I started already to miss the days, in a while I suppose I will stop posting.
I remind to anybody reading these posts, that what is different in Greece after the first days of extensive riots is that everyday something is happening somewhere. It sounds so normal that I have to clarify it. Everyday is happening something that is totally out of the norm of Greece and especially of pre christmas greek attitudes. Small demonstrations, protests, activisms, building occupations, plenty radio station and tv station occupations, everyday all over Greece. Older people, leftists and anarchists cannot explain why it is happening now, they cannot believe how a generation, being thought lost in apolitical consumerism, is doing things that they dreamt and sometimes tried to do in their time. The majority of people, schoolchildren included, have returned to their everyday routines, life is going on uninterrupted. The media spend less and less time to the events, the people made peace again with their couch in front of their TVs, life continues. But there is something deeply changed, which is reported again and again. Small demos yesterday and today have been met mainly by positive acceptance by the local communities. The youths shout slogans that two weeks ago would be extremist, anarchist, dangerous, awful for the apolitical grown ups; now people seem to accept them as justified even if they do not participate in the protests.
For yesterday I would say that in Athens there were very few regional demos, in the centre there was mainly a 12 hour open air music gig at Propilaia, wih the participation of many known and unknown greek artists. While the audience was quite big, it wasn't as revolutionary as some people would like it. But for some people who are everyday in the streets protesting for the last two weeks, and breathing the most intoxicated and poisonous air that world has seen in periods of peace apart from occasions of nuclear accidents, some fun cannot be perceived as a crime. And I believe that the proof is that today was not a peaceful day. The post below, found in English in Athens Indymedia will inform you more for yesterday's actions.
Today was, I think after a call by greek protesters, the international day against the police violence and authoritarianism. The paradox of such a day is that it means plenty of police violence and state authoritarianism.
In the centre until a while ago (01:00, 21/12) there were clashes between protesters and riot police in the area of Exarhia. At 21:00 there was an arranged protest at the point in that area that the 15 year old was murdered on 6/12. Sources speak for plenty of people attending and a massive presence of riot police all over around. The clashes started after a while and the rioters moved towards the Polytechnic School. Residents ask from anybody that can hear them (not the government or the police or the media) for the police to stop using that many amount of tear gas, people loose their senses, people cannot breathe in their houses, lot of fears are about children and babies. Although the clashes continued around the Polytechnic, sources say that lot of people stayed on the streets of Exarhia.
Earlier today, in Sintagma square there was an activist protest. They asked from people to go to the Christmas tree of the square and put on their garbage. Police attacked the protesters with tear gas and then surrounded the tree offering for a second time one of the most ridiculous images of the last days (the first time you can admire in the photo of my previous post). Later they attacked again the protesters and according to one of my sources they arrested nine persons.
Demos organised today at Propilaia (an antiracist rally), at Vironas, Halandri, Gkizi/Poligono, Nea Smirni, Petralona. A protest was reported in Brahami.
Two Athenian radio stations were occupied for a while.
People invaded a super market at Agios Panteleimonas and took foodstuff.
A group of protesters attacked with petrol bombs the building of "Teiresias" (Teiresias is the national banking credit control system; it is where people's possibility to pay for their mortgages are collected defining their future rights to take money from banks).
Another group invaded in the statistical company/market reviewing/oppinion polling MRB Hellas and the call centre of OTE (Organisation of Greek Telecommunications) and they gave to the employees there a political text for the latter's employment status (flexible, part time, low paid work).
In the rest of Greece
In Thessaloniki a group of protesters occupied one cinema (that is still on occupation) and two radio stations. Aslo some people threw cakes against the mayor of Thessaloniki, in Aristotelous square.
A police car was set alight in Kavala
In Ioannina protesters occupied the municipal radio of the town
A small protest was organised also in Edessa
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Greece 19/12
This is a post I found in English in Athens Indymedia for Friday's events in Greece
In the morning, the kids from the schools of Peristeri, where the second 16year old was shot 2 days ago, had a solidarity gathering and demonstration. Students also held a demonstration in Piraeus.
In the afternoon from 3pm till very late at night, a big open-air solidarity/benefit show at Propylea took place. More than 30 artists and bands were playing and thousand of people attended.
Some photos of the show: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950727#951302
Around midday, 20-40 people attacked the French Cultural Institute in Athens and a nearby bank and wrote slogan on the walls such as: "Spark in Athens. Fire in Paris. Insurrection is coming" and "France, Greece, uprising everywhere". This act was in solidarity with the arrestees there (accused for solidarity acts and sabotage of the railways) and the French students who are in the streets too these days.
In the evening, in Aigaleo, 100 anarchists demonstrated. They broke many bank windows and their surveillance cameras, wrote slogans on the walls and attacked the two riot squads in front of the local police station.
Moreover, during the premier of a play in a central theater, 40 people got on stage and unfolded a banner that read “Everyone on the streets, Free all the arrested now”. They left shortly after while some of the attendants applauded.
A demonstrations took place in Lamia and a gathering in Larissa.
In Chania, a group of 50 people occupied a local tv station and played a 20 minute long video about the killing and the events that are following and then left.
In Giannena a solidarity show took place. In the same city, during the small hours of Friday, two banks were attacked, one of which inside the university.
Arson attacks also happened in Kavala and Aigio. Two cars were set alight in Thessaloniki and two in Patras.
Some major news-websites today insist that one of the cars burnt in Patras is the car of Athanasios Melistas, the cop which shot in the back of the head and killed the 15 year Mihali Kalteza at Exarchia in 1985. The killing was followed by heavy riots and social revolt, just like today and the cop then was set free by the “justice” system. For 2 decades now rumors are going around about where Melistas is, some say that he had left the country. If the car was his and if he now lives in Patras is still unknown.
The students don't seem to plan to go back to the classrooms any time soon. According to OLME (the syndicate of school teachers), 800 schools across the country are occupied by the pupils.
The tactic that the police follows in every demonstration is the same: They throw large amounts of chemical gas and when the protesters and passersby try to escape from the gas, struggling to get some air, the riot squads attack and arrest anybody. Usually the ones who get arrested are not the fighting ones but those who stayed behind because they know that they've done nothing wrong. But the cops don't care about that. Later the cops agree with each other and give identical testifies against the arrestees, saying that they were caught while throwing rocks and molotov coctails. The charges held against the arrestees are very severe and are not based on any evidence, just on the false testifies by the cops. One of the victims of this tactic, was arrested after the demonstration yesterday in Athens. The 23 year old man was arrested and heavily beaten by the cops (he was carried to the hospital later) and he is now facing severe felony charges. This is one of the hundreds similar cases but the difference is that the man mentioned is doing his military (mandatory for every greek man). There are at least 3 eyewitnesses which are saying that he was just observing the fights and he was trying to get away from the chemicals that the cops threw when he was arrested and brutally beaten.
During the big demonstration yesterday, photographers caught the riot police spraying with teargas an elderly passerby lady: http://katalipsisxolistheatrou.blogspot.com/2008/12/blog-post_19.html
Photos of the big concert that took place in Thessaloniki on Thursday: http://katalipsisxolistheatrou.blogspot.com/2008/12/blog-post_952.html
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Athens 18/12
Today it was a peaceful day. Apart from Athens. Just for the info, in Athens lives the half of the population of this small country. It is a five million people city in an eleven million country. When I say peaceful I mean there were no big demonstrations in other cities.
In Athens there were three big demonstrations today.
