THEY BEGAN THEIR UNJUST PRISON SENTENCE ON THE MORNING OF THE 10TH OF JULY
As we all dreaded, our comrades began their prison sentence earlier today (10th of July). This morning, they turned themselves in at the prison gate, surrounded by their family members and loved one and assisted by their lawyers. Thus, they began their 3 years and a half sentence.
For those who are not familiar with the case, let´s say, in a nutshell, that these events are the culmination of a process of constant judicial abuses that has lasted several years. It all began with a comrade´s complaint of harassment and failure to respect her labour rights against the owner of La Suiza, a bakery in the Northern city of Xixón, in Asturias. As a result of this conflict, CNT, to which our comrade belonged, organized several pickets and rallies outside the premises. According to the shop owner, these caused him great damage, for which he in turn filed a complaint against the union. This led to a legal ordeal lasting several years, culminating today with the imprisonment of our 6 comrades.
It should be noted that the employer never alleged assault, threats, or violent behaviour during the rallies, only the harm that these supposedly caused to his business. We can draw two conclusions from this: the first one is that rallies and pickets do more harm to employers than they are willing to admit. The second is that, if the peaceful defence of our labour rights is going to end in prison sentences, someone could just as well resort to other means, ending with the same outcome. We are not saying that this should be done, only that someone might entertain that thought. It seems that the bunch of far-right judges and business owners who have gotten involved in this case have not thought this through.
We are waiting for the CNT or for our colleagues to issue a statement on the matter. In the meantime, we can only express our strongest rejection of these events and urge you to stay tuned for further announcements. Now more than ever
¡Hacer sindicalismo no es delito!
¡Compañeras no estáis solas!
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