CONCERNING TWO ANARCHISTS AND A BANK ROBBERY

It's an old story, stuff of the last century. Two anarchists are arrested following a bank strike. The first robbed it, arm in hand. They say the second helped him by looking after the money. It happened in a small town in Greece on October 1. So? Such things happen.
And then that country is far away, with an incomprehensible untranslatable language. Who do you think will be interested? The robber is Christos Stratigopulos, already arrested and sentenced in Italy about fifteen years ago on a similar charge.
After doing his time he went back to Greece. Remembered by few, unknown to most..
The other arrested, on the other hand, is Alfredo Bonanno. Yes, him; who hasn't heard his name?
In its small way the news soon went round the world, thrown out by many press agencies: 'one of the major theoreticians of insurrectionalist anarchism', 'one of the major ideologues of anarchism', 'anarchist writer and activist', 'the fugitive international anarchist robber', 'theoretician of revolutionary violence'
has once again ended up in prison. The men of both Greek and Italian anti-terrorism rushed to the scene, ready to exploit the appetizing occasion.
All the elements for building a fine theorem are there: a country where there are still blazing hotbeds following the great insurrectional blaze that spread like wildfire last December, a Greek anarchist active in the movement, a foreign anarchist known for his anarchist theories who went around the country doing talks, a robbed bank.
Christos has taken full responsibility for the gesture that was motivated by economic necessity, denying any involvement of Alfredo. But the judge obviously didn't believe it. Both are therefore still in prison. The first, because he dared to stretch out his hand to take the wealth of the bosses rather than resign himself to a life of miseria. Moreover, he is an anarchist. The second because... because... because perhaps he helped his comrade. And it's sure that he is an anarchist. That is enough.
Outside, solidarity starts to be organised. Money starts to be gathered, initiatives are prepared. But not only. The two prisoners receive explosive greetings from Athens, from the group Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, just after disturbing the crowning of the new Greek prime minister. In Villejuif in France someone pays them homage by shattering the windows of the Socialist Party. One of the beauties of anarchism is that it does not recognise borders. And in Italy?
Well, here one limits oneself to communicating the news, reporting the press bulletins of the journalists faithfully and coldly. No comment. The extensors of the daily virtual communiques keep quiet. The hoers of their militant back gardens shut up. All quiet the little strategists of the correct alliances. The movement has become a community, anybody that doesn't share the rules and the language doesn't exist. They have no title. Those who are in a hurry to follow the masses have forgotten individuals? Perhaps it's better that way. Better a sincere silence, if in the face of such a deed one doesn't know how to say anything other than some hypocritical chatter about solidarity. Let's keep that for the misadventures of stalinists & various ruins. Or leave it to a few fascists of third millenium, who in one of their forums paid 'honour' to the two arrested anarchists.
It's old stuff, of the last century. Two anarchists arrested following a bank robbery. The first is 46 years old, the second, 72. Whether guilty or innocent, for their being anarchists they don't even have the mitigating circumstances of the infantile malady of extremism. Headstrong as they are, they haven't understood that it is time to ride the waves of the social movement, to make a presidium about who knows what in front of the places of power, to be social workers of the damned of the earth. No, they haven't understood. The dream they have in their hearts is too big to conform to the tick-tock of modern times.
No forgiveness, no mercy.
Addio Lugano bella.