The first was a rally organised by the "people of education", school and university teachers, university students and some school children. It was quite massive, some sources spoke for ten thousand protesters. It started at Propilaia and ended there as well after going through Panepistimiou street and Stadiou street in Sintagma square, in front of the greek parliament. Once again police decided to attack the protesters in front of the parliament with wholly new chemicals (the last days there were reports that were saying that tear gas was finishing, today's reports by protesters were saying for very heavy poisonous gases that left people unable to breathe, with heavy nausea that continued many hours after their contact with them). In Sintagma square some protesters tried to burn the new christmas tree of the Municipality of Athens (the previous one was burnt on previous Monday I think), but riot police right away went there and surrounded it to protect it. After the first clashes on Sintagma square the demonstration continued towards Propilaia, where new large scale clashes started from a group that later went towards the University of Law near by. The main part of today's riots happened around and in front of the Law School (I will post some photos today instead of trying to put it in words). Earlier there were six arrests reported by the media but later police announced only three; Two of the first ones are definitely unjustified, with videos proving that policemen just caught innocent people that were near them or passers by
-The second demonstration today again in central Athens was an antiracist rally organised by political groups of immigrants and greek groups of solidarity to immigrants. Today it was the international day of immigrants and Greece unfortunately is one of the worst european countries for an immigrant to live. Especially the last days, it was for the police and for fascist organisations a good opportunity to revive the deeply xenophobic sentiments of greek society; a great number of the arrested these days were immigrants accused for stealing and looting from smashed stores. Of course I don't have to remind to any of us that stealing apart from a criminal activity of organised mafia groups is a social necessity for people that do not have equal rights, jobs, food etc. The latter have of course the right to die homeless by hunger, but personally I would not criminalise the ones that chose not to. The demonstration tried to go outside the headquarters of the European Union in Athens but police decided to deny them the right to demonstrate and they stayed mainly near Sintagma square.
-The third protest was originated by a very serious event that happened last night in Peristeri. A seventeen year old kid was shot by an unidentified gun (and shooter) on the hand. The kid, member of his school assembly, was discussing with colleagues today's participation to protests. There are many scenarios as to who shot the boy but in these days nobody trusts the police to solve such a suspicious crime (as there are thoughts that it could be another psychopath policeman once again following orders). The massive demonstration walked through streets of Peristeri peacefully.
I am sorry for not having news for the rest of Greece but the last days I don't have much time to group the info properly and this is why I post this thread one day later. Some photos from today and some links to photos below
Riot police protect amid tear gases the Christmas spirit in Sintagma square
Photos mainly from today's demonstration here and here, more of the riots here and here
This belongs to a nice b/w series from Thessaloniki (not from today) which you can see here
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Greece 17/12
I said yesterday that things seem to calm down. Actually I made a mistake also for the antiracist rally in Athens that is for tomorrow and not today. But. Everyday there is something going on somewhere, that is not similar to what is going on in Greece usually. Today in three occasions I think there were protests in small Greek cities (no Athens, not Thessaloniki) by anarchists and anti-authoritarians who systematically attacked only banks. I suppose there is not much to say as to why these bad people attack to these good companies, that exist only to make our lives better. I would like to learn though what the local people there believe for these -I think- justified actions, because usually they don't like them, but these days it seems that some old truths have changed.
In Athens there was a demonstration in the centre of Athens organised by the Communist Party of Greece. It started from Omonoia square and ended at Sintagma square. Unfortunately I don't have any more info for it because the media that I read deeply dislike the practices and the real ideologies behind the words of the leaders of this party. And i don't blame them (the media) because they have some very good reasons that I share. The only problem is that now I don't have info for today's demo. The only thing that I can say is that it was quite massive
-In the morning there was a protest mainly by school students outside the courts of Evelpidon. Some sources say that the children were attacked while they were leaving, some others deny it
-The building of the General Confederation of Workers was occupied today
-In Halandri a quite massive demonstration walked through parts of the area that are not used to protesters, then they went to the police station and threw some objects, they left and then returned and threw some more stuff and after that they were attacked by riot police with grenades of sound/light and tear gases.
-In Kaisariani and Vironas a big demonstration was attacked without reason by the police, the demonstrattors occupied after that the townhall of Kaisariani, which they left later as a group altogether.
-Protests by school children at Vrilissia and at the police station of Neos Kosmos
-Protests also at Nea Philadelphia and Agias Paraskevis square
-In Monastiraki square protesters burnt symbolically some TVs
-A police bus was attacked and set alight in the area of Ampelokipoi
In Thessaloniki it was a peaceful day with protests arranged at Ano Poli and Sikees. A group of activists invaded a big super market in the area of Stavroupoli and stole big amounts of food products that they then offered to residents in the near by farmers' market (Actually there are the last months some groups mainly in Athens and Thessaloniki who do exactly this. They take stuff from super markets and they give it to the people near by. Weirdly enough apart from the people who witness these events and are always positive of these actions, the mainstream media are also positive towards these activists, and they name them modern robin hoods. The groups of course hate this characterisation because it means that few heroes help the poor while what they want to do is to show that what is denied from the people the latter have the right to demand and take it, even illegally).
In the rest of Greece
In the city of Patras a group of protesters demonstrated against the lawyer Alexis Kougias (who defends the murderer cop), who was at the city because he bought the half of a football team there. An interesting info published in Indymedia is that Panahaiki (the team) was originally created by 19th century local anarchists, who used the legal sports organisation as a way to meet each other in Patras; back then it was mainly a chess team. And this is why the team nowadays continues to wear red and black colours
In Ioannina protesters occupied for few hours the townhall
In the island of Santorini, residents occupied from today indefinitely the Revenue Department of the island to protest for the shipwrecked Sea Diamond that is abandoned for almost one and a half years in the bottom of the local sea
Protests there were also today in Lamia and in Iraklio (Crete).
In Athens there was a demonstration in the centre of Athens organised by the Communist Party of Greece. It started from Omonoia square and ended at Sintagma square. Unfortunately I don't have any more info for it because the media that I read deeply dislike the practices and the real ideologies behind the words of the leaders of this party. And i don't blame them (the media) because they have some very good reasons that I share. The only problem is that now I don't have info for today's demo. The only thing that I can say is that it was quite massive
-In the morning there was a protest mainly by school students outside the courts of Evelpidon. Some sources say that the children were attacked while they were leaving, some others deny it
-The building of the General Confederation of Workers was occupied today
-In Halandri a quite massive demonstration walked through parts of the area that are not used to protesters, then they went to the police station and threw some objects, they left and then returned and threw some more stuff and after that they were attacked by riot police with grenades of sound/light and tear gases.
-In Kaisariani and Vironas a big demonstration was attacked without reason by the police, the demonstrattors occupied after that the townhall of Kaisariani, which they left later as a group altogether.
-Protests by school children at Vrilissia and at the police station of Neos Kosmos
-Protests also at Nea Philadelphia and Agias Paraskevis square
-In Monastiraki square protesters burnt symbolically some TVs
-A police bus was attacked and set alight in the area of Ampelokipoi
In Thessaloniki it was a peaceful day with protests arranged at Ano Poli and Sikees. A group of activists invaded a big super market in the area of Stavroupoli and stole big amounts of food products that they then offered to residents in the near by farmers' market (Actually there are the last months some groups mainly in Athens and Thessaloniki who do exactly this. They take stuff from super markets and they give it to the people near by. Weirdly enough apart from the people who witness these events and are always positive of these actions, the mainstream media are also positive towards these activists, and they name them modern robin hoods. The groups of course hate this characterisation because it means that few heroes help the poor while what they want to do is to show that what is denied from the people the latter have the right to demand and take it, even illegally).
In the rest of Greece
In the city of Patras a group of protesters demonstrated against the lawyer Alexis Kougias (who defends the murderer cop), who was at the city because he bought the half of a football team there. An interesting info published in Indymedia is that Panahaiki (the team) was originally created by 19th century local anarchists, who used the legal sports organisation as a way to meet each other in Patras; back then it was mainly a chess team. And this is why the team nowadays continues to wear red and black colours
In Ioannina protesters occupied for few hours the townhall
In the island of Santorini, residents occupied from today indefinitely the Revenue Department of the island to protest for the shipwrecked Sea Diamond that is abandoned for almost one and a half years in the bottom of the local sea
Protests there were also today in Lamia and in Iraklio (Crete).
