Fresh issue of anarchist revue Existence is out. It reacts especially on the repressive wave taken against the anarchist movement.

This issue of the anarchistic periodical Existence reacts to a repressive wave against anarchists in Bohemia. The police operation called “Phoenix” by its instigators was theatrically launched with a raid at the end of April. It was referred to as a roundup on terrorists in the media. Soon the whole case turned out to have loopholes, having been preceded by two police agents operating in the anarcho-pacifistic group VAP. The agents tried to embroil the group members in an operation during which they were supposed to attack a train with military machinery using Molotov cocktails. Nothing even close actually happened, but still it was enough for the police to trump up a charge, arrest several anarchists and keep them in custody.

Repression against radical opposition is not new, as well as using agents provocateur, which we know from previous regimes. However, for the new-age Czech anarchistic movement it probably is the largest trumped-up case it has had to face so far. On closer inspection, it is apparent that the Czech police seek inspiration both in the past and abroad. That is why we are bringing a look at the police methods in the USA and Great Britain. British secret agents did not hesitate to engage in sexual contacts with activists, have children with them, as well as lie under oath. In the USA FBI encourage young and inexperienced people to take various actions, and prosecute them subsequently, then discredit them and marginalize the whole movement. A look into the history of police practice brings the story of D. Borgov, who was obviously used by the law enforcement authorities for elimination of an inconvenient politician, or a story by J. Hašek from the beginning of the 20th century about uncovering a police agent. We also reprint still relevant advice of former opposition activists, one by dissidents in the 70ies and 80ies, and another one from the 20ies by V. Serge. The study “Repressive Tolerance” by Herbert Marcuse deals with the context of repression on theoretical level.

Some other articles also relate to the topic of repression: coverage on operations against “Phoenix” and to support imprisoned friends, their letters from prison, the case of I. Romanov convicted in Russia, or the article “Gulags of 21st century” by I. Olinevich depicting his experience from Belarussian prisons.

You can also find here reflection on the development of the Anarchistic Federation during the past five years concerning the issues of anarchistic politics it established. Further there are book reviews, texts from the wall newspapers A3, and coverage on events supporting the refugees and events against manifestations of xenophobia which, unfortunately, are becoming standard in the Czech Republic.

5.10.2015

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