Brutal repression of protest march in Athens
@ | 28.02.2010 21:05 | Repression | Social Struggles
A protest march against the police killing of the 25 year old plumber Nikolas Toddi a few weeks ago in Byronas, Athens, was subject of brutal police repression with 11 people arrested and many badly wounded, with one of the arrested hospitalised.
Video from the protest and police violence
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1137527
A protest march against the police killing of the 25 year old plumber Nikolas Toddi a few weeks ago in Byronas, Athens, was subject of brutal police repression with 11 people arrested and many badly wounded, with one of the arrested hospitalised.
The protest march against the police killing of Nikolas Toddi, the 25 year old plumber who fell dead by nine police bullets on the back and the head two weeks ago has been met by brutal police repression.
The 500 strong protest march started in Tapitourgeiou square in Byronas, the eastern Athens suburb on the slopes of Mt Imitus where cops killed Nikos during a shootout with alleged bank robbers. The majority of the protesters were anarchists but also some Coalition of Radical Left and Communist Party of Greece M-L (Maoists) members attended. The march took to the streets of the old guerrilla stronghold chanting slogans against the police murder enjoying wide popular support with the cops even receiving eggs on their heads from the balconies. At the spot of the murder, the protesters sprayed a memorial message, while on the way two officers of the ruling party PASOK were smashed. At the moment that the protest march reached its end destination at Deliyannis square, and after most flags had been gathered and removed from the scene, it came under unprovoked attack by riot police and motorised Delta forces. The motorised cops hit the crowd in full speed while riot cops sprayed the densely residential area with tear gas. During the brutal police attack dozens of people were injured and 11 protesters were arrested, one of them hospitalised with heavy cranial injuries. The police has issued a false announcement talking about it being attacked with molotov cocktails although not a single petrol bomb fell during the march. It is expected that the announcement is used in order to incriminate people arrested. Most comrades estimate that today's brutal attack is a response to the public humiliation of the police during the march of the general strike.
At the time of writing it is not certain what what are people arrested charged with, but solidarity demos have already been called for tomorrow at the courthouses and on the streets of Athens as the following communique demonstrates:
THE STRUGGLE FOR DIGNITY AND FREEDOM CANNOT BE REPRESSED OR TERRORISED
Saturday 27/2 in the neighbourhood of Byronas a march was realised against state terrorism on account of the assassination of the 25 year old worker Nikolas Toddi from Albania by cop bullets. N. Toddi was murdered in the neighbourhood where he works because the Greek Police set up a war operation of arrest of "notorious criminals". The march walked the streets of Byronas in a dynamic manner informing the residents about the even of the state murder and the wider repression plan of the Ministry "of Citizens Protection". At the end of the march, in Deliolani square riot police squads and motorised cop forces that were following the march terrorising the bystanders attacked the protesters and chased them all the way to Pagrati. They beat up and waged chemical warfare in our neighbourhoods and realised 18 detentions out of which 11 have been transformed into arrests (as of Saturday afternoon). One of the arrested is hospitalised in Evangelismos hospital wounded on the head by the cops' globs. The residents stood by the side of the protesters heckling the cops who had taken over the streets, or throwing eggs and other objects against them. The [state's] intention is clear. Whoever raise their heads and resist, breaking the veil of silence and consent are placed at the target of the repressive mechanisms. Their aim is the rule of fear, the smashing of every focus of resistance that reveals the terroristic and exploitative nature of the regime. At the time of economic crisis, the need to control social discontent becomes ever more urgent, since the ghost of the social-class uprising of December and of all those who are approaching continues to haunt the minds of the bosses and their state. Following the war operation of the police in Byronas which killed with 9 bullets on the back a bystander, now the police has made a comeback by repressing all those who have not consented and have not kept silent. We shall not allow them to roam the streets, not turn our neighbourhoods into camps. One way or another the security they "provide" us with is translated to bullets.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE ARRESTED OF THE PROTEST MARCH OF 27 FEBRUARY
COPS OUT OF OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
NO TOLERANCE TO STATE TERRORISM
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1137527 A protest march against the police killing of the 25 year old plumber Nikolas Toddi a few weeks ago in Byronas, Athens, was subject of brutal police repression with 11 people arrested and many badly wounded, with one of the arrested hospitalised.
The protest march against the police killing of Nikolas Toddi, the 25 year old plumber who fell dead by nine police bullets on the back and the head two weeks ago has been met by brutal police repression.
The 500 strong protest march started in Tapitourgeiou square in Byronas, the eastern Athens suburb on the slopes of Mt Imitus where cops killed Nikos during a shootout with alleged bank robbers. The majority of the protesters were anarchists but also some Coalition of Radical Left and Communist Party of Greece M-L (Maoists) members attended. The march took to the streets of the old guerrilla stronghold chanting slogans against the police murder enjoying wide popular support with the cops even receiving eggs on their heads from the balconies. At the spot of the murder, the protesters sprayed a memorial message, while on the way two officers of the ruling party PASOK were smashed. At the moment that the protest march reached its end destination at Deliyannis square, and after most flags had been gathered and removed from the scene, it came under unprovoked attack by riot police and motorised Delta forces. The motorised cops hit the crowd in full speed while riot cops sprayed the densely residential area with tear gas. During the brutal police attack dozens of people were injured and 11 protesters were arrested, one of them hospitalised with heavy cranial injuries. The police has issued a false announcement talking about it being attacked with molotov cocktails although not a single petrol bomb fell during the march. It is expected that the announcement is used in order to incriminate people arrested. Most comrades estimate that today's brutal attack is a response to the public humiliation of the police during the march of the general strike.
At the time of writing it is not certain what what are people arrested charged with, but solidarity demos have already been called for tomorrow at the courthouses and on the streets of Athens as the following communique demonstrates:
THE STRUGGLE FOR DIGNITY AND FREEDOM CANNOT BE REPRESSED OR TERRORISED
Saturday 27/2 in the neighbourhood of Byronas a march was realised against state terrorism on account of the assassination of the 25 year old worker Nikolas Toddi from Albania by cop bullets. N. Toddi was murdered in the neighbourhood where he works because the Greek Police set up a war operation of arrest of "notorious criminals". The march walked the streets of Byronas in a dynamic manner informing the residents about the even of the state murder and the wider repression plan of the Ministry "of Citizens Protection". At the end of the march, in Deliolani square riot police squads and motorised cop forces that were following the march terrorising the bystanders attacked the protesters and chased them all the way to Pagrati. They beat up and waged chemical warfare in our neighbourhoods and realised 18 detentions out of which 11 have been transformed into arrests (as of Saturday afternoon). One of the arrested is hospitalised in Evangelismos hospital wounded on the head by the cops' globs. The residents stood by the side of the protesters heckling the cops who had taken over the streets, or throwing eggs and other objects against them. The [state's] intention is clear. Whoever raise their heads and resist, breaking the veil of silence and consent are placed at the target of the repressive mechanisms. Their aim is the rule of fear, the smashing of every focus of resistance that reveals the terroristic and exploitative nature of the regime. At the time of economic crisis, the need to control social discontent becomes ever more urgent, since the ghost of the social-class uprising of December and of all those who are approaching continues to haunt the minds of the bosses and their state. Following the war operation of the police in Byronas which killed with 9 bullets on the back a bystander, now the police has made a comeback by repressing all those who have not consented and have not kept silent. We shall not allow them to roam the streets, not turn our neighbourhoods into camps. One way or another the security they "provide" us with is translated to bullets.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE ARRESTED OF THE PROTEST MARCH OF 27 FEBRUARY
COPS OUT OF OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
NO TOLERANCE TO STATE TERRORISM
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