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Greece 16/12
The situation seems to be cooling down. I could say that already the last three days show that less people participate in the demonstrations and we do not see/read/or hear anymore for simultaneous attacks in more than fifty police stations all over Greece by schoolchildren, which was the reality on Monday 8/12, two days after the murder of the 15 year old. Now it seems that the demos and the protests are coming from more conscious minds. Parliamental Greek left tries to use the riots politically for the next elections, the non parliamental left also wishes that the last days' riots will lead to a more organised political movement against the cruelties of capitalism. Anarchists and anti authoritarians continue their fight against the system, having some new heroes in their memories. The first days there were slogans, there was rage and violence but there were not any demands. Now that the situation is calmer there are demands. The first is that these policemen shall get punished in the same way that any other criminal murderer would; no discounts and no more excuses in their justice. The second is that the police will have to change; no more guns to possible murderers. The third is for the arrested of these last days, most of them either immigrants or underage or both, or greek adults, to be set free; almost all of them were arrested without reason and even the ones that did something illegal it was in a state of political turmoil and they cannot be accused as common criminals. The fourth (that is more a demand of the parliamental and non parliamental left, but not only) is for the government to resign. The fifth (that is more a far left one) is for the riot police to get disbanded, as they historically and illegally abuse and violate and injure protesters, while the latter never do anything so serious against the personal safety and health of anybody. There are also some voices who demand for the poisonous and carcinogenic chemicals that are used from the police as weapons of crowd control to stop being used as they are illegal in war time, but legal in peace time. Although nothing spectacular happened today in Greece, there is this feeling on the air that nothing is over yet. Tomorrow there is a big antiracist rally in Athens and on Thursday there are plenty of rallies all over Greece, included some called by school and university students and their teachers, while there is an effort for the day to get declared a national strike day
Today we could say that the main public event in Athens was the protest that has been arranged by the Assembly of Residents of Exarhia (the area where the kid was murdered) early in the evening (18:00). Approximately a thousand people protested near the police station of the area, demanding the disarment of the police and for the riot police to stop being (everyday for the last ten years) present in their area. The protesters remained there for a couple of hours waiting for the riot police to leave, but finally they stopped their protest. Another highlight of the day was the occupation for a minute of the afternoon news program of the state TV channel NET (the video of which you can see at the end of the post).
Two hundred persons protested at Sintagma square in front of the new christmas tree of the Municipality of Athens (the previous was burnt last week and was replaced today).
An attack was reported against the central offices of the riot police in Zografou with petrol bombs
There were planned demos and protests at the courts of Evelpidon, at Koridallos, at Agios Dimitrios and Sepolia. There was also a protest by unemployed people outside the Ministry of Employment.
In the rest of Greece
In the city of Patra a quite massive protest walked through the city, some banks were smashed
In Hania (Crete) school children protested in big numbers without any attacks from the police.
In Thessaloniki today it was the final day of the trial of six policemen accused for the violent irrational attack against the Cypriot student Avgoustinos Dimitriou. The decision was once again an insult to the greek justice, with the police men getting very light punishment with the right to lodge an appeal, which means that at the end they will set free. Protesters who were in front of the courts were outraged of the result and attacked the police there, and then they demonstrated in the city.
In Crete there were protests in Iraklio for the arrested of the previous days and in Rethimno by school students
There was also a protest in Arta by school pupils.
This is the video from the today's occupation for a minute of the state controlled public funded channel NET.
The prime minister Kostas Karamanlis can be heard saying in the Greek parliament, with the members of parliament of his own party cheering and clapping (151 of 300): "Our position is crystall clear. We will not allow the distortion of reality, we will not make Greece a hostage of a sad story, we will not participate in low quality political games that aim to the criminalisation of the political life of the country". Then there is the voice of the reporter of the channel who is making a briefing of what the prime minister said and the image from the parliament fades out and we see the protesters in the studio who hold three banners. The big one says: "Stop Watching. Everybody, get out in the streets." The upper left says: "Set free the arrested now". The upper right says: "Freedom to us all."
Freedom to us all...
Today we could say that the main public event in Athens was the protest that has been arranged by the Assembly of Residents of Exarhia (the area where the kid was murdered) early in the evening (18:00). Approximately a thousand people protested near the police station of the area, demanding the disarment of the police and for the riot police to stop being (everyday for the last ten years) present in their area. The protesters remained there for a couple of hours waiting for the riot police to leave, but finally they stopped their protest. Another highlight of the day was the occupation for a minute of the afternoon news program of the state TV channel NET (the video of which you can see at the end of the post).
Two hundred persons protested at Sintagma square in front of the new christmas tree of the Municipality of Athens (the previous was burnt last week and was replaced today).
An attack was reported against the central offices of the riot police in Zografou with petrol bombs
There were planned demos and protests at the courts of Evelpidon, at Koridallos, at Agios Dimitrios and Sepolia. There was also a protest by unemployed people outside the Ministry of Employment.
In the rest of Greece
In the city of Patra a quite massive protest walked through the city, some banks were smashed
In Hania (Crete) school children protested in big numbers without any attacks from the police.
In Thessaloniki today it was the final day of the trial of six policemen accused for the violent irrational attack against the Cypriot student Avgoustinos Dimitriou. The decision was once again an insult to the greek justice, with the police men getting very light punishment with the right to lodge an appeal, which means that at the end they will set free. Protesters who were in front of the courts were outraged of the result and attacked the police there, and then they demonstrated in the city.
In Crete there were protests in Iraklio for the arrested of the previous days and in Rethimno by school students
There was also a protest in Arta by school pupils.
This is the video from the today's occupation for a minute of the state controlled public funded channel NET.
The prime minister Kostas Karamanlis can be heard saying in the Greek parliament, with the members of parliament of his own party cheering and clapping (151 of 300): "Our position is crystall clear. We will not allow the distortion of reality, we will not make Greece a hostage of a sad story, we will not participate in low quality political games that aim to the criminalisation of the political life of the country". Then there is the voice of the reporter of the channel who is making a briefing of what the prime minister said and the image from the parliament fades out and we see the protesters in the studio who hold three banners. The big one says: "Stop Watching. Everybody, get out in the streets." The upper left says: "Set free the arrested now". The upper right says: "Freedom to us all."
Freedom to us all...
Monday, 15 December 2008
Greece 15/12
Athens
A small protest has been called this morning at the courts, where4 of the arrested in the previous days' riots were transferred to testify to the public attorney (in the radio it was heard that finally they were kept in custody until their trial).
At 12:00 there was a sitting protest outside the General Police Divion of Athens mainly by school students. Sources spoke for massive attendance of at least a thousand people. There was a disproportionate big presence of riot police. Around 14:00 the police decided to end the totally peaceful until then protest. They attacked to the crowd in front of the general division who broke in two parts. In the part that was pushed violently towards the Kifissias av. the police arrested two school children, the second was reported beaten severely after he was caught and was thrown tear gases on the face while on the ground. Another girl was reported beaten by the police.
At 16:00 there was a protest at Propilaia, arranged by musicians. Sources spoke for 500 persons playing music and dancing in Panepistimiou str. A while ago (17:40) it was reported that riot police surrounded them while they were playing music, threw them tear gases and beat them. At 18:00 there was another demo planned to start from Propilaia. From a camera positioned at Sintagma square, it seemed that it was quite massive, but unfortunately I cannot find anything else about it. The only info is that it ended without any attacks from the police.
School children demonstrated earlier today in the streets of Kalithea. They went from the townhall to the police station of the area. Small scale clashes with the children throwing fruits and the riot police answering with "grenades of sound/light".
Some clashes also earlier today outside the prison of Koridallos. School children assembled there for a protest, threw rocks and the police answered with the aforementioned grenades and tear gases.
A protest of school students was reported also in front of the police station of Pagkrati
Thessaloniki
Today the townhall of Sikees was occupied
Rest of Greece
In Mitilini (Lesvos) a group of protesters occupied at the same time three radio stations for a short period of time
In Crete: Iraklio - a quite big demo of school and university students. Hania - sitting protest of school students. Rethimno - occupation for a while of a radio station.
A small protest has been called this morning at the courts, where4 of the arrested in the previous days' riots were transferred to testify to the public attorney (in the radio it was heard that finally they were kept in custody until their trial).
At 12:00 there was a sitting protest outside the General Police Divion of Athens mainly by school students. Sources spoke for massive attendance of at least a thousand people. There was a disproportionate big presence of riot police. Around 14:00 the police decided to end the totally peaceful until then protest. They attacked to the crowd in front of the general division who broke in two parts. In the part that was pushed violently towards the Kifissias av. the police arrested two school children, the second was reported beaten severely after he was caught and was thrown tear gases on the face while on the ground. Another girl was reported beaten by the police.
