Greek riots eyewitness reports - 20 December 2008

04:31: 800 schools and 200 university departments occupied; international solidarity day is here
On the dawn of December 20th, a full fortnight from the day of Alexandros’ murder, the mainstream media report that around 800 high schools and 200 university departments around the country are occupied by their students.

Today is the international day of action against state murders. Once again, we will be on the streets - yet today we won’t be alone… Thousands and thousands across the world are joining us.

19:12: Neighbourhood demonstrations across Athens; more anarcho-transportation actions and radio station occupations; demo at point of assassination set to start
The plan for today was for many small demonstrations to take place around the entire city of Athens, so that this decentralised action could bring the city to a standstill. There were demonstrations in the neighbourhoods of Gyzi, Peristeri (were the second student was shot), Chaidari, Petralona, Nea Smyrni, Victoria, Vyronas, Illion (that’s tomorrow) and in the cities of Thessaloniki, Heraclion and Larisa.

Fresh “anarcho-transportation” actions took place at the metro stations of Brahami and Ayios Antonios. In the last few days, many stations around the city have been visited by small anarchist groups that sabotage the vending machines, handing out leaflets (”the self-organisation of the passengers will bring the end of the ticket inspectors”…)

At least four more radio stations were occupied today (”Best,” “En Lefko”, “Athina 9.84″ and “Republic 100.3″; texts against state violence and in solidarity with the arrestees of the riots were read.

Responding to a callout by the Athens Polytechnic occupation, we will be gathering at the point of Alexis’ assassination in the next couple of hours. We’ve been reading the reports from the solidarity actions across the world. Keep them coming. The states murder the people but tonight, a night against state murders, is a night of the people. This is our night.

21.36
-Attacks against riot squads (MAT) at the Ministry of Culture/ They responded by drowning the area with chemicals
-from the Polytechnic University/ Cops have surrounded people that came down to the site where Alexis was murdered. At this time (11.15 pm) there are a lot of people inside the uni and the outside streets all the way up to Exarhia square. The cops are throwing often very strong chemicals. The comrades are responding with molotov cocktails / The clashes have reached Patission str
-From the assembly at Javela str & Messologgiou , the place where Alexis Grigoropoulos was murdered 15 days ago : There is a very big crowd shouting slogans against the cops - at the surrounding streets riot squads
-Fire / Arson attack at the Teiresias' building (Department of the Finance Ministry)-about 7.13 pm
From IndyMedia Athens http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&cat=1&n_lang=1
-From the live stream of the taken over Polytechnic University :
"These are the days and nights of Alexis. The rage does not diminish. 15 days after Alexis murder fire everywhere sets light to the night and the surrounding streets from the murder site.
-Stournari street
-Kanniggos square
- Pattision str
-Solonos str
-Averof str
-Tositsa str
-George str and the surrounding streets all the way up to Exarhia square
from the balconies in Exarhia people are shouting at the cops and throwing things against them - from IndyMedia Athens
"... Self Organization.
Free all the comrades arrested during the riots "- from the live stream from the taken over Polytechnic http://147.102.219.129:8000/

at the end of the page there is a video from tonight's clashes (20/12) from the area where Alexis was murdered
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951932

-From the live stream "... every 5 minutes the cops are throwing tear gas, flash grenades and very strong chemicals, the atmosphere is too heavy and misty from the chemicals, clashes all around the Polytechnic, At the Polytechnic the rabies met with consciousness "
-from the live stream "everyone inside the Polytechnic is fine, around it though there are many riot squads/ in Patission str there are at least 6 riot squads/ a lot of people have taken shelter inside the taken over building of GSEE in Patission st and at the taken over uni of ASOE a bit futher down in Patission st"

zougla.gr has put again its live feed from Patission str(in front of the Polytechnic uni)(it is out of focus, intentionally?maybe some other people are recording ?)
http://mfile.akamai.com/61609/live/reflector:32322.asx?prop=e

