slackbastard

In the interests of Leftist trainspotting, I thought I may as well survey the Trotskyist press to see what it has to say about those crazy Greeks. In Australia, the only weekly Trot paper is the Green Left Weekly: unfortunately, it has yet to publish (but will in the next day or two); the remainder are monthlies. So, to the UK (and the wsws.org).

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Greece in widespread revolt, Andros Payiatsos (of Xekinima, the CWI in Greece), The Socialist, December 10, 2008.

The CWI make passing reference to anarchists — many of whom are agent provocateurs, apparently — and argues that the ‘anarchists’ have been given free rein by the police the better to discredit the “mighty movement of workers” (and yoof!) which will be appearing on the stage of history shortly. Unfortunately, the former group is simply mindless, and aims at nothing more than “destroying everything they can lay their hands on”. The yoof must be taught respect for the proper authorities — these being the leaders of this “mighty movement”, a leadership whose authenticity may well depend upon the extent to which it accommodates the CWI into its structure…

The current government can be brought down through a mighty movement of workers and youth, but not through the rioting and massive destruction that we have seen in every city, caused by anarchist groups (in the ranks of which there are many agent provocateurs) in the last few days.

Over the last two days, these groups have had a free hand in destroying everything they can lay their hands on. But if this continues, it will play into the hands of the government and the state. Initially, workers could accept a few excesses by these groups, but after the riots in all of Greece’s cities, the mood will change. The arguments for “law and order” will begin to gain ground.

Thus, these groups, which show no respect for the mass movement and particularly the workers’ movement, will provide the best rescue for a paralysed government and state apparatus to try to regain control.

Only the mass movement and particularly the working class can bring down this government, through mass action. Only the working class can provide an alternative to the government and capitalist system…

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The Intertubes revolutionaries of the ICFI, on the other hand, appear to be hedging their bets: the “anarchists” exist, but are likely only ‘self-styled’ anarchists; armed with sticks, stones, and a worrying ignorance of the truthiness of scientific socialism.

Protests and riots in Greece precipitate political crisis, Stefan Steinberg, December 10, 2008 (International Committee of the Fourth International, ICFI):

Confronted with a growing political crisis, the Greek government is currently preparing to take harsh measures to put down the protests. Sections of the Greek media and leading politicians are conducting a deliberate campaign to brand the protesters as “anarchists,” “extremists” and “terrorists” and create a climate in which the police and state forces can violently suppress the growing opposition movement…

The Greek daily newspaper Ta Nea pointed out that the often violent protests of the past days represented much more than the revolt of a handful of anarchists and drew attention to the social sources of the crisis: “The death of the student was only the catalyst. It was the fuse for the great explosion. The explosion conceals a compressed desperation. … Many young people live with the unbearable knowledge that there is no future, that the future is a bricked-up window. Somewhere out there a blind fury is lurking … Not violence, but desperation appears to be the origin of our story” (8 December 2008).

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Finally, the SWP. Greek mass movement rises up against the state: ‘Panos Garganas (editor of Workers Solidarity, Socialist Worker‘s sister paper in Greece) spoke to Socialist Worker about the demonstrations shaking Greece’, December 9, 2008. The article contains no direct reference to anarchists. Instead, “While much of the international media has focussed on the riots, they have virtually ignored the mass movement sweeping Greece’s streets and workplaces. This has successfully targeted anger against the government…

[On Monday morning and following mass walkouts and protests outside police stations by high school students] the atmosphere was very similar to that of March 2003 when tens of thousands of young people spontaneously walked out of schools to demonstrate against war in Iraq.” Further: “The government has a clear strategy – to use the police to break up demonstrations, leaving people to riot. It is shutting down colleges and schools in an attempt to stop people coming together to organise. The police attacked Monday night’s demonstration with teargas, and smoke and percussion grenades, forcing people to disperse. Large groups of young people then engaged in a running battle with the authorities. There were other protests across the country on Monday that followed this formula. The government is hoping that public opinion will harden against the rioters and the situation will calm down. But workers and students have taken the lead in turning up the heat on the government…”

By acting like it’s March 2003? Hmmm…

In the meantime…

Athens Polytechnic occupation publishes communique
via libcom
December 9, 2008

A message from the group which has been occupying Athens Polytechnic in response to the death of a 15-year-old at the hands of police has been published on Athens Indymedia.

