May 99: Tonight we received a short message from the International Secretary of the Czechoslovak Federation of Social Anarchists (FSA-IWA) letting us know that comrade Michal Patera was released from custody and that comrade Vaclav Jez was released from prison on bail.

This is almost too good to be true! Thanks goes out to all comrades around the world who contributed to this unexpected development by attacking the repression of the Czech state through actions, demonstrations, protest letters, solidarity events and donations and did not desert the two.

More is not currently known to us. Further details will hopefully follow soon.

(Michal Patera is being accused of "attempted murder" according to the Czech criminal code for having defended himself against five Nazi-Skins who attacked him in an obvious attempt for his life. One of the attackers was injured by a gunshot. Vaclav Jez was convicted to a two-year prison sentence in July 1997 after having defended himself against Nazis in a similar case.)

You'll never walk alone!
With anarcho-syndicalist Greetings

Robert,
Free Workers Union (FAU-IWA),
Germany

In the Czech Republic, defending yourself against Fascist violence is considered a serious crime
 

Friday, November 27th, group of at least five Czech neonazis physically attacked two FSA-IWA members in Prague club "Campton". The attackers are well known for their fascist conviction. Most of them belongs to the hard core of neonazi groupings in Prague and are highly skilled in Asian martial arts. Our comrades were attacked in the pub and taken by surprise by a group of neonazis, who arrived after they were informed by one of their sympathizers, that Michal was present there.

 Comrade S.V. was knocked out after short fight and Michal Patera alone had to face concerted attack of five neonazis. After he received several hard strokes, he was injured and subsequently shocked, it had been clear, that this time neonazis want to physically eliminate him. He had been cornered and in desperate situation he used his legally owned automatic pistol. The most aggressive fascist was shot three times and the others withdrew for a moment. Michal quickly managed to find escape route, but was arrested shortly afterwards by the police, alarmed by the owner of the pub.

 Michal and several our comrades were already attacked by the same neonazi combat group six months ago. In that time they avoided confrontation only thanks to the fact, that they were not encircled.

 After short police investigation and consultation with special Antiextremist Political Police Department, Michal was accused of "attempted murder motivated by ideological conviction" (€8 to €219 of Penal law). Next morning he was sentenced by district judge to "preliminary custody," awaiting trial. The average time, spent in this "custody" before the beginning of trial is 1 year. Police interpreted the whole incident as "ideologically motivated" attempted murder, committed by well known "leftist extremist" against group of innocent ordinary "young men." Michal is therefore endangered by sentence of 25 years in hardest type of prison. No one of the attacking neonazis faces even some minor charges.

 Just to illustrate the strength of Czech neonazi movement, in the same day, they organized one of their many meetings combined with festival of "white music." More than 10 neonazi musical groups and 300 fascists attended the gig near Pilsen. Assault police troops did not intervene, although anti-Semitic and fascist slogans were publicly shouted and fascists were giving nazi salute, which is serious offense according to Czech penal law. One month before, there happened that for the first time since 1930s, fascist organization presented its candidates in municipal elections. Members of "Patriotic Front" get more than 1% average vote, which means more than 50.000 people.

 According to Police information, there are at least 30.000 organized neonazis and active supporters of fascist ideology in Czech republic, 3000 in Prague alone. Prague group of FSA-IWA has got 10 members. According to the official statistics of Ministry of Interior Affairs, more than one third of policemen are members or active sympathizers of neo-fascist, racist and extreme nationalist organizations. Sympathy, cooperation and often also direct complicity of numerous Police personnel with neonazis are well-known fact.

 Michal Patera is one of the most active and dedicated Czech class struggle anarchists and active revolutionary antifascist. He has risked many times physical retaliation in direct actions against neonazis and in the defense of anarchist movement. He is editor of the FSA newspaper "The Voice of Direct Action" and very active person on the field of international cooperation, especially with Eastern countries.

Solidarity and support is urgently needed!

 It is absolutely indispensable for Michal Patera to have good defense lawyer, because the police and capitalist (in)justice are biased. Costs will be approximately the same as in the case of Vaclav Jez. The pattern of both cases is absolutely the same. Neonazi combat group attacks the well-known anarchist and antifascist in order to physically eliminate him. Our comrades manage to save their lives only by the use of firearms and are subsequently jailed and framed.

 We ask all revolutionary antifascists and anarchists all over the world to support our imprisoned comrade. We, Czechoslovak class struggle anarchists and revolutionary antifascists, are under constant and terrible duress of growing and very aggressive neonazi movement. Direct cooperation and complicity of Police officers with neonazis is well known fact.

