Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:15 pm Post subject: Greek austerity riots/occupations as IMF tears Greece apart
This is posted by a Leftist Punk Band I have no other details!
Greek Police kill 15 year old boy - Riots are starting
New rules of engagement for capitalist police. You throw a bottle, they shoot to kill. Resist now, or we are next.
Around 10 o'clock tonight (7/12) a police car was making its regular runs around Eksarchia Square in the center of Athens. The area of Eksarchia has always been a focal point for radical leftists and has a tradition of militant political activity. Police presence in the area is always vigilant and the cops who patrol the streets of Eksarchia are always trigger-happy and act like they are in occupied territory.
Some comrades saw the police car and decided to openly declare their opposition to its provocative presence in the square. They threw some stones and a few bottles of water against the pigs and told them to leave. The cops who were riding in the squad-car, are part of a new elite police unit, the “blue-suits”, which has been created for the specific purpose of taking repressive measures against militant demonstrators. They are specially-trained and politically indoctrinated.
Two of them got out of the car. They threw flashbang grenades against those present in the square and one of them pulled his gun and shot in cold blood the 15-year old in the stomach. Apparently, their orders are to respond with full force against anything they might interpret as “provocation”. The youngster died 15 minutes after he was transferred to the hospital. His name was Grigoropoulos Andreas and he is the latest victim in a long list of state-murders.
Comrades are assembling everywhere in Greece to avenge the murder of Andreas and make the b****** pay. Athens will see no peace until his death is vindicated. _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
Nationwide rioting has broken out in Greece after police shot dead a 15-year-old boy in Athens. Rioting began in the capital and quickly spread to the northern city of Thessaloniki and even to the islands of Crete and Corfu.
More than 1,000 people protested in Greece's second city, Thessaloniki. The protestors attacked department stores, banks, police stations and other public buildings. Riots were also reported in the university towns of Patras, Komotini, Heraklion Ioannina and Chania on Crete.
In Athens, the rioting quickly spread to Monistiraki, one of the main tourist districts, and to Ermou, a major shopping street. Buildings next to the ancient monument of Hadrian's Library were burning on Sunday morning.
Sunday saw renewed demonstrations and clashes with the police. Police fired tear gas into a crowd in Thessaloniki that chanted, “Murderers in uniform.”
At least 20 stores were burnt out, according to the Athens fire service.
“We've never seen anything like this,” an anonymous senior police officer told reporters. “The tension is so thick you can almost cut it with a knife.”
Two police officers have been arrested and one senior precinct officer suspended in connection with the shooting of the boy, according to the Greek authorities.
The boy, Andreas Grigoropoulos, was killed in the Exarchia district of Athens at about 10 p.m. on Saturday. His death was followed by rioting as protestors sent text messages to rally support.
Police allege that he was one of a group of youths who were throwing stones at a police car. One police officer is alleged to have fired a stun grenade, and another got out of the car with a gun and shot the boy in the chest. Witnesses claim that the police officer took aim at the boy. One witness took a video of the incident. The boy died before he arrived at hospital.
On Sunday afternoon, several thousand people gathered to march to the main Athens police station. John Gelis, a 28-year-old psychologist, described the mood. “The feeling is anger. A kid was killed just like that. It's a sign of arrogance by the police. It's an act against democracy.”
Exarchia is home to the Polytechnic, the university that was the centre of opposition to the military junta that ruled Greece until 1974. The army stormed the Polytechnic with tanks on November 17, 1973, killing 40 protesting students.
Feelings were already tense because of this anniversary. Clashes took place between demonstrators and the police outside the US embassy in November.
The Polytechnic sits in a deprived working class and student district where many of the youth identify themselves as anarchists. The incident in which the boy was killed was one of many clashes between local youth and the police in recent months. Social tensions have reached a peak because of the growing division between the rich and poor in Greek society.
The police normally exercise a policy of caution in Exarchia. “The police stay out of certain areas, unless there's a major emergency, and the anarchists don't trash things badly unless there's a good reason,” Brady Kiesling, a former US diplomat, told reporters. But “once someone gets killed, the doctrine is massive retaliation.”
The last fatal shooting of a minor in Greece took place in 1985. That also sparked off extensive rioting. It lasted for several months. The latest incidents are the most severe rioting since 1999, when demonstrators protesting at President Clinton's visit clashed with police. The Financial Times suggests that the riots are the worst since the Second World War.
Social tensions have been sharpened by the economic programme of the conservative New Democracy government of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. The political standing of the government has been further tarnished by a land scandal.
Social conditions for the majority of the population are dominated by rising inflation and high unemployment. The government is under pressure from Brussels to cut its budget deficit, which is higher than that allowed in the Eurozone. Karamanlis has embarked on a programme of attacking pensions and job security. His measures have sparked off a number of strikes. The government has attempted to divert social tensions into ethnic rivalries by targeting refugees and migrants.
