusal of fear being a limit in my life. For sure I’m afraid, like everyone, of many things, but my desires of freedom are stronger. Fear is often constructed, and is deconstructed when we face it. What’s important is to see further, beyond the boundaries and borders, beyond the walls, mountains, rivers and oceans.

I don’t know how long I’m here for, but i don’t feel sorry for myself. I’m confident that outside the struggle goes on, and people meet, love each other, hate each other, live, dammit. In fact I’m not comfortable with people focusing on our case without engaging their own struggles in their own contexts. I believe that the best solidarity is built in the sharing of individual and collective strengths. The worst thing for me would be that nothing goes on outside while were held captive, but I know my friends continue despite the difficulties we must face. My reality as an anarchist in prison is a fact among others with which we have to adapt. The most difficult is often to maintain and protect bonds of trust with comrades whom we have affinity with, for long term thinking. When it is possible, unimaginable possibilities emerge.

In that sense, my ideas and analyses remain the same as outside. That’s why I don’t feel like changing my discourse to get peoples support. I greatly appreciate the efforts of solidarity that have been done till now, although, I distance myself from certain initiatives that have been taken in solidarity with us. In Montreal: during a demo that took place in front of the Mexican consulate, the speech denounced torture and human rights violations by the Mexican State. The UN was mentioned in a reformist and progressive tone. Honestly, I appreciate that many people feel concerned with our case, but I refuse to use that illusory reformist discourse. As I see it, injustice, torture and human rights violations are integral parts of the world as it is. Rights are regulated by the State and are suspended at any moment as needed. Furthermore, it promotes democratic ideology (rights for citizens), the biggest of illusions. And most of all, to support our ideas with references to instances of power like the UN cannot build a strong anti-authoritarian struggle. It’s not by trying to influence public opinion with reformist discourse that we will build strong foundations for an struggle impossible to recuperate.

I must say I honestly have nothing to do with student and worker unions, and that even in the “syndicalisme de combat” [transl. combat unionism] very fashionable back home, in Montreal. Those organizations are formal and bureaucratic. They reproduce “direct democracy”. Those are the same structures I want to destroy, which impose distance between individuals, and the way they relate to the world and to the living. Formality, bureaucracy, law, and institutionalization transform the relationship between people. They immobilize the constant possibilities of transformation, exactly as political parties do. They try to organize and lead the “formless masses”

Therefore, there is an obvious contradiction: we’ve received support from student associations in Quebec. For my part, I have no problems with accepting money which will without doubt help us out of prison. But I must say that these organizations have nothing revolutionary about them. They’re rotten to the core. They’re based on Maoist organizational structures and are totally formal, with their politicians procedural code. This language is incomprehensible. Charismatic speakers manipulate the votes of the masses by expressing what the majority wants to hear rather than speaking from the heart. Crowds of 100 000 people march like zombies, sing and repeat the same reformist slogans and then return home, to their daily routine.

In the situation in which I find myself, waiting for my sentence or my release, to express openly that I am an anarchist can put me in a precarious situation. I chose to do so anyway. Many times, I felt the need to communicate with other anarchists who have experienced similar situations. When confronting State repression, there are several ways to react. I think that using a moderate discourse provides privileges, such as getting out of jail faster, obtaining financing or social acceptance. But I think as long as the words and deeds will be moderate, it will be difficult to spread insurrectional and anti-authoritarian practices. That is why it is important to communicate my ideas openly and knowingly.

I do not know how long I will be locked up here, but one thing is certain: it will not be for a lifetime. I am fortunate to have great friends and comrades in struggles, and I do not feel alone. The strength and courage are found first in oneself. There is a universe of possibilities, here as elsewhere. All forms of domination are to be fought, those that create the structures and institutions as much as those who interfere in our relationships. There is no heaven or perfect world. Freedom is the permanent movement and conflict, in confrontation with the world of images, symbols and appearances. Freedom is the destruction of the structures of domination over our lives. In Mexico, Montreal, France, Vancouver, United States, Spain, Greece, Chile, Egypt, Belgium, Italy, Germany, England, Holland, I greet my friends and comrades of struggle. For total freedom, I wish for links to be forged in the struggle.

In solidarity with Carlos “Chivo” and Fallon

With love, down with all the prison walls

Amélie

To write to Amélie and Fallon:

Centro Feminil de Reinsercion social Santa Martha Acatilla
Amélie Trudeau / Fallon Rouiller
Calzada Ermita
Iztapalapa No 4037
Colonia Santa Martha Acatitla
Delagation Iztalpalapa
C.P. 09560
Mexico

]]>
Letter from Carlos López, anarchist comrade detained in Mexico https://abcnijmegen.blackblogs.org/2014/01/21/letter-from-carlos-lopez-anarchist-comrade-detained-in-mexico/ Tue, 21 Jan 2014 11:14:59 +0000 http://abcnijmegen.wordpress.com/?p=1214 Continue reading Letter from Carlos López, anarchist comrade detained in Mexico ]]> buenaFrom: Media co-op

With lot’s of energy and rage I write these brief lines to tell you about the conditions of my kidnapping by the government of Mexico City, but also to ramble about some topics that interest me at the moment.

Mi political situation has not yet been decided, and for obvious reasons I can’t go into details as to not screw up my legal defense. The night of the 5th of January, our comrades Fallon and Amelie and myself were detained by members of the police for being the alleged perpetrators of molotov cocktail attacks against the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation, and for the fires of several cars of a NISSAN dealership.

