New antiterrorist investigations in France – death of a comrade, serious injury of another

With every passing day, a new article about the recent death of a comrade in France appears in the bourgeois press. The story uncoils piece by piece. We will keep on following the events, therefore keep an eye on our website, as soon as any updates are available, they will be published there. For the ones, who speak French, are not in prison and have access to Internet, we recommend the website for the anarchist publication “Cette Semaine”, www.cettesemaine.free.fr (which is always worth reading). These words were written around the 15th of May.

We have tried to write down these few thoughts but we find it extremely difficult to express our feelings by words. However, we try it, especially since these facts have not yet been made public.

At the beginning of May, we had to read sad news on a few French websites. During the night of the 1st of May, one comrade, Zoe, 24 years old, died in unclear circumstances while she was handling nitrium chlorate (a substance which can be adopted in order to build explosive devices or smokebombs – depending on how it is mixed).
Her friend, Mickäel, suffered serious injuries and is now in an artificial coma in the intensive care department of Lyon Hospital, where he was brought by a helicopter.
What will happen to him, in the case that he might wake again, is still unclear.
The cops are already waiting without patience in the hospital and the vultures of the press are working to construct the figures of two “terrorists, who probably belong to the anarcho-autonomous movement”.

At the time of the incident, both comrades were in an abandoned factory in Cognin, which lies in the surroundings of Chambery. They have been described by the press as “persons close to the libertarian milieu”. As we had to read on the newspapers, Mickäel has been active in Switzerland and was living in the squat “La Tour” in Geneva until its eviction in 2007. Zoe has also a history linked to squatting. Regarding Zoe, the authorities complain that “(they) did not find anything but her participation in a few political demonstrations”. On monday the 4th of May, their living environment, the squat “Les Pilots” in Chambery (a city close to Grenoble) was raided by 130 cops, antiterrorist units among them, with a brief to “find any kind of evidence”.
The eleven people who found themselves in the squat at this moment have been interrogated.
One of them, Raphael, was brought for a longer time to the police station. In fact, one can be kept up to 144 hours (six days) under the anti-terror law. Finally, he was transfered to prison after his interrogation by the judge responsible. As per usual, the investigations are now centered around “membership in an association of wrongdoers in contact with a terrorist association” and “destruction of documents or objects which could have a link to crimes or offences”.
Raphael is accused of destroying a few documents related to the explosion in Cognin. Moreover, they suggest the squat “Les Pilots” should get evicted, in order to restore the order in the city. Since then two other squats have been raided and more people have been interrogated.
A quote from a communique’ of the squat “Les Pilots”:”(…) There is a big chance for this event to be utilised by the State, in order to build further the “inner enemy”, the new “anarcho-autonomous cell”, now so fashionable and a psychosis en vogue. This will lead to the application of new security measures, especially now in regards to the upcoming European elections (…).
Also for us, this story is not yet finished. Indeed, we are waiting for the next GAV ((“Gard a vue”, when one is arrested and awaits to see the judge to confirm or not the pretrial detention, can be up to 144 hours), we do not know yet what they look for and what point they are ready to go.
It has been said, that they would look as well for an “older man” who is suspected to have been there on that night in Cognin. (…).”
The magistrate who has the investigation in her hands is partly involved in the investigations against the so called “Tarnac 9”.
Raphael has been transferred to the prison of Paris “La Sante” after he came before the judge.
He sits now in the same wing as Julien Coupat, the last prisoner of the “Tarnac 9”.
In Chambery, a support committee has been called together for Raphael and a solidarity demonstration for him took place with the participation of 200 people.

Up until this point these are the facts we are aware of.

In general, it remains quite difficult to understand what is going on in France, since there have not been yet any texts translated into other languages and it seems a certain “dormancy” surrounds the events.
We got the largest part of our information from the bourgeois press, a thing we do not really like, since to us the words of our comrades are clearly much more trustful.
Above all, we would wish to read more communiques which take a stand on the death of a comrade and the serious injuries of another. In fact, most of the texts published which we have been able to read (clearly this does not mean that we read them all) declare “we are not terrorists” (a quote from the “Les Pilots” squat) and concentrate on the attempted criminalization of other comrades by the State and its anti-terror troops. Certainly, we also declare the latter. It is important and necessary.
In fact, we do know who the real terrorists are and where they sit in all commodity: police stations, tribunals, parliaments and so on.

We find it quite sad the fact that we have been able to find only a few words spent on both comrades. Perhaps there remains little time to concentrate on them, especially when the State wraps those with any links to the two comrades immediately in repression. Surely, their closer comrades must be in a state beyond “shock” and we can understand when they do not feel like speaking a word in the public.

But what is with all the others? We are quite shocked by the death of a comrade and the serious injuries to another, and we do not want to stay in silence before this…
Here, from the distance, we find ourselves in a rather “privileged” position.
Therefore, with these words we do not aim to “condemn” the behavior of the comrades there.
In fact, as we have already said, we know so little about the situation, that we feel we can say very little about it, besides expressing some of the emotional impressions produced by such an event.

Also, what one should not forget here, is that through a poor flux of information stemming directly from the “scene”, which would involve the usage of the existing autonomous medias, one makes the spreading of information and ideas the responsibility of the bourgeois medias.
Such a monopoly will always be used in a way which will put us under a bad and defamatory light, certain information will be left on the side and false information filled in, in order to paint certain images before the populace. Therefore it is necessary to use our own medias so that we, as comrades, are not forced to be dependent on the bourgeois press.

Do we know the comrades?
Probably not, but that is not the question here. Surely, it could be that we have met somewhere on the barricades in Europe during the years, or simply while eating at a popular kitchen at some no border camp, who knows. For us is of even less interest to know what both of them did that night and what they were planning. In fact, our solidarity or sorrow will not change in regards to this.
Like in the same way our bond with people who struggle against State and Capital will not change.
We hope that people will not let themselves be frightened by the difficulty of the events and that we will be able to organise together the support for the other comrade, who lies right now in hospital, in the hands of the cops, and also to effectively fight back any act of repression which could take place any time soon.
Clearly, the authorities will not loose such an event from their field of vision and will keep on trying to push us into a “defensive” position by new investigations.

Let us show them, that our revolt is unstoppable and that we are able to organise a new attack against the existent, despite being pushed in a defensive position. As we have often done in the past.

The best way to mourn Zoe and support Mickäel remain the furthering of the struggle against the present conditions. We are not able to write down more, since one can not really express the sadness of the event by words or combatant slogans.

Raphaels adress:
Raphaël SERRES numéro d’écrou : 290890 Maison d’arrêt de la Santé 42 rue de la Santé – 75014 Paris

french website: www.lesinculpes.over-blog.com

In mourning for Zoe,
Our thoughts are with Mickäel and all those who mourn with us,
Solidarity to Raphael
Solidarity to all prisoners

ABC Berlin