Athens: Statement by the open people’s assembly of Peristeri regarding racist police violence

Petros Kapetanopoulos is one of us

In the evening of Saturday, July 21st, Petros Kapetanopoulos came out from his home in Sepolia as soon as he heard trouble in his neighbourhood. In the small park across the street, he saw a police patrol car stopped, an immigrant lying on the ground and a policeman stepping on his stomach.

When he asked ‘Come on, guys… why you have to press a foot against this man?’ the policeman pulled his foot and replied, ‘I’m not stepping on him.’ At the same time a second policeman approached, shouting ‘This was not pressing a foot; this is!’ and threw a kick with all his might to the immigrant arrestee, who was already down on the ground. Petros Kapetanopoulos was arrested after his complaint, accused of ‘resisting authority’, ‘attempting to release a detainee’ and ‘giving false testimony without an oath’ (the latter charge is typically applied when arrestees refuse to give their fingerprints).

Petros works in the branch of the Manpower Employment Organization (OAED) in Peristeri for years, taking a class stance on problems of local and immigrant workers, precarious and unemployed people. We have experienced his positions through labour and social struggles, both in Peristeri and downtown Athens. Class consciousness, dignity and solidarity have always characterized him. His reaction against police arbitrariness comes as no surprise for us; on the contrary, we consider it obvious in relation to the attitude he chooses to carry in life.

We condemn the state violence and the police terrorism that have become commonplace, in every neighbourhood and every workplace, against anyone who defies, resists and protests. In the face of Petros, human dignity and solidarity are being criminalized. It could have been anyone of us.

Hands off Petros Kapetanopoulos
Solidarity is our weapon, and collective resistance is our power
Solidarity gathering: Tuesday, July 24th, 9.30am, Evelpidon Courts (building 9)

Open people’s assembly of Peristeri

Update: Petros Kapetanopoulos was ordered released without restrictive conditions. The investigating judge lodged a prosecution against him for ‘having simple complicity in robbery’ (because he protested against the way that the young immigrant was detained), ‘resisting authority’, ‘attempting to release a detainee’ and ‘giving false testimony without an oath’.

The immigrant, who is accused of robbery against a young woman, was ordered released on the restrictive condition of regular appearance at the police station close to his residence. However, he is still being held in administrative terms because he lacks legal documents.

more updates here