While the majority of the population are suffering deteriorating social conditions, a small minority are benefiting from land speculation. Recent wildfires have been associated with developers who want to build hotels and holiday complexes in protected forest land.
Two senior ministers have been forced to resign over a scandal involving a land swap by a Greek Orthodox monastery. Karamanlis, who has only a two-seat majority, refused to accept the resignation of his interior minister after the boy's shooting.
.
Dozens of people including police have been injured in a second day of rioting in Greece.
Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Phillips reports from Athens where dozens of shops and cars have been burned as protesters showed their anger over the police killing of a 15-year-old boy.
Link _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
Greeces Soros 'Revolution'?
It could be the Soros Orange Revolution version for Greece.
Government embassies occupied by 10 people and tv stations by a
similar number with many buildings burning overnight are indications
that Athens is under attack. This does not occur by molotov cocktails
as they do not have that type of power. Car lots have burnt with 40
odd cars, museums etc.
This reminds one of the US invasion of Baghdad.
No Embassy can be occupied by 10 people its ridiculous. They are let
in to burn the Greek flag so it is flashed around the world. For the
worlds mass media to promote it, something else is up.
The aim is of course to bring to power the Soros founded Sinaspismos
and Papandreous son the American George with the aim of getting rid of
the gas deals with Russia.
A popular movement involves workers and unions. They have so far been
absent. Wednesday is a scheduled general strike. If the govt resigns
by then and cancels the general strike it will appear that the 'mass
movement' achieved a victory.
In scale the mobilisations in 1991 when a teacher was killed as a
result of the student occupation brought 150k on the streets. 4 people
died when a building burnt and the police refused to put it out after
hours.
In 1985 another student was killed after the Polytechnic demo. This
time originally the media stated he was an 'anarchist' but is a son of
a banker and a jewellry store owner from the rich northern suburbs of
Athens.
Not is all what it seems. A provocation though can rebound.
Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 18335 Location: St. Pauls, Bristol, England
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:50 pm Post subject:
What are the Greek riots really about?
We've been told that the ongoing riots in Greece were prosecuted by anarchists as a reaction to the Greek police's shooting of a 15 year old boy on Saturday.
But is this really what lies behind such an outpouring of civil unrest? Is the official reason for the rioting just a cover to paper over some real problems facing the Greek government? Take a look at the common thread in all of these reports:
Associated Press: Burning barricades stretched across streets in the capital Athens. And as night fell, gangs again torched stores and smashed bank branches in the city center, and clashes broke out in the streets near Parliament.... Violence often breaks out between riot police and anarchists during demonstrations in Greece. Anarchist groups are also blamed for late-night firebombings of targets such as banks and diplomatic vehicles.
Xinhua: Fires were burnt in the center of Athens and hundreds of people were wandering through the streets, some attacking banks, businesses and vehicles.
Reuters: Protesters angry at the boy's shooting late on Saturday clashed with police and rampaged through Athens, destroying banks, shops and torching cars. There was no official estimate of the damage, expected to come to millions of euros.
Torching banks? Clashes near Parliament? Attacking diplomatic vehicles? Yesterday, I heard that ten banks had been attacked, and it seems strange that all of this is happening solely over last Saturday's shooting. Indeed, it is a perfect pretext for the Greek authorities and the media - not to mention their counterparts over here - who fear that their cosy relationship with the international clique of banking criminals may result in them hanging from shiny lamp-posts from Washington to Dublin to Sydney.
The funny thing is that the recent headlines in Greece are similar to those in Ireland:
All of Greece's major Greek lenders will participate in the government's bank support plan aimed at ensuring the continued flow of credit to the economy, the country's finance minister said on Thursday.
"It was confirmed that all large banks will participate in the plan fully," Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis told reporters after a meeting with major bank CEOs and the central banker.
It proves its not Anarchists as they are a marginal political force in any country!
If tensions are high it only takes a small event to spark riots planned or otherwise.
This (NONESENSE) will be spreading here and US get used to the idea!
There are forces at work that are growing as a result of 'the war on terror' and an opening for new power bases to form. Very turbulent times are unfolding. _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
Greece is up against a new social uprising by its youth, Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) Parliamentary group leader Alekos Alavanos said on Tuesday after meeting Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. He stressed that the situation could not be answered with greater authoritarianism but demanded political solutions to address the problems of young people.
For Worldwide Newspapers I always check "Newspapers online". In most countries there are english language editions. It´s always interesting to read the other side like Zimbabwe or wherever a trouble spot occurs, also all American Newspapers are avaiable.