On Saturday December 6, 2008, Alexandros Grigoropoulos, a 15-year old comrade, was murdered in cold blood, with a bullet in the chest by a cop in the area of Exarchia.

Contrary to the statements of politicians and journalists who are accomplices to the murder, this was not an “isolated incident”, but an explosion of the state repression which systematically and in an organised manner targets those who resist, those who revolt, the anarchists and anti-authoritarians.

It is the peak of state terrorism which is expressed with the upgrading of the role of repressive mechanisms, their continuous armament, the increasing levels of violence they use, with the doctrine of “zero tolerance”, with the slandering media propaganda that criminalises those who are fighting against authority.

It is these conditions that prepare the ground for the intensification of repression, attempting to extract social consent beforehand, and arming the weapons of state murderers in uniform!

Lethal violence against the people in the social and class struggle is aiming at everybody’s submission, serving as exemplary punishment, meant to spread fear.

It is part of the wider attack of the state and the bosses against the entire society, in order to impose more rigid conditions of exploitation and oppression, to consolidate control and repression. From school and universities to the dungeons of waged slavery with the hundreds of dead workers in the so-called “working accidents” and the poverty embracing large numbers of the population… From the minefields in the borders, the pogroms and the murders of immigrants and refugees to the numerous “suicides” in prisons and police stations… from the “accindental shootings” in police blockades to violent repression of local resistances, Democracy is showing its teeth!

From the first moment after the murder of Alexandros, spontaneous demonstrations and riots burst in the center of Athens, the Polytechnic, the Economic and the Law Schools are being occupied and attacks against state and capitalist targets take place in many different neighborhoods and in the city centre. Demonstrations, attacks and clashes erupt in Thessaloniki, Patras, Volos, Chania and Heraklion in Crete, in Giannena, Komotini and many more cities. In Athens, in Patission street –outside the Polytechnic and the Economic School- clashes last all night. Outside the Polytechnic the riot police make use of plastic bullets.

On Sunday the 7th December, thousands of people demonstrate towards the police headquarters in Athens, attacking the riot police. Clashes of unprecedented tension spread in the streets of the city centre, lasting until late at night. Many demonstrators are injured and a number of them are arrested.

We continue the occupation of the Polytechnic School which started on Saturday night, creating a space for all people who are fighting to gather, and one more permanent focus of resistance in the city.

In the barricades, the university occupations, the demonstrations and the assemblies we keep alive the memory of Alexandros, but also the memory of Michalis Kaltezas and of all the comrades who were murdered by the state, strengthening the struggle for a world without masters and slaves, without police, armies, prisons and borders.

The bullets of the murderers in uniform, the arrests and beatings of demonstrators, the chemical gas war launched by the police forces, not only cannot manage to impose fear and silence, but they become for the people the reason to raise against state terrorism the cries of the struggle for freedom, to abandon fear and to meet –more and more every day- in the streets of revolt. To let the rage overflow and drown them!

State terrorism shall not pass!

We demand the immediate release of all those arrested in the events of 7th-8th December.

We are sending our solidarity to everyone occupying universities, demonstrating and clashing with the state murderers all over the country.

– The Occupation of the Polytechnic University in Athens

On a humourous note, the analysis of Establishment boor John Carr in The Times. Apparently, the anarchy and chaos in Greece is all to do with their pining for the fjords Greek Empire. John even cites Nietzsche to support his case.

Teach me to dance! Will you…?