Fascist demo in Larissa smashed

1940s fascist death squad leader Griva's statue defaced during the antifascist counterdemo

A fascist demo in the city of Larissa in Greece was smashed by antifascists. During clashes with the police which ensued 4 comrades have been arrested. The Medical School of the city is under occupation demanding the release of the antifascists.

Submitted by taxikipali on February 21, 2010

On Sunday noon fascists of the Patriotic Club of Thessaly tried to hold a racist demo against the new law which gives citizenship to hundreds of thousands of second generation immigrants. According to the communique of the occupied Medical School of the city, before the fascists even began to gather, Visarionos square where their march was supposed to start was occupied by antifascists. When the fascists finally arrived they were attacked and beaten while the van with which they patrol the streets of the city at night in vigilante immigrant hunt type of operations was destroyed. After the fascists retreated the antifascist counter-demo was attacked by riot police forces who pushed the radicals towards the central square of the city (Post-Office square) with an intention to encircle them. During the clashes 4 people have been arrested, while the rest took refuge to the city's Medical School. The School remains under occupation by people demanding the immediate release of the anti-fascists. The cops have demanded a lift of the academic asylum, but the rector has refused to grant it.

The developments come on the same day that two members of the Golden Dawn neo-nazi party were arrested in Athens carrying a 9mm ZASTAVA gun and propaganda material of their organisation. The police has raided their houses and the headquarters of the neo-nazi party but has announced it found no more incriminating evidence. The two men are held in custody.

On other news from Greece: last night police broke the academic asylum of the Polytechnioupoli (NB not the down-town Polytechnic) in Zagrafou with the permission of the rector Mr Moutzouris, after reported damages to the premises during a party held by students. Delta-team motorised forces stormed the building where the party was held, entering it mounted and arrested 30 students who were later released with no charges pressed against them. It is the first time the asylum is breached by rectorial permission since 1995, and marks an explosive low point of academic-student relations that could have serious consequences. In the past years Mr Moutzouris has defended the asylum principle and it remains to be seen if yesterday's breach was a tactical move before ministry pressures or a realignment of overall policy.

Comments

Harabd

14 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Harabd on February 22, 2010

We must support the anti-fascists and their supportive friends/helpers against capitalist-fascist groups and capitalist-fascist organisations. In Greece and in all countries
Success for the resistance in Greece!!!

taxikipali

14 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by taxikipali on February 22, 2010

Upadate: Out of the 4 people detained during the antifascists' clash with the police, two girls stand accused of breach of the peace with the accusing witness being a neo-nazi scum. As about the two neonazis arrested by the police in Athens, one of them is an ex-port policeman who has been accused as an accomplish in payed murder in the past, he also was mp candidate for the Golden Dawn in the last elections...

At the same time, students have occupied the rectorial headquarters of the Polytechnic in Zografou in response to the rectorial authorities permission to the police to storm a Saturday-night party. the rector Mr Moutzouris claims that he ordered the cops in after a night-guard reported he was threatened by students. The students insist that no damage and no threat towards anyone occurred that night.

On other news, Lanaras textile workers have once again gone on strike and have marched in the city of Komotini against the temporary closure of two factories due to what the company claims is a lack of raw material.

from_gr

14 years 1 month ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by from_gr on February 22, 2010

About the photo above...
According to http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1134689 (where more photos can be found about the action in Larissa), the photo is a statue of a leader of a fascist organization "X", than cooperated with the Nazis, during the german occupation of greece. He gave fighters of the resistance to the german secret police Gestapo and to SS. Later, as a leader of the nationalistic organization of cyprus "EOKA" continued his criminal activity with assasinations of greek-cypriot communists, turkish-cypriots and british.

The graffiti reads:
"CIVIL CLASS WAR.
[Fascists] back to your holes
(A)"

The two girls that were arrested, are set free today.