Prison Struggle
Riots in Greek Prisons
A series of riots and strikes recently took place inside Greek prisons.
The first riots were in the prisons of Malandrino, on 23rd of April, after the anarchist prisoner Giannis Dimitrakis, was brutally beaten up (Giannis is on remand after the robbery of the national Greek bank, in January 2005).
Malandrino is a prison where prisoners spend long sentences under human humiliation and extremely hard conditions.
On the 24th of April, the riot is spread to all the modules of the Malandrino prisons, while other prisoners are taking control of Patras prison and some of the modules of Koridales prison in Athens. Hunger strikes and other protests also took place in the prisons of Tríkala, Larissa, Nafplio, Kerkira y Komotini.
The 25 of April, the anti-riot force (MAT) got into the Malandrino prison while prisoners were still on the roof. Lots of prisoners needed to be taken to hospital after the anti-riot force had made their “interventions” not only in Malandrino but also in other prisons.
In the prison of Koridalos, the anti-riots used tear gas and plastic balls. Several prisoners, and in between them, the anarchists Vasilis Stergiou (on remand after the 8 of May demonstration against the educational reforms) and Nikos Koudardas, were put on isolation.
Demos and other solidarity actions took place in all the Greek state, see the 'International Resistance' section for details and read the interview with Giannis Dimitrakis and the Letter from Giannis Dimitrakis in the 'Prison Struggle' section.
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