Letter of Riccardo from the prison of Billwerder, Hamburg

‘Guard Gohlosh impersonated the most hideous wickedness: the wickedness at the service of the powerful of the Earth. A wickedness that could be converted to money. It didn’t belong to him any longer. He had sold it to more competent individuals who used it to enslave and mortify an entire miserable people. He was no longer master of his own wickedness. He had to guide it and direct it according to certain rules whose atrocity hadn’t changed much.’
(Albert Cossery – Men God Forgot – 1994, free translation by act for freedom now)

At the moment I am being detained in the prison of Billwerder in Hamburg. I was arrested on Friday 7th July at 7:30pm near Rote Flora.

I am accused of insulting the State, endangering public security, of having played an active part in a group of fifteen people who challenged the police, in particular attempting to harm a policeman of the Special Unit of Bloomberg intent on carrying out arrests and finding evidence.

I don’t recognize the dichotomy ‘guilty-not guilty’ proposed by the State’s judicial apparatus.

What I want to say is that I’m proud and happy to have been there in Hamburg during the uprising against the G20. The joy of experiencing in person the determination of people of all ages from all over the world who haven’t yet given in to the temptation to submit to the logic of money and the capitalist world; this can never be quelled by any form of imprisonment. In an historical epoch in which capitalism is trying to inflict the final blow necessary to its stabilization in a constant oscillation between internal war (special laws, borders closure, deportations) and external war (indiscriminate massacres, destruction and poisoning of Planet Earth), the revolt in Hamburg against the G20 demonstrated what is most important to those who still care about freedom: the possibility of its realization.

The German police’s technological, physical and tactical efficiency was as impressive and monstrous as it was useless first to neutralize then to repress the need to struggle against the absurd catastrophic global society that the twenty pathetic State Leaders were showing off there so miserably, fortressed in the heart of the city.

The resigned and the reformists can well say that considering the relations of strength developed in the last decades between power and its subjects, Hamburg was the umpteenth mass experiment to assess the apparatuses of international security. After all that was also said following the G8 in Genoa in 2001.

Rebels and revolutionaries, however, don’t reckon with conspiracy theories of politics, but with their own feelings and projects. In any case, I think I can say that even if that were the case, the experiment failed totally. In the streets of Hamburg I breathed uncontrolled freedom, active solidarity, the determination to refuse a lethal order imposed by a few waelthy and as many powerful over the rest of humanity.

No endless rows of cars and composed processions sanctifying the oppressive murderous liturgy of the capitalist system every day. No indistinct masses forced to bow down and sweat for anonymous survival in favour of the wealth of some greedy boss. No thousands of empty gazes aimed at some aseptic display that alienates and deforms our experience of life.

I saw individuals raise their eyes to the sky and try to grab it.

I saw women and men give form to their creativity and most repressed dreams.

I saw the energy of each one intent on lending a hand to others that don’t put themselves above anyone.
I saw sweat dripping from foreheads to fulfil one’s own desires rather than those of some henchmen. In the moment of revolt no one is ever really alone.

A strong hug to all the comrades, all the rebels imprisoned by the German State. Passionate greetings to Anna, Marco, Valentina, Sandrone, Danilo, Nicola and Alfredo, the comrades on trial in operation “Scripta Manent” in Italy. To the revolutionaries and rebels imprisoned in jails all over the world. A kiss to Juan. Wherever you are… wherever you are… you’re always with us!

As long as I’m alive: always against authority! Always with my head held high! Long live the anti-capitalist international!

For Carlo! For Alexis! For Remi! For freedom!

Riccardo, Prison of Billwerder, Hamburg – 20th July 20 2017

Write to Riccardo:
RICCARDO LUPANO
09/06/1985
JVA BILLWERDER
DWEERLANDWEG 100
22113 HAMBURG – GERMANY

Greetings in front of the prison in Billwerder, Okt. 1st 2017

Text zur Begrüßung am Gefängnis in Billwerder am 01.10.17

UNITED WE STAND! FREE THEM ALL, NOW!

Hello people,
you in there and you out here.
It’s us again – your friends, your comrades, your companions, your siblings.

