From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: "International" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 21:24:25 -0400 To: "International" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Free Mario Bango! Stop racist attacks on Roma people! The International Action Center stands in solidarity with the following appeal, issued by the Mario Bango Defense Committee in the Slovak Republic. We urge our members and supporters to join in the international campaign for justice for Mario Bango and the Roma people. ***** FREEDOM FOR MARIO BANGO! STOP THE LYNCHINGS OF ROMA PEOPLE! THE OPPRESSED AND PERSECUTED HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES! To all militants for racial and social justice, to all opponents of fascism and racism! We ask you to support Mario Bango, an 18-year-old Roma activist in Slovakia who is facing 12 years in prison for defending his family against a racist assault. His case is symbolic of the plight of the Roma people, so-called "Gypsies," in East Europe today. Nearly six decades after perhaps 500,000 Roma were murdered by the Nazis, Roma people in East Europe are again afraid to walk the streets. As people of color, they have become the targets of a new Nazi movement that has arisen in that region over the past decade. They are beaten and murdered by "skinhead" youth gangs and are victims of official discrimination as well. Rightwing governments and political parties make them scapegoats for the devastating poverty and unemployment imposed on East Europe in the last 10 years by the policies of the International Monetary Fund. In reality Roma people have suffered the most from the economic catastrophe. They have the highest unemployment rate and the lowest income. Although Roma make up 9 percent of Slovakia's population, they comprise 40 percent of those in prison. On March 10, Mario, his brother Edo and their mother were riding on a bus in the largest high-rise estate [the largest housing project] of Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, when Edo was attacked by a young racist named Branislav Slamka. Mario came to his brother's aid and, in the course of the struggle, Slamka was stabbed fatally. The brothers themselves called the police and waited for them to arrive while the attacker was taken to a hospital. When their mother asked for water during the interrogation at the police atation she was called a "Gypsy c�t" by a policeman. This was not the first such attack suffered by the Bango family. In his early teens Edo was hospitalized after a beating by racist skinheads. Such tragic experiences have become routine for Roma people in Slovakia today. Mario was jailed immediately. When his attacker died several days later, Mario was charged with "causing injury leading to death." Although there are reports Slamka belonged to a Nazi organization, Slovakia's media (much of it owned by U.S. companies) and rightwing politicians have portrayed him as "an innocent boy attacked by Roma." Racist MPs in the Slovak parliament have portrayed the racist attacker as the "victim" and the Bangos as criminals who were trying to steal his wallet. They are using this tragedy to whip up a new hate campaign against Roma people and against Mario in particular. Mario's life has been threatened in prison. >From an early age Mario has been a fighter for justice and equality. Together with Edo he organized a youth march against fascism in Bratislava. In early September 2000, the brothers organized a demonstration against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a show of solidarity by Slovak youth with the planned protest against the IMF summit in Prague. The brothers went to Prague to protest against the IMF and took part in the peaceful blockade of the Nuselsky Bridge. Believing in working-class unity, Mario and Edo have supported the Slovak labor movement in its fight for decent wages and working conditions and have taken part in all major trade union rallies in Bratislava. They helped poor tenants in an industrial suburb of Bratislava resist eviction by a wealthy speculator who had bought their homes. Mario and Edo are also avid students of the history of Black and Native American people in the United States, which is so similar to that of the Roma people. Mario's life in the service of the oppressed has now been interrupted by the attack of a misguided racist. After one experience of a direct racist attack, after years of fear of skinhead attack, after years of nonstop stress while simply walking in the streets, after being forced to stay at home every night to avoid violence and after escaping several attempted attacks--a moment came which was inevitable sooner or later. Mario has been fighting for others for years. It is time now to express to him our thanks. Therefore we ask you to join us in demanding that the Slovak government drop all charges against Mario Bango. Please send protests and appeals for the release of Mario to the following addresses: Urad Vlady (The Office of the Government) Namestie Slobody 1 813 70 Bratislava, Slovak Republic Tel: 011 421 7 5729 5111 Fax: 011 421 7 5249 7595 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kancelaria Prezidenta Stefanikova 14, 814 38 Bratislava Tel: 011 421 7 5441 6624 email to the President's web site at http://www.prezident.sk, click on VIRTUALNA POSTA, THEN CLICK ON NOVY PRISPEVOK, which means new message. Please send letters of solidarity to PO Box 178 850 00 Bratislava 5, Slovakia email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mario's family is poor and has difficulty affording an attorney, bail and legal costs. Donations for his defense may be sent to the Friends of Mario Bango c/o International Action Center, 39 West 14 Street, New York, N.Y. 10010. Checks should be made out to the International Action Center with "free Mario Bango" written on the memo line. Funds will be forwarded to Slovakia. International Action Center 39 West 14th Street, Room 206 New York, NY 10011 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: http://www.iacenter.org CHECK OUT SITE http://www.mumia2000.org phone: 212 633-6646 fax: 212 633-2889 _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