At 16:00 there was a protest at Propilaia, arranged by musicians. Sources spoke for 500 persons playing music and dancing in Panepistimiou str. A while ago (17:40) it was reported that riot police surrounded them while they were playing music, threw them tear gases and beat them. At 18:00 there was another demo planned to start from Propilaia. From a camera positioned at Sintagma square, it seemed that it was quite massive, but unfortunately I cannot find anything else about it. The only info is that it ended without any attacks from the police.
School children demonstrated earlier today in the streets of Kalithea. They went from the townhall to the police station of the area. Small scale clashes with the children throwing fruits and the riot police answering with "grenades of sound/light".
Some clashes also earlier today outside the prison of Koridallos. School children assembled there for a protest, threw rocks and the police answered with the aforementioned grenades and tear gases.
A protest of school students was reported also in front of the police station of Pagkrati
Thessaloniki
Today the townhall of Sikees was occupied
Rest of Greece
In Mitilini (Lesvos) a group of protesters occupied at the same time three radio stations for a short period of time
In Crete: Iraklio - a quite big demo of school and university students. Hania - sitting protest of school students. Rethimno - occupation for a while of a radio station.
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Greece 14/12
Athens
A protest has taken place (18:00-20:00) at the point where the 15 year old was murdered in Exarhia, that was arranged by the Assembly of Residents of Exarhia. There was a planned demo at 20:00 at Petroupoli for which I don't have any info at the moment (23:00). Today there were reported three occupations of Athenian radio stations for short time periods, Best Fm, En Lefko and Athina 9,84 (the radio of the municipality of Athens), situated in Maroussi, Neo Psihiko and Gkazi respectively. The occupations of the old townhall of Halndri and and the townhall of Agios Dimitrios continue. The three occupations of universities in the centre of Athens (Athens Polytechnic, ASOEE and University of Law, links to their blogs) continue to work as nuclei of alternative awareness of the public
Thessaloniki
There was a planned a "motor driven" demo (with bikes, motorbikes and cars) at 13:00. It started from the School of Theatre, which is also under occupation these days and central to the protests. The demonstration passed mainly by the west parts of the city (Neapoli, Polihni, Stavroupoli, Evosmo, Eptalofo, Ksirokrini).
Other cities
Planned demos or sittings protests that took place today in the cities: Kerkira (Corfu), Volos, Patra, Iraklio (Crete), Hania (Crete, a music gig), Ksanthi
A protest has taken place (18:00-20:00) at the point where the 15 year old was murdered in Exarhia, that was arranged by the Assembly of Residents of Exarhia. There was a planned demo at 20:00 at Petroupoli for which I don't have any info at the moment (23:00). Today there were reported three occupations of Athenian radio stations for short time periods, Best Fm, En Lefko and Athina 9,84 (the radio of the municipality of Athens), situated in Maroussi, Neo Psihiko and Gkazi respectively. The occupations of the old townhall of Halndri and and the townhall of Agios Dimitrios continue. The three occupations of universities in the centre of Athens (Athens Polytechnic, ASOEE and University of Law, links to their blogs) continue to work as nuclei of alternative awareness of the public
Thessaloniki
There was a planned a "motor driven" demo (with bikes, motorbikes and cars) at 13:00. It started from the School of Theatre, which is also under occupation these days and central to the protests. The demonstration passed mainly by the west parts of the city (Neapoli, Polihni, Stavroupoli, Evosmo, Eptalofo, Ksirokrini).
Other cities
Planned demos or sittings protests that took place today in the cities: Kerkira (Corfu), Volos, Patra, Iraklio (Crete), Hania (Crete, a music gig), Ksanthi
Athens 13/12
At the moment (14:05) approximately 1000 people mainly school and university students are on the square. 200 riot policemen appeared from all directions and the protesters are enraged and shout slogans against them. (16:49) most of the protesters are on the square in front of the riot police, shouting slogans and demanding from the police to leave. A smaller group does the same on the steps that lead from the tube station to the street in front of of the square. (21:21) People are still on Sintagma square with riot police in front of them, no clashes were reported today there, apart from the intense hour I mentioned above when riot police appeared in the area. At approx 02:00 riot police surrounded the protesters and pushed them out of the Sintagma square opposite to the square over the tube station. One hour later at 3, again the police tried end the protest, they used some violence to achieve it, a girl lost its senses, finally the people left.
(21:21) A protest has been arranged at the point where the 15 year old was murdered one week ago, near Exarhia square
(same time) a while ago in Patission street there was an attack at the Ministry of Environment and Public Building. Also it was reported that a couple of banks and a McDonalds were smashed.
(22:32) A group of around 100 people attacked the police station of Exarhia. Now there are clashes with the police in the area (23:30) Clashes with the police outside the Polytechnic in Stournari street.
(22:50) a demonstration that was heading towards Psirri area, irrelevant with the previous events in Patission street, Sitagma Square and Exarhia was attacked without any obvious reason with grenades of light/sound and tear gases by riot policemen. Psirri is one of the most popular entertainment areas of Athens. (23:30) there is unconfirmed info that groups of this demonstration are being violently chased (00:00) The groups that were divided by the riot police are once again together demonstrating in Thissio, Dionisiou Aeropagitou str. (3:00) Some 50 people were reported taken by the police to the General Police Division of Athens for identification and few hours later were set free. Some of the arrested said that they were beaten by the police
(21:21) A protest has been arranged at the point where the 15 year old was murdered one week ago, near Exarhia square
(same time) a while ago in Patission street there was an attack at the Ministry of Environment and Public Building. Also it was reported that a couple of banks and a McDonalds were smashed.
(22:32) A group of around 100 people attacked the police station of Exarhia. Now there are clashes with the police in the area (23:30) Clashes with the police outside the Polytechnic in Stournari street.
(22:50) a demonstration that was heading towards Psirri area, irrelevant with the previous events in Patission street, Sitagma Square and Exarhia was attacked without any obvious reason with grenades of light/sound and tear gases by riot policemen. Psirri is one of the most popular entertainment areas of Athens. (23:30) there is unconfirmed info that groups of this demonstration are being violently chased (00:00) The groups that were divided by the riot police are once again together demonstrating in Thissio, Dionisiou Aeropagitou str. (3:00) Some 50 people were reported taken by the police to the General Police Division of Athens for identification and few hours later were set free. Some of the arrested said that they were beaten by the police
Saturday, 13 December 2008
demos 13/12
Known planned demonstrations for today:
Athens
-- Halandri (the protesters went to the police station of the area and shouted slogans against the police violence. In Halandri the old townhall is occupied from yesterday)
-- Zografou
-- Peristeri
--- Sintagma square (protest by school and university students, teachers, workers etc is on now, 15:50, around 500 people are in front of the square)
Thessaloniki
Patra
Ioannina
Tripoli
Athens
-- Halandri (the protesters went to the police station of the area and shouted slogans against the police violence. In Halandri the old townhall is occupied from yesterday)
-- Zografou
-- Peristeri
--- Sintagma square (protest by school and university students, teachers, workers etc is on now, 15:50, around 500 people are in front of the square)
Thessaloniki
Patra
Ioannina
Tripoli
Friday, 12 December 2008
"Individual events" of greek police cruelty, 1996-2006
This is a text taken from the Athens Indymedia website. It is a catalogue almost only as you will see about murders inflicted by policemen since 1996, it doesn't include all the killings from 1974 when Greece became a democracy in her modern history (in previous greek democracies through the 20th century, apart from the dictatorships of course, communists were illegal so I can not accept the constitutions as democratic). It doesn't include also the everyday insults that some people receive in their contacts with the police or the extended abuses, vocal or physical, that riot police men systematically inflict towards demonstrators or unlucky passers-by. This bloody catalogue proves the opposite of what the present government of greece has named “individual events”. This was an unlucky statement that the events of police violence are individual and disconnected between each other. Of course it has to be reminded that whatever the government (of the right wing Nea Democratia now or the so-called socialists PA.SO.K/Greek Socialist Party before them) the greek police remained all these years violent and in these respects illegal, which shows in my opinion the degree of democracy that this country has managed to achieve in real terms.
20/1/96 While police was “wiping” (arrest to deport) immigrants in Scala of Oropos (central Greece) policeman Dionisis Karakaidos killed an Albanian immigrant.