You are sitting in there since almost three months, incarcerated behind these huge walls, with unbelievable reasonings and accusations. Most of you don’t own a german passport or have no address of residence accepted by court. All of this seems to be sufficient to be locked up in this deeply racist class society.

Two of our young comrades are held prisoners in jail for juvenile delinquents at the island and are facing partly intensified terms for visitations. They as well can be sure of our full support and solidarity.

Some of you already had their trials or have been sentenced to imprisonment. And also those who are out on probation meanwhile, have gotten unbelievable sentences for peanuts. They are sending you their heartfelt regards. You in there are supposed to suffer as a deterrent.

In Hamburg no one should dare to go out on the streets and oppose against the ruling inhuman circumstances. They want to frighten you and all of us – but they won’t succeed.

As it was so nicely expressed underneath the solidarity picture from Russia to all the G20-prisoners: “Our solidarity is stronger than their thickest prison walls!”

We will be back every first Sunday a month to visit you.

We won’t rest and won’t be silent until all are free!

Once again we brought some of your favorite songs with us. Just write in your letters what you would like to hear, what gives you strength and – how one of you described it – helps you to keep your head up.

Side by side we stand united against their repression.

Today we only hear each other – but

We will see us soon!
Right here!
At court!
Or on the streets!

Free you all!
United we stand!

Invitation to a Transnational Gathering for G20 Prisoners Support

03.- 05.11.17 Hamburg rote Flora

The campaign “UNITED WE STAND” is a loose network of different people and groups to support the ones who face repression after the g20 summit in Hamburg. Our focus is to support them during prison and trial.

We invite particulary those we have comrades, friends and relatives in jail because of the g20 summit – to get to know us, exchange experiences, come together, develop ideas and strategies and to learn from each other. We want to gain more power together to handle repression.

During the gathering, we want to develop future action strategies, it’s not a wrap-up.

The shedule

Friday: arriving, food and get to know each other
Saturday: breakfast, actual situation of prisoners and trial, we
would like to discuss the following topics

  • Trial
  • support
  • Networking
  • sustainabiliti

Sunday: demonstration the the jail in Hamburg-Billwerder with a manifestation with greetings, music and encouragement.

We welcome your ideas and suggestions for the weekend, please tell us
with the application.

Please write us if you come as soon as possible, thereby we can support
you with your expenses and to find a place to stay.

See you in november “UNITED WE STAND”

application: international.gathering@riseup.net
sleeping: unterschlupf@riseup.net

Convocatory for manifestation at Billwerder prison on 1st of October

united we stand – free all G20 prisoners, now!

Come with us to the prison JVA Billwerder. We visit our friends hostaged by the City of Hamburg behind huge walls since the G20 summit in Hamburg. In front of the jail we will have coffee, cake, greetings, speaches and the Free-Them-All-Sound-Systhem will play the favorite songs of the imprisoned ones. Please tell us their music wishes, if you write letters with them or go to visits or if you know their favorite songs. Please bring cake and cookies with you to share.

Sunday, 01/10/17 , 14-17h
Railway station Billwerder-Moorfleet

„These Trials are as political as Trials can be.“ – Campaign Statement on the first G20-Trials on 28th and 29th of August 2017

With accusations that are very obviously politically motivated, the first Trials against supposed criminals in connection with the G20-summit in Hamburg are starting on 28th and 29th of August. The Campaign “United we stand!” calls for Manifestations in front of the Court at ‘Sievekingplatz’ on both of these days.

In the first Trial on 28th of August a young man from the Netherlands is accused at Court for heavy Trespassing, Resistance and Assault. Surprisingly thin is the evidence for this heavy accusations. There are no Videos or Pictures of the Action, just two Cops are supposed to witness the Acts. As there was such an extended Video-Documentation of the Protests against the G20-summit made by the Cops this is pretty unbelievable. Nevertheless is the dutch comrade locked up in Pre-Trial Prison since the beginning of July.

