Final Decision on Court Case

After having brought charges against 17 alleged members of the Autonome Antifa
(M) in February this year followed by judicial squabble, the Federal High Court
finally decided on the permission of the charges to the main proceedings. The
Federal High Court droped the charge falling under *129a (propaganda for a
terrorist organization) which was mainly based on a poster that showed the
blown-up prison of Weiterstadt bombed by the RAF (Red Army Fraction) among
other images and pictures. The poster had announced a public meeting with
former prisoners of the RAF and others. The charge falling under *129 (building
of a criminal organization) is permitted to the main proceedings. Although the
dropping of the *129a charges can be judged as success, the political interests
of the state and its judicial offices concerning the proceedings are obvious.
The prosecution of the Autonome Antifa (M) as a "criminal organization" is
judicially based on violation of assembly laws. In coalition with other groups
and parties the Autonome Antifa (M) has organized a number of demonstrations
against Nazi-centers in the region. Part of every demonstration was the Black
Block in the front. The Black Block consisting of black-clothed and
helmet-wearing people is supposed to be able to act in case of police or nazi
provocation as well as making the militant character visible. Since the
Autonome Antifa (M) has successfully united autonomous and liberal groups and
organizations in demonstrations against neo-nazism without taking back own
radical anti-fascist positions and contents, the state and its offices are
trying to criminalize not only the Autonome Antifa (M) as a group but also the
politics that stand for the Autonome Antifa (M).


Background

After the State Prosecutor (GSA) had brought the charges according to *129 and
*129a against 17 alleged members of the Autonome Antifa (M) the State Supreme
Court (OLG) decided not to open the trials according to **129/129a. According
to the State Supreme Court the Autonome Antifa (M) was neither a criminal
organization nor have they propagated the RAF. In their opinion the poster was
rather propaganda for the Anti-Fascist Action than the RAF. However, the State
Supreme Court agreed with the State Prosecutor concerning the charges based on
violations of assembly laws like the ban of wearing masks at demonstrations
etc.. These charges were permitted to proceedings at the Goettingen District
Court.
The State Prosecutor of course was not at all satisfied with the decision of
the State Supreme Court. Most of their charges were dropped and their hard and
tenacious work seemed pointless. 115 investigation files, four years of
observation and at least 13 929 tapped telephone calls without being able to
construct a "criminal organization" drove the State Prosecutor mad, so they
lodged a complaint and called the Federal High Court to finally decide on the
permission of the charges. The Federal High Court dropped the charge according
to *129a but pointed out that the Autonome Antifa (M) is under suspicion of
being a "criminal organization". So they gave order to open the trial according
to *129 at the Lueneburg District Court. A special judicial division called
"state security chamber" will be responsible for the trial, a division that has
dealt with several political court cases in the past e.g. cases against the
anti-nuclear movement.


More Repression

This year on June 13th a nation-wide raid against 55 objects took place. The
searches were aimed at the autonomous magazine "radikal", the
"Antiimperialistische Zellen" (anti-imperialist cells), who are responsible for
two attacks on conservative politicians and the "K.O.M.I.T.E.E." that is also
responsible for several attacks, e.g. a failed attack on a deportation prison
near Berlin. Four people that are called responsible for the magazine "radikal"
were taken to prison the same day and are still neither released, nor have they
received their bills of indictment. Another person is in coercive detention
because he refused to testify.
The Ferderal Minister of Justice admitted, when she had to answer a question in
parliament asked by the "Greens" that the public enemy is still seen on the
left. According to her answer, "the Federal Prosecutor is at the moment
following 105 preliminary proceeding against leftist extremists and 2
preliminary proceedings against right extremists".
In the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the defeat over Nazi-Germany, when
the state is trying to gain a democratic and kind of anti-fascist image, the
repression against the radical left has increased.


Arson Attacks on Fascist Paper "Junge Freiheit"

The "Junge Freiheit" represents a forum for people of the so-called New Right.
Fascist ideas are supposed to become socially accepted by using an intellectual
image. Not only members of neo-fascist organizations write for the paper but
also people from conservative organizations and members of the conservativ
party.
In December 1994, a printing company in Weimar (Weimarer Union-Druckerei) that
prints the "Junge Freiheit", a newsstand that sells the weekly and the vehicles
of the belonging marketing companies were set fire to. The damage to the
printer was over one million Marks. The total damage of all actions was 2.5
million Marks. The "union administrative company" canceled the contract with
the "Junge Freiheit" because the 33 employees couldn't be expected to bare such
danger.
Two "revolutionary women-lesbian groups and other revolutionary groups" claimed
being responsible, according to a published declaration.
The Federal Prosecutor immediately started investigations against some
"terrorist organization" according to *129a. Ten people engaged in the Weimar
squatting movement were summoned as witnesses in May. Except for one person,
all of them didn't attend. In June, they were picked up by the State Criminal
Office (LKA) for a questioning. Four of the witnesses were then accused for
having been involved in the attack.

From Weimar to Goettingen

Of great interest seem to be statements supposedly given by Weimar
Anti-Fascists in an interview. In December 1994, two reporters that claimed
working for the left newspaper "Junge Welt" but actually worked for the fascist
paper "Junge Freiheit" supposedly interviewed Weimar Anti-Fascists about the
attack. The Anti-Fascists supposedly said that it wasn't them that attacked the
printer but two people from Goettingen. They just showed them the building. A
lawyer also testified as a witness that two members from the Autonome Antifa
(M) were responsible for the attack, logistically supported by Anti-Fascists
from Weimar.
The investigations about this case are going on. It can't yet be estimated what
the construct will turn out to look like.


Consequences

The trial against the Autonome Antifa (M) will be one of the biggest against
autonomous Anti-Fascists with long-term consequences. Not only the Autonome
Antifa (M) and the accused 17 have to be defended but rather the politics that
are meant to be illegalized. The future of the radical anti-fascist movement
depends on the ending of the trials. If the Autonome Antifa (M) was condemned
as a "criminal organization", every group that organizes itself in a similar
way and carries out the same political approach would run the risk of becoming
criminalized.
The Autonome Antifa (M) is keeping up their political activities. One of the
activities that are part of the political concept and therefore logically part
of the charges is an action on the day before the so-called German
reunification day on October 2nd. Since 1990 the Autonome Antifa (M) has chosen
this date for bringing anti-nationalist and anti-fascist ideas before the
public by organizing an AgitProp-Action (agitation and propaganda) and a
demonstration. By using theatrical elements the AgitProp-Action is supposed to
symbolize class-justice, speaking of its historical as well as its present part
in the various political systems. The action and the demonstration have as a
motto "Against Fascism and Class-Justice - The Anti-Fascist Action!".

In International Anti-Fascist Solidarity!

Autonome Antifa (M)
organized in the Anti-Fascist Action/Nationwide Organization (AA/BO)

_______________________________________________________________________________
                              AUTONOME ANTIFA (M)
                                c/o Buchladen
                               Rote Strasse 10
                             D-37073 Goettingen
 Tel:+49-551-394569
 Fax:        394564
 E-Mail: Autonome_Antifa_M@p16.f16.n1.z69.sn.nadir.org
______________________________________________________________________________