Greece: Anti-racist Demonstration after Anti-Albanian Pogroms in 10 Cities

international | miscellaneous | other press Friday September 10, 2004 18:29 by the text is a copy from another IMC

- clashes with police -

9th September ,antiracist demo in athens after racist pogroms in 10 cities where one Albanien was murdered

Last Saturday after footbal game Albania-Greece(2-1),that took place in Tirana,all over Greece swept racist pogrom on scale unseen till know."Greek soul",growingly inspired recent months from diverse "national victories"(2nd position of singer Rouvas in Eurovision,winning european championship in football and last but not least ,"secure and peaceful"Olympics without participation of disturbing teams a lá Al-Queida)
After Greece lost the soccer game against Albania and after a number of nationalistic provications by Albanians in Tirana which were heated up by greek media and politicians, a huge crowd of nationalists took spontaneusly and massively to the streets in many cities in order to attack foreigners,especially Albanians,which are the largest and most hated minority in Greece.From the small villages where windows of cars belonging to Albanians had been trashed up to most of towns and cities,where hordes of patriots (also fascist organizations like "golden morning" took part) hunted foreigners. Spirit of "national unity"showed its teeth.In the island of Zakynthos 20-years old albanian citizen Gramoz Palushi had been killed with a knife and his brother and friend injured by a greek-american racist. In Thessaloniki over 100 of neonazi "Hrisi Avgi"members hunted and beated "strangers'in the center,in Athens around central square of Omonia and in many neighbourhoods bigger or smaller groups attacked foreigners,similar incident occuring till late night in Rethymno,Kerkyra and many many other places.There were many hundred injured foreigners this night ,predominantly Albanians(but e.g.an Ukrainian will probably loose his eye,after he was fired at in area of Monastiraki from an air gun). All over Greece people were wounded,70 of them just in Athens,including several with knife wounds.Police arrested over 100 persons,almost all of them has been beaten Albanians ...This racist pogrom ,even if skillfully used by rightwingers like "Hrisi Avgi" or "Elliniko Metopo"and more or less discreetly supported by police,has been in fact simple and logical expression of that same xenophobic hate,which all perceived as "strangers"are experiencing in Greece on everyday bases.Mass media silenced down the events,many of them made even Albanians themselves responsible for them(because they "provoke"),prefect of Thessaloniki Psomadis blamed "open borders"as source of problem and described foreign workers as "open wound"for Greece.

On Tuesday 7th there was a demonstration in Thessaloniki organized by Albanian Immigrant Forum,where many anarchists as well as antiracist and leftist groups participated.
On Thursday 9th September demonstrations with participations of anarchists took place in Hania(over 100 people),Giannena(200) and Athens(2 500),in Thessaloniki antiracist groups occupied office of Psomadis!
Demo in Athens started at Omonia Sq.and was led by Albanian Immigrant Forum,followed by diverse leftist groups and 700-strong anarchist block.Slogans like "Greek and foreign workers united","Down with facism" had been screamed.Anarchist block shouted "Greece,Turkey,Albania-enemies sit in banks and ministeries","National unity is a trap,proletarians don't have fatherland","In a world of bosses - we are all strangers!","Facists on gallows","Flags look nice only when they burn",etc. Followed by many units of MAT(riot police)and hordes of civil cops,anarchists sprayed many slogans(also in albanian) in the central streets and damaged many security cameras (because of the olympic games were installed thousands of security cameras all over Athens wich the mayor does now, after the games, not want to take away. quote: they were so expensive: why should we now de-install them"). Windows of one bank and "Radiotelefonic Council" were smashed.The head of the demonstration was blocked at Stadiou St.,so we had to turn back direction to Omonia,anarchist block being the front one now. At the end of the march cops started to get very tense,their lines tighter so in order to relax them 4 or 5 molotovs had been thrown,some stones flyed too in their direction.Police answered with charge and massive tear-gas,splitting the demo in half.200 anarchists went down Pireas St.and having minor clashes with police following them,still managed to form demonstration which went direction Exarhia,trashing on the way few bank and similar objects windows.Despite of splitting demo ,albanian block after short pause due to tear gas continued demo till Omonia Sq.and firstly then dispersed. Anarchist crowd of 100 gathered around Exarhia Sq.and some more incidents with civil policemen occured,one of them loosing his motorbike to the flames and some beaten .There was around 10 arrests ,mostly done by civilians,2 comrades will have their process today.
Pictures of anarchist block are at:
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=264055
Burning motorbike of a cop at:
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=263972