Across the capitalist world the various states are clamping down on on the voices of dissent. In Italy, Greece, and else where, autonomous centres that have been squatted for years are being raid and the members arrested. In Germany the state apparatus closed down German Indymedia, and raided journalists' homes, it seems that free speech is only allowed if it doesn't want to change the system. The German state has gone a step further, and has raided an anarchist bookshop in Frankfurt and taken away posters. It is an on going battle between those who value and demand freedom, and the authoritarian institution of the state, which wants control and a submissive population.
The state surely must feel vulnerable if it starts trying to prevent you from reading what you please, this is just one step away from burning books, which I am sure they would love to do, if the public would tolerate such actions.
First they came for the Anarchists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Anarchist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the journalists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a journalist.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
This from Act For Freedom Now:
Read the full article HERE:On Thursday November 30th, at around 4pm, a dozen plain clothes and uniformed policemen from the cantonal police entered the premises of anarchist bookshop Fermento, on Josefstrasse 102 in Zurich, armed with a search warrant. The alleged crime: “Public instigation to commit crimes and acts of violence”.
As we have just learned, three policemen from the Criminal Investigation Department of the cantonal police already entered the bookshop ten days earlier. Then too using the same statement: the bookshop window would be an incitement to commit crimes and violence against businesses and individuals, to be seen in the context of the recent incendiary attacks against the construction of the PJZ [new palace of justice] and “Bässlergut” prison in Basel.
All this did not happen completely unexpectedly. Only a couple of days before, a long background article published by Schweiz am Wochenende and taken up by the Aargauer Zeitung urged that something be done once and for all against these anarchists, boasting of having discovered what everyone in Zurich can see: our shop window.
If the police acted on the impulse of Andreas Maurer’s piece – to call the journalist by his name – or if the latter had written under the pressure of someone else, we cannot know and do not care. The journalist’s role as cop has been openly demonstrated once again.
Let’s move on to the technical side:
In the first search, only the posters hanging from the window inside the bookshop were removed. Clearly the agents in question were not sure which poster contained the criminal message, so they took them all. One of these was an invitation to support our bookshop, which at the end of February will have to give way to yet another branch of Migros. We learned of the posters’ removal in amazement.----
