Austerity Riots in Athens 07/11/12

On the eve that the Greek Parliament was to vote on new austerity measures Athens erupts in violence

Fire Engine attacked with Molotovs 06/11/12 Athens Exarhia

A fire engine responding to a burning Mercedes was attacked by molotovs after extinguishing car.

Anti-Gold protests escalate into violence and "hostage" situation

In an ongoing struggle against gold mining in the area, residents of Ierissos (pop. 4000), a Northern Greece town, blockaded politicians, including a Mayor inside City Hall, as others blocked the road from police access. 3 officers were injured as protesters pelted City Hall with rocks, overturned cars and burned tires, reported use of tear gas was extensive and up until the entrance of City Hall. At least 2 reports of molotovs being used.

Reports of 1000-2500 protesters.
"There are thousands of people, women, children, grandmothers"

Έχει χιλιάδες κόσμου, γυναίκες, παιδιά, γιαγιάδες, απ'όλα...

— antigold (@antigoldgreece) March 30, 2012

Electricity was also cut inside the building and the surrounding area was cloaked in darkness,no reports of this being an intentional police tactic.


"Not one photo? Not one video?"

@spytroll80 Είναι θεοσκότεινα λέμε! Έχουν κόψει το ρεύμα.

— antigold (@antigoldgreece) March 30, 2012

It is dark! They have cut the electricity!

MORE PHOTOS

Things looked like they would explode as extra riot police were called in from Thessaloniki.

TR @antigoldgreece Police reinforcements have arrived & getting ready, 300m away from City Hall & [besieging] inhabitants #AntiGoldGR

— Asteris Masouras (@asteris) March 30, 2012

Though in the end cool heads prevailed and ended with police, protesters and politicians going home without further incident. The standoff lasted for hours and ended in a peaceful agreement at approximately 3:08am EET.
"An agreement has been reached, police and protesters are headed home and hostages being escorted by police to their homes."

Έγινε συμφωνία- αποχωρεί ο κόσμος, αποχωρεί και η αστυνομία, ελευθεροι οι όμηροι και τους πάνε σπίτια τους με την κλούβα.

— antigold (@antigoldgreece) March 31, 2012

This isn't the 1st time violence has occurred at an Anti-Gold protest in Ierissos, just last week police lobbed teargas as protesters hurled rocks (or potatoes). Full Story in English.



Ekathimerini.com--Gold mining in Halkidiki divides local community

The company at the center of all this is Eldorado Gold! This is their press release regarding Greece. Here is a website in English with information on the area and why you should oppose it's mining. Documentary (with ENG subs) on struggle.

Skouries drilling map (@antigoldgreece) flickr.com/photos/2699873… and Ierissos, where #Antigoldgr standoff takes place goo.gl/FznMz

— Asteris Masouras (@asteris) March 30, 2012

Here is a HUGE protest against mining in the area last summer.



While it might seem strange; this is not the first time clashes have broken out in a Greek village.  Last year residents of a town close to Athens bombarded riot police with explosive molotovs during protests over a proposed landfill.  Story here.



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Politicians not safe in Greece

12/4/12 LAOS party (far-right) member Antonis Gewrgiadis is bombed with yogurt while dining at a restaurant

Επίθεση με γιαούρτια στον Άδωνι Γεωργιάδη από Matsomenos

15/03/12

A mayor on the island of Zakynthos was bombarded with eggs and yogurt at a meeting over hikes to electric bills.



03/09/12

Another Politician harassed in public.

Πριν από λίγα λεπτά στο Πνευματικό κέντρο Τρίπολης, μέλη της Αριστεράς επιτέθηκαν φραστικά στον Γενικό Γραμματέα της ΝΔ, Ανδρέα Λυκουρέντζο που βρέθηκε στην Τρίπολη για να μιλήσει σε εκδήλωση του Οικονομικού Επιμελητηρίου.

Πως έχει το γεγονός...

Κατά την προσέλευση του Γ.Γ. της Νέας Δημοκρατίας στο Πνευματικό Κέντρο του Δήμου Τρίπολης περίπου 15 άτομα, μέλη της Αριστεράς, άρχισαν να αποδοκιμάζουν τον κ.Λυκουρέντζο ο οποιός σταμάτησε να συνομιλήσει μαζί τους αλλά δεν κατέστη δυνατό...Παρακολουθήστε το βίντεο

πηγη

Update 07/03/12

It was a eventful and dangerous week to be a politician in Greece; or even to be married to one. Chairs and yogurt flew as Greek singer George Dalaras was heckled by a crowd in Athens. Story in English and Greek



Next we go to the island of Rhodes where a crowd at a parade broke through barricades and police lines to reach the stage where politicians were seated. Fortunately for the politicians they had an escape route available. Story in English and Greek.