6/4/96, Policeman Savas Agapiou murders the 25 year old Apostolis Keramidas
14/6/96 The rural police officer Athanasios Matos murders the 20 year old Fadil Nabouzi, for two watermelons
5/6/96, the policeman Iraklis Nikolakopoulos kills Giorgos Fragkogiannis
23/6/96, The anarchist Hristoforos Marinos is being murdered by special forces in the cabin 53 of the boat Pegassos
10/11/96, the traffic police officer Dim. Trimis kills the Roma Tasos Mouratis, who was down the ground on standstill
8/2/97, 19 year old Erion looses his life by a “ricochet” (this is the most common excuse in the court, alongside the accidental pulling of trigger because the policeman lost his balance) from the gun of the policeman Miltiadis Andreopoulos
15/4/97, Policeman Stergios Tagaras murders two Albanians in the city of Kastoria
25/5/97, 28 year old Filippos Papadopoulos is being shot countless times by port policemen who chase him because he took for a ride an abandoned fishing boat.
3/8/97, 26 year old Ilias Meksis was murdered by the policeman Tsagrakos, because he was driving opposite in a one-way street.
18/3/98, 29 year old farmer Giannis Kehaitis is being murdered “accidentally” by border policemen near the city of Kastoria
2/4/98, 29 year old roma Aggelos Tzemal is being shot dead by a policeman in Thessaloniki
27/5/98, 30 year old Efstratios Kirellis was murdered in the area of Ksanthi by police
5/6/98, 28 year old Bokari Baho shot dead by border police. They shot on the air to scare him
October '98, Polish Sbobek Miesic dies in the cells of Meligalas, because police contrary to the orders of a doctor denied to transfer him to a hospital
23/10/98 17 year old Serb school student Marco Boulatovic is being shot dead in Thessaloniki by the policeman Vandoulis because he was “suspect of stealing” (the kid was with a serbian school visiting Greece)
27//1/99, The Policeman K. Toltsidis murders 23 year old G. Migkipis in Thessaloniki.
13/3/99, In the city of Kozani the policeman Athanasios Kanavas murders the Albanian Arben Vezi
16/7/99, Police murders the Albanian Arben Soufa in the city of Florina
16/1/00 24 year old roma Th. Vasilopoulos is murdered by a policeman in Aspropirgos outside Athens
19/1/00, 20 year old Romanian Vasilie Ion is being murdered by policemen in Vathis square (Athens)
22/2/00, Policeman kills the Romanian Nicolai Gorea in Petroupoli (Athens)
25/3/00, 17 year old Nikos Leonidis is shot dead by the plain clothes policeman Atmatzidis in Thessaloniki
20/2/01, 23 year old Mih. Kivotos dies in Koridallos' prison. He had heart problems and a serious form of anaemia, but the prison officials ignored his demands to to get transfered to a hospital
24/10/01, The policeman G. Tilianakis murders in Zefiri (Athens) the 21 year old roma Marinos Hristopoulos
21/11/01, The police man Giannis Rizopoulos murders the 20 year old Albanian Sedak Selnikou in Amerikis square (Athens).
1/12/01, Border policemen shoot against two young Albanians in a small border village of Thesprotia. The one dies.
23/9/03 18 year old Albanian Voulnet Bititsi shot dead by a border policeman in his attempt to cross the greek albanian borders
7/5/03 “Mysterious” death of the 25 year old Aristidis Neofotistos in the police station of Nea Philadelphia (Athens). He went in for an “identification” and left tortured and dead
24/9/03 Border policemen who were chasing immigrants, cross the borders at Ierapigi of Kastoria and kill a 18 year old Albanian
9/12/03 22 year old Iraklis Maragkakis fell dead from police bullets because the car he was in didn't stop in a police barricade at Anogeia of Rethimno (Crete)
13/1/04 42 year old Mohamet Hamout dies from “natural causes” while he was in custody in the police station of Rethimno (Crete). The forensic evidence showed abuse and beatings.
13/3/04 In the cells of the police station of Vironas (Athens), the 36 year old Polish Gianteous Kotseva, who waits for his deport, dies under unknown circumstances.
21/12/04 A group of 15 policemen of the police station of Vironas cruelly abuse at least 40 Afgan immigrants (denuding, beating of fingers/”falagga”, virtual shootings, and hard beating)
17/11/2006 . Cypriot student Augoustinos Dimitriou is cruelly beaten by 8 plain clothes police without any reason in Thessaloniki. Policemen state that that he fell and got injured on a “zarntiniera”, a thing where they plant trees on the street. Unfortunately for them there is a TV camera that recorded the whole event.
We do not forget
16/11/1980 Stamatina Kanelopoulou and Iakovos Koumis are beaten to death by riot police in the annual rally in honour of the Polytechnic School revolt of 1973
17/11/1985. 15 year old Mihalis Kaltezas was shot dead on the back by the policeman Athanassios Melistas. The murderer policeman was declared innocent.
Some actions from December 12
Text in English found (13/12) in Athens Indymedia, about the events of Friday
Some actions from December 12
In Athens and the surrounding regions: There was a march at Omonia at noon of thousands of people, which the police met with tear gas and flash bang grenades. At one point as the march passed by the offices of Kougias, the lawyer for the police officer who killed Alexandros, the offices were broken into and trashed. At Stadiou and Korai Streets, riot cops arrested and beat a 13 year old girl, journalists caught it on video and were themselves threatened and beaten by police.
Additionally there was a gathering at Syntagma Square at 3:30 p.m., a bicycle action at 9:30 p.m., and a sit-in at Syntagma Square at 10 p.m. There was a march at 10 a.m. of high school students in Palio Faliro which ended up at the police station there. At 1 p.m. there was a gathering of workers in psychiatric units for children and adolescents, in front of the police department in Chalandri. About 300 people marched in Agios Dimitrios at around 8 p.m.
In other locations: At 6 p.m. there was a march starting at Kamara (Thessaloniki) during which the offices of LAOS and New Democracy were attacked, with many supporters in the area applauding and cheering the demonstrators, and at 6:30 a gathering and protest at the Labor Center of Thessaloniki. In Patra at a demonstration a student was injured by tear gas that caused a serious skin reaction, in Leros middle school and high school students demonstrated, in Volos people marched and the police used tear gas, in Giannena people marched with no police present, and, with no police to provoke them, there were no disturbances. In Ilioupoli, two young students at a protest blocking the road were struck by a car which then took off, and the license plates were later found to be unregistered.
A map of schools and universities taken over by students has been started at http://www.edopolytexneio.org/, while a radio station and a television station were even taken over for a short time, with information and statements about the murder of Alexandros and the use of police in service of state repression.
These and many other actions took place in the cold and rain. A new round of marches and gatherings is set for Saturday, December 13.
The police say that they are running out of tear gas, having used 4600 cannisters in this one week, and they are trying to get more from foreign sources. There are over 170 arrests so far in Athens alone.
Some actions from December 12
In Athens and the surrounding regions: There was a march at Omonia at noon of thousands of people, which the police met with tear gas and flash bang grenades. At one point as the march passed by the offices of Kougias, the lawyer for the police officer who killed Alexandros, the offices were broken into and trashed. At Stadiou and Korai Streets, riot cops arrested and beat a 13 year old girl, journalists caught it on video and were themselves threatened and beaten by police.
Additionally there was a gathering at Syntagma Square at 3:30 p.m., a bicycle action at 9:30 p.m., and a sit-in at Syntagma Square at 10 p.m. There was a march at 10 a.m. of high school students in Palio Faliro which ended up at the police station there. At 1 p.m. there was a gathering of workers in psychiatric units for children and adolescents, in front of the police department in Chalandri. About 300 people marched in Agios Dimitrios at around 8 p.m.
In other locations: At 6 p.m. there was a march starting at Kamara (Thessaloniki) during which the offices of LAOS and New Democracy were attacked, with many supporters in the area applauding and cheering the demonstrators, and at 6:30 a gathering and protest at the Labor Center of Thessaloniki. In Patra at a demonstration a student was injured by tear gas that caused a serious skin reaction, in Leros middle school and high school students demonstrated, in Volos people marched and the police used tear gas, in Giannena people marched with no police present, and, with no police to provoke them, there were no disturbances. In Ilioupoli, two young students at a protest blocking the road were struck by a car which then took off, and the license plates were later found to be unregistered.