Until today, wednesday, January 8th, we are being accused of terrorism and organized delinquency and destruction of private property.

We are we fine, strong and united and have reached the third day of detention between questions, attempts at scaring us, and elaborate ploys. Like the curious case of the fake human rights group, who once were alone with me, told me that they had been sent by a comrade and told me her name and physical attributes. I initially believed them and I began to chat with one of them who seemed very interested in the case. But it’s easy to identify the methods used by a porker (apologies to the pigs) and I immediately knew he was a cop.

With his supposed intention to defend us, he showed me several photos that pictured me and some friends, and in a friendly fashion he asked me for names and places and I immediately thought “How can a cop try to act like a comrade, when in his heart there is no dignity?” Well, in their training they are domesticated like hunting dogs at the service of their master, without questioning, they only act and don’t feel, giving them one single way to drool and a gleam of malicious harassment their eyes.

On the personal side of things I am an insurrectionary anarchist, what I mean by this is, the rupture with all forms of domination through daily struggle, thinking and re-thinking methods and objectives, using as a point of departure the will of the individual and the organization of social relations in a horizontal fashion, capable of deciding our own lives, starting with the with the destruction of our own mental paradigms that tie us to obedience and submission, to transcend into conflictuality in a permanent and informal manner.

I know that anarchist solidarity is strong like an oak tree, and that always goes farther than simple words

Solidarity with Gustavo Rodríguez, Mario González, Amelie Pelletier, Fallon Poisson, Gabriel Pombo. Felicity Ryder and all the comrades who face deportation, who are fugitives or in prison.

Carlos López “El Chivo”
Attorney General of the Republic’s detention centre, Camarones, Mexico City

sin-tc3adtulo1

]]>
Mexico City – 5E3 Solidarity Campaign: Anarchists Amelie Pillierst, Carlos López Martin and Fallon Poisson kidnapped on January 5th and detained without bail https://abcnijmegen.blackblogs.org/2014/01/16/mexico-city-5e3-solidarity-campaign-anarchists-amelie-pillierst-carlos-lopez-martin-and-fallon-poisson-kidnapped-on-january-5th-and-detained-without-bail/ Thu, 16 Jan 2014 15:02:15 +0000 http://abcnijmegen.wordpress.com/?p=1203 Continue reading Mexico City – 5E3 Solidarity Campaign: Anarchists Amelie Pillierst, Carlos López Martin and Fallon Poisson kidnapped on January 5th and detained without bail ]]> From: fuegoalascarcelessolidaridad-818x1024

On the night of January 5th, Carlos – a comrade from Mexico, and Amelie and Fallon – two comrades from Canada, were arrested in relation to a Molotov attack on the Ministry of Communication and Transportation and a Nissan dealership in Mexico City. The three have since been held in detention and have limited contact with anyone, including their lawyer, and Amelie and Fallon have also been visited by the Canadian mconsulate.

Though they were initially accused of property destruction, the three may now face additional charges of sabotage, organized crime, and terrorism. If these charges are brought forward, bail will not be possible and deportation for the two from Canada is highly unlikely. All three would
then be held until trial without the possibility of release. Due to the possibility of their charges falling under the anti-terrorism law, there is a 48-hour extension to how long the comrades can be held by the Mexican Central Investigative Agency before their charges must be finalized – this extension has already been granted, and can be renewed several times.

These charges come at a time of intense crackdown by the Mexican state on anarchists; from attacks on demonstrations, torture of arrested comrades – including the torture and deportation of Gustavo Rodriguez, and barring the entry of Alfredo Bonanno. The state is now attempting to spin a narrative of foreigners coming in and causing disruption, thus ignoring and even erasing the rich history of anarchist struggle against the state in Mexico. Over the past few years in Mexico City, an insurrectionary manarchist struggle has intensified. Bombings of banks and churches, among other institutions of domination, have taken place frequently, and solidarity with insurrectionary anarchists in Mexico and worldwide has
been central to these actions. We must recognize that the repression and penalization that comrades are facing now occurs in this context.

Regardless of the guilt or innocence of these specific comrades, we want to express solidarity, complicity, and a strong desire to see attacks on the state and capital continue and spread. In reality, the Canadians causing disruption in Mexico are the mining companies and military
technologies; the same ones that exploit unceded Indigenous land in Canada and elsewhere around the world. Given that capitalist exploitation and misery knows no borders, the struggle against capitalism and the state apparatus must not stop at national borders. Our strength lies in our capacity to recognize the commonalities of our struggles so that they may
spread, and to act in solidarity so that the struggles of our incarcerated comrades may continue.

We write this statement to express our deep solidarity with and love for our friends and comrades – Carlos, Amelie and Fallon. Although we are writing from a different context, it is critical that our solidarity is also with the struggle in which this action occurred. Our friends and comrades facing these charges are experiencing the intensity of repression. Our solidarity must meet that intensity with respect for where they stand, admiration for their strength, and a continuation of the struggle in Canada, Mexico, and globally.

Love and freedom to the 5e three*,
Prisoners to the streets,
For freedom and anarchy,

– -Friends in struggle

For more update´s on the 5E3 Campaign, check: https://fuegoalascarceles.wordpress.com/in-english-information/

]]>