Catalonia: 6 Activists Face Up to 7 Years in Prison for Tower 66 Anti-MAT Resistance

from The Free Online

On February 27, the trial begins of six demonstrators who fought against the placement of Tower 66 of the very high voltage line in Fellines, for whom the Prosecutor’s Office, Red Eléctrica Española and the Catalan Government request between 2 and 8 years in prison.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bH4JOrJTb4&w=560&h=315]

WHAT IS THE M.A.T.?

The very high tension line (‘Muy Alta Tensión’ – M.A.T.) is an electrical motorway which transports at least 400,000 volts. It was constructed in order to connect European States to each other and also Europe with Africa. It is necessary in order to sell and distribute excess energy produced by nuclear power plants and buy and sell excess fossil fuel energy.

At the same time, it is the network which capitalism needs in order to supply the electricity necessary for other projects and infrastructures of death and destruction, such as high-speed railway lines [TAV]. Those responsible for all this are always the same ones and the construction companies in question are directly involved in other projects which are destroying lands around the world; companies like Vinci standing out in Europe and Endesa in South America.

The renewed resistance to the MAT in Feb 2018 comes during a general mobilisation in Girona for the Catalan Republic and the release of Political Prisoners. There are demands for the demoilition of the underused MAT line and for the cancelation of rthe upcomong MIDCAT /STEP gas pipeline, a useless EU funded infrastructure due to plough through Girona. see https://www.facebook.com/NoMesGasBCN/

part one: 7 activists just got 1 year suspended and 544 euros fine each for the 5 month tree occupation in mid winter 2013/14

544 euros of fine for the 7 anti-MAT activists who were arrested at the eviction of the forest occupations in Sant Hilari Sacalm.

The sentence condemns them for ”coercion and serious disobedience to the authority”, but fortunately exempts them from indemnifying Red Eléctrica with 41,000 euros! The Criminal Court Number 5 of Girona imposed the fines on each of the seven anti-MAT activists who spent a frigid winter in the trees to avoid the construction of the Very High Tension line. In addition, the ruling also emphasized that the police had to avoid traps (such as ditches dug out of the ground) and climb the trees to clear out the activists. Part 2: Upcoming Trial of 6 who face up to 8 yrs each for Tower 66 Resistance

Tower 66 was to be erected just 15 meters from a farmhouse in the village of Fellines (municipality of Viladasens, Gironès). Tower 66 became a symbol of resistance. The events took place on the morning of January 8, 2014 – four years ago – when the head of the Mossos (ex Catalan Police) del Gironès police station and those responsible for the Grupo de Arquitectura y Obra Civil SLU company, subcontracted by REE- arrived at the site. To the surprise of the policemen, when they removed the offending camper van they found a car had been buried deep underground, where one of the neighbors resisted with his arm buried in a cement structure. They couldn’t get him out. When the police tried to rip the car out with a digger it was clear they would kill the occupying activist. At this point physical resistance began. The resistance was prolonged throughout the day, with the arrival of dozens of solidarity activists and numerous police officers, some of whom were transferred from Barcelona . Riot Police charges and clashes took place. In one of these attacks, the undersigned MCM chief of riot police of Girona- acted brutally and, according to the report presented by the affected, broke his arm when he was trying to protect himself from a blow in his head . That is why this police agent will also sit on the bench of the accused on February 27. On February 27 and 28 and on March 1 and 2, 2018 the Judgment against the person who resisted the police action from the inside of a buried vehicle will be held at the Girona Court along with five other people identified in the demonstrations that took place on the police perimeter. The private police prosecution asks for a penalty of five years and six months in prison for the crimes of aggravated injuries and torture, and compensation of 7,000 euros for the 120 days that were taken to cure the wounds and the subsequent sequels of pain and mobility. The Prosecutor’s Office asks for acquittal of the four police officers who participated in the charges asserting that they suffered injuries from stones or objects thrown by the protesters, and demands compensation ranging between 245 and 1,375 euros. The bulk of the three-way criminal accusation is concentrated against the activists. The Prosecutor’s Office requests penalties of between 2 and 7 years in prison, for crimes of public disorder, attack, attack with dangerous instrument, threats and damages, and for faults of injuries. The Generalitat de Catalunya puts the accusation in penalties of between two and five years with four months. And Red Eléctrica Española still increases it more, with between three years and three months and the eight years and six months. In all cases with penalties, civil liabilities and associated compensation, which in case of non-payment could further increase the prison sentences. The lawyer, Benet Salellas, the CUP president, has the defense of two of the environmental activists (together with Mireia Bazaga and Montserrat Vinyets), points out that “with MAT issues, the Generalitat continues to have a favorable position for the interests of large electric companies and no empathy with the people who defend the territory, aligning themselves with a punitive thesis and punishers of the right to protest.” Demonstr ation on February 24th. It should be remembered that the fight against the MAT has had the support of hundreds of entities and town councils throughout the current decade, with the important milestone of a demonstration in Girona that brought together about 15,000 people. That is why the T66 campaign of very high tension wants to resume the mobilizations in the days before the trial. In a statement and a video made public today, they regret that “it has been months since the political repression against society, but for years now it has struck the ecological, social and dissident movements.”

They describe the facts that will be considered as “a disproportionate and aggressive police device, which through all its brutality and the omission of the security of the presents caused bruises, broken arms and death danger for the buried person.” Finally, they call for participation in the unitary demonstration that will take place at 5 pm on the afternoon of February 24 in Girona – three days before the trial begins – to “demand the acquittal of the six accused and the dismantling of the MAT “. The trial of the case of the Tower 66 will be the last in relation to the previous opposition to the electrical infrastructure.