[By way of teh Intertubes…]
There have been confirmed accounts that groups of Greek fascists are actively collaborating with police forces in the city of Patras. This is happening now.
The media speak of “concerned citizens” who attack anarchists; anarchists in Greece are very familiar with this bogus concept. Already, known fascists from other cities (including Athens) are being seen in Patras, walking down the streets accompanied by policemen in civilian clothing, attacking and arresting anyone who looks suspicious. At least one student has been hospitalised as a result of a stabbing by these para-military groups; local residents are reported to have hidden protesters from fascist vigilantes. In response, and under police protection, fascists have been gathