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Athens:Rally Against State & Media Terrorism

Entropia from Greece | 03.10.2002 09:59

NO

At 1st of October took place the “rally against state and media terrorism” organized by the Committee Against State Terrorism (participated mainly by anarchist – antiauthoritarians and some radical lefts). The rally was a response to the terror hysteria cultivated by Greek mainstream media after the arrests of “17th of November” revolutionary group members.
Greek media, apart from the terror hysteria referring to 17N, tried to present some old-aged anarchists as members of other urban guerilla groups and consider everybody speaking for the human rights of the prisoners or the political motivation of 17N as a partner or a potential terrorist. After the assaults of anarchist groups against TV crews the mainstream journalists went crazy!

The reaction of media to the rally was ridiculous. Two days before it they made reports showing anarchist squats and radical left centers, and presenting them as terrorist haunts. Athens indymedia was an aim for extended verbal attacks during talk shows and some journalists refused the right to protest and asked for direct repression.

Despite the negative climate, approximately 2.500 protesters were gathered. At the head of the rally were many old-aged anarchists that were arrested (imprisoned or freed about terror cases) during the 80s and the unmarried wife of Giotopoulos (the leader of 17N according to police). The anarchist block was participated by 800 comrades, and was the most dynamic. The protesters attacked verbally to journalists cops and deputies, also they chanted against the capita, state, repression and the white cells in Turkey. The rally ended peacefully. At the end, outside the entrance of Polytechnic School, the organizers of the rally paid tribute to the assassinated anarchists (Ch.Tsoutsouvis, M. Kaltezas, Ch. Marinos etc) by the police.

The media covered live the rally as they expected extended riots. Nothing happened, because the anarchist groups agreed to remain passive, as an attempt to block the spectacular instead of “feeding the blood lusting media”.

The media described the rally as a pro 17N rally, even though only a part of the protestors expressed their support, paid honor to assassinated urban guerillas and made jokes for the assassinated “victims” (solidarity chanting and graffiti). The prosecutor of Athens made legal actions (criminal damage and crime praising) against unknown protestors.

The rally was successful as the anarchist, especially the insurrectionalist ones, showed enough maturity in order to chose when is at our favor to use violence or not, showing that they can carry out strategic plans. Also it was the first massive action against the terror hysteria, part of the “war against terrorism” which aims to social resistance.

Entropia from Greece
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