Posts Tagged with ‘athens’
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What happened to the Drug Users of Lower Exarchia?
23 Apr 2013
When I first visited Athens, almost exactly a year ago, the area between the Polytechnic and the Museum of Archeology in lower Exarchia was a no-go area. Through the day, the area was littered with used needles other debris of drug paraphenalia, while at night between 50-100 would gather there. …
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Another Raid on Exarchia
20 Apr 2013
Exarchia Square is the heart of the radical area of Athens. People come see friends, make plans, catch up on news, have a drink and hang out in relaxed surroundings, either in the square itself, or in one of the many bars which surround it. Convivial and open, groups mingle, …
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Greece: A State of Terror
22 Jan 2013
The violence gripping Greece is not only economic, but also physical. Last week a young Pakistani man was murdered on the street by two men on motorcycles. Along with a collection of armory - bats, guns and knifes - found in the murder's home was a collection of pre-election Golden …
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Blackwater: First Iraq, then Afghanistan …now Greece.
01 Jan 2013
Blackwater is notorious. A private mercenary army, it first came to public attention in 2003 two years after it was founded after the US government contracted it to provide military support for the war in Iraq. Innumerable scandals followed. And now the Greek Government has enlisted its services for domestic …
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Villa Amalias: A flashpoint in the Greek Struggle
01 Jan 2013
Villa Amalias is one of Athens oldest squats. On the 20th December, allegedly under direction from Samaras, the Greek Prime Minister, Nikos Dendias, Minister for Public Order, instructed the squat to be raided. Eight people - six Greek and two Germans - were arrested during the operation while others who had …
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Update from Greece
24 Dec 2012
The image of Greece that many people have - of whitewashed villas with blue trim, looking out onto onto an endless expanse of sea, of little tavernas, olive groves and elderly Greek grandmothers informed by a million holiday brochures and postcards, has been taken over of late with images of …
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In Solidarity with Villa Amalias
21 Dec 2012
Early this morning the Villa Amalias Squat in Athens was evicted by police. A centre for organising, socialising and social support has now been emptied - while eight of the people that maintained and ran the space for the public good have been arrested. Several others were also arrested at a …
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For Bread, Education and Freedom
18 Nov 2012
Autumn 1973 saw two major events take place in the Mediterranean. In October, the Sinai Peninsula was recaptured by Egypt from Israel who had occupied it in June 1967, delivering the first major defeat to Israel's imperial ambitions, inadvertently creating the enclave of Gaza; while in November 73, the Junta which had …
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Another round of Greek Austerity passed
08 Nov 2012
Last night, the Greek parliament voted on the latest round of austerity measures. The vote however nearly didn't take place. Earlier in the day, Syriza MPs had tried to get the bill declared unconstitutional on the basis that MPs had barely a day to study 300 pages of cuts totally …
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On the eve of the Greek austerity vote
06 Nov 2012
Today saw the start of a two day general strike in Greece. Marches from both Omonia (PAME - the Communist Section of the trade union movement) and from the Archological Museaum (GSEE and ADEDY -the private and pubic sector unions respectively joined by the anarchist blocs and blocs affilitated with Syriza) …
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Chrysi Avgi: Attacks in Agios Panteleimon
04 Nov 2012
On the 31st of October, a barber on Achernon Street in the Agios Panteleimon area of Athens was attacked by one of his neighbours after a prior racist attack, reports vary as whether this was identified as a specifically chrysi avgi (Golden Dawn) action or general casual racism of the type …
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Chrysi Avgi and the Police
03 Nov 2012
The attacks by Christi Avgi (Golden Dawn), on migrants occur every day. Every single day in Athens, there are violent attacks on migrants, many which require emergency treatment and hospitalisation, some which require ongoing treatment. There are also ongoing attacks on local shops and businesses, particularly those which are …
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The Beads and The Blood
24 Oct 2012
Today, negotiations were ongoing to agree the next tranch of bailout funding before Greece runs out of money to pay its way in November. No agreement was reached, even if it had been it would have been no solution to the ongoing crisis, for this is a strategy with no …
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Running Risks and Risking Remonstrations
21 Oct 2012
As I have written before, Athens is like a city under occupation. People go about their ordinary everyday life, drinking coffee in cafes, walking the streets and doing all the ordinary, normal things, that ordinary, normal people do, while at the same time, police stop people in the streets demanding …
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The Situation of the Migrants
14 Oct 2012
Greece has become an important entry point into Fortress Europe for many people fleeing the physical and economic violence that festers within their home countries, fuelled in many cases by the policies of the EU and its constituent members, yet the situation for migrants within Athens is dire with police …
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Merkel visits Greece.
10 Oct 2012
With the Greek government again about to run out of money at the end of the month, unless another bailout is forthcoming, Merkel's visit to Athens today was a high profile event for the Greek government. Merkel is even less well liked in Greece as the Tories are in Scotland, …
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How not to enter an Athens Squat
08 Oct 2012
Well, finding my feet in Athens with no solid contacts and not speaking the language proved challenging. You cannot avoid politics in this city, every street corner is plastered in posters and graffitti, but I have no clue what they say. So where better to find a base than in …
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Arrival in Athens
05 Oct 2012
Those who read my previous post will know that I moved to Athens last weekend. As mentioned in the previous blogpost, it was a sudden decision, but one which I had considered for a long time. It was not the best planned move in the world. Setting off with a …
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Athens: Overview
06 May 2012
This is going to be my last post on Athens, but I wanted to sum up a few things. Several people have expressed interest in going to see the political situation there for themselves and I'd really encourage anyone who wants to to do so. It is amazing. I'm definately …
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Athens: Policing
05 May 2012
Just as in the UK, in Athens there are different levels of police. Police that may be seen in UK include your ordinary copper, those dressed in protective clothing as may be seen at a high level demonstration, and riot police deployed in significant disturbances. Armed police in the form …
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Athens: Meeting the Fash
05 May 2012
If Excharia is the stronghold of the Greek antagonistic movement, Ayios Panteleimonas a kilometre or so North, is the base of the fascists. Approaching the square it looks just like any other area of Athens with only half ripped down anti-fascist posters indicating that there may be something unusual about …
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Athens: The Greek Healthcare system
05 May 2012
Waking up the morning after Mayday, my foot was absolute agony, so I decided to go and checkout the Greek healthcare system. The first place I was directed to was a lovely well decorated building, the receptionist spoke perfect English and a quiet calm surrounded the place. Lovely, I …
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Athens: Omonia by night
02 May 2012
Having had no sleep the night before, and a rather sore foot from marching, I retired rather early on Mayday, going back to the same hotel I had stayed in previously and immediately crashing out around 6pm. I woke up just after midnight, starving, and decided to go find somewhere …
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Athens: Mayday – The Rituals of Resistance
02 May 2012
Socialist time in Athens is even more fluid than Scottish socialist time. Despite the call being made for 10.30, by 10.45 only a few hundred had gathered, and it was not until gone 12 that the march started properly assembling. Through that period small groups, each with large banners …
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Athens: Exarchia by night
02 May 2012
Exarchia is the heart of the radical district in Athens. With the occupation on the corner and the polytechnic just down the road, its quite a little hub. For many years it has been the centre of the antagonistic movement of Greece and it was here that Alexis Grigoropoulous was …