Athens Riots

[Beckwin]

Has no one made a topic on this? Some crazy shit happening that's spreading all over Greece and to Greek embassies/consulates in other European countries.

Basically, Greek police shot and killed a 15 year old demonstrator which ignited mass riots and occupations of state buildings. There are many articles (and some great photos) out there related to what's going on, but this communique from the Athens Polytechnic occupiers is something I find to be pretty interesting:

Athens Polytechnic occupation publishes communique | libcom.org

"On Saturday December 6, 2008, Alexandros Grigoropoulos, a 15-year old comrade, was murdered in cold blood, with a bullet in the chest by a cop in the area of Exarchia.


"Contrary to the statements of politicians and journalists who are accomplices to the murder, this was not an “isolated incident”, but an explosion of the state repression which systematically and in an organised manner targets those who resist, those who revolt, the anarchists and anti-authoritarians.


"It is the peak of state terrorism which is expressed with the upgrading of the role of repressive mechanisms, their continuous armament, the increasing levels of violence they use, with the doctrine of “zero tolerance”, with the slandering media propaganda that criminalises those who are fighting against authority.


"It is these conditions that prepare the ground for the intensification of repression, attempting to extract social consent beforehand, and arming the weapons of state murderers in uniform!


"Lethal violence against the people in the social and class struggle is aiming at everybody’s submission, serving as exemplary punishment, meant to spread fear.


"It is part of the wider attack of the state and the bosses against the entire society, in order to impose more rigid conditions of exploitation and oppression, to consolidate control and repression. From school and universities to the dungeons of waged slavery with the hundreds of dead workers in the so-called “working accidents” and the poverty embracing large numbers of the population… From the minefields in the borders, the pogroms and the murders of immigrants and refugees to the numerous “suicides” in prisons and police stations… from the “accindental shootings” in police blockades to violent repression of local resistances, Democracy is showing its teeth!


"From the first moment after the murder of Alexandros, spontaneous demonstrations and riots burst in the center of Athens, the Polytechnic, the Economic and the Law Schools are being occupied and attacks against state and capitalist targets take place in many different neighborhoods and in the city centre. Demonstrations, attacks and clashes erupt in Thessaloniki, Patras, Volos, Chania and Heraklion in Crete, in Giannena, Komotini and many more cities. In Athens, in Patission street –outside the Polytechnic and the Economic School- clashes last all night. Outside the Polytechnic the riot police make use of plastic bullets.


"On Sunday the 7th December, thousands of people demonstrate towards the police headquarters in Athens, attacking the riot police. Clashes of unprecedented tension spread in the streets of the city centre, lasting until late at night. Many demonstrators are injured and a number of them are arrested.


"We continue the occupation of the Polytechnic School which started on Saturday night, creating a space for all people who fighting to gather, and one more permanent focus of resistance in the city.


"In the barricades, the university occupations, the demonstrations and the assemblies we keep alive the memory of Alexandros, but also the memory of Michalis Kaltezas and of all the comrades who were murdered by the state, strengthening the struggle for a world without masters and slaves, without police, armies, prisons and borders.


"The bullets of the murderers in uniform, the arrests and beatings of demonstrators, the chemical gas war launched by the police forces, not only cannot manage to impose fear and silence, but they become for the people the reason to raise against state terrorism the cries of the struggle for freedom, to abandon fear and to meet –more and more every day- in the streets of revolt. To let the rage overflow and drown them!


State terrorism shall not pass!


We demand the immediate release of all those arrested in the events of 7th-8th December.


We are sending our solidarity to everyone occupying universities, demonstrating and clashing with the state murderers all over the country.


- The Occupation of the Polytechnic University in Athens

Does anyone living in Greece, or who has lived there, have anything to share about what's going on and the claims made of abuses by the state?

for those wondering, the rioting/occupations seem to generally be an Anarchist movement. (and not the oxymoron-type of anarchy)

[Kuya]

I wonder if it's just that a 15 year old kid died, or if there's more to it than that.

