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Popular dissent against the Olympic Corporate Games

some people | 22.07.2004 10:30 | G8 2005 | Repression | World

an article produced at the last dissent! gathering in Bradford

Dissent! is a network of groups and individuals taking action against
the G8 in Britain in 2005. Our struggle against the globalisation of
exploitation and capital means that we are in solidarity with the struggles of all the common people around the globe. In the coming month the focus of the global bosses is the Olympic Games in Athens (Greece).

The preparations for what is perhaps the biggest spectacle in the world are well under way. So far national and international corporate media have largely focused on the construction (or not) of the Olympic venues. The social effects and consequences of the Games however, remain largely unreported. Already massive environmental damage has been caused plus nineteen workers have lost their lives in the so-called working "accidents" whilst working at the Olympic venues' construction sites. At the same time, the Olympics have proven to be the perfect excuse for the Greek State to attack all the social groups that are in the margins, in fact, everyone refusing to participate in the corporate spectacle that the Olympics are.

Furthermore, stray animals (mainly dogs, cats and pigeons) in all our
Olympic cities are already being killed in order to "clean" and
sterilise the cities for the arrival of the delegates.

A new 'Olympic' prison is being built at Aspropirgos, near Athens. This is perhaps the strongest evidence for the repressive wave that will hit Greece in August. It is expected that the prison's inmates will include junkies, roma and refugee populations, political activists; in fact, anyone seen to be causing trouble or simply being in the way.
During and after the Olympics, Athens will have something Orwellian
about it; over 1,000 surveillance cameras have been installed within Olympic venues and another 283 in other public spaces. These are extraordinary numbers for a country where such cameras have only been introduced within the last few years. The cameras were supposedly installed temporarily and for traffic co-ordination purposes only. This, however, would not explain why most of them are installed in areas where demonstrations are expected to take place. The Greek Minister of Public Order, Y. Voulgarakis, recently confirmed our fears that the cameras will stay after the Games. He stated that he would never order the removal of the cameras, adding that "any minister who did so would have to face the consequences, as this (surveillance) network has cost a vast amount of money to the country and therefore has to be used in the post-Olympics era". Further adding to the whole surveillance paranoia Voulgarakis announced that during the Games, citizens will be able to dial a four-digit number (1014) free of charge, in order to inform the authorities of any "suspicious" activities that they might become aware of.

It is estimated that the security personnel present in Athens during
the Games will be 40,000 - 80,000 strong. The Greek police and army,
domestic and international intelligence services and even NATO forces will be there. The first Olympic Games of the post-9/11 era will be the Games of surveillance, commercialism and State terrorism.

Finally, the environmental destruction caused by the construction of
venues for the Games is massive. The Olympic Village is being constructed on the slope of the mountain of Parnitha, eliminating part of forest in one of Athens' last green resorts. At the same time, the canoeing venue is built in the area of Marathon, despite the fact that this is an area of global cultural and historical heritage. The list is endless: the destruction
of green space to allow for the construction of the ping pong venue in
Galatsi; cutting down of 8,500 trees to allow for the expansion of roads; construction of an ultra-high voltage centre (400/150 ΚK.Vat, 1120 M.V.A.) at the mount of Immitos. The centre is being built 125 meters away from the local school.

Naturally, such repressive plans and actions have been fiercely opposed by leftist and anarchist groups and individuals across the country.
Amongst others, the campaign "anti2004" (www.anti2004.net) and numerous anarchist groups have taken on a number of actions (such as the anti2004 anti-authoritarian festival) to show their disgust for the Games and all that they stand for: dope, bosses, multinationals, environmental destruction, State repression. Opposition to the Games is strong and growing. As an anarchist slogan states, many wish for the Olympics to die in their birthplace.

We express our strong feelings of opposition to the Olympic corporate
games who aim not in promoting the athletic spirit, but promoting repression and consumerism... in other words the Olympic Truce, which the bosses are talking about, is a farce... the only truce which is happening is among the bosses. We stand in solidarity to the people who will make a stand against the Olympic Games of the bosses.

SOLIDARITY! DIGNITY! RESISTANCE!

RESISTANCE TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES IS PART OF THE STRUGGLE AGAINST GLOBAL
CAPITAL

The Dissent! assembly
Bradford, 4.7.04

some people
- Homepage: http://www.dissent.org.uk/

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

Are you sure?

22.07.2004 11:41

Are you sure that 'opposition to the Games is strong and growing'? The last survey I saw from just last week showed that 85% of Greeks supported hosting the Olympics, and that a fifth of that group said that they did not support the idea in the first place. This would imply support is growing. Can you provide your sources showing how much support has fallen recently, or are you just jumping on the Olympic's bandwagon with the rest of big business to promote your own agenda?

 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5416682/

Paul Edwards


Athens centre hit by petrol bombs

22.07.2004 12:51

Athens centre hit by petrol bombs
Submitted by whoever
Original Publisher: BBC
Two petrol bombs have been thrown at a culture ministry building in central Athens.
There was no claim of responsibility or motive, but anarchists, who have carried out hundreds of similar attacks, are thought to be to blame.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3916019.stm

Submitted by whoever - Original Publisher: BBC


Olympic Junta in Greece

22.07.2004 15:27

The US Department of Defence is threatening to invade Athens !!!
==========

US prepared to act unilaterally

A spokesman for the US Department of Defense indicated on Wednesday that US troops might intervene unilaterally if Americans were at risk during the Athens Olympics. Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis declared that security of the Games was Greece’s responsibility and the Communist Party voiced outrage at the “unprecedented provocation.”

Responding to a question during a briefing, spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said: “Let’s be very clear. You know, terrorists have indicated that they wish to disrupt any number of activities around the world. I’m not prepared to speak [of] specific intelligence regarding the Greek Olympics, but I know that the Greek government takes seriously its responsibilities in an international environment such as they’re facing.”

Brig. Gen. David Rodriguez, deputy director for operations, added: “Right now, NATO is coordinating with the government of Greece on how they’re going to do that, and the US is supporting NATO as the coordinations go on. But there have not been a lot of specific agreements and specific force contributions at this point in time because the negotiations are still going on between NATO and the government of Greece.”

Asked if it remained US policy to act unilaterally, Di Rita said: “Well, we’ll always act to defend our national interests and to defend US citizens around the world.”

Kathimerini reported last Saturday that under the deal with NATO, some 300-500 armed US anti-terrorist troops will be stationed near Athens during the Games.

Voulgarakis commented, saying, “It is absolutely clear to all that the Greek authorities have sole responsibility for the Olympic Games’ security and have been working on this systematically.”

james
- Homepage: http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100012_16/07/2004_44982


USA - NATO

23.07.2004 15:29

What are you trying to say here beyond the usual 'America is always wrong'. The US government has responded in the same way any government would is if you attack our citizens we will seek to protect them.

The Greeks have already requested NATO help (majority manpower member USA) for the games so it's not surprising that US troops are on stanf by.

Move on from the usual America bashing and say someting worthwhile

+++


welcome to greece

24.07.2004 23:59


Americans you are always welcome in Greece... But if you carry guns you will meet the other side of greek hospitality.

filoksenos


take a look here...

25.07.2004 04:49

John


um...yeah.....

27.10.2004 22:08

um..well yeah..some of that stuff is pretty eye opening..like the poor animals of greece......but c'mon people....its not like anyone can do anything about it, nothing! so why waste your time complaining about anything you cant change, things happen for stupid reasons, but 99.9% of the time we cant do a dammed thing about it so buck up people, get used to it, its the way of the world so deal with it, we cant change how some people are!

b.m.