A map of schools and universities taken over by students has been started at http://www.edopolytexneio.org/, while a radio station and a television station were even taken over for a short time, with information and statements about the murder of Alexandros and the use of police in service of state repression.
These and many other actions took place in the cold and rain. A new round of marches and gatherings is set for Saturday, December 13.
The police say that they are running out of tear gas, having used 4600 cannisters in this one week, and they are trying to get more from foreign sources. There are over 170 arrests so far in Athens alone.
Thessaloniki 12/12
Information from the demonstration in Thessaloniki this evening. Massive participation of people in a tottally peaceful until now demonstration with riot police following closely the protesters. The demonstrators continue a tactic from yesterday, they are walking through parts of the city that are not used to see demonstrations. Witnesses from yesterday and today speak for residents on their balconies cheering the protesters and swearing against the police. The demo ended without any problems (21:38)
athens 12/12
A quite big demonstration of school teachers, pupils and university students is going on in Athens. Some info speak for 10,000 participants. Few leftist journalists say that when they tried to approach riot police that was holding and beating a 13 year old girl in to protect her with their cameras, the riot police attacked them and beat them. Riot police is attacking schoolchildren without any real reason near Korai street and they arrested some of them, In general the last days, whenever policemen appear somewhere near the demonstration, usually clashes against them start. The demonstration now (14.00) is calmer again and is on Stadiou street.(14.47) Huge amounts of tear gases are falling against the massive demonstration (new estimates increase the participants to 15 even 20 thousand people) in Sintagma square. Schoolchildren reply with rocks and fruits against fully equipped riot police. (15.00) Clashes with predominant the tear gases continued after Sintagma in Panepistimiou str. Some people reported getting fainted by the gases, one pupil fell in front of policemen who left her there until protesters went to offer first aid. (15:40-16:00) Clashes outside the Law School, a petrol bomb fell on a riot policeman who was set alight, but the info say that he is ok. (17:00) a small group of people attacked and smashed the office of the lawyer Alexis Kougias, who defends the accused policemen (and who said that "justice will show if Alexis had to die or not" and on a tv channel that "his death was a will of God")
(14.30) In Vouliagmenis avenue a private car ran over two schoolchildren who were protesting with their colleagues. The kids are reported being lightly injured. Witnesses took note of the plates of the car and they discovered that they are not registered. So they speak possibly for a secret agency's car or something similar.
Public stand on the events
It is difficult to assess what the people who do not participate in the events believe for the realities of the last days.
There are countless reports of people living in areas where there are clashes with the police, who from their balconies shouted against the cops, or in the streets cheered for the protesters. In one occasion it was written that residents around Exarhia square, where the 15 year old was murdered in cold blood on Saturday 6/12, were throwing objects and water from their houses against the riot police that was chasing protesters in the small streets of the area. Another common image reported these days is residents demanding from the riot police forces to leave their area because they believe that their presence is responsible for most of the clashes.
On the other hand, in the extensive protests that happened on Monday in Athens, there were countless attacks against banks, public buildings and multinational companies. But alongside these aimed attacks, there were reported many attacks to smaller stores and extensive looting and stealing of the holdings of these stores.
The government and the media right away started using the chaotic scenes of blind destruction against private property as a propaganda against the thousands of people in the streets. The government has managed to avoid mentioning even once that the police violence and the history of policemen set free (and still being policemen today) after murdering innocent citizens and immigrants is mainly responsible for the riots. A while ago the prime minister Kostas Karamanlis repeated again this thesis. He spoke for blind violence of extremists. From what I republished from yesterday and today, I suppose that it is obvious that these "blinded extremists" are schoolchildren, teachers, university students, workers, unemployed and others who either demonstrate peacefully until the riot police attack them with tear gases, or when they retreat to violence this violence is attacks with stones and fruits against police stations and riot police. The 90% of the fires the last three days are garbage bins set alight to "burn" the tear gases and help the people breathe. Of course there are few petrol bombs being thrown against the riot police (who cannot be burnt by the way) and sometimes there are accidental burnings of cars that are next or in front the riot police. But also there are testimonies for riot police smashing car windows or store windows either by throwing their "bombs of sound/light" (there are many injured protesters from direct shooting of these bombs towards the crowds) or intentionally to use the damages as propaganda against the protesters.
Apart from this propaganda that all clashes are produced by extremists it is reported in many greek cities, that the police or other people say to the merchants of the city and other residents that buses full of monstrous anarchists are going to their city to smash all their stores and they ask them either to stay in their houses or to go to protect their properties. In one city they have been told that groups of anarchists are coming from Italy! In some occasions this propaganda worked; angry residents attacked with the police peaceful demonstrators because the latter intended to smash their properties. But in other occasions it was reported that after the residents realised that nobody came to destroy their city and the local demonstrators either didn't do anything but protesting peacefully or they just attacked the local police station or the riot police without any damage of private properties, the residents became suspicious of the police.
Another occasion of criminal activity of the police these days was to let members of fascist organisations to act freely around some cities. Sometimes neonazi were seen attacking alongside riot policemen against demonstrators. Especially in Athens and the city of Patras, there were serious injuries from neonazi. In Athens there were reported two knife attacks, luckily the victims survived. The links of Greek police with fascist and neonazi organisations have been published many times in the past by specific journalists. Few months ago, in a neonazi rally in Athens, where antifascists assembled to protest against them, the riot police attacked the latter alongside with knife holding neonazi, in front of TV cameras. Nobody was punished from the police once more.
As I said the governmental propaganda is shared by the media as well. Greek tv follows an old tradition of showing on screen only the scenes of violence from a demonstration. There are 50 thousand people protesting for example for three hours in the centre of Athens; if a group of 50-100 persons start throwing petrol bombs, the program stops and there is direct image from the demonstration, analyses on violence, why the police doesn't arrest them and stuff like that. If nothing happens, if there is any report, it is for less than a minute. The viewers, the people who these days haven't been anywhere close the places where there are demonstrations have no idea of what is really happening, apart from images of burnt cars and buildings. Police violence is being projected as an answer to all these extremists. So the the Greek TV participates in this plan of the government to scare the citizens to stay in their homes and to believe that some psychopaths are destroying their country.
On the other hand though, these days amateur videos and photos, but also professional photographers and cameramen managed to capture live policemen aiming with guns or shooting on the air, people dressed as extremist rioters talking with the police, neonazi alongside plain cloth policemen and riot police holding clubs, neonazi holding knifes outside the polytechnic school etc. And especially the professional works (for example the one with the riot policeman aiming with a gun. A note: the photographer got fired because the photo found its way internationally) managed to get published not only in Greece but outside of there as well. But even the amateur works made it to greek tv, which shows that when there are spectacular proofs, that can serve the role of commercial tv, these proofs make it to the mainstream media.
So did you manage to understand what the majority of people believe for all these events? Neither do I, ask them. Next post will be a translation from a big catalogue of victims of police cruelty the last decade after I inform todays news.
There are countless reports of people living in areas where there are clashes with the police, who from their balconies shouted against the cops, or in the streets cheered for the protesters. In one occasion it was written that residents around Exarhia square, where the 15 year old was murdered in cold blood on Saturday 6/12, were throwing objects and water from their houses against the riot police that was chasing protesters in the small streets of the area. Another common image reported these days is residents demanding from the riot police forces to leave their area because they believe that their presence is responsible for most of the clashes.
On the other hand, in the extensive protests that happened on Monday in Athens, there were countless attacks against banks, public buildings and multinational companies. But alongside these aimed attacks, there were reported many attacks to smaller stores and extensive looting and stealing of the holdings of these stores.
The government and the media right away started using the chaotic scenes of blind destruction against private property as a propaganda against the thousands of people in the streets. The government has managed to avoid mentioning even once that the police violence and the history of policemen set free (and still being policemen today) after murdering innocent citizens and immigrants is mainly responsible for the riots. A while ago the prime minister Kostas Karamanlis repeated again this thesis. He spoke for blind violence of extremists. From what I republished from yesterday and today, I suppose that it is obvious that these "blinded extremists" are schoolchildren, teachers, university students, workers, unemployed and others who either demonstrate peacefully until the riot police attack them with tear gases, or when they retreat to violence this violence is attacks with stones and fruits against police stations and riot police. The 90% of the fires the last three days are garbage bins set alight to "burn" the tear gases and help the people breathe. Of course there are few petrol bombs being thrown against the riot police (who cannot be burnt by the way) and sometimes there are accidental burnings of cars that are next or in front the riot police. But also there are testimonies for riot police smashing car windows or store windows either by throwing their "bombs of sound/light" (there are many injured protesters from direct shooting of these bombs towards the crowds) or intentionally to use the damages as propaganda against the protesters.