[Beckwin]

Reportedly, the kid had a Molotov in hand or something. The cops who shot him are in jail facing manslaughter charges though. Now of course, the kid was protesting something to begin with, which is what I think is alluded to by the claims made in this communique.

I'm not real familiar with modern Greek history aside from the post-war overthrow of a popular leftist movement by the British, but from what I hear it's been a country rather marred by corruption.

[Correction]

For those who pefer their articles to not be written in the tone of a Soviet-Era Communist press release: Violence flares at Greek teen's funeral - CNN.com

[Olo401]

in b4 someone figures out the kid was from Sparta.

Being serious though, I didn't hear about this until yesterday and apparently it's been going on now for almost two weeks. I'm kinda amazed that it hasn't been in the news here in the states, but then again this is America the land of panacea newscasts.

[Demosthenes11]

lol @ that article

[Yuri-G]

I'm usually the first one to get enraged when police abuse their power, especially when someone is killed, but I'm not sure what to think about this. If someone were coming at me with a molotov cocktail in hand, arm cocked back, ready to throw, I'd probably shoot them too if I were a cop. Without knowing what really happened or the background of all the civil unrest (which I am too lazy to research, but apparently the kid getting shot was just an excuse to unleash a torrent of anger the general population had been holding back), I'm just gonna have to say: Hmm. That's just plain fucked up.

[Dimmauk]

I real Pro would shoot the bottle while it was in the air.

[thestalkmore]

Kid was about to throw a molotov at cops and people are QQing because they shot him? lol.

[Correction]

They're doing more than QQ'ing, they're charging the officer with manslaughter.

[Kuya]

What, he had a molotov? I haven't heard that; what i heard was that they (the police) said that the bullet bounced off the ground and hit the kid, but an autopsy proved that he was shot directly to the heart.

[Beckwin]

For those who pefer their articles to not be written in the tone of a Soviet-Era Communist press release: Violence flares at Greek teen's funeral - CNN.com

Honestly, are you fucking retarded?

I plainly stated that what I posted was a communique directly from the occupiers. It's a primary source document from those involved on the rioting side.

[Correction]

Just proves that the officer was well-trained.

Time for a ten page argument where people assert the officer should have shot to wound, etc. etc.

I swear we've had that argument before, but I can't be assed to find the thread.

[Correction]

Honestly, are you fucking retarded?

I plainly stated that what I posted was a communique directly from the occupiers. It's a primary source document from those involved on the rioting side.

Liberals always take everything personally huh.

I was just linking an article that was more readable because it's written in a slightly more neutral point of view. It also represents exposure in the domestic media.

Go spew your menstrual material elsewhere.

[Beckwin]

guys this is europe, compared to here molotovs are about as common and considered less dangerous than fleeing unarmed criminals.

[Beckwin]

Liberals always take everything personally huh.

I was just linking an article that was more readable because it's written in a slightly more neutral point of view. It also represents exposure in the domestic media.

Go spew your menstrual material elsewhere.

oh please, get the fuck out, you attacked the source for no reason other than it's tone, but I plainly stated what it was and that there were plenty of other articles available, without needing to denigrate or discredit any of them, so your complaint is irrelevant. take your cheeky authoritarian bullshit somewhere else before you start screaming "LEAVE THE POLICE ALONE" in my thread

[Demosthenes11]

guys this is europe, compared to here molotovs are about as common and considered less dangerous than fleeing unarmed criminals.

logic does not follow

[Kuya]

guys this is europe, compared to here molotovs are about as common and considered less dangerous than fleeing unarmed criminals.

...

[Dimmauk]

Found a pic of the cop that shot the teen

http://www.gamegear.nl/author/dredd01.jpg

[Tyche]

logic does not follow

Exactly, so Beckwin, do they mix the cocktails differently there to make them less dangerous? Maybe the Mediterranean sea winds make the cocktails less dangerous. wait, what?