As Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2023 is approaching another mass state murder happened at the sea near Pylos, Greece where the boat with hundreds of migrants sank due to European migration politics and its border regime (and that of a Greek state). At the moment there are 79 confirmed deaths with unknown number of migrants still missing – hundreds of migrants are now considered dead.
Few facts about the case: 1.) Watch The Med – Alarmphone was informing for many hours about the boat in distress that finally sank near Pylos; 2.) A hellenic coast guard vessel had approached the migrants fishing boat hours before it sank; 3.) A Greek helicopter was flying over the boat “monitoring” it (waiting for the boat to exit the Greek responsibility Search And Rescue area); 4.) At the near-by port of Gytheio there was an 80-meter rescue boat of the Hellenic Coast Guard that was not mobilized for a rescue operation; 5.) According to the people on the boat that sank, there were 750 people on board; 6.) 79 confirmed dead, unknown number of migrants still missing. Hundreds of migrants are now considered dead; 7.) As a result of pushbacks in the Aegean, a growing number of boats undertake the longer, and more dangerous journey to Italy via Greece.
Anarchist movement in Greece responded to the murders with mass demonstrations and other actions against the state, its migration politics, border regime and pushbacks (check some reports here [1] • [2] and below) while there are many more demonstrations and actions planned. One already for the 20th of June in Thessaloniki when the Libertarian Festival, organized by comrades of Balkan Solidarity Network and where the last info-event for BAB2023 will take place, is starting.
As Balkans and Mediterranean are also geographies of deathly border regime of Fortress Europe we as Balkan anarchists will continue to organize and struggle against it to dismantle it. Another space where we will discuss this problem and organize around it will be the cluster discussion Borders, migration and control at BAB2023.
