December 2008, three years later: demonstration in Nicosia

Rage becomes determination, determination becomes conscience

6 December 2008, night, Exarcheia, Athens. A cop named Korkoneas murders Alexandros Gregoropoulos. The following days, Greece lived the most violent insurrection it has seen in decades – an insurrection that was not only an answer to Alexis’ murder, but became a response to everyday oppression and misery. Universities and other buildings are squatted, marches, clashes, and expropriations take place, and large social groups rise up and attack.

3 years later and nothing seems to have changed. But is that true? In Greece, the December insurrection left a legacy of self-organization, such as the squats that appeared, or various projects such as the self-organized parks and the neighborhood assemblies that actively demonstrate a non-hierarchical social organization. The riots marked the start of a new international era, where authority becomes more aggressive, and resistance grows – everywhere. Half of Europe’s states have launched an attack against society with “austerity measures,” but in every corner, those who choose to resist the harsh future in store for us continue to multiply in numbers. From the strikes in Greece, to the student struggles in Chile going on for many months now, from the student struggles and the revolt of the marginalized youths in London, to the occupy movements springing up everywhere, from the social struggles in France, to the self-organized general strike in Oakland USA, from the revolts in the Arab world, to the occupation of Wall St. at the heart of capitalism.

In Cyprus however? Things don’t look that good… A rapid growth of nationalism on an island with a tradition in the far right, the various “aganaktismenoi” (who in combination with the economic measures are a part of the capital’s attack upon society) playing political games with AKEL, we see the already dead left dragging its corpse around, a strengthened right, the church and its hysterical nationalism, as well as the political role it is trying to play. The struggle for a free society sadly seems non-existent. But why? Is it because the authoritarian views that consider us expendable, the same logic by which Alexis was murdered, don’t appear here? Is the complete depreciation of human life not evident? The system kills us every day, with the oppression and the exploitation it imposes upon us: in the streets, in workplaces, at school, in the army… everywhere. We’ve said it all before, about the events at Mari. The system is a murderer: not only at some “unfortunate moments” or “isolated incidents,” but daily, constantly. Do the signs of the generalized working dark ages that are coming not appear here? The answer is in the thousands of working accidents, the rising unemployment, and the austerity measures. As students and future workers we must make a stand, now that the working class finds itself subjugated to bosses, to keep the collective memory alive, that of class struggles and what they have earned (many rights were taken for granted, such as the 8 hour working day… not anymore!) without asking for better slaughterhouse conditions, always keeping true to the vision of freedom. We must understand the crisis as a social phenomenon, when class antagonism and the class struggle escalate. Rage then, not for a “bad cop” or some “wrong decisions”. Conscious rage, against authority and the perceptions it is based on.

So, it’s time for us to be heard. Time to push forward dignity and resistance. Time to take the struggle into our own hands, away from any kind of guidance and leadership. Time to fight, for a society of equality, freedom and solidarity, to destroy, at last, the chains of authority and barbarity.

Our turn to speak!
Demonstration, Friday 2/12 19:30 Eleftherias Square
Skapoula student group / www.skapoula.espivblogs.net