What is occurring these days isn’t a tragic coincidence. It occurred as a result of a pre-planned police provocation. With the unbelievable murder of 15year old boy. The aim of the murder is creating a widespread feeling of disgust and general indignation. The Mass Media were as usual a necessary accomplice of the provocation. They did everything to provoke towards vandalisms. Their slogan was <shop windows are nothing towards the life of a child>.
During the mass and unjustified destructions, the burning of shops unrelated to anything, cars etc. the role of provocateurs of the police was decisive. Now as is expected the Mass Media started to sing against the ‘known unknown provocateurs’ so as to gain from their slyness. To force public opinion against the youth.
The aim of the Authorities was to take (due to the vandalisms) public opinion so as to encourage a general and without precedent terrorist pogrom against the youth, the students, the demonstrators and against everybody generally. To crush in a pre-emptive manner the morale of the youth, of the whole population, before it erupts (so as it doesn’t erupt) this massive social rebellion which they are all waiting for due to the destructive economic crisis of the system which is still at its first stages and due to the big political crimes which they are preparing against the Greek people.
The serious thing about the popular movement is to avoid new provocative vandalisms and generally to act in a serious manner. The parties and the organisations of the left have a great responsibility. Even now whereby it might be a bit too late they have an obligation – instead of acting stupid – to condemn the preplanned provocation and act accordingly.
As one can conclude from the interview of the Italian ex-President Cossiga which we will include further down, it appears this is a general European plan for barbaric oppression and Greece as usual is being used as the groundwork for general application.
Francesco Cossiga said: Provoke Riots Then “Beat The * Out Of the Protesters”
Francesco Cossiga is a former President, former Prime Minister, and former Minister of the Interior, in Italy. (Francesco Cossiga)
He was one of the founders of the NATO-CIA Operation GLADIO secret intelligence group.
Recently he gave advice to the current Italian Minister of the Interior Robert Maroni about how to deal with protestors.
"Maroni should do what I did when I was Minister of the Interior.
"University students? ... infiltrate them with agents provocateurs ... and let the agents provocateurs devastate shops, set fire to cars and put cities to the sword for ten days.
"Then, having won the sympathy of the public ... the police should pitilessly beat the * out of protesters and send them all to hospital. "
Could be right either that its to help consilidate global govenance!
I wonder if they're deliberately targeting kids or its the case of they're the weaker target??
1 HOUR AGO-1 BOY INJURED BY POLICE BRUTALITY
GR | 10.12.2008 14:50
BOY INJURED BY POLICE !!!! NOW IN HOSPITAL!!!!
in GR
10.12.2008 16:17
The incident occured in Athens, right outside the parliament.
ABOUT 1 HOUR AGO-EYEWITNESS REPORTS SAW 1 BOY ON GROUND , POLICE OVER HIM, POLICE 1ST SAID IT WAS A CAR ACCIDENT-BOYS FRIENDS SAY IT WAS A DIRECT BLOW FROM POLICE BATON ..BOY TAKEN TO HOSPITAL...BLOW TO THE SPINE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE COLLAPSED!!!!!!
Greek public tries to stop police brutality
Lily Infidel | 10.12.2008 13:41 | Repression
Greek public tries to stop police brutality
After today's massive demo for the general strike in the centre of Athens held by worker's union and many others, I saw police arrest two juveniles (under 16 yrs old) who were separated from main block of protesters.
Passersby, not the demonstrators, who saw this, including middle aged women and pensioners, moved toward the police shouting at them to let the kids go. As the police moved away with the children, the passerbys followed them shouting at them to let them go, threw take away coffees at them and the police responded by spraying them with chemicals. One woman ended up unconscious on the ground. Members of the public took her into a near by shop until an ambulance came and took here away.
A fifteen year old boy who was clubbed on the head by police was on the ground unconscious close to Parliament, people called an ambulance for him.
_________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
Timothy Garton Ash the globalist Soros stooge in the British media commenting on the Greek events (newsnight tonight) stated unemployment cannot be resolved among the young and older workers being made redundant may lead to a new May 1968. We have to avoid this he stated.
This implies the events were a pre-emptive strike through the widespread use of provocateurs (the General Secretary of the Greek communist Party noted also foreign secret services) as a test case for the rest of Europe, Italy, France, Germany.
Another political party in Greece Sinaspismos are selling the idea this is a general insurrection. In reality its the green light to turn the middle classes against any popular movement, by introducing the methods of state terrorism under the guise of a 'left' turn.
This is the first insurrection
There must be much provocoteurism but isnt it a pleasure to see.
