Greece was the cradle of democracy, and apparently will also be its grave.
The following article describes what is happening in Greece in the wake of the EU-mandated “austerity” agreement that was coerced from Greece as a condition for receiving the next tranche of debt relief from the European Central Bank.
Many thanks to JLH for the translation from SOS-Österreich. Pay special attention to the letter sent by a Greek to SOS concerning official provocation and repression during the riots in Athens:
EU Dictatorship: Parties in Greece Expel 45 Representatives
February 15, 2012
by Der Patriot
Following approval of the credit agreement by the Greek parliament, the parties expelled 45 representatives for disregarding party orders.
The draft law on the credit agreement and the accompanying package of new, draconian savings measures (“moratorium”) was finally passed with 199 votes.
Immediately after the crucial vote, 22 representatives of the PASOK (Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement) and 21 representatives of the Nea Dimokratis (New Democracy) parties who had voted against the agreement were expelled from their parties. At the same time, the two representatives of the LAOS party (Orthodox Folk Warning) who had voted for the agreement against the party line were also expelled. Furthermore, the nine PASOK representatives who differed on individual conditions of the bill are excluded from the party’s voting list for upcoming parliamentary elections.
The expulsion of the 22 representatives was communicated to parliamentary chair Filippos Petsalnikos directly after the vote by party leader Giorgos Papandreou. Mr. Papandreou included all those who voted against the resolution or did not vote or abstained.
“After a long time, I voted my conscience. They expelled me from PASOK, but they cannot wipe out either my opinion or my path.” (an ex-representative)
We also share the following letter from the same source with our readers:Dear Friends from Germany,
Maybe now you understand what we have been shouting all along. There is no democracy here.
Freedom of expression has become a foreign word. You feel that especially well if you live in Athens.
We have repeatedly shown our representatives our opinion by demonstrating peacefully.
Every time, we have undergone chemical warfare, Tons of tear gas. Do not believe that the rioters are demonstrators. It is an open secret that they are police dressed as civilians.
They provoke the police (their colleagues) to give them a reason for using the tear gas. Was it demonstrators who set Athens on fire yesterday? Which of us wanted to destroy the National Library? Yesterday on Syntagma Square there were many ordinary people, including grandmas and grandpas and little children. The state is doing everything possible to frighten us.
I can naturally only tell of what I experienced. Since I am a teacher, I participate in the teachers’ blog at the demonstrations. We were attacked several times. Apparently because our blog is mostly women and it is easier to beat women. It is usually the same people: dressed in black, faces covered (why is that?) and with sticks in their hands. Suddenly, they came into our blog and beat us brutally. My God, we are not criminals, we deal with children. Another time during a demonstration they came into our organization’s building near Syntagma Square and attacked us. This time it was police in uniform. They stood at our entrance and gave us regular doses of tear gas. They threw stones at us. Two of us were injured — one on the neck and one on the ribs. We were kept in the building for three hours, nearly suffocated, and they kept us from reaching the ambulances we had called for. So do not believe that it is the demonstrators who want to destroy the city.
11 comments:
I think that most of us now realize that when we go to the polls to remove the government and have it replaced by so called opponents, it never really changes anything. The status quo remains the status quo.
The long march to serfdom is picking up pace. I wonder where our Oliver Cromwell's are?
Infiltration, to destroy also Greece, from within?
"We were kept in the building for three hours, nearly suffocated, and they kept us from reaching the ambulances we had called for. "
Is the same tendency showing in Oslo now? Two ambulances were stolen over the weekend.
Not long ago, a fire engine, was stolen, in Oslo.
I read exactly the same claims about some of the Occupy protests that turned violent--that the hooded, black-clad anarchists were actually police agent provocateurs.
I suppose it's possible, but I'm still pretty skeptical.
Thanks for sharing and standing up against the Establishment in Greece.
Yes rickl, I kind of doubt it also. Are there some police provocations going on in Greece? Maybe. More likely though it is many Greek citizens who do not like their gov't. benefits being reduced or eliminated.
First of all, it is a complicated situation because nowadays Western countries define their citizens as any people from chaotic countries who happen to walk or ride across the border and claim significant social benefits. Ahem.
So, so NEW Greek citizens who hail from countries that are prone to riot may indeed be destructive. I would like to mention that Muslims are known to burn down libraries and museums of invaded indigenous cultures.
That being said, most governments are willing to use lethal force to maintain their power and perks.
Lately, the English government has been researching using NERVE gas on its indigenous population at demonstrations which are sure to be labelled riots by the powers that be.
The world is entering a new era of government repression and abuse of human and civil rights.
Anyone who innocently doubts the lengths that government will use to control the masses will soon be disabused of any innocence.
Egghead
Rickl and anon 7.47 - see the link, video of 'violent masked anarchists' causing trouble, being arrested and then chatting with the police behind the police lines, and pointing out other (non-violent) demonstators to arrest. Taken by Greek TV, been on YouTube but taken down for 'conditions of service violations'! Also links to the same tactics in Quebec and London.
Yep, it does happen - more often than not!
http://www.noonehastodietomorrow.com/agenda/policestate/663?task=view
It is also worth noting that the most violent and radical factions of the OWS movement were openly supported by the government, and openly called for giving more power to the government.
The Greek teacher appears clueless in many ways - first that unions are a much more likely source of thuggery when benefits are curtailed than police, unless police are acting in solidarity with their union buddies. Secondly, does she want a prize for peacefully protesting against the righting of Greece's economically suicidal course? Protesting the necessary changes means she wants the status quo. What part of untenable does she not understand? It's x amount of pain now or 3x pain later with uncontrolled bankruptcy. Greece's party using other people's money is over and the protestors whether peaceful or violent are in stubborn denial like obstinate 5 year olds with their fingers in their ears. As it is, everyone knows the dishonorable Greeks who lied their way into the EU will default, leaving their creditors holding the bag but at the very least Greeks should share the pain for their shameful profligacy.
I would be very skeptical of any claims by leftist Greek demonstrators.
With typical Oriental exaggeration, this one speaks of tear gas as "chemical warfare". Then she says that rioters are undercover police, without offering any evidence.
There is plenty of evidence, on the contrary, of a violent far-left in Greece, which has been involved for thirty years or so with bombings, shootings and assassinations. That was long before the euro crisis began.
It's the lack of violent rioting from those people which would be a surprise. I'm not saying this to exonerate the Greek police, which I understand is not always exceedingly civilised.
However, for a few years now, they have rather been on the receiving end of firebombs. I doubt very much if the deviousness of Greek police includes dousing themselves with burning petrol, which is what happened to them during demonstrations.
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