Apart from this propaganda that all clashes are produced by extremists it is reported in many greek cities, that the police or other people say to the merchants of the city and other residents that buses full of monstrous anarchists are going to their city to smash all their stores and they ask them either to stay in their houses or to go to protect their properties. In one city they have been told that groups of anarchists are coming from Italy! In some occasions this propaganda worked; angry residents attacked with the police peaceful demonstrators because the latter intended to smash their properties. But in other occasions it was reported that after the residents realised that nobody came to destroy their city and the local demonstrators either didn't do anything but protesting peacefully or they just attacked the local police station or the riot police without any damage of private properties, the residents became suspicious of the police.
Another occasion of criminal activity of the police these days was to let members of fascist organisations to act freely around some cities. Sometimes neonazi were seen attacking alongside riot policemen against demonstrators. Especially in Athens and the city of Patras, there were serious injuries from neonazi. In Athens there were reported two knife attacks, luckily the victims survived. The links of Greek police with fascist and neonazi organisations have been published many times in the past by specific journalists. Few months ago, in a neonazi rally in Athens, where antifascists assembled to protest against them, the riot police attacked the latter alongside with knife holding neonazi, in front of TV cameras. Nobody was punished from the police once more.
As I said the governmental propaganda is shared by the media as well. Greek tv follows an old tradition of showing on screen only the scenes of violence from a demonstration. There are 50 thousand people protesting for example for three hours in the centre of Athens; if a group of 50-100 persons start throwing petrol bombs, the program stops and there is direct image from the demonstration, analyses on violence, why the police doesn't arrest them and stuff like that. If nothing happens, if there is any report, it is for less than a minute. The viewers, the people who these days haven't been anywhere close the places where there are demonstrations have no idea of what is really happening, apart from images of burnt cars and buildings. Police violence is being projected as an answer to all these extremists. So the the Greek TV participates in this plan of the government to scare the citizens to stay in their homes and to believe that some psychopaths are destroying their country.
On the other hand though, these days amateur videos and photos, but also professional photographers and cameramen managed to capture live policemen aiming with guns or shooting on the air, people dressed as extremist rioters talking with the police, neonazi alongside plain cloth policemen and riot police holding clubs, neonazi holding knifes outside the polytechnic school etc. And especially the professional works (for example the one with the riot policeman aiming with a gun. A note: the photographer got fired because the photo found its way internationally) managed to get published not only in Greece but outside of there as well. But even the amateur works made it to greek tv, which shows that when there are spectacular proofs, that can serve the role of commercial tv, these proofs make it to the mainstream media.
So did you manage to understand what the majority of people believe for all these events? Neither do I, ask them. Next post will be a translation from a big catalogue of victims of police cruelty the last decade after I inform todays news.
outside athens 12/12
Information for planned demonstrations today, at the moment includes protests in the cities of Serres, Irakleio (Crete), Kozani, Mitilini (Lesvos) and Volos. Two planned demonstrations in Thessaloniki. Estimates for the demonstration yesterday (11/12) in thessaloniki speak for 3000 people.
estmate number of arrests
Approximately 300 people have been arrested all over Greece the last four days. This number doesn't include the persons taken from the police to the police stations for the so called “identification”, which is is one of the fascist practices of Greece police, and consequently of the Greek state for all the years after 1974 irrespective of government. This number is at least three times more than the final arrests. “Identification” is called the procedure, when a policeman decides that there are (hidden from you) reasons to take you to a police station. They put you for a couple of hours in a small room (the cell of the station) to wait for the security services to inform the specific station if you have done anything in the past and have not being arrested. And then they set you free. So usually "identification" is used as a punitive method against teenagers as exactly the same job can be done in five minutes through the police car radio.
The numbers are estimate, if there is a safe publication with the total numbers of arrests all over greece, I will post it later
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Occupied universities and schools
A big number of the greek universities are occupied all over Greece by students and approximately 120 high-schools are occupied as well, by their pupils. Many university departments decided for new or extended occupations after todays student conventions, and others will have their conventions to decide for future protests and occupations tomorrow.
From tvxs.gr, 11/12/2008
Below are the brief news that were published in the website TVXS.gr until now (22:17). They are only from today. If I have time later or tomorrow I will add info from previous days as well. I will post in this thread more news that will come up from this source later. The time in all the posts is the Greek time (GMT +2).
11:45 At this time protests of school children at Korydallos, Argyroupolis, Helioupoli, Haithari, New Smyrne, Galatsi avenue, Polytechnic School Heroes street in Piraeus, Pericleus street in Holargos, and at the police station of Halandri. Mesogeion avenue is closed both ways near the Ethniki Amyna tube station by schoolchildren on sitting protest.
11:49 Clashes at the Halandri police station. There is info for an old person injured accidentally by a stone
11: 59 Police used tear gases to school children's protest outside the Korydallos' prison. At the moment Gr. Labrakis street is closed
12:14 School children protests are continuing at this point at the following places:
New Smyrne: Demonstation is going on towards the police station of the area. Tram route has closed at this point
Peristeri: demonstration from 150-200 persons on Pan. Tsaldaris street
Glyfada: small demonstration on El. Venizelos street, near the cemetery
Melissia: Schoolchildren at this moment are protesting in front of the police station
Pefki: demonstration towards the police station of the area
Ano Patissia: Protest outside of the Agias Lavras street police station
Mesogeion avenue: sitting protest is continuing
Piraeus: group of schoolchildren is outside the General Police Division of Piraeus
Gerakas: Marathonos avenue is closed both ways
Korydallos: Serious clashes between schoolchildren and police forces are continuing outside the prison. Riot police uses tear gases
Clashes were reported earlier outside the police stations of Glyfada, Helioupolis and Halandri
12:59 Protest outside the police station of Grava (Patissia). Small scale clashes with the police.
13:00 Symbolic closure of Amalias avenue outside the greek parliament, at this moment.
13:10 At this moment, five youths who were arrested at the Saturday riots are defending themselves. They face serious charges of felony. (14:02 the five youths who were arrested near the Exarchia area (centre of athens) were put on remand).
13:35 Clashes between police and schoolchildren continue at Korydallos. “Rain” of tear gases is falling against the children.
13:58 Amalias avenue (parliament) is still closed. Panipistimiou av. (Centre) is also closed. Heroon Polytehneiou street in Piraeus stays also closed. Mesogeion av. stays closed at the aforesaid point. Thevon av. closes for some periods outside the TEI (Technological education universities).
14:06 All roads open, except the one in Piraeus.
14:09 Five arrests outside the General Police Division of Piraeus during todays clashes. A woman was injured accidentally by a stone. Police used tear gases.
14:12 On remand were put the 8 arrested persons from the city of Larissa
14:27 The lawyer of the second accused policeman for the murder of the 15 year old (who is accused for being an accessory to the murder), Mrs Salavrakou, stated that she resigned for ethical reasons from the defence. She also said that this accused declared his regrets for his act to the public attorney. (In the official defendant's plea, that was published by the lawyer Alexis Kougias yesterday, there was no mention of sorry or regrets)
14:42 Schoolchildren are protesting outside the police stations of Voula, Vironas, Glyfada, Peristeri, Pefki, Kifissia, Alimos and Galatsi.