Finally in Larissa local residents attacked City Council members during a meeting over the price of water. Greek Story.



UPDATE 27/02/12 Greek Mp (ΝΔ)Ioannis Plakiotakis is accosted and scolded while having coffee in Crete.

UPDATE 26/02/12 Socialist party (PASOK) member Aggelos Tolkas accosted and harassed in Naoussa restaurant by "anti-authority and anarchist group". Story here in Greek via IndyMedia.

UPDATE 26/02/12 Socialist party (PASOK) MP George Dolios is hit with a cane while giving statement during Carnival festivities. Story in Greek.

UPDATE 23/02/12 Conservative Party (ΝΔ) member N. Nikolopoulos attacked with eggs and yogurt in Patras.

The news comes today that Former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Bilderberg member Dora Bakoyannis was accosted at a restaurant in Crete. It seems every other week there is another story of violence against Greek pols. In any other EU country this would become an international story, in Greece it goes with the territory.

It was just about a year ago that an MP was brutally attacked by protesters during a National Strike in Athens.

Shortly before that in late 2010 MP and former leader of left SYRIZA Alekos Alavanos was attacked with eggs, rocks and yogurt outside a church by "far right" attackers.

Γιαούρτια στον Αλέκο Αλαβάνο από tvxorissinora


A few months ago a parade in Thessaloniki was stopped when protesters again harassed politicians yelling "masons out of Greece". In Trikala one MP was egged and hit. Also the large Greek population in Germany has gotten to numerous politicians and interrupted their speeches. Greek MP Theodoros Pangalos was scolded by members of the audience during an appearance in Berlin. Also in Berlin Former PM George Papandreou was also the victim of students wrath as well. There was even a fabricated story of another Greek pol being beat.

This handful of events should be taken as a warning to the Greek government, you are treading down a slippery path, and it is only a matter of time before the violence of these attacks intensifies.

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Greek Police set up protesters.. Again and again

A recent video which has been circulating the internet claims to be from a 48 hour strike which occurred in June and clearly shows police loading molotovs into a knapsack which belongs to a protester who has been arrested.  Once again the integrity (if they have any left) of the Greek police has been called into question.  This is not an isolated incident as far back as 2003 there are videos in which the Greek police display such unlawful behavior.  If you, even for a moment, believe the police force in Greece are incapable of such deeds, first take a look at them throwing a flash grenade into a crowded cafe and then read about the journalist, Manolis Kypraios, who is now deaf due to another incident with a flash grenade.

Obviously these are not isolated incidents but rather a pattern which has been tolerated and even encouraged by the Greek government. Christos Papoutsis is the Minister of Public Protection, please contact him to express your feelings over these matters.

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Welcome to OccupiedGreece!

I've been living in Thessaloniki Greece since the summer of 2009.  In the span of 2.5 years I have seen some pretty intense fights between cops and protesters here, some I was fortunate enough to be able to catch on film. The most recent was November 17th when riot police here were bombarded with molotovs from inside the University.  The police later went inside the University, something which hasn't occurred since the fall of the military Junta in 1974.  A few weeks before that was the 3rd anniversary of the murder by police of teenager Alexis Grigoropoulos, an event which had inspired me to move to Greece. The intensity was high in the morning as I reached the main (Aristotelous) square and was greeted by a burning garbage bin, matters escalated as we reached a police station a few blocks away.  Later in the day, at the main protest (earlier was students) the police felt they were given the right to attack peaceful demonstrators because of the actions of a few earlier in the day.

Police in Greece are the most violent I have ever encountered.  I've been to protests in Spain, France and my hometown of NYC, nothing compares to the brutality of MAT (Greek riot squad).  I have been robbed and hit countless times by them ALL for just filming.  A couple of incidents occurred at a National strike.  Yes, they HATE to be filmed.  Once in Athens I was stopped just for passing them twice while going and returning to the store. Another time in Thessaloniki, I was stopped (again for no reason) and when I took out my camera I was lied to by the police and told it was illegal, as they tried intimidating me to stop filming.  This is worth viewing just to hear Greek police speaking English and referencing Al Capone.

The reason I started this blog was to have a place to vent over life in Greece, the crisis, the police state and how much it sucks to get tear gassed.  In the future I will be looking to add a livestream from protests. WELCOME! If you have any suggestions or questions please add in the comments below.

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