Assemblies, demonstrations and clashes around Greece
-Edessa assembly
-Naxos (Island) poster at central sites of the city http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951901
-Piraeus incidents ? between football fans /police arrives
-Brahami (Athens suburb) disruption and giving out leaflets
-Nea Smirni (Athens suburb) Demo,some pass-byers joined, slogans also written on banks along the demo, 1 ATM smashed, transport and bank's CCV painted
-Ioannina take over of radio station for about 30 minutes, at the street speeches + statements from taken over ASOE, GSEE and Polytechnic were read / different decoration of a xmas tree at Ioannina http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951866
-Agios Panteleimonas (area of Athens) incidents at a supermarket / police arrived
-Kamara (area in Thessaloniki) Assembly, banners, 2 different leaflets were given out + newspapers , speeches photos http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951724
-Kavala (area in the north of Greece) arson attack on a car
-Petralona (area in Athens) Demo, slogans also written along the demo, take over of the area around the Cultural Centre "Melina Merkouri", then temporary the radio station Athens 984 Photos http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951679
Syndagma incidents while protesters were placing rubbish on/around the new xmas tree , video http://athens.indymedia.org/local/webcast/uploads/mvi_0337.avi
/ riot squads arrive, tear gas thrown /video with the first arrests from Syndagma http://prezatv.blogspot.com/2008/12/video_5221.html
-Vironas (suburb of Athens) assembly, demo

Personal account from Athens
There was a gathering last night at the point that Alexis was murdered. Thousands attended, in order to pay a tribute to the murdered Alexis... Police presence was big, on a lot of streets around Exarchia, there were so many people on the streets and the balconies though, that it was difficult for them to be as active as they wanted.... Clashes against the police did start though, at various points in Exarchia and mainly around the taken over Polytechnic building... A lot of us got in the polytechnic, also a lot of people went to the taken over GSEE, Law Dept and ASOEE buildings. Clashes against the police around the polytechnic continued until late at night.

EVERYBODY in Exarchia were out in the streets or on the balconies, AGAINST the police.... You could see people from the balconies throwing things against them, public on the streets shouting at them... The cops used again massive ammounts of chemicals, especially around the polytechnic, some very very strong ones.. I have allready spoken about those on a previous post, I dont want to repeat again.... The only thing I can say is that I am not feeling so well for one more day.

There were rumors yesterday that the police surrounded us, that there was no access to Exarchia at all, to the square or the murder point etc... ALL THESE ARE PROPAGANDA. Yes there was police presence, yes there were riots especially after the end of the gathering around the polytechnic, but in no way all Exarchia were closed by police... The people of Exarchia would never leave this to happen and did not happen yesterday.

Who ever things that this uprising has finished, has no idea what is happening here. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGGINING

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF ALEXIS.

Sunday 03.38 Athens
Siege of the Athens Polytechnic grounds by the riot police is finally over. For hours, the pigs would throw their chemicals into the campus, to the people who had retreated there after gathering at the point of the assassination of Alexandros. There was heavy street fighting throughout the night. There were clashes all around the area of Eksarhia, Athens.

Just some of the international solidarity actions
some info about solidarity with the Greek uprising , 48+ events on global day of action. from indymedia athens, the page is translated
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951373

solidarity from Germany (Hanover)
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950985

solidarity from Seoul
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950812

from yesterday French institute attacked, photo + page translated

http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951403

solidarity from San Francisco http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2008/12/18/greekdemo_1.jpg
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950671

solidarity from Portugal
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950804
http://anarcores.blogspot.com/ Photos

from New York to Greece solidarity
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950757

Solidarity from Amsterdam Photos, page not translated
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950745

solidarity from Helsinki Photos, page not translated
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950666

from the committee of Greeks in Zurich for solidarity to the Greek uprising
Photos, page not translated
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950646

solidarity from North America
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950637

solidarity from Slovakia
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950626
photos http://www.crimethinc.cz/g28-recko-solidarita.html

solidarity from Istanbul
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950456
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=952127

solidarity from the Basque region
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950276

Solidarity from Edinburg
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=950304

solidarity from Italy, March , Photos from the Greek consulate-Italy
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951872

Solidarity from Turks and Kurds outside the Greek Consulate in Istanbul
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951375

Solidarity from Hamburg, Munich, Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Brazil // Solidarity demo in Melburne http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=952058
, Luxenburg, Mexico, Spain
and Reykjavik(Iceland) http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=951946

All the links from Indy Media Athens
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&cat=2&n_lang=1

Compiled by Libcom from www.urban75.net and www.occupiedLondon.org/blog