Letter from Austrian Prisoner: Kevin

Over 6 weeks have passed now since masked units with drawn guns have stormed into my flat, searched everything, put the dog that was living with me into an animal shelter and finally arrested me. Only bit by bit i realized the extent of those massive reprisals and that 23 flats were stormed and wrecked and 10 persons including good friends were arrested. Those massive interferences with privacy and lives were made possible by the dubious construction of a “criminal organisation”/§278a which we are rumored to have built and to be member of, respectively.

Only shortly after my arrest i noticed protests for the first time. But after i found out a few days later about how much solidarity was shown coming from many countries, it gave me great strength in here. I was very happy to see that such a criminalization of a social movement is not just taken and that people from most different political circumstances are getting active together and demonstrate solidarity.

The can is different than i had imagined and even if i miss freedom, friends, “my” dog and many more, i’m alright according to the circumstances. Spending 23 hours a day on few square meters, suddenly having to live a boring life without any autonomy, incarcerated behind metre high walls was something of a changeover i had to learn to adapt to. This succeeded somewhat good and so the recent extension of pre-trial detention couldn’t really throw me off track.

In the meantime i got TV, radio and a CD-player in my cell. In addition i was allowed to receive books for my schooling so i can also use my time for learning. But food bundles, books, magazines and CDs are
restricted to be sent to me and can only be bought over the prison. At present letters arrive at me with a delay of sometimes 1-2 weeks. I try to answer to them promptly but letter contact is difficult with such
delays.

The supply with vegan food and vegan products has become acceptable in the meantime. Like this for example it’s possible for me to buy soymilk and the like once per week.

I’d like to wholeheartedly thank everybody out there who organized demos, presentations, solidarity-parties or took part in them, those who printed shirts/patches and much else, sent letters and postcards, became hosts for the affected animals, repaired apartment doors, cleaned up apartments, payed rents and bills and much much more! Solidarity is more than just a word, you showed that clearly! Many thanks for that! …and I will probably never forget how the can silence was disrupted for the first time with the parole “Solidarity - you are not alone”!

Also many greetings from here to the others incarcerated and to all the people out there who do not close their eyes and put themselves out everyday once again for a different solidary world!

In a society where animals have no right to live and be unharmed at all, where they are incarcerated in livestock farms, laboratories and so-called furm-farms by the billions, murdered in the slaughterhouses,
their bodies dissected and made commodities… no, I won’t be silent about that and stop opposing it. Not even faced with massive repression, never! For every single one of them!

Kevin Kroemmer 04/07/2008