Earlier in the morning there were protests in the police stations of Halandri, Agios Dimitrios, Aigaleo, Kolonos, Helioupolis, Petroupolis and the general divisions of Piraeus and SouthEast Attiki
14:56 the two accused for the murder of the 15 years old Alexis Grigoropoulos policemen, It was decided to be transferred to a prison outside of Attiki (Greater Athens)
16:33 The situation is calming down outside the General Police Division of Piraeus, after the 5 youths arrested there earlier were set free. The children are leaving from Koridallos prison where they were protesting since the morning
18:59 A group of anarchists attacked to the offices of the newspaper “Macedonia”, in the city of Thessaloniki. The youths broke the window glasses, destroyed the accounting office and the call centre. They also damaged the radio station situated in the basement of the building. In a photo there can be seen members of the group holding a banner with the slogan “Tramps, Narks, journalists” (me, “Αλήτες, Ρουφιάνοι, δημοσιογράφοι”: an old slogan used not only by anarchists and in many respects is totally justified in the Greek reality of controlled media and their everyday lies)
18:28 Demonstrators are assembling for the planned demonstration with starting point at Propylaia, in the centre of Athens. At the moment they are around 1000 people. (19.00) More than a thousand people are walking towards the Greek Parliament. Slogans against the police, there is not any act of violence. (19:38) danger for clashes for a while, near the Kotzias square. Albeit the intense moments, the demonstrators managed to avoid the clashes. Riot police came for a while close to the demonstration but later they stayed a bit further away. (20:05) A while ago, the situation intensified when the demonstrators approached the parliament. The clashes started when the riot police used tear gases against the protesters, when the latter walked up the Stadiou street. Some demonstrators “replied” to the policemen throwing red paint. Now the spirit have calmed down. (20:20) A small group of demonstrators threw stones at the corner of Omirou and Panepistimiou streets. The main body of the protesters is going towards the Polytechnic Univerity. (20:55) The main body of the demonstration has left. The students from the Law University of Athens are going to their university (near by) that is occupied by students all these days. Small scale clashes continue in Propilaia.
20:27 Outside the occupied building of the Law School of the city of Komotini (north east greece, in the region of Thrace) members of the neonazi organisation Hrisi Augi (Golden Dawn), alongside with plain cloth policemen and a big number of riot police have surrounded the building and demand from the students to go out to fight. Supposedly they are angry because of possible clashes the demonstrators want to have. In the demonstration that happened in the city earlier and ended in the Law School there was not at all any act of violence from the part of the demonstrators.
20:56 The occupation of the building of Nomarhia (something between a county and mayor area, in Crete there are three, I think) Irakliou (Crete) by protesting students has ended.
20:59 The police forces threw tear gases in the Panepistimio tube station. The employees were forced out of the station to manage to breathe.
11:45 At this time protests of school children at Korydallos, Argyroupolis, Helioupoli, Haithari, New Smyrne, Galatsi avenue, Polytechnic School Heroes street in Piraeus, Pericleus street in Holargos, and at the police station of Halandri. Mesogeion avenue is closed both ways near the Ethniki Amyna tube station by schoolchildren on sitting protest.
11:49 Clashes at the Halandri police station. There is info for an old person injured accidentally by a stone
11: 59 Police used tear gases to school children's protest outside the Korydallos' prison. At the moment Gr. Labrakis street is closed
12:14 School children protests are continuing at this point at the following places:
New Smyrne: Demonstation is going on towards the police station of the area. Tram route has closed at this point
Peristeri: demonstration from 150-200 persons on Pan. Tsaldaris street
Glyfada: small demonstration on El. Venizelos street, near the cemetery
Melissia: Schoolchildren at this moment are protesting in front of the police station
Pefki: demonstration towards the police station of the area
Ano Patissia: Protest outside of the Agias Lavras street police station
Mesogeion avenue: sitting protest is continuing
Piraeus: group of schoolchildren is outside the General Police Division of Piraeus
Gerakas: Marathonos avenue is closed both ways
Korydallos: Serious clashes between schoolchildren and police forces are continuing outside the prison. Riot police uses tear gases
Clashes were reported earlier outside the police stations of Glyfada, Helioupolis and Halandri
12:59 Protest outside the police station of Grava (Patissia). Small scale clashes with the police.
13:00 Symbolic closure of Amalias avenue outside the greek parliament, at this moment.
13:10 At this moment, five youths who were arrested at the Saturday riots are defending themselves. They face serious charges of felony. (14:02 the five youths who were arrested near the Exarchia area (centre of athens) were put on remand).
13:35 Clashes between police and schoolchildren continue at Korydallos. “Rain” of tear gases is falling against the children.
13:58 Amalias avenue (parliament) is still closed. Panipistimiou av. (Centre) is also closed. Heroon Polytehneiou street in Piraeus stays also closed. Mesogeion av. stays closed at the aforesaid point. Thevon av. closes for some periods outside the TEI (Technological education universities).
14:06 All roads open, except the one in Piraeus.
14:09 Five arrests outside the General Police Division of Piraeus during todays clashes. A woman was injured accidentally by a stone. Police used tear gases.
14:12 On remand were put the 8 arrested persons from the city of Larissa
14:27 The lawyer of the second accused policeman for the murder of the 15 year old (who is accused for being an accessory to the murder), Mrs Salavrakou, stated that she resigned for ethical reasons from the defence. She also said that this accused declared his regrets for his act to the public attorney. (In the official defendant's plea, that was published by the lawyer Alexis Kougias yesterday, there was no mention of sorry or regrets)
14:42 Schoolchildren are protesting outside the police stations of Voula, Vironas, Glyfada, Peristeri, Pefki, Kifissia, Alimos and Galatsi.
Earlier in the morning there were protests in the police stations of Halandri, Agios Dimitrios, Aigaleo, Kolonos, Helioupolis, Petroupolis and the general divisions of Piraeus and SouthEast Attiki
14:56 the two accused for the murder of the 15 years old Alexis Grigoropoulos policemen, It was decided to be transferred to a prison outside of Attiki (Greater Athens)
16:33 The situation is calming down outside the General Police Division of Piraeus, after the 5 youths arrested there earlier were set free. The children are leaving from Koridallos prison where they were protesting since the morning
18:59 A group of anarchists attacked to the offices of the newspaper “Macedonia”, in the city of Thessaloniki. The youths broke the window glasses, destroyed the accounting office and the call centre. They also damaged the radio station situated in the basement of the building. In a photo there can be seen members of the group holding a banner with the slogan “Tramps, Narks, journalists” (me, “Αλήτες, Ρουφιάνοι, δημοσιογράφοι”: an old slogan used not only by anarchists and in many respects is totally justified in the Greek reality of controlled media and their everyday lies)
18:28 Demonstrators are assembling for the planned demonstration with starting point at Propylaia, in the centre of Athens. At the moment they are around 1000 people. (19.00) More than a thousand people are walking towards the Greek Parliament. Slogans against the police, there is not any act of violence. (19:38) danger for clashes for a while, near the Kotzias square. Albeit the intense moments, the demonstrators managed to avoid the clashes. Riot police came for a while close to the demonstration but later they stayed a bit further away. (20:05) A while ago, the situation intensified when the demonstrators approached the parliament. The clashes started when the riot police used tear gases against the protesters, when the latter walked up the Stadiou street. Some demonstrators “replied” to the policemen throwing red paint. Now the spirit have calmed down. (20:20) A small group of demonstrators threw stones at the corner of Omirou and Panepistimiou streets. The main body of the protesters is going towards the Polytechnic Univerity. (20:55) The main body of the demonstration has left. The students from the Law University of Athens are going to their university (near by) that is occupied by students all these days. Small scale clashes continue in Propilaia.
20:27 Outside the occupied building of the Law School of the city of Komotini (north east greece, in the region of Thrace) members of the neonazi organisation Hrisi Augi (Golden Dawn), alongside with plain cloth policemen and a big number of riot police have surrounded the building and demand from the students to go out to fight. Supposedly they are angry because of possible clashes the demonstrators want to have. In the demonstration that happened in the city earlier and ended in the Law School there was not at all any act of violence from the part of the demonstrators.
20:56 The occupation of the building of Nomarhia (something between a county and mayor area, in Crete there are three, I think) Irakliou (Crete) by protesting students has ended.
20:59 The police forces threw tear gases in the Panepistimio tube station. The employees were forced out of the station to manage to breathe.
Intro
I will try here to publish info published in alternative greek media, as most of the well known newspapers and tv channels from Greece and the rest of the world continue to offer official and established distorted views on what is happening at the moment in greece. I am not in Greece at the moment so I will translate news from the above independent media; Not analyses, no political texts, mostly unfiltered news, except if I have some time to spend to describe aspects of the greek reality. Some english articles of collected events of the last days and some opinions you can find in English Indymedia and the Occupied London Blog
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