Translated from an anonymous submission to Bordered by Silence

Last week saw a new wave of repression targeting anarchists in France, with raids occurring almost simultaneously in several locations. On March 27 in Toulouse, two houses were raided and two people were placed in detention, but they were taken 300km away to the city of Limoges. These two people were released 38 hours later, after a long interrogation on their political positions and social networks.

At the same time, there was also a raid in Limoges itself, and one person was placed in detention, while 500km away in Amiens their family was also facing a raid and interrogations. This person has been placed under an order for up to one year of investigative custody that can then be renewed.

The next day, March 28, the little town of Ambert saw raids against three houses. Two people were placed in detention and they’re now also held in investigative custody for up two four months, renewable twice. The charges mention mischief in an organized group; the investigation is still ongoing.

The information released by the mainstream media so far only mention Limoges, invoking the arson of several vehicles at its gendarmerie compound. Let’s recall that during the trial for the burned police car last October, there were incendiary solidarity actions all across France , notably in Toulouse, Clermont-Ferrand, Limoges, Grenoble, the Paris area, Marseille…

Based on what was said during the interrogations of the two people from Toulouse, we can gather that there has been audio surveillance and physical surveillance over several months during a judicial investigation that was then followed with a surveillance warrant, opened October 20 2017 and renewed December 13 2017. It’s safe to assume that this surveillance doesn’t only concern those interrogated or only these cities.

It seems that the state is using the vague designation of ‘criminal association’ to try to criminalize people’s relationships, the spaces they visit, their ways of organizing, their political ideas and practices. This gives them a lot of leeway of who they can implicate: eating in a squat, using secure mailing lists, participating in actions, organizing meet-ups, playing sports together, communicating, or moving around.