 We are in desperate situation and we cannot manage the whole problem without efficient international solidarity. We received in fact absolutely no solidarity help from abroad in defending the Vaclav Jez, whose case was reported in many foreign anarchist newspapers including the Black Flag, Direkte Aktion etc. We cannot go on like this, because in this moment we have no resources.

 FSA-IWA Prague group coordinates the Michal defense campaign.

 Please:
- Write letters of solidarity to Michal.

 - Send letters of protest to your local Czech embassy (Demand release of Michal Patera (born 1976), arrested 27.11. in Prague and accused of €8/1 to € 219 from preliminary custody and subsequent dropping of charges, because he was brutally attacked for his antifascist and anarchist conviction and used his gun in the act of legitimate self-defense).

 - Organize protest pickets.

 - ORGANIZE BENEFIT GIGS AND COLLECTIONS TO RAISE MONEY FOR MICHAL'S DEFENSE FUND.

 -Spread this information worldwide.

 Join us in protesting this travesty of justice. Call, fax, or email your local Czech representative and ask him/her why the Czech Republic is prosecuting people for defending themselves against fascist terror!

 Czech Center in NYC:
tel: 1-212-717-5643, fax: 1-212-717-5064, email: nycenter@ny.czech.cz

 Czech Embassy in Washington:
tel. 1-202-274-9100, fax: 1-202-966-8540, email: washington@embassy.mzv.cz

 Honorary Czech Consulate in Philladelphia:
tel: 1-215-646-7777, fax: 1-215-646-7770, email: cz.consul.phl@juno.com

 To find phonenumbers and email addresses to
other Czech centers and embassys: http://www.czech.cz/cc/default.htm

 You can also leave a message in the guest book of the
Czech Foreign Ministry's webpage: http://194.108.160.102/cc/guest.htm

 Help us raise funds for Michal's defense fund. In the US, you can send donations to: Jacksonville ABC-BG, 4204 Herschel St. #20, Jacksonville, FL 32210 (Make checks out to Justin Tichy).

 Write letters of solidarity to: Michal Patera (1976), PO Box 5, 14057 Praha 4, Czech Republic, or send them by email to Michal's defense campaign: sam20uj@axpsu.fpf.slu.cz

 FSA-IWA Prague contacts:
FSA Praha, PO BOX 5, 15006 Praha 56, Czech republic
Tel *420 (0)2-90006917 (FSA-IWA International secretary private number)
Tel *420 (0)602-224747 (hotline) - Tel: *420 (0)602-828361 (alternative hotline)

 IMPORTANT NOTICE: The police often checks and confiscates FSA's mail, so please also use the e-mail and phone contacts listed above

Anarchist Militant acquitted of Murder

 It's a great success, but the state representative has appealed to Appeal Court - everything can change (their sentence is expected no sooner than 6 months). Vaclav isn't free yet - he must spend another 18 months in prison, because of an earlier sentence (20 months prison for taking part in fights with nazis - he was living in a place full of this shit). So he needs your support - you can send him postcards/letters through:

 Sonia Samalikova
Dvorska 18, 67801 Blansko
Czech Republic
Email: sam20uj@axpsu.fpf.slu.cz

 (in any main western language or in Russian)

 -Pomierz / ACK (ABC) Gdansk

--> Read more about Vaclav's case

Czech environmental Demonstration turns Violent

 PRAGUE, Czech Republic (May 17, 1998 5:03 p.m. EDT) -- A protest through Prague by environmental activists turned violent, injuring 22 police called in to disperse the crowd, officials said Sunday.

 Police detained 64 people after officers wielding clubs tried to break up a crowd of about 2,000 stone-throwing youths Saturday, police spokeswoman Eva Brozova said. A police car was overturned and two fast-food restaurants were damaged.

 The crowd moved through Prague in what organizers called "Global Street Party 98," protesting the impact multinational corporations have on the environment.

 "Stones were landing among our guests, but fortunately, nobody was injured," the CTK news agency quoted Marek Kubec, an employee in one of the damaged restaurants, as saying. "But broken glass was everywhere."

 Interior Minister Cyril Svoboda told Czech television Sunday that the demonstration was authorized by officials who only expected about 250 people to attend.

 The protest was organized by the Czechoslovak Anarchist Federation and members of the radical U.S.-based environmental group Earth First, CTK reported. Some other environmental groups condemned the violent protest. "We are deeply sorry that this action was labeled as environmental," said Vaclav Vasku, spokesman for Greenpeace's Czech branch.

 Brozova said 24 of the demonstrators face charges of hooliganism and attacking a public official. Thirty-five of those detained were released by Sunday, and five were foreigners who were handed over to another police division.

 Copyright 1998 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.