Nationwide report on the demonstrations of December 6th and the unprecedented police aggression. Solidarity actions around the world.
Athens
Morning demonstration: Since early this morning spontaneous gatherings and demonstrations of students take place in various neighborhoods of Athens, in order to massively move downtown , rejecting in practice the typical 3-hour absence from classes and going out to the street, responding with total abstinence. Gatherings and demos took place at Peristeri (where an attack to the local police station and the breaking of a police car take place) , Philadelphia,Egaleo (where about 200 students close the main streets and move in a threatening manner against the police station). Also there are strong clashes with police officers, when they try to arrest some of the students. Intensity is also caused in Koridallos, outside prison, where 3 students are arrested. Solidarity march is directly organised to the local police stations with attacks against the riot police(MAT). Demontration of 150 students is directed towards the city center from the district of Psychiko, while parallel demos of students from the nothern suburbs are approaching the center of Athens, closing central highways. Demo of about 200 students from the schools of Exarchia move vigorously towards the pre-gathering point, Propylaea.
The main demo started with the participation of more than 5000 students, while more and more people kept coming. The demo was aggressive from the very beginning, expressing their rage against the general repression of these days with attacks against banks, surveillance cameras and luxury stores. At Stadiou street the first clashes with the cops had as a result the temporary break of the demo with student spreading around the alleys. In many cases students with well-organized attacks managed to drive back the forces of the riot police. The clashes escalated when the head of the demo reached the Syntagma square (outside the Parliament) and attacked once again the riot police and the luxury hotel Grande Bretagne. The pigs answered with extended use of teargas and flash-bang grenades. The demo ended at Propylaea where most of the people stayed in order to participate in the afternoon demonstration. It is necessary to point out that the students, though minors, were not afraid either of the cops’ or the media’s terrorist methods.
Afternoon’s demonstration
The afternoon’s rally in Athens was scheduled for 16.00h… The city center had been blocked. The State had imposed a curfew, and the entrance to the Propylaea metro (venue of the gathering and demonstration) was closed. Uniformed cops of all kinds, as well as many secret and hooded cops were everywhere. A police helicopter was flying over our heads. Nevertheless, attendance of demonstrators was high, among them large students’ blocks.
Shortly before 4 o’ clock some protesters attacked secret cops who tried to creep into the rally. Shortly after, clashes with riot police (MAT) followed. The MAT forces attacked the assembled people using CS tear gas. Then the police entered the field of Propylaea, violating once more the university asylum. It is obvious that the plan of the police was to urge the demonstrators to begin the march without the participation of the majority of the protesters, who had not yet reached the Propylaea area. An ultimate goal of the government was to prevent entire blocks of demonstrators from reaching, coherent and united, the site of the murder of Alexis Grigoropoulos in Exarheia, as was expected after the demonstration. The State actually prohibited the demonstration itself, since such an attack on pre-gatherings occurred perhaps for the first time in years. It is also clear that the State through its controlled mass media sought to convey to the society a virtual reality very different from what we experienced on the streets. In these unprecedented provocative police tactics is reflected the fear of those in power for widespread social unrest.
Very large MAT forces (riot police) have screened the march. The fighting was continuous, with disproportionate use of tear gas thrown from a short distance over the protesters. All demonstrators persisted, and despite the police preplanned efforts the rally was not dissolved. The head of the demonstration had reached the starting point, the Propylaea, where it was united with many people who had reached the area after the forced start of the demonstration. Meanwhile, at Syntagma (Constitution square) outside the parliament, molotov cocktails are thrown against the triple ‘cords’ of armed squads that guarded their political bosses. A raid follows with flash-bang grenades and tear gas, and the same cops do not hesitate to trample beaten people, the majority of them pupils and students. While the large volume of the protesters is directed towards the Propylaea ending the circular march, several demonstrators, mostly pupils and students chased by riot police, enter the Syntagma metro station(video).
Inside the subway station, people shout down their hunters for a few minutes. Once the police squads came out, the protesters attacked them furiously, defying their superiority in arms and the number of cops at that time. During their dynamic escape, the young protesters shouted out the slogans ‘Cops, Pigs, Murderers’ and ‘The cops are not children of the workers, they are the guard dogs of the bosses’ something that is not likely to be transmitted by any mass media (dis)information center. Some of these demonstrators whacked a fascist, a member of a well-known fascist organization, while he tried to prevent them from finding shelter in the metro station. Neither this incident will be mentioned in the news bulletin, where it will appear as though “a citizen has been injured by hecklers”.
