Zurdito
8th February 2008, 03:04
Background: there is a long running struggle over job losses at a casino in Buenos Aires. It's now been shut by court order. There are regular protests, and recently, there was a severe attack by polcie on workers. I watched it over the internet and it really is as bad it sounds, I will try to find a link if I can. However, here is a translation of an email I got, written by someone on the protest I think:
After the last brutal repression, where mothers and wives of the employees were beaten and one man was attacked so badly by police that he nearly lost an eye, a number of workers were taken by the infantry to their engineering sentre, and imprisoned there.
Once detained, the workers were moved to a patrol car, which stopped around Puerto Madero (were the casino is), where they were, according a union delegate Pablo Ceballos they were "put into a room, piled one on top of the other, had their heads covered with plastic bags, and were then beaten for twenty minutes"...all they could see were "the soldiers boots, and at one moment an apparent superior said 'stop boys, before you go too far'". However, the attack continued, and they were stretched out on the floor, handcuffed.
Of the comrades who were taken to police station 22, one had his cornea in danger and another one's eye was destroyed, yet they were left there for 20 hours without any medical attention, and were only granted this when one of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo made an official complaint after visiting them, and I witnessed how he was isntantly taken to Hospital Santa Lucia. Another comrade had a gun put to his chest.
In the police station of the distric Comodor Py, the detainees were stripped naked and humiliated for hours. Once their release was signed, they were taken to a penal institute between Gral Paz and Magdalena, where they kept in cells with common law criminals, until these too came over to the workers side.
This shows that we are in a very difficult situation, and this is the same as what used to happen in the 70's. We need to make a legal case.
<snip> - the rest is an appeal to take action for argentines. as you are all communists already, there's no need for you to be convinced. :)
Trabajadores de Casino
http://correosemanal.blogspot.com/2008/02/argentina-conferencia-de-prensa-de-los.html (http://correosemanal.blogspot.com/2008/02/argentina-conferencia-de-prensa-de-los.html)
http://www.pagina12 .com.ar/diario/ elpais/1- 98368-2008- 02-02.html (http://www.pagina12%20.com.ar/diario/%20elpais/1-%2098368-2008-%2002-02.html)
After the last brutal repression, where mothers and wives of the employees were beaten and one man was attacked so badly by police that he nearly lost an eye, a number of workers were taken by the infantry to their engineering sentre, and imprisoned there.
Once detained, the workers were moved to a patrol car, which stopped around Puerto Madero (were the casino is), where they were, according a union delegate Pablo Ceballos they were "put into a room, piled one on top of the other, had their heads covered with plastic bags, and were then beaten for twenty minutes"...all they could see were "the soldiers boots, and at one moment an apparent superior said 'stop boys, before you go too far'". However, the attack continued, and they were stretched out on the floor, handcuffed.
Of the comrades who were taken to police station 22, one had his cornea in danger and another one's eye was destroyed, yet they were left there for 20 hours without any medical attention, and were only granted this when one of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo made an official complaint after visiting them, and I witnessed how he was isntantly taken to Hospital Santa Lucia. Another comrade had a gun put to his chest.
In the police station of the distric Comodor Py, the detainees were stripped naked and humiliated for hours. Once their release was signed, they were taken to a penal institute between Gral Paz and Magdalena, where they kept in cells with common law criminals, until these too came over to the workers side.
This shows that we are in a very difficult situation, and this is the same as what used to happen in the 70's. We need to make a legal case.
<snip> - the rest is an appeal to take action for argentines. as you are all communists already, there's no need for you to be convinced. :)
Trabajadores de Casino
http://correosemanal.blogspot.com/2008/02/argentina-conferencia-de-prensa-de-los.html (http://correosemanal.blogspot.com/2008/02/argentina-conferencia-de-prensa-de-los.html)
http://www.pagina12 .com.ar/diario/ elpais/1- 98368-2008- 02-02.html (http://www.pagina12%20.com.ar/diario/%20elpais/1-%2098368-2008-%2002-02.html)