Dublin: Thessaloniki hunger strikers solidarity demonstration

Coffin delivered to Greek embassy to protest abuse of Thessaloniki 7

The "Thessaloniki 7" were arrested in Thessalonika in June 2003 during the anti-EU summit demonstrations. They have been subject to a variety of denials of their rights including torture. Five of them have been on hunger strike for periods ranging from 39 to 56 days, and some refused water for a period of two days until they were given access to telephones, their lawyers and paper. Anarchists and anti-capitalists in Dublin called a demonstration at short notice to protest this critical situation.

WSM newswire report Anarchist Prisoner Support (Dublin) Anarchomedia Thessaloniki support pages original demo call A-Infos report IMC-Athens - motorbike demo photos WOMBLES info on Thessaloniki Greek solidarity actions IMC Thessalonika IMC Global Feature Evidence at FreeSimonChapman.org

On Friday Nov 14^th, a number of demonstrators gathered at the Greek Embassy in Dublin. They brought a large black coffin with them which they laid on the steps of the embassy as a symbol of the impending death of those on hunger strike. As one of the demonstrators put it, "Yeah this was a mock funeral but at the end of the day its not a joking matter. There are five people locked up and any of the five could die any day. Our action was sombre and a little morbid but when the situation is so serious there is little room to be upbeat. We will be back here again very soon if things do not improve."


The demonstrators on today's action carried a heavy black wooden coffin from the north east corner of FitzWilliam Square to Upper Pembroke Street in Dublin 2, where the Greek Embassy is located. They also carried five large black flags - each one a symbol of the five people on hunger strike who are close to death.

The first names of the five hunger strikers were painted on the coffin.

The coffin was brought to the doorstep of the embassy and placed in front of the door, blocking it and effectively closing it off to the public. A short speech was read out, giving an update on the current situation of the hunger strikers' health, looking at how hunger strike affects the body, and the reasons why it is important to continue with solidarity demonstrations such as this.

A banner was unfurled saying "No More State Terror". 350 leaflets were handed out to members of the public explaining the grave situation, and how Simon Chapman had been set up by the Greek Police. People stopped by and were inquisitive about what was going on.

After approximately 45 minutes the Gardai showed up. They demanded to know who owned the coffin and that it be taken away. The demonstrators then dispersed having run out of leaflets, and the wooden coffin was left on the doorstep.

Myself and a couple of other cameramen (and camerawomen) waited across the road for a while after the demonstrators had left. Even though everyone had gone, the Gardai were still there, and the coffin was not being taken inside into the embassy. We were waiting to get a photograph of the Greek diplomats picking up the coffin with the names of the hunger strikers painted on the side - no doubt very embarrassing publicity for them and their government.

The people inside the embassy kept on glancing outside through the windows. It was obvious that they were not going to come outside, and that the Garda were going to stay there as long as there were people around. One of the other cameramen confirmed this, so we left...

But your Indymedia operatives dont stop until the story is covered from all angles... so I hid down a laneway close to the embassy and peeked around the corner now and again to check what was going on. The door opened and one of the people from the embassy talked to the Gardai who were waiting outside. He then went back in.

After what seemed like an eternity in the pissing rain with little cover in the small alleyway, a Garda van pulled up outside the embassy. Obviously the Greek diplomats did not want to suffer the humiliation of dragging in a coffin. I ran back down Pembroke Street and surreptitiously squeezed off a couple of snaps of the Garda putting away the coffin into the back of the van.

If the Greek Government does not take positive action with regards to the hunger strikers very soon then they will be dealing with real coffins. As one demonstrator today said to me, "Yeah this was a mock funeral but at the end of the day its not a joking matter. There are five people locked up and any of the five could die any day. Our action was sombre and a little morbid but when the situation is so serious there is little room to be upbeat. We will be back here again very soon if things do not improve."