The Accused of the second Trial is a Person with polish Papers . He was detained far away from any Protests against G20 and is held in Pre-Trial Prison since beginning of July. The Accusations against him are very weak – given the construction of the prosecuter, who only assumes that the guy, who also doesn’t show a criminal record, would have later committed a crime.

‘These Trials are as political as Trials can be’ commented Kim König from the campaign ‘United we stand!’ ’The Prosecution seriously claims in front of the whole world, that someone who carries Marbles in a city where a Protest is going on somewhere, automatically is a dangerous criminal. This adventurous Accusation, but also the hindrance of the defence in the Pre-Trial Detention during the Summit as well as the violation of the Rights of the Prisoners in the Prison Billwerder proof the imperative Will of the State for persecution. The State finally wants to present convictions, no matter at what costs. For that purpose the actions of the State seem to follow some kind of criminal law for enemies: Not only the two people on Trial now but many more of those without german papers who where detained during the Summit face such disproportionate Pre-Trial Imprisonment – and almost just them.

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Short report on the 3rd G20 trial on Friday, 8 September 2017

Contrary to the announcement by the Court president that all G20 trials would take place in the court building at Sievekingplatz, the trial took place at the building of the local court in Altona. Like the other trials before, it ended with a conviction and a sentence that is much too high.

The prosecution had accused the 21 year old defendant of having thrown six bottles at police officers at the Fischmarkt right after the cops had attacked the demonstration, and of having resisted arrest. After the judge had explained clearly that the defendant had the right to remain silent and that silence could not be used against him, i.e. that he should only say something if he wanted to, the defence counsel made a comprehensive statement for the accused. The accused also made a further statement of his own.

He stated that he had only come to the G20 to find a girl he had met a few days before at a festival. He had not originally been planning to demonstrate as he did not think this would solve the problems with the G20. He was wearing a white T-Shirt with writing on the back detailing who he was and whom he was looking for. When the demonstration was attacked and he saw police officers massively hitting women and men lying on the ground with their batons, he had been gripped by empathy and anger. He shouted at the officers, was peppersprayed and fled onto a slight hill. It is from there that he threw some bottles, hardly being able to see because of the pepperspray. He stated that he had wanted to get the officers to rethink what they were doing. During the last two months, which he had spent in detention, he had learned a lot about loneliness and had decided that he never wanted to subject himself or his family to this kind of hell again. He stated that he was aware that he had acted in a very dumb manner and that police officers are humans too.

The judge emphasized – contrary to the defendant – that he found it important that people demonstrate and state their opinion so that politicians cannot just do what they want. However, it would have been good if the defendant had also shown empathy for the officers who were placed there.

The prosecution felt that the acts the defendant was accused of constituted an unleashing of senseless violence, but after all it was clear to them that he had not come to Hamburg to engage in riots. They asked the court to sentence the accused to a suspended sentence of one year and six months, with a probationary period of two years.

The defence counsel did not ask for a specific sentence, but asked the court to hand out a sentence siginificantly below that asked for by the prosecution, and a probationary period of one year.

The judge sentenced the accused to a suspended sentence of one year and five months, with a probationary period of 2 years, as well as a payment of 500 € to the “police widows and orphans.” He held the accused to be “naive in a likeable manner”, someone who stood out among the others at the demonstration given his T-Shirt and his pink backpack. The judge summarized that the accused had seen injustices being committed and had reacted with injustices of his own – he, the judge, could not exclude that there had been injustices committed by the police. However, by meeting violence with violence, the accused had acted unjust. As to the count of resisting arrest, this had rather been “normal” resistance. General prevention did not call for a prison sentence.

Short report on the second G20 Trial, Tuesday 29th of August

Again another trial ends with an absurdly exaggerated judgement: 6 month prison on 2 years probation.

The defendant is accused to have been on the way to the Demonstration ‘G20 not welcome’ on Saturday 8th of July at 9:50 nearby the Trainstation Dammtor. In his backpack was Pepperspray, diving goggles and small (Eu proved, but without german seal of approval) fireworks. Also he was carrying two marbles and a lighter. With that he supposed to have violated the Laws of assembly, Weapons and Explosives.

