Posts Tagged with ‘greece’
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A Round Up of the Situation in Greece.
14 Jun 2013
Yesterday, this blog went mental. With traffic approaching several thousand an hour, apologies to anyone who couldn't get through. The prompt for this was a post I wrote about the arbitrary arrest and detention of transgender people in Thessoliniki. It was one of a few that I have written about …
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…and then they came for the trans* people.
05 Jun 2013
Operation Zeus in August last year marked the start of an ugly reminder of a European past that we thought we had long buried. Nearly 60 years after the end of the Second European War, migrants were round up from the streets of Greece and shoved unceremoniously into internment camps. …
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Bangladeshi Workers: Dying to Survive
14 May 2013
Climate change is wreaking devastation across South East Asia, particularly Bangladesh. With the traditional farming industries in ruins, many are seeking a new life in the bulging cities, but both living conditions and working conditions there are treacherous. Those who seek refuge and travel oversees in search of security and …
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Is there Blood on your Strawberries?
12 May 2013
The situation for the migrant workers of Manolada hit the international headlines last month in the aftermath of a mass shooting. But behind that acute incident lies a murky world of slave labour and sex trafficking all overseen by a corrupt and mafia infiltrated establishment. In 2010, the investigative journalist, …
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Whats going on in the Internment Camps of Greece?
04 May 2013
Up until October 19th, 2012, any migrant who had been detained in Greece as a result of not having legal papers to stay in the country, could be held for up to three months if they applied for asylum and six months if they did not, this was then extended …
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The Occupations of the Public Squares
26 Apr 2013
The tactic of occupations of public squares was one of the main political movements of 2011 - a year which saw a rise in extra-parliamentary movements, as people lost confidence in the traditional political movements. No longer with faith in the system, traditional lobbying means such as petitions, pressure on …
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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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February: When the days of winter seem endless
01 Mar 2013
I haven't written much about Greece recently, but its certainly not because there's nothing happening here, simply that things happen far faster than I can write. And not good things either. Its difficult to convey exactly how bad things are here. The austerity measures that have been imposed, are being …
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Austerity: Lessons from Greece
24 Feb 2013
Yesterday, the UK's triple A credit rating was downgraded citing sluggishness in the British Economy which they expect to continue into the latter half of the decade - at least 2016. The austerity measures in the UK are only just starting to bite; with major changes to the benefits system planned in …
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Greek Police: A Job Well Done?
05 Feb 2013
On Saturday, 2nd February, the English language version of "Η Καθημερινη", the most popular daily newspaper in Athens, carried an editorial praising the Hellenic Police force. The article states... ..the police force has stepped up to the plate and shown that it is capable of doing its job properly despite …
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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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On the Eve of the European Anti-fascist Mobilisation
18 Jan 2013
The political climate in Greece, both on the streets and in the parliament is hotting up. There is no such thing as a slow news day in Athens. Just before Christmas, Villa Amalias, a well established and much loved squat, was raided by police, with multiple arrests of the occupants. …
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Political Violence and the Greek Press
16 Jan 2013
Suddenly the Greek media are paying attention to political violence. This is a remarkable new development. For all that journalist have been violently targeted , chemical weapons and beatings are regularly dispensed to peaceful protesters, elected representatives attacked and civilians beaten, stabbed and killed in politically motivated attacks, all that is swept …
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A Campaign against “Lawlessness”
11 Jan 2013
Earlier this week, the mayor of Athens announced a crackdown on "lawlessness". On Wednesday, a successful re-occupation of Villa Amalias was evicted within half an hour as police poured chemical weapons into the building, then raided an hour and a half later, arresting the 93 who were in the building. …
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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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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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Violence, Activism and Resistance
19 Dec 2012
I saw a wonderful play at Εμπρός, an occupied theatre in the Psiri area of Athens last week. In contrast to much of the radical art emerging from the crisis, "2050 Flashback: The System Changes" explored the utopia which people created after the 2015 global revolution,which rid the world of …
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The Fascist Infiltration of Greek Civil Society
14 Dec 2012
Security, nutrition, healthcare and education are fundamentals of a functioning society. As Greece struggles on with the troika imposed austerity, with little end in sight, all of the above are breaking down. Society is become more violent and lawless, hospitals struggle on without access to basic medical supplies, schools have …
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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 …