This will be followed by much similar response all over Europe and in these green isles
They have the abandoned and maintained military camps set up all over the uk for the starving, disillusioned,rebellious
It's coming here pretty soon
Well done the Greeks, with their huge and draining Athens Olympic debt
Good to see people get off their asses and deliver their will on the streets _________________ http://www.exopolitics-leeds.co.uk/introduction
Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 18335 Location: St. Pauls, Bristol, England
Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 3:14 am Post subject:
Thousands of youths enraged by the fatal police shooting of a teenager rampaged through cities across Greece on Monday, attacking police stations, firebombing stores and battling with authorities in a third day of massive riots.
After a stormy assembly in a stormy weather and with spirits electrified from the buzz of the last days,we, comrades from the western suburbs, came up with the following text-declaration. The universality of the internet and the global interest gave us the audacity to make this statement Universal!
We find ourselves in the sixth to seventh day of the revolt and we sense that it ALL starts now. The events not only seem to not be defusing but on the contrary, they seem to be escalated non stop.
Who are behind the revolt?
Whose actions, deeds and movements keep and grow its flame?
The anarchists ?
The students ?
The immigrants ?
The unemployed and the humiliated?
The youths from the rich Northern and Southern suburbs?
The gypsies?
The hooligans?
The workers?
To all of them and many more belong the actions that shape the unstoppable lava that was awaken when the unthinkable murder of Alexis that shook all of Greece took place on Saturday night
All of us together with our differences we write history and we shake the whole planet. This revolt, not only will not stop but is intended to spread across Europe and the whole world. In this framework, we can comprehend the panic of the State. But nothing can forgive or justify or make bearable the incredible, unmatched orgy of violence that it continuously sets off. How much rather when this violence is not recorded or when it is unbearably distorted from the media. Our comrades have suffered unjustified beatings, pupils are beaten mercilessly, fascists make use of their weapons, secret cops act out of control, immigrants have their lives threatened but for the media there is only burned shops and "criminal" looting. Unlucky for them what is left is old aged housewives and the rest of little scared men like the finished fascist followers. Our rage for all them has no limit and from now on they should be careful. The rebellion turns the impossible to possible.It is the dream that wakes up when the never ending nightmare before ends. Because comrades, what we lived in the Western suburbs, Athens, the whole world, was a nightmare. In an ugly city to spit every day on our misery,to kill our imagination, to be scared of our neighbor, to remain helpless in our incapability being bombarded by made up advertisements that make us believe that we are worth for what we have and not who we are.
Alexis, we are ashamed of you because it took your blood us to wake us up from the nightmare and live the dream of life. But if we are ashamed of you, the others should be fearing you with a fear that paralyzes their guts. First of all the cops that dress up like revolting people to abduct pupils and take them to the dungeons of central offices. NO MERCY FOR THEM.THEY CAN'T HIDE FROM US. Their punishment is coming and no State can save them. You are the ones that spread the worst catastrophism,the vile deafeatism, the insane fear and all that just to save your skin. You will not save it. But it is not only you that do all the above. ALL the parliamentary parties live in distress and are dying to diffuse the revolt. The lower-middle class people that cannot think of their life without their little shop. Dehydrated existences that only live for their money income, they also have their fears of existence. They don't have to fear us that much. Apart from those who actively and openly help the murdering State, the rest will be left to their unbearable misery. And well done to those of them that went further than them selves and took part in the events on the right side. As much as it is suppressed, they are not few. But we wrote enough for the lower-middle class.
History is written now from other powers and those powers will strengthen their presence overwhelmingly in the next days. After six days of colossal battles,fatally TODAY is the start of the second round with new heights and landmarks to reach. TODAY at 12 o'clock at Propulaia is the rendezvous with history. The pupils that have suffered the worst kind of police brutality will be there, the students of the 2006-7 revolts will be there, the unemployed that fight against depression and humiliation will be there, the workers who lately look at their boss with a different eye will be there, the immigrants who for years know what dictatorship means will be there, we ,from the Western suburbs who for years are torn by the most ridiculous regionalisms, will be there. WE WILL ALL BE THERE.
We are accused that our rebellion is inarticulate, blind, reactive. That we don't know what want and what we don't want, yet. That we are thieves and destroyers. Well then, we know what we want and we we don't want. We don't want cops paid to terrorize teenagers. We don't want chemical war that blocks our lungs and blinds our eyes.We don't want riot police, bodyguards,pimps,parasites,bouncers,professions of violence and force. We don't want polluted air, and burned forests, concrete that kills the earth. We don't want prisons that annihilate the individual, absurd laws about cannabis, cameras that supervise life in order to protect inanimate property. In this draft of manifesto for life after the revolt we ask and shall impose
1) Liberation of the wider center of Athens from cars. City for pedestrians, bikes and children
2) Transformation of the destroyed banks to asylums for the poor,libraries and free internet points as well as coffee shops as in Amsterdam.
