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.

The Indignant Summer

Last summer I had planned to travel to Paris, France for the G8 protests; the week before I left The Indignant movement erupted in Spain. I was able to witness 1st hand the start of the movement on May 25 in Paris and later went to Barcelona to document actions there. On my return to Greece I continued covering the protests and many sit-ins. The abundance of the footage initially discouraged me to create a video;though the recent call for global action on May 12th has motivated me. I enjoyed reliving the memories of The Indignant Summer while looking through all my old footage; hope you do too! Watch and enjoy! Please leave any comments/constructive criticism in the comments section.
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Greek Police attacks on Journalists

Now I should be writing about the tragic suicide of an elderly man yesterday in Syntagma Square and the (mostly) peaceful gathering that followed that night to pay respects.

Unfortunately the Greek Gestapo had plans of ruining a somber vigil with candles and flowers. The first incident occurred when mourners went to place a candle at the tomb of the unknown soldier, police responded with tear gas.

This, however, was not the most shocking event of the night. That occurred when police were able to surround a female photographer and violently beat her to the ground. There were also reports of at least one other journalist being attacked.




dimosiografos traumatias από atithaso

On the 2nd night (6/4/12) of vigils held in Syntagma Square police went on a rampage beating 4-5 journalists.

ΜΤ @Onisenko Photojournalist M. Lolos is at central clinic at Exarchia with head trauma. 4-5 journos also wounded by riot police. #syntagma

— Cyberella (@Cyberela) April 5, 2012

Mario Lolo is the President of the Photojournalist Union and he was struck in the head with a reversed baton. He is scheduled to have surgery in the morning.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A Greek official says authorities are investigating the serious injury of a news photographer who suffered a skull fracture after apparently being hit by riot police while covering a protest in Athens.

Marios Lolos, 46, who heads the Greek Photojournalists' Association and works for the Chinese news agency Xinhua, was undergoing surgery Friday. His colleagues say a riot policeman hit him over the head with a truncheon after the protest was over.

Greek Photojournalist Mario Lolo before being hospitalized by police

TR @xstefanou Greek Photojourn Union prez Marios Lolos hit w. reversed police nightstick, suffered cranial injury, to be operated on #Greece

— Asteris Masouras (@asteris) April 5, 2012

Greek Photojournalist Mario Lolo after attack


The morning after attack fellow photogs showed support for their fallen colleague.

Protest outside Nat. Council office of #Pasok for injured photog Union prez M Lolos #Symbolic #Greece v @MakisSinodinos twitter.com/MakisSinodinos…

— Anthony Verias (@VeriasA) April 6, 2012

Unfortunately there are many incidents in the past year alone of police attacking journalists in Greece. During a June strike Greek journalist Tatiana Bolari was punched by an officer in Syntagma Square, while her colleague Panagiotis Tzamaros was struck with a police stick suffering cuts and bruises.

Police have used their munitions for crowd control against reporters. In 2 separate incidents tossing powerful flash bangs directly at them. In one such incident Greek journalist Manolis Kypreos lost his hearing.

At an austerity protest,during the International Fair, in Thessaloniki, photographer Yannis Behrakis was also the victim of police violence.

Greek photographer Yannis Behrakis runs to avoid an exploding stun grenade thrown by riot police during violent clashes following an anti austerity protest in Thessaloniki September 10, 2011.

Greek Minister of Public Order Michalis Chrisochoidi has promised an investigation but don't expect any positive results as democracy has died in Greece a long time ago.

I have also experienced the brutality of the Greek police on numerous occasions and can attest to their barbarian behavior. My most recent encounter has left me bed-ridden with a herniated disc.


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Greek Nazi Police

So I just tweeted...

Been IDed 5 times (here are 2) w/o reason in #Greece no #4thmendment like the #US #FilmThePolice youtube.com/watch?v=00c3jj… youtube.com/watch?v=T7IEvz…

— Anthony Verias (@VeriasA) April 3, 2012

A few moments later I check my Greek Media list and see this from well-known blog...

ΒΙΝΤΕΟ: Οι περιπέτειες με την αστυνομία ενός "ξένου" στην Αθήνα bit.ly/HFDW69

— tsantiri (@TsantiriNews) April 3, 2012

Yes, that foreigner "ξένου" is me... Pretty cool eee?
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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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