Grenzcamp 2000

FA Poznan
[15.06.2000]

Declaration of FA-Poznan (english)

In relation with the campaign of defamation and false accusations directed against us, we would like to declare the following:

We have never cooperated with extreme-right groups of nationalist, sexist, racist, antisemitic, and fascist character. The youth movement "Naszosc", a few members of which have cooperated with some of FA members in the Committee "Free Caucasus", cannot be described by any of the above mentioned terms. The allegations of people who are attacking us have no relation with reality. From anyone putting forward such allegations - we demand evidence.

The Anarchist Federation section Poznan and the "Rozbrat" collective supports and fights for the liberation and equal rights for women. This clearly derives from our beliefs. Accusing us of sexism is nonsense. One of the examples we can give is our work in the "Feminism on the walls of the city" action, when we have covered Poznan with antisexist and feminist posters. The poster destroyed during the 4th anniversary of "Rozbrat" was not signed by FA-Poznan and was not used during antimilitarist campaigns. The poster was made by one of the members of FA-Poznan without prior consultation with the other members of the collective. It was brought by its author to one demonstration, and then put in the anarchist library in the squat. The intentions of the author have not been to insult anybody. It\'s content was intended as a joke. Opinions vary among the members of the collective. Some members of FA-Poznan have said that the poster is sexist and that it should not hang in the anarchist library. Others thought it was only a joke, but most of them were later convinced by those who didn\'t like it. The disagreement did not go along sex divisions. A few women also thought about the poster as of a joke. No member of FA-Poznan has attacked anyone physically during the "incident with the poster". On the contrary, we have tried to prevent the fight. No member of FA-Poznan has made sexist and nationalist comments about the guests from Sweden. We are shocked that many people have believed disinformation spread about us without bothering to check how the situation looks in reality.

We are not the only group attacked by the same persons. In Poland, the Radical Anarcho-Feminist Group "Wiedzma" has been the object of another hateful campaign. As to the antifascist activity of FA-Poznan, let us remind you that our activity has contributed to the elimination of neonazis from the streets of Poznan. This has been the fruit of many years of radical campaigning, which included physical attacks on fascists. One of our members has spent 6 months in prison, charged of beating a skinhead. We have defended physically a campment of Romanian refugees and a group of Africans against the assaults of fascists. We have defended our squat against fascist attacks. During one of those, a few of us suffered injury and one girl living in the squat was seriously wounded with a knife. Only one of the 8 fascists was sentenced by the court for 3 years of prison. We have organised a dozen antifascist demonstrations, and our group became famous for it\'s antifascist radicalism in all of Poland. We were often invited to "make order" with fascists in many towns. This is enough to show that the allegations that we could cooperate with fascicts are insane. We are engaged in campaigns against deportations of "illegal" immigrants since those deportations started. As Anarchist Black Cross, we are supporting imprisoned antifascists. It has no sense to list all the examples of our antifascist activities. We have always been and will always remain the enemies of fascism.

We do not intend to respond any further to any defamatory allegations: we have more important things to do. We will not waste any second longer for this argument. We are open for cooperation with the people from Kein Mensch ist Illegal as long as they wish to cooperate with us. If someone decides otherwise, it is their freedom of choice.

With anarchist and antifascist greetings,
Anarchist Federation - Section Poznan
"Rozbrat" collective
P.O. Box 5
60-966 Poznan 31
Poland