from thefreeonline on Feb 1, 2024 by Alessandro Ottolini at Antimilitaristes-MOC via La Directa—
The Spanish police accuse two anti-militarists of insulting the army for throwing paint at a military tank
Once again, activists from Antimilitaristes-MOC showed their rejection of the culture of war and violence that the institutions of the Spanish State try to normalize among the younger public.
On December 26, they carried out a non-violent direct action at ExpoJove. A “clown army” threw paint on an armored combat vehicle, while holding posters with anti-militarist messages, while insulting the second deputy mayor of Valencia, Juan Manuel Bádenas Carpio (Vox), and his companions.
The MOC campaign and anarchist ‘Total Refusers’ were instrumental in the abolition of Military Service in Spain just 20 years ago— 20 años sin mili: el triunfo de los insumisos
At the end of the action, the Local Police identified the activists and reported them to the government delegation in Valencia for “defacing public property”.
Two days later, the Provincial Information Brigade of the Spanish National Police arrested them, under the accusation of “damage” to the combat vehicle and “serious insults against the Army”.
The MOC explains that, the day after the action, they received a phone call from the National Police “demanding that we present ourselves the next day at the police station in Sapadors (Valencia), without further explanation.
After insisting, we were informed that it was an ‘arrest’ and ‘release’ procedure. We suffered the typical humiliating ritual of an arrest.”
The charges brought by the Provincial Information Brigade number 5 are for alleged criminal damage (estimated to be greater than 400 euros); and an alleged crime of insulting the military organization, contained in article 37 of the Penal Code.
Both crimes are punishable by between 8 and 12 months in prison and, in the case of aggravated damages for having acted against a war machine, by between 2 and 4 years in prison.
“A few days later, when we were able to access the file, we understood that the arrest was an initiative of the information brigade and was completely unnecessary.
We suppose that to apply some kind of prior punishment to us, in addition to the outrageous charges, and to scare us”, says one of the anti-militarists who prefers to remain anonymous.
"We assume that this is an attempt to apply some kind of prior punishment to us, in addition to the outrageous charges, and to scare us," the anti-militarist responds
According to the anti-militarists, who gave a statement last January 18 at the 10th Magistrate Court of Valencia, there is no justification for the aggravating actions they accuse the group of.
“We do not know the reason why the information brigade decided to intervene ex officio, on its own initiative, that very evening of the action.
But we can surmise that the deputy mayor, who seemed very upset during the action, must have contacts in the security forces and some phone calls were made asking for a ‘tough hand’ against the activists.
Never, in all our actions of civil disobedience, have we seen such a quick and forceful action by the brigade”, they say.
According to the estimates cited in the police report, drawn up by the military commands of the General Almirant base (Marines), headquarters of the Lusitània Regiment to which the armored VRC Centauro B1 belongs, the object of the action; the pink paint that the anti-militarists spilled, “could have damaged the engine of the combat vehicle to the point of making it impossible to return to the quarter because the radiator and anti-fire and anti-explosive systems were unusable”.
The military estimated the damages for the paint removal at a value greater than 44,000 euros and accuse them of ‘aggravated damages’ for having acted against a war machine, punishable between 2 and 4 years in prison.
Regarding the justification of this accusation, the activist interviewed insists on the fact that “these are estimates based on a hypothesis that has not yet been verified, and so far no expertise has appeared in the file that allows us to verify that these estimates are real”.
And he adds: “It goes so far as to say that the tank parked at ExpoJove could not start the engine without doing these checks on the engine and other systems and that it might have to be transported by truck.
However, we were able to witness in person, shortly before the doors of ExpoJove closed, on January 4, how the combat vehicle started the engine without problems”.
For this reason, they consider that the aggravating factor should not prosper.
Access to the police file has allowed them to certify that the group is regularly monitored by the police officers
This surveillance is part of its mission to control “environments of radical ideology” in order to pursue their “forms of crime” and specifically “criminal acts related to radical anti-militarist groups”.
The police report includes screenshots of X (the old Twitter) of the profile of Antimilitaristes-MOC Valencia and of one of the participants in the action in order to try to substantiate the accusation of “insults serious in the army”, for an alleged desire in the publications to make fun of the attending public.
However, the anti-militarist explains: “the accusation of insults is argued very poorly”, limiting himself to the aforementioned screenshots in order to “show that we mock the Army, apart from which the very act of staining pink is considered an affront and a mockery of the macho military institution”.
Demilitarize ExpoJove
The action was part of the campaign launched by the anti-militarists in 2017 to “demilitarize ExpoJove”, with the aim that the youth fair enshrines the educational values of peace and non-violence, and that the City Council of Valencia stop inviting the armed and police forces.
The actions of the “clown army” in the editions of 2018, 2019 and 2022 pointed out the municipal officials at that time, especially the then Councilor for Culture, Pere Fuset (Compromise), for his incoherent and false position loop when he claimed that he only invited the Military Emergency Unit of the Army.
This year they have decided to raise the tone of their protest against the explicit support of the current municipal team for a greater military presence and with weapons.
The police report includes screenshots of X (the old Twitter) of the profile of Antimilitaristes-MOC Valencia and of one of the participants in the action in order to try to substantiate the accusation of "insults serious in the army"
Regarding the position of progressive governments regarding the presence and actions of the armed forces, the anti-militarist states that “the military institution seems to remain untouchable and unquestionable.
Not even the emerging progressive parties during the last political cycle have considered it necessary to debate the role of the Army and question the current state-centric and militaristic idea of defense”.
From the MOC, they consider that the anti-militarist proposals that try to get to the root of the problem of war “have not been accepted” by the Botanic government, which “has supported without further ado and normalized both the institutions of war and the military industry, both at the state and local level; as for example with the public statements of Compromís leaders such as Pere Fuset or Joan Ribó praising the important work of the Army through its Military Emergency Unit and radically rejecting any request to demilitarize ExpoJove”.
“It could be said without exaggeration that the progressive parties are also militarist parties with few exceptions, since they continue to bet on the maintenance or promotion of militarism and the policies that make possible the preparation (and export) of war”, they conclude.
Faced with the various lawsuits and pending fines for this and other actions, the anti-militarists organized a day of solidarity on Saturday 3 February at the CSOA (Anarchist Self-managed Social Center) l’Horta to cover the costs of their legal defence.
Between eleven in the morning and eight in the evening there were performances by Xavi Castillo, Pau Alabajos, and several DJs; as well as an informative stall and vegan food.
acció directa no violenta antimilitarisme antimilitaristes Antimilitaristes-moc CNPExpoJove de València policia local Policia Nacional espanyola repressió Vox
**************
related
Les forces armades s’atrinxeren en fires i salons educatius Gemma GarciaImatges | Anna Celma
The Free 