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Athens: Mass anti-racist march ends in serious clashes

Ninja | 13.07.2009 09:35

from libcom, 8 July 2009:

The first mass anti-racist protest march of the week, organised by anarchists, clash[ed] with strong riot police forces and a handful of collaborating nazis leading to long street battles around the coveted Agios Panteleimonas area.

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On Tuesday 7/7 the first anti-racist protest march of [the] week filled with marches against the government's anti-immigration policy and its sponsoring of nazi vigilantes took place in Athens.

The protest march was organised by anarchists and attended by [around] 3000 people...taking the route from Omonoia square to the coveted square of Agios Panteleimonas where the police and [their] fascist collaborators have been running a pilot apartheid counterinsurgency programme since the beginning of the year.

Fascists with the protection of the police and active contribution of retired army officers have unleashed a pogrom against immigrants in the area, beating and knifing anyone who dares visit the square, while even threatening the local priest for offering free food to the homeless. In a stunt to legalise their racist bigotry, the nazis have formed a 'local committee' with the bourgeois media giving their full support.

The protest march proceeded to the square of Agios Panteleimonas chanting anti-racist and anti-fascist slogans like "Cops, TV, Neonazis - all the scum work together" and "The people don't forget, they hang the fascists".

Upon reaching the square through a street too narrow for the size of the demo, the head of the march was attacked without the slightest provocation by riot police forces who were supposedly protecting the 30 'local committee' members that had gathered in the square.

These 'patriotic citizens' lost no time to deploy their usual tactics and launch[ed] an attack through police lines, with flares and even molotov cocktails. Unfortunately for the agents of the parastate, one of the molotov cocktails landed on the bald head of their attacking friends, leading the nazi to seek protection from the police which obliged.

After defending the protest march with use of stones and sticks, the protest march reversed, broke through police lines and proceeded to the Athens School of Economics where the battles continued late into the night with flaming barricades erected along Patision street.

At the same time another anti-racist protest march against the government's anti-immigration policy and support of the nazis took place in Salonica. The march, which was attended by more than 1000 people, ended with small damages against distinguished banks of the city.

Earlier the same day a group called 'Anti-fascist Attack Cells' took responsibility for an arson attack against the home of a leader of the neo-nazi party Golden Dawn who is serving as a policeman in Salonica.

Ninja

Comments

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After Patras?

13.07.2009 09:54

Is anything planned or happening in Greece after the terrible police eviction and burning of the refugee camp in Patras?

A


photos

13.07.2009 11:19

can someone please post or direct us to images of this actions??

thank and a keep up the fight!

anon


Newspeak, anyone?

14.07.2009 03:38

This article reads like a Socialist Worker propaganda piece. The 'fascists' are simply law enforcement trying to protect property from criminal rioters, as well as ordinary citizens trying to protect their homes and businesses. The 'anti-racists' are, in fact, nothing but radicals who are horribly prejudiced against any Greek who isn't a member of some communist front supporting open and violent revolution against the state. These left-wing rioters aren't heroes of any sort despite the distorted picture this terribly slanted and unrealistic article tries to paint. Instead, the communist agitators are violent criminals who would run amok causing no end of damage and devastation to innocent people if not for the brave efforts of the police to contain them. I am shocked that this website has chosen to side with a violent, criminal mob over the ordinary citizens of Greece You should all be ashamed of the terrible lies you publish here. You disgust me.

xions


Fuck off xions

14.07.2009 13:34

You are not shocked, and it doesn't read like Socialist Worker, so FUCK OFF TROLL

anti-racist


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Yeah..

14.07.2009 14:01

Nobody likes you here :)

Ninja


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