He was controlled and detained by officers of a Alarm-unit from Hamburg, who where on a ‘alertly break’ and controlled ‘suspicious persons’. The backpack that was unusualy big for a demonstration and the dreadlocks of his companion seemed ‘weird’ to the officers.

The (polish) defendant explained detailed to this:
Actually he didn’t want to go to the Demonstration – which started 70 minutes later in a walking distance of 27 min, as the court stated. He wanted to go to the trainstation Dammtor – 3 minutes away. On the topic of the Objects he explains that he carries the pepper spray because he was travelling via hitchhiking to visit friends in Spain – this also explains the diving goggles. He also wanted to make some Firework there to celebrate with the Friends he hadn’t see for a while. The lighter he had because he is a smoker. The marbles are a memory of his family, his sister aswell as his mother are carrying these kind of marbles. He did not knew that the pepper spray and Fireworks, that are legal in Poland are not allowed in Germany.

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Hello to the Prisoners in the Prison Billwerder during the Demonstration on the 3rd of September

UNITED WE STAND!
FREE THEM ALL!

Hello people,
You inside and you outside. It is us again, your siblings, your friends, your comrades.

Since almost 2 month you are locked up here as G20 Prisoners. Locked up behind high walls, with the most unbelievable justifications and court orders.

Most of you don’t have a german Passport and that seems to be reason enough, in this deeply racist society, to be locked up for month with the construction of things like ‘psychological assistance’. 3 of our young companions are still locked up in the Prison for minors on the island and some are in the Pre-Trial Prison in Neustadt. Our complete support and solidarity counts also for them.

With joy we heared that Maria finaly got free, that is great but we will not be still and silent until everyone is free! We will come back to visit you every first sunday of the month.

There are many actions of solidarity for you, there is a solidarity-graffiti at the german embassy in Paris and also some windows broke there. There where Demonstration in Venice and Rome infront of the german embassys with the demand to immediately free all of you. On the 6th of August during our last visit there was a Solidarity-Manifestation in Genua on the square ‘San Lorenzo’ and another Solidarity-Manifestation in Bilbao to show support and communion with you in the Prison. On the 7th of August people gathered in Gdansk, Krakow and Warsaw infront of the german embassys to demand your freedom.

Last time you could only hear us quietly so today we will speak even louder and brought some of your favorite songs. Write into your letters what songs you want to hear, what will give you strength and will lighten up the miserable everyday life in Prison. We will organise this music, We hope you get enough letters.

We will see each other soon.
Here!
In the Court!
or on the Street!

FREE YOU ALL!
UNITED WE STAND!

Manifestation against Repression and for the Prisoners in the Pre-Trial Prison Holstenglacis

We invite to a Manifestation at Pre-Trial Prison Holstenglacis:
Our Solidarity against their Repression!

Thurthday 24th of August 2017
18:00 o’clock
Jungiusstraße,
on the sidewalk in front of Wallanlagen, Backsite of the Prison
(Train: U2 Messehallen, U1 Stephansplatz, S-Dammtor)

In the Pre-Trial Prison Holstenglacis are Friends and Comdrades locked up:

During the G20 Protests 3 People where brought to Holstenglacis after the Detention, most others are at the Moment in the Prison Billwerder, 3 people in the Prison Hahnöversand.

Our kurdish Comrade Zeki Eroğlu is also imprisoned here since January, he was sentenced to 2 years and 9 month Prison in the End of July due to a Trial under the Article129b, Membership in an international Terrororganistaion – meant is the PKK.

Besides them another Comrade, Musa Aşoğlu, is locked up here and threatened with either a Trial as well under Article129b for Membership in the turkish DHKP-C or with deportation to the USA.

This Prison is used for male Prisoners in Pre-Trial Imprisonment. Some years ago also Refugees where imprisoned here to make their deportation easier. Also the 12 “Pirates”, that had been kidnapped from Somalia and brought to Germany to trial them here, where locked up in this Prison during their Trials.

So this Prison in a regular point of Gathering to demonstrate our Solidarity. Come this thursday! Bring Music and speeches!

Nobody will be left alone! Power through the Wall!