At Propylaea there are breakings, limited in extent. Most shops, banks etc. have closed shutters. The cops violate the university asylum once again and persecute the demonstrators that have remained there. The majority of demonstrators is directed to the neighboring district of Exarheia, which is surrounded by large police forces, hooded cops and fascists. Another group occupies the Polytechnic school overcoming with difficulty the large groups of cops and fascists. At 21.00, a concentration at the place where on 6 December 2008, two special guards murdered 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos, is planned. Since 7, there are people concentrated at the point of murder. For more than 3 hours, the police attacks the people in Exarheia, invades stores and cafes, seriously injures, attacks, heckles, makes excessive use of chemicals, terrorizes and makes massive searches, seizures and arrests. Once again, the plans of the democratic dictatorship will fail.
The demonstrators, despite the chemicals and the terrorism, remain at the point of the state murder and shout slogans, as well as the names of social activists murdered by the forces of repression. After this, the gathered people, organize a demonstration towards the Polytechnic school. The cops beat up the demonstrators and destroy part of the monument of the murdered Grigoropoulos. There is a battle as comrades try to drive the cops away from the point of the murder. The situation inside the houses of the residents is also a nightmare because of the chemicals. Street battles take place for more than 2 hours all over Exarheia under a thick cloud of tear gas. Up to the first morning hours of Tuesday, 7/12, the comrades that have occupied the Polytechnic school are under the suffocating siege cordon of cops and fascist groups. There have been about 98 seizures, 44 of which are arrests. Many people are wounded by those atrocities perpetrated by the police.
What happened in Athens on 6 December 2010, but also what preceded deliberately the previous days, (“anti” terrorism invasions, arrests, new warrants in various parts of Greece), completely justify the character of the war against the wild attack that this junta and its servants have unleashed against society. A war in every level, communicative, ideological and operational-military. The people’s struggle against the violence of the state, for the freedom and social liberation, has to be coordinated and organized at all of these levels.
more photos from Athens: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Thessaloniki
Just like the unprecedented measures in Athens, the cops had imposed a curfew through the whole city’s center. In the morning, more than 500 pupils went on a sit-in outside the Macedonia-Thrace Ministry and later they demonstrated through the center of the city. In the afternoon’s dynamic demonstration with more than 3000 people, a police guardhouse outside a ministry was attacked, as well as a TV crew, and two supermarkets were expropriated. The numerous cops and undercover police tried to trespass the University’s asylum and did some arrests, but were forced back by the students.
Ioannina
Almost 2000 people at the demonstration which the cops attacked with menace, leading to its breaking up before it managed to group again. There were conflicts, while anti-state and anti-cops slogans were heard from most of the demonstrators. 45 people were arraigned and 5 arrested.
Agrinio
200 pupils marched to the police station. While they were still gathering, some of them went on a sit-in and some others attacked the cops, so conflicts followed. Before the demonstration had even started, the cops attacked it with extreme violence, using tear gas and other chemicals, wild beating and arrests. Pupils, students and people in solidarity occupied the town hall demanding the arrested to be set free.
Volos
A demonstration of 1000-1300 people, was attacked from the start by the cops, with incredible amounts of tear gas and asphyxiating gas. The demonstrators remained united and continued the rally while smashing some bank glass panes but the cops went on using chemicals. There was a ”guerrilla war” throughout the city and real hand to hand conflicts, revealing the true face of the police brutality. A total of 11 (some say 13) people were arraigned but later they were let free, and many people were wounded – three cops ended up in the hospital. Finally, a tear gas bomb hurt a 12 year old girl right next to her eye!
Heraclion
Great attendance at the morning demonstration, with many people joining the anarchist part of it. During the course, many banks were attacked with their store fronts, cameras and ATM machines broken. In the afternoon about 500 people took part in the demonstration, while a strong police force was there.
Patras
In the morning there was a dynamic demonstration organized by the “disobedient pupils”, where 500 people took part. After the end of it there was a mass demonstration of 4000 people organized by the student unions. In the afternoon a dynamic demonstration of about 400 people in the center of the city, was spontaneously organized.
Zakynthos
A morning demonstration of 250 pupils, which is impressive for the island, attacking the police station, 4 people being arraigned and the cops beating young kids. In the afternoon there was another demonstration, fighting with the cops outside the police station, throwing stones and molotov cocktails, and two people were arrested.
