woensdag 18 december 2013

Some bits of disorder

Fire and flames at the home of the prison director of Bruges – In the night of Wednesday the 11th December 2013, an arson struck the house of Jurgen van Poecke, director of the prison of Bruges. His two cars, an Audi and a Citroën, parked in front of his villa (Kespier Street in Asbeek), were destroyed by flames. The fire erupted at 4am, and the flames spread to the garage of the villa, which has been destroyed, too. Nobody got wounded, but the villa was declared inhabitable since there’s no more electricity, water or heating. The prison of Bruges isn’t only known as the most secured and biggest of Belgium; it also contains a much hated isolation module, designed to break the rebel spirits. A small documentary has been made about the particular high security wing in Bruges; you can watch it on this video.

Responsibilities – A year ago, the company Marinx installed its buildings in Sirault. With it, the company brought the roaring of trucks and engines. In this context of hostilities of the persons living in Sirault against the nuisances of the company, the house of Geoffrey Marinx, CEO of the company, went up in flames. There was not yet anybody living in this villa; the CEO planned to go there next month… Did he get the message?

Attacking the collaborators – The construction of new prisons (13 new prisons are being planned or built in Belgium; in other words, even more space to lock up people and asphyxiate the social question through repressive and security reinforcements ) also depends on the companies building them. To fight against these new prisons is therefore also to put sand in the machinery of this collaborator companies. In the night of the 10th of November 2013, unknown persons broke the windows of the Study and Research Center for Architecture and Urbanism (CERAU), on the Avenue des Courses 20 in Brussels. These architects collaborated with the construction of the new prison of Marche-en-Famenne, which opened its doors in the beginning of November. You can find lists of collaborating companies on-line, for example on La Cavale.

Let’s sabotage the daily routine – At nighttime, unknown persons cut the electricity alimenting the railroad signs infrastructure between Brussels and Antwerp. Tens of trains were cancelled, and delays went up to 45 minutes. If the bosses, the teachers and the employers depend on our punctuality to come at the right time to get exploited, if the economy, more generally speaking, depends on the fluidity of transport, then we see in this sabotage a simple way to make it all go into ruin.

Smile – News about escapes always make us smile. Two prisoners escaped from the deportation camp for clandestine persons 127bis in Steenokkerzeel. A month before, six prisoners tried to escape from the disgusting penitentiary village of horrors in Merksplas. They broke windows, put the alarms out of use and climbed up the walls during the night. Three of them got injured, stayed behind and were arrested, but the three others managed to get away. Strength to the escapees! 

Steenokkerzeel – On the 8th of December, a gang of joyful troublemakers went to the detention center 127bis in Steenokkerzeel. After some words were exchanged with the prisoners who were on the yard, the guards forced the prisoners to return to their cells. Even if the deportation center didn’t burn that day and no escape took place, the anger against these prisons expressed itself with firecrackers, smoke bombs and fireworks. This gathering wanted to show solidarity with the clandestine persons, and cry out the anger about these centers and the death of an inmate last week in the center of Bruges.

Long live escapes – In the prison of Lantin, a prisoner escaped by climbing the wall. The prisoner got the help of other inmates who diverted the attention of the guards by provoking a small explosion, and then they even made a human pyramid to help the prisoner climb up the wall. On the outside, accomplices were waiting in a car, parked just in front of the service entrance of the prison. When a guard came out to ask them what they were doing there, the accomplices pointed their guns at him. Once the escapee reached the car, the guard was released. Police investigations, road blocks and a helicopter didn’t manage to get hold of the assailants. A beautiful escape, which also worked thanks to the solidarity between prisoners and the determination of some accomplices on the outside.

Andenne prison – On Friday the 15th of November, a prisoner attacked two guards. Both guards got wounded, and the unions of the guards threatened to go on strike. Fists in the faces of the prison wardens!

A telephone call – Tuesday 19th of November. Bomb alert in the Justice Court of Brussels. The whole building was evacuated and all hearings cancelled. Police didn’t find anything suspicious, but the work of Justice was paralyzed for some hours. A telephone call… sand in the machinery of imprisonment.


Translation of "Brèves du désordre 42", Hors Service 42, December 9th, 2013 and La Cavale
By ContraInfo