3) Transformation of police departments into kitchens that would offer natural food, free of charge to whoever asks and is in need of.
4) Copyleft all intellectual,informative material as well as free 1gbps internet with modern optic fibers.
5) Stop the use of oil and natural gas and replace them with high tech solar energy beehives and other completely recyclable energy sources.
6) Assaults to all the covered from the police whore houses and release of the forced prostitutes. Positive recognition of the feminine sexuality as a right that will be practiced by choice. no mercy to rapists and pedophiles. no humiliation to those who enjoy their sexuality in different way provided that they do not do it by using force
7)Assaults in prisons and release of everyone unless they have been proven to be related with crimes of pederasty,rape,racism and white slavery.
8)Priority to children and their needs for play, love, tenderness and joy
9)Free infrastructure; educational and medicinal with simultaneous restriction of arbitrariness and power of those working there. Responsible,open,friendly relationships between doctor-patient and pupil-teacher.
10) Free transportation and encouragement of the use of bikes in the city, while expanding trains across the country
These are roughly what we want and will achieve. Maybe some others equally essential are absent but those mentioned are not a few nor negligible. We know that our movement not only has acquired world interest but it has taken to inspire a global revolt. As we drew upon the 10 rough points of "what we want" it was under serious consideration. At the same time when the tear gases of power according to many sources are going down in numbers we declare our solidarity to the Palestinians that loose their Alexis' every day and we condemn the Israeli government that is prepared to send new loads of tear gas to the Greek government. However we are not antisemitic and we accept the solidarity of any Israeli who wants to give it and has not had his hands blooded from from the Alexis' of the Palestinians, we accept him with the same joy as everyone. It is fatal in the era of internet this rebellion to shine across the globe. To shout out loud that the blood of a 15 year old cannot be exchanged with all the money in the world. To show the value and the meaning of life over money and stock markets and banks now that the monetary system is crashing. To reveal that the State is cruel and murderous.To reveal the void and distorted emptiness of an unlivable life.Comrades of the world, pass the message and follow us. We, from the Western suburbs, will be on the streets of Athens today, to light the flame of the revolution and no storm can stop us.
Gathering in Toledo (Spain) in solidarity with Greek Revolts
11-12-2008 00:19
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414981.html _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 18335 Location: St. Pauls, Bristol, England
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:27 pm Post subject:
Who are the protesters in Greece?
The fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens on Saturday and its violent aftermath are in many ways a spill over of a decades-long conflict that has simmered between police and far-left anarchist groups.
The violence has also laid bare a deeper anger that has been gaining ground in Greece over the government's policies in slashing budget deficits and pushing on with unpopular reforms such as privatisations.
This anger has been exacerbated by a series of financial and political scandals among prominent members of the government of Costas Karamanlis, Greece's prime minister............
After firing 4,600 tear-gas canisters in the past week, the Greek police have nearly exhausted their stock. As they seek emergency supplies from Israel and Germany, still the petrol bombs and stones of the protesters rain down, with clashes again outside parliament yesterday.
Bringing together youths in their early twenties struggling to survive amid mass youth unemployment and schoolchildren swotting for highly competitive university exams that may not ultimately help them in a treacherous jobs market, the events of the past week could be called the first credit-crunch riots. There have been smaller-scale sympathy attacks from Moscow to Copenhagen, and economists say countries with similarly high youth unemployment problems such as Spain and Italy should prepare for unrest.
Ostensibly, the trigger for the Greek violence was the police shooting of a 15-year-old boy, Alexis Grigoropoulos. A forensic report leaked to Greek newspapers indicated he was killed by a direct shot, not a ricochet as the policeman's lawyer had claimed. The first protesters were on the streets of Athens within 90 minutes of Alexis's death, the start of the most traumatic week Greece has endured for decades. The destructiveness of the daily protests, which left many stores in Athens's smartest shopping area in ruins and caused an estimated €2bn (£1.79bn) in damage, has stunned Greece and baffled the world. And there was no let-up yesterday, as angry youths shrugged off torrential rain to pelt police with firebombs and stones, block major roads and occupy a private radio station.
Their parents grope for explanations. Tonia Katerini, whose 17-year-old son Michalis was out on the streets the day after the killing, emphasised the normality of the protesters. "It's not just 20 or 30 people, we're talking about 1,000 young people. These are not people who live in the dark, they are the sort you see in the cafes. The criminals and drug addicts turned up later, to loot the stores. The children were very angry that one of them had been killed; and they wanted the whole society not to sleep quietly about this, they wanted everyone to feel the same fear they felt. And they were also expressing anger towards society, towards the religion of consumerism, the polarisation of society between the few haves and the many have-nots."
