Don't let them criminalise any form of criticism!

Anarchist statement on the railway "sabotage"

Once again, capitalist society happily violates its own legality in the affair being known as the "anarcho-autonomous movement", following the arrest of 10 people as part of an investigation into "acts of sabotage" on SNCF railway lines: the presumption of innocence blithely ignored; the use of ultra-repressive measures provided for by anti-terrorist legislation in a case which is evidently nothing to do with terrorism; charges of criminal association on the basis of a mere collection of political documents without any concrete facts to back up this "evidence"! [Français]

---

Don't let them criminalise any form of criticism!

Once again, capitalist society happily violates its own legality in the affair being known as the "anarcho-autonomous movement", following the arrest of 10 people as part of an investigation into "acts of sabotage" on SNCF railway lines: the presumption of innocence blithely ignored; the use of ultra-repressive measures provided for by anti-terrorist legislation in a case which is evidently nothing to do with terrorism; charges of criminal association on the basis of a mere collection of political documents without any concrete facts to back up this "evidence"! Large sectors of the media, the political world and the judiciary allow this to happen, or even approve, showing that the "State of law" is only really applied to the powerful in this society that is so fundamentally unjust!

Once again, a political and media lynch-mob is being let loose on a scapegoat. This disinformation campaign based on the suggestion of the existence of a "clandestine", "radical" organization is simply aimed at creating more fear in the country and hostility against anyone who challenges the capitalist system.

Once again, mass manipulation is the preferred weapon of the dominant class, which is having to face its own fear that a social crisis may put its privileges at risk. No-one knows if the accused really are the authors of this "sabotage", but we must remember that the consequences of these acts pale in comparison to the consequences of the financial crisis orchestrated by capitalism.

Those guilty of that crisis are well known and the decisions that have been made will reduce hundreds of millions of workers to poverty. And these delinquents can go on enjoying the fruit of their crimes with total impunity.

Let there be no doubt! In these times when the very foundations of capitalism are being questioned, this campaign has the aim of criminalising anyone who fights against injustice and against the misery that is being imposed on workers.

Alternative Libertaire appeals to everyone not to be taken in by this shoddy propaganda. We believe that these malicious acts in no way serve the social struggles, but whoever they were carried out by, they can in no way be considered terrorist acts.

Enough of these security-obsessed policies whose only aim is to defend social inequality and capitalist privilege. Let's build together a mass mobilisation, an expropriating general strike that can impose the changes we need, in other words, the birth of an anarchist communist society!

Alternative Libertaire

18 November 2008

Translation by FdCA-International Relations Office