Some musings on State measures and the various responses on the streets – COVID 19.

We find ourselves in a delicate situation, and we don’t know yet when and how will it end. Is it still
unclear when the virus will be kept under control and what economical consequences in long term
this will have. While most people are trying hard to stop the virus with the few measurements that
we have - such as taking distance, avoiding social contact and using masks, disinfectants and gloves
for protection - we keep seeing however, the filthiest part of the state, trying to abuse the people on
the streets, taking advantage of the temporary special situation.
Every State has imposed their own methods to combat the virus. From complete lock-down in
Southern European counties, to a complete military lock-down in Chile and Hungary, to self-
isolation of over 70es in the UK, to the general strategy of the central northern European counties of
the all-round contact ban. The people respond differently according to the measures put in place,
but most are obedient. In the Spanish State we have seen scenes of “balcony police”, shouting at
people differently abled or workers on their way to work for being on the streets, we have seen cops
attacking people jogging, telling them to stay inside. And from the context in which I write, there
are plenty of small anecdotes of people snitching on their neighbour too and of cop abuses.
In central Europe, specifically in Berlin - where the measures are not as hard as in the south - we
can freely get out on the streets, have company if we are not more than two people. Sport activity
outside is possible, and we can sit on a bench if we keep enough distance to the next person
(although this seems to be a debatable point, and is very much determined by the whim of a cop).
We are not allowed to go to other peoples houses, we cannot have big gatherings and unfortunately
we cannot demonstrate.
It’s sad to see how the German cops have been using the measures to impose their force, sometimes
even going further than they should, according to the actual contact-ban that is in place.
It feels like a huge contradiction that people are allowed to go shopping in supermarkets or street
markets, where is absolutely impossible to keep any security distance of 1,5-2 meters, but we are
not allowed to demonstrate on the street, where there is actually enough space to avoid invading
anyone’s space. Over the last three weeks, a few spontaneous illegal demonstrations have taken
place in Berlin; bike races and gatherings in different points with banners, spray, recordings,
posters.
It is important in a moment where the press is just bombing us with news about the virus to make
visible big problems that are being silenced, like the precarious situation of the refugees in the
Greek islands and the prisoners who lost the few rights they had because of restrictions which come
into place to protect against the virus. The people in these situations are in such precarious
conditions, if the virus would spread in one of those places, it would be impossible to control it.
There is no possibility of keep distance or maintain hygiene measures. Why is it that the workers of
the prisons are allowed to go inside, without using protections and the prisoners cannot even get
contact to their loved ones? The state has very different priorities than we do.
East Berlin, Rigaerstraße, is well known for many years for squatting, house-projects and social-
political activity. It anyway has a quite specific situation, one which well pre-dates the virus.
However, a new unit (only created to act in areas of conflict) has been deployed since beginning of
march in front of the autonomous House Rigaer94. Sometimes they just stand their wasting their
time and peoples patience, sometimes they do their bullyboy job, controlling people, beating people
up, arresting, charging them with whatever, the usual things... Over the last weeks, with the streets
getting emptier and emptier, they have started showing up on a daily basis. They have started to ban
people from being in the area (Platzverweis), blocking the door. As an attempt to break isolation in
the neighbourhood, there has been autonomous Radio-Bingo sessions, weekly, coming from thebalconies of the front house and this has as well been boycotted by the pigs. How miserable can you
be to try to repress people in such a weak moment, where people are more vulnerable.
Of course, most of this controls have been taking place without any security measures from their
side. Unlike the humans, cops in this city are allowed to gather in groups, they can stay on the street
for many hours without a clear reason, and have contact with actual humans without gloves or
masks and they are not obliged to respect the security distance of min. 1,5m. Also, grabbing our
id’s with their dirty paws.
In the Berlin context, demonstrations need to be officially registered. This often results in the State
not allowing it to happen at all, or the route might get changed, or you will be probably surrounded
by hundreds of democracy armed warriors. Many of us ignore this stupid logic of asking the State
when and how we can show solidarity or bring our protests to the streets. However, now there is no
other choice than to break the law. Join the demonstrations, organise with your comrades and/or
neighbours, be creative. If you don’t feel comfortable with being in a group, you can always put a
banner in a bridge, spread your writings on your neighbourhood, throw stones at the cops, burn your
estate agents car, smash your favourite bank window, make a graffiti in front of a politicians
apartment or if you don’t have time to plan, just put a firekracker in your nazi neighbours mailbox
or dog shit on the door-handle of your bosses car.

For the solidarity among the oppressed and for the eternal misery for the oppressors.
Until all are free living in anarchy!