Protest has long been a rite of passage for urban Greek youth. The downfall of the military dictatorship in 1974 is popularly ascribed to a student uprising; the truth was more complicated, but that is the version that has entered student mythology, giving them an enduring sense of their potential. So no one was surprised that Alexis's death a week ago today brought his fellow teenagers on to the streets. But why were the protests so impassioned and long-lasting? "The death of this young boy was a catalyst that brought out all the problems of society and of youth that have been piling up all these years and left to one side with no solutions," said Nikos Mouzelis, emeritus professor of sociology at LSE. "Every day, the youth of this country experiences further marginalisation."
Although Greece's headline unemployment of 7.4 per cent is just below the eurozone average, the OECD estimates that unemployment among those aged 15 to 24 is 22 per cent, although some economists put the real figure at more like 30 per cent.
"Because of unemployment, a quarter of those under 25 are below the poverty line," said Petros Linardos, an economist at the Labour Institute of the Greek trade unions. "That percentage has been increasing for the past 10 years. There is a diffused, widespread feeling that there are no prospects. This is a period when everyone is afraid of the future because of the economic crisis. There is a general feeling that things are going to get worse. And there is no real initiative from the government."
For Greek youngsters such as Michalis Katerini, job prospects are not rosy, but without a university degree they would be far worse, so he and his mother are making serious sacrifices to get him into further education. So inadequate is the teaching in his state high school that he, like tens of thousands of others across the country, must study three hours per night, five nights a week at cramming school after regular school, to have a hope of attaining the high grades required to get the university course of his choice. His mother, whose work as an architect is down 20 per cent on last year, must pay €800 a month to the crammer for the last, crucial year of high school.
She believes the government of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis faces more turbulence if it fails to grasp the reality of the past week, and pass it off as a spontaneous over-reaction. "The government has tried hard not to connect what is happening with the problems of young people. The government says one boy died, his friends are angry, they over-reacted then anarchists came to join in the game. But this is not the reality."
Vicky Stamatiadou, a kindergarten teacher in the rich northern suburbs with two teenage sons, agrees. "Until now, our society was full of dirty but calm water; nothing was moving, nothing improving, all the problems of our society remained unsolved for years. People pretended that everything was going well. But now this false picture has been broken and we are facing reality."
Greece's official youth unemployment statistics are not far removed from the rates in other European countries with a history of mass protest, such as France, Italy and Spain. With the graffiti "The Coming Insurrection" plastered near the Greek consulate in Bordeaux this week, the warning signs to the rest of the continent's leaders are clear.
Additional reporting by Nikolas Zirganos _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
Who are the protesters in Greece?
The fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens on Saturday and its violent aftermath are in many ways a spill over of a decades-long conflict that has simmered between police and far-left anarchist groups.
Soros rent a crowd as flown in as half those arrested were immigrants.
BBC news crews arrived in Athens a whole week before the events occurred.
The Finish Embassy had issued personnel warnings about evacuations which were never issued during the NATO bombings of 1999.
Alekas (General Secretary) interview and statement yesterday from the
KKE
Quote:
State repression and hoodies are from the same side. They are united,
feed off each other and they have as an aim to frighten the workers
and youth. To confront the organised workers movement and popular and
youth movements. The murder of 15 year old Alexander is the result of
expanding autarchism and the support of repressive measures, their
activity and the web of reactionary laws and 'euro-terrorist laws'.
The molotov cocktails and the hoodies whose directing centre is linked
with secret services and centres which are to be found abroad, have
absolutely no relation with the mass hatred of the school students,
the university students and generally the people. On the contrary they
have been elevated so as to disorientate the mass mobilisations of the
youth against the people and autarchism, mobilisations which express
the desperation against anti-popular policies...
Greek rioters use lasers against police as violence over boy's death continues into second week
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:36 PM on 15th December 2008
Comments (3) Add to My Stories Protesters in Athens targeted police officers with lasers yesterday as riots sparked by the police killing of a 15-year-old boy continued into a second week.
Although the intensity of protests has tailed off in recent days pockets of violence are still occurring and more rallies have been planned for this week.
Today, around 50 demonstrators hurled eggs at police outside the main Athens court, where a hearing took place for dozens of people arrested during Greece's worst riots in decades, sparked by the killing of Alexandros Grigoropoulos on December 6.
Nothing Like A Super-imposed Pic Eh??
Students, unions and leftist groups have called demonstrations this week against the conservative government, which has a one-seat majority.
They have planned demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday against education and pension reforms, privatisations and tax rises.
Last week's protests fed on growing anger over political scandals, high youth unemployment and low wages, and the impact of a global recession on Greece's e240 billion economy.
'It was expected this would continue for a second week,' said Kiki Toudoulidou, a 37-year-old teacher'.