Igoumenitsa
400 people at the demonstration, pupils, students, parents and teachers.
Larissa
500 people demonstrated and fought with the cops, breaking a bank and a few police cars. Also in the pupils’ demonstration during the morning, stones were thrown at the cops who used the courts as a shelter. video here.
Lesvos
A 500 people dynamic demo which went through the whole city and its neighborhoods, went to the quay were all the ATM machines and a bank’s glass front were broken, before it ended at the central square.
Serres
Spontaneous demonstration of about 100 pupils towards the police station. Later there was a gathering with loudspeakers, where pamphlets were distributed, while the cops where watching.
Ptolemaida
Pupils holding candles, gathered late at night outside the police station, while the cops stood there holding their guns.
Arta
Pupils’ demonstration in the city’s center, ended up in a sit-out outside the police station.
Comotini
A dynamic pupil and student demonstration of 300 people went through the city and ended at the law school which is occupied.
Xanthi
Dynamic demo of 500 rebel youths. Numerous cops and attacks to municipal police cars.
Corfu
Morning demonstration with lots of pupils and afternoon demonstration with lots of students, both towards the police station. Sit-in outside the police station.
Chania
Big morning demonstration of pupils and teachers to the local prefecture, with people being wounded, 8 people arraigned and at least 3 arrested. Another two people were arraigned at the demo in the afternoon.
Cephalonia
Spontaneous demo of more than 150 to the police station. Anti-fascist and anti-repression slogans, and also slogans in solidarity to the prisoners struggle.
There were also pupils’ demonstrations with symbolic attacks at the local police stations in the following cities : Nafplio, Kozani, Kavala, Karditsa, Drama, Tripoli, Katerini, Edessa, Florina, Rethymno, Amaliada.
Solidarity Actions from Other Countries
Switzerland
Solidarity action in Geneva, where paint was thrown at the external wall of the Greek consulate.
Great Britain
Solidarity gathering and student demonstration in London, ending outside the Greek embassy.
Cyprus
Gathering and solidarity demonstration on Sunday 5th at Eleftherias’ square in Nicosia. Following this, there was an event including a film projection in the Faneromeni square.
U.S.A.
– San Fransisco: Solidarity protest due to the serious wounding of an American woman protestor, at the demo against the I.M.F. Solidarity message to all those who fight against the Greek junta.
Announcement of support and solidarity by the collectives R.A.S.H. (Red and Anarchist Skinheads) and C.L.A.W. (Creature Liberation Association of Warriors) of Indiana.
– Portland: In the predawn hours of December, 6th 2010, to mark the two year anniversary of the murder of Alexandros Grigoropoulos in Exarchia, a smoke bomb was ignited inside the Portland Metro Police Club (618 SE Alder st.)–a private bar, ballrooom, and athletic facility operated by the Portland Police Association. We did this to articulate our utter contempt towards the police, and our hatred of the state and capitalism in general.
This act of sabotage was a gesture of revolutionary solidarity with the imprisoned anarchists of the Conspiracy Cells of Fire in Greece, The Asheville 11, Christos Stratigopolous, the recently released Alfredo Bonanno and all those resisting state repression everywhere.
Fire to the cops, bosses, and politicians!
For anarchy and communism!
some anarchists (http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/12879)
– Seattle: Banner dropped in solidarity with the struggle in Greece and anti-state struggles everywhere.
New Ζealand
Statement from the Anarchist Black Cross of the city Aotearoa due the serious wounding of the American protestor, and in solidarity to all the victims of repression and political prisoners in Greece.
Germany
Weimar: Solidarity demonstration in the city’s Christmas market, with slogans, flyers and fireworks. The cops approached the demo and there were 4 arraignments.
France
Counter-information action from a CNT group in the city la Roche sur Yon in west France, for the situation in Greece.
Mexico
Cancun : Intervention in the demo against the COP-16 congress for the climate change. video here.
Italy and Argentina: Solidarity slogans and graffiti onto walls in Rome by the ”Partizan” collective and also in Buenos Aires.
There were also solidarity actions for the 6th of December in Morocco, Bulgaria, Cambodia and in other countries..
The constant, international and self-organized Struggle for Freedom cannot be repressed.
Our rage is growing
Solidarity with those arrested on December
Solidarity with all political prisoners
in Greek
in Spanish
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