If the streets of here could speak,
they would tell about discussions, accompanied by the blue smoke of tobacco, and sit in a plastic chair with slippers.
If the streets of here could speak,
then they would tell the story of struggling projects with your voice, of self-organization and the breadth of a movement
before, during and after the “war against the virus” set out to shape life in the metropolises.
If the streets of here could speak,
then they would tell of how you took the Phoenicurus ochruros into your hands and how you united to defend this place with all your heart and both hands.
If the trees of here could speak,
then they would tell of how their leaves shone in the lurking light of the garden, while, with the love on your shoulders, in or alongside the beat of the driving music,
you called into the evening sky
If the trees of here could speak,
then they would tell of everyday life, of the enjoyment of coffee, a late night meal, and of the many doors, connecting the spaces of community with the ones of a quiet moment.
If the trees of here could speak,
then they would tell of how you took the fire extinguisher firmly in your hands with trembling hands, perhaps, but courageously.
In the courtyard – do you remember?
October 31 marks one year since the day in 2024 when our friend and comrade Kyriakos Xymitiris lost his life in the afternoon in an apartment on Arkadias Street, Athens. He died as an anarchist revolutionary, who chose armed struggle, when a bomb in his hands exploded.
In France, the clashes between police and demonstrators that erupted in the French capital and many other cities during the strike against the austerity policies proposed by the administration of Emmanuel Macron, continue. After the appeal of the trade unions for a day of demonstrations against budget cuts, over a million workers took to the streets in the greatest mobilization since last year’s battle against the reform of the pension system.
Last week in Manila, capital of the Philippines, clashes between protesters and police broke out when thousands of people took to the streets to protest about one of the most serious corruption scandals in the country in recent years. The rage followed complaints of extensive corruption, the pillaging of the economy and bribes to politicians concerning government infrastructure projects to combat flooding, worth many billions of dollars, which were accompanied by huge scams, greed and political favoritism. The media reported the arrest of over 100 people and the injury of dozens of police officers, while on the internet there were numerous videos showing the violent actions of the police against the protesters.