'If the government was handling the situation in the right way, we wouldn't have reached this point.'
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis's ruling New Democracy party has denounced the riots as the work of a small group of hardcore anarchists, but at their peak early last week thousands of youths ran riot through 10 Greek cities, wrecking hundreds of cars, banks and businesses.
Mr Karamanlis, whose hands-off response to the riots has been criticised by Greek media, travelled to Cyprus today for the funeral of former president Tassos Papadopoulos.
An opinion poll published yesterday by Kathimerini newspaper put disapproval of the government at 68 per cent, with 60 per cent of those polled saying the riots were a social uprising rather than an outburst by an isolated fringe of violent protesters.
Around 565 shops were damaged in Athens, causing more than e200 million of damage and ruining the Christmas shopping period.
Central Athens was quiet today as many shoppers stayed away.
'There is no business. People are disappointed and angry,' said Dimitra, 61, a shopowner who declined to give her second name.
'The protests will continue. They only needed an excuse.'
The policeman charged with killing Grigoropoulos has been jailed along with a colleague pending trial, while more than 400 protesters have been detained during the unrest, but most of them have been subsequently released without charge.
A parliamentary committee was today due to unveil the findings of its inquiry into a government land swap with an Orthodox monastery which an initial prosecutor's report suggested had cost the taxpayer more than e100 million.
Greece was ranked as the most corrupt country in the euro zone by the Berlin-based Transparency International watchdog in its latest global survey of corruption perceptions. Wow more corrupt than 2 illegal wars, unending war on terror, false flag ops globaly, suspect friendly bailouts and a reign of fear??? :ROFL _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
As not seen on Google News
Greek youths break into state TV center, take over
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Protesters forced their way into Greece's state NET television news studio Tuesday and interrupted a news broadcast featuring the prime minister so they could urge viewers to join mass anti-government demonstrations.
Dec 16 12:30 PM US/Eastern
By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS
Associated Press Writer
For more than a minute, about 10 youths blocked a broadcast showing a speech by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. Instead, they displayed banners reading: "Stop watching, get out onto the streets," and "Free everyone who has been arrested." No one was hurt, and no arrests were reported............
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D953THE80&show_article=1 _________________ --
'Suppression of truth, human spirit and the holy chord of justice never works long-term. Something the suppressors never get.' David Southwell
http://aangirfan.blogspot.com http://aanirfan.blogspot.com
Martin Van Creveld: Let me quote General Moshe Dayan: "Israel must be like a mad dog, too dangerous to bother."
Martin Van Creveld: I'll quote Henry Kissinger: "In campaigns like this the antiterror forces lose, because they don't win, and the rebels win by not losing."
Eyewitness report from Athens, Greece + “This is more than a protest, it is an anti-capitalist movement”
December 22, 2008 — dandelionsalad
Dandelion Salad
Protests and demonstrations are continuing in Greece in the wake of the killing of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos. Coordinating groups organised renewed protests on Wednesday and Thursday in Athens and Thessaloniki. A number of University and Technical College departments as well as high schools and lyceums remain under occupation. Incidents were reported this week outside the Court House in Thessaloniki following a verdict—suspended prison sentences—for eight policemen charged with viciously beating a Cypriot student in November 2006.
On Wednesday, protesters also draped two huge banners over the walls of the Acropolis. The initiative was aimed at rallying support in other European countries. One banner bore the word “Resistance” written in Greek, English, Italian and German, and a second called for “Demonstrations in all Europe.”
“This is more than a protest, it is an anti-capitalist movement”
By Marius Heuser and Markus Salzmann
WSWS reports from Athens
22 December 2008
Workers and youth have occupied the headquarters of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) in Athens since last Wednesday. The occupation is directed against the trade union leadership, which maintains close contact with the government and is trying to prevent the current protest movement from spreading to the factories.
On Saturday, WSWS reporters spoke to some of the workers in the occupied building. One 40-year-old building worker declared that the movement that had now developed was much more than just a youth protest. “It is a movement that is profoundly anti-capitalist,” he said. Opposition to the capitalist system extends into the factories, he said, but the trade unions are doing all they can to prevent a mobilisation of workers alongside the protesting youth.
He criticised the trade unions as a bureaucratic elite that no longer has any connection to ordinary workers. He was particularly angry about the role played by the social democratic party PASOK and the Communist Party (KKE), which both have considerable influence in the trade unions. On many issues, this worker confirmed, “They are to the right of the conservative parties.”
[...]
via “This is more than a protest, it is an anti-capitalist movement”.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/dec2008/spot-d22.shtml _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
Last Updated: 1:03PM GMT 02 Feb 2009
Previous1 of 2 Images
Next A farmer throws potatoes at riot police in the main port of Piraeus, near Athens Photo: AP
A farmer backs his tractor into a group of riot police as they jump out of his path in the main port of Piraeus, near Athens Photo: AP
At least two people, including an opposition politician, were injured in scuffles between police and the protesters at the port of Piraeus outside the Greek capital.
