Solidarity to ZAD

LET’S DEFEND THE COMMUNES OF THE PRESENT

The liberated ground of ZAD Notre-dame-des-landes is an historical symbol of struggle. Fifty years ago, the construction of a second airport in the region of Nantes is decided, delegating the territory to the financial interests of multinational companies. This decision involves the expels from lands and houses as well as deep ecological damages, likely vanishing of the natural ground. The first reactions to cancel this project emerges from the local committees of farmers and syndicates. In the next years, eco-warriors, militants, activists, travelers, migrants will join the battle against the destruction of the lands, will occupied this zone, and declare it a ‘Zone A Defendre’. The decision to defend combatively the place was the term for a liberated ground to exist. In this fertile soil, libertarian forms of life and organization bloomed, a real shelter that was covering all the needs of the oppressed ones. The characteristic of openness that the struggle communities of ZAD had,  managed to create a local and a worldwide network of solidarity and resistance. The world of communalism and struggle manage to sabotage the capitalist interest. Their victory though didn’t mean that the state will give up lands to the movement.  Despite its declaration on 17th of January to definitely canceled the project, the state attacks once again.

Monday 9th of April. In the early hours of the morning, an armada of blinded vehicles, destructive engines, jeeps and riots buses  with 2500 cops followed by fire trucks and ambulances is preparing for a dismantling operation. In a moment, the whole artillery of the state machine is sieging the fields and woods of Notre-dame-des-landes, and invades in the occupied ground of the ZAD.  Cops are hunting the inhabitants, evict them from their houses, proceeding to control and arrests, launching a chemical war against those who resist. The crime is finalized when the machines are demolishing the houses and the communal structures, erasing any evidence of social life from the map. The squatters and solidarians are putting barricades on fire, fighting with stones, slingshots and molotovs, engaging their bodies as the last mean to avoid a total eradication of the communal places, agricultural and other vital projects.

ZAD Nddl is not the only occupied ground in France under repression. At the last February, a similar military operation occurred in the forest close to Bure, where a struggle against the imposing of nuclear waste factory is taking place. The invasion and destruction of the squats followed by interrogations, seizures and arrests ended up with hard and revengeful sentences like house enclosure, interdiction to circulate on a whole part of the territory or even imprisonment. In the defense of occupied territories, activists and militants have been assassinated from the state.   A student, Remi Fraisse died at the battlefield from a flashbang grenade at October 2014 in the Defense Zone ‘ZAD de Testet’ against the creation of a dam.

From France to Greece, the movement of squats and occupied grounds is under a severe attack, either under socialist or liberal government. From the time when Syriza -the so-called radical left- got elected, we have already faced an increasing number of evacuations. Albatros, Hurriya, then Alkiviadou and Villa Zografou. The squats of Termita and Orfanotrofio got demolished ad loc. The last wave of evacuation targeting Gare, Matrozou 45 and  Zaimi 11 was successfully confronted with the reoccupation of the three buildings. All around Europe, upgraded sectors of police are getting involved in the squat issue, using anti-terrorist methods like collecting digital material, fingerprints and DNA with the purpose to create file cases able to eliminate militants. The state aggression is getting completed by the upgraded attacks from Neo-Nazi organizations creating a constant condition of siege and pressure to the squats.

Τhe movement’s occupied places exist as liberated grounds of the struggle. We have to defend them with any means required by the situation. In order to stand strong in this war, we have to stand united, co-organized, build local and international networks of solidarity, communicating by horizontal processes, respecting the autonomy of each project. State forces are trying to control every piece of land. Capitalism devours and colonizes this land, along with it also us, our relationships and our everyday life.

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Communities of struggle and the solidarity among them are barricades against this tyranny.

SOLIDARITY GATHERING FOR ZAD NDDL

AT THE FRENCH EMBASSY

TUESDAY, 17 OF APRIL 18:00

SELF-DEFENCE STRUCTURE OF SQUATS AND MIGRANTS’ PROJECTS