Corona or Not – We Won’t Abandon You!

March 18th is a day of struggle for the release of all political prisoners and continues the tradition of the workers’ movement.

March 18th, 1848 stands for the struggles of the newly formed proletariat against the old rulers and also the newly formed bourgeoisie. On March 18th, 1871, the National Guard seized power in Paris, heralding the beginning of the Paris Commune.

Also, on March 18th, 2020, there are good reasons to celebrate this day in spite of and especially because of the worldwide “Corona crisis”. Political prisoners are still imprisoned in the prisons of the imperialist FRG (Federal Republic of Germany). The migrant left is hit hardest by the constant repression. Dozens of revolutionaries and leftists with roots in Turkey and Kurdistan are imprisoned with the help of §129b (section of the criminal code used to persecute revolutionary organizations), often in solitary confinement, hundreds are affected by investigations and trials. And also the almost 70,000 “normal” prisoners are in their absolute majority social prisoners, imprisoned because of their class situation. They are all prisoners of the capitalist system.

Meanwhile there are isolated cases of suspected corona in German prisons. In Mönchengladbach, a prisoner was placed in quarantine after he had contact with a person who tested positive. In Braunschweig, a new prisoner showed corona symptoms on Friday. A “general confinement” for all prisoners was then ordered for the prisons.

In Italy, a country severely affected by the “Corona crisis”, prisoners united to protest. They fear that they are not adequately protected against corona infection. Across Italy, at least 12 prisoners have died as a result of the revolts since Sunday.

In San Vittore prison in Milan, prisoners climbed up on the roof and shouted: “We Want Freedom!” Angry relatives of prisoners also gathered in front of several detention centres to demonstrate against the ban on visits.

Via a symbolic action outside the Madel prison (near Magdeburg), people expressed their solidarity and showed that they have not forgotten the prisoners, even during a worldwide pandemic, with several rockets being fired over the prison wall and slogans being shouted.

Corona or Not – We Won’t Forget You!

Freedom for all political and social prisoners – especially now!

(via Deutschland Indymedia, translated into English by Anarchists Worldwide)