The farmers are demanding financial help from the government and the tense stand off at Piraeus is the latest twist in nearly two weeks of protests.
The farmers, who had used their tractors to block border crossings and major raods across the country for days, complain that they are receiving low prices for their products.
"Farmers are not second-class citizens. All they want to do is make their presence felt," said Alekos Alavanos, an MP on the island of Crete and leader of the Left Coalition party leader.
About 1,000 farmers from Crete, as well as mayors of the island's towns and MPs, arrived in Piraeus on overnight ferries along with dozens of tractors, trucks and other agricultural vehicles they intended to drive through Athens to the agriculture ministry.
But Greek authorities said they would only be allowed to carry out a demonstration on foot, not with vehicles that would snarl up traffic in the capital.
"I am awaiting the farmers at the ministry. We consider the ministry to be the home of all farmers and our door is always open," said Michalis Papadopoulos, the deputy agriculture minister.
A group of farmers, black flags fluttering from their tractors, attempted to break through the police lines inside the port, and riot police fired tear gas to push them back. _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
haha they can't block the blog or back buttons just the direct link lol as you can see from the jpeg its from Globeandmail, strange no google records??
ATHENS, Feb 25 - Greeks disgruntled by their country's economic woes ramped up protests against the government on Wednesday, shutting down airports and disrupting many public services.
Public schools and tax offices shut down, and services at ministries and public offices were suspended, as hundreds of workers marched to parliament with banners reading "No to pension reforms, privatisations and job cuts".
"Government policy ... only burdens workers, the unemployed and the poor," public sector umbrella union ADEDY, which represents 500,000 members, said in a statement.
The strikes are the latest in a wave of protests that have put pressure on Greece's conservative government, shaken by the worst riots in decades in December and struggling with a sharp economic downturn.
After years of 4 percent growth, Greece is seeing its economy sharply slowing down due to the global financial crisis. Workers accuse the conservative government, clinging to a one-seat majority in parliament, of only helping the rich.
"We will continue and intensify our struggle, until our demands are satisfied," ADEDY, which called the 24-hour strike, said.
National carrier Olympic airlines said 68 of its domestic and international flights were cancelled and four were rescheduled, while private rival Aegean Airlines said 36 flights were grounded and 23 others disrupted.
The government, struggling with a huge public debt and fiscal deficits, has launched a 28-billion-euro ($36-billion) bank support plan, saying it meant to pour money into the slowing economy.
The strike was the latest in a series of public protests to hit the ruling conservatives. December riots were prompted by the police shooting of a teenager but fuelled by discontent over the economy and high youth unemployment.
In January, thousands of farmers protesting low product prices blocked border crossings, causing 11 days of travel chaos across Greece and hurting commercial transport. They ended the protest after securing a 500-million-euro aid package.
Truckers went on strike last week, demanding a crackdown on unlicensed transport companies and illegal economic immigrants, who they said were destroying goods and fighting drivers in their effort to stow away on board.
On Wednesday, they ended the five-day strike and blockades at the borders with Bulgaria and Greek ports, after transport ministry officials promised to start talks.
"Our strike is over, but only for now," said the president of Greek truck drivers federation, Apostolos Kenanides. _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
1. Greeks shut airports, services to protest economy | Markets ...
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www.roguegovernment.com/index.php?news_id=14483 _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
Greece, UK Police Step Up Anti-terrorism Collaboration 16 Mar 2009 Two U.K. police officers were due in the Greek capital Monday to reinforce anti-terrorism collaboration with Scotland Yard amid mounting violence by Greek extremist groups in recent months. Two groups - the far-left Revolutionary Struggle and the Revolutionary Sect - have multiplied their attacks here, including two recent bomb strikes against U.S.-based banking [terrorist] group Citibank, for which Revolutionary Struggle claimed responsibility.
http://www.easybourse.com/bourse-actualite/marches/greece-uk-police-st ep-up-anti-terrorism-collaboration-634367 Hmm get some training ahead of the 'Summer of discontent'??
Greek extremists threaten more bombings after Citibank attacks 12 Mar 2009 A Greek 'extremist' group known for its violent attacks has threatened to carry out more bombings in the wake of two recent strikes targeting US banking group Citibank. In an eight-page proclamation published in Greek weekly Pontiki, far-left group Revolutionary Struggle said its aim remained to foment "revolution" and use the global economic crisis against capitalism.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g9QpVeCDWTDS6hBPsSx UwD51KKjQ _________________ 'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
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