THESSALONIKI SOLIDARITY IN LEEDS

On Monday 24th November solidarity activities in support of the Thessaloniki hungerstrikers began with a picket of travel agents in Leeds city-centre. We gave out around 600 leaflets about the case and calling for a boycott of the Greek tourist industry. We displayed several placards and a large banner saying 'Free The Saloniki Seven'. We were pleased when the manager of Thomas Cook on Briggate informed us he would be phoning the Greek Tourist Office in London to inform them of our activities, but less pleased when he phoned the police and untruthfully told them we had been affixing posters to the shop windows.

Leaflets were also placed in travel guides in various city-centre bookshops.

In the evening we went to the Greek Consulate for another candle-lit vigil, and delivered a letter from Leeds Prisoners Solidarity Group and Leeds Action For Social Change calling for him to resign from the honourary post in protest at the treatment of the Thessaloniki Seven. In support of this request, we had taken names for a petition calling for the same. Unfortunately we were unable to speak to the Consul at the time of our visit because he has gone away.

On Tuesday we again distributed around 600 leaflets outside city-centre travel agents, and later gave out more at the Brudenel Centre and at other venues.

In view of the present absence of the Leeds Consul we are suspending the candle-lit vigils until he returns, but will be launching other solidarity actions, and continuing with the 12.30pm pickets of Leeds travel agents (meet outside Thomas Cook's on Briggate.)

Clearly angered by the continued incarceration of our comrades, the absence of the Greek Consul did not stop someone expressing themselves on the issue, as a visit to the Consulate on Tuesday showed - In large white letters right across its double black gates had been painted '(Greek Consulate) Free The Saloniki Seven'! .

Leeds Prisoners Solidarity Group