photo of the march in Athens by uk indymedia

photo of the march in Athens by athens indymedia

ATHENS

source: exceprts from  uk indymedia article with modifications and in – text link by clandestinenglish.

[...] The march began at 20.00 o’clock in Omonoia Square, downtown Athens, the capital city of Greece.

Hundreds of counter-information flyers were distributed and a speech was made. The march (as shown in the photos) had about 2500 comrades, and this made the cops to keep themselves at safe distance.

During the march various texts were distributed, anarchist graffiti was drawn, security cameras were destroyed, as well as bank ATMs. The march proceeded towards Aghios Panteleimonas and when the head of the march was about to enter the district the cops immediately fired tear gas and shock grenades, with the comrades replying with stones and flare bombs.

The march had good defence and moved towards ASOEE (a public university in Athens specializing in economics; comrades in Greece take advantage of a sanctuary’s law, called asylum, that disallows the cops to enter university premises). There was somewhat of a chaos there for a while, as some comrades where entering the university campus while others were leaving to go fight the cops in the nearby Patision street. The whole Patision street was in fire.

Barricades built with trashbins set on fire were keeping the cops away and after the usual (for Greece) violent fighting between anarchist comrades and the cops (and the huge amount of chemicals released by them) the cops came under a well-organized attack that forced them to take cover in the 3rd September street, while the whole Patision street was again set on fire.

Many immigrants were participating in the march and they attacked Delta guards (Deltades) in Victoria Square (Deltades are stupid thugs the state uses as light-cops until real cops can arrive): when comrades informed the immigrants that real cops were coming to Victoria Square (so that those with no passports could leave in time to avoid arrest and forced repatriation), the immigrants, disregarding their own individual self-interest, attacked the Deltades thugs, who took cover at the nearby OTE bulding (OTE is the Greek National Telecommunications Company, recently privatized and sold to German T-Telekom).

After the march, the Aghios Panteleimonas district was full of immigrants and clear of fascist scum or cops. The fascists supported the cops in their attempt to drive the march out of Saint Pandeleimonas.

A fascist accidentaly set himself on fire while trying to use the anarchists’ weapons against them, a sport the fascists aren’t good at [clandestinenglish note: as many athens indymedia commentators note, throwing molotovs to unprotected people is definitely NOT a practice of anarchists in Greece].

an Eleftherotypia newspaper photo reproduced at Athens Indymedia, showing some fascist attempting to throw a molotov from within the riot police ranks at Aghios Panteleimonas

The anarchists carried multilingual banners in Greek, English, French, Arabic, Albanian, and other languages known to the immigrants. A banner held by comrades carrying black and red flags, both men and women, read: “war against bosses – solidarity with immigrants”.

THESSALONIKI

source: athens indymedia

The anarchist bloc, which was at the head of the march, consisted of more than 1000 people . The central banner read “Solidarity with the immigrants. No national unity. War on bosses.”.  There were two more banners on the side: “attack the concentration camps” and “fascists – para-state, back in your holes.   Five more blocs  of left parties and organizations followed, of a total number of ca. 500 people. Cops were following the course from a safe for them distance and did not approach the march.   Bank ATMs and cameras were smashed, much spraying, much leafleting and a very good overall attitude – and many “new” faces…

More photos of Athens at

• http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1054883
• http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1054792
• http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/434041.html

Videos of Athens at

• http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1055024

Read  also

Mass antiracist march in Athens ends in serious clashes at libcom.org

Anti – racist march in solidarity with immigrants – Thessaloniki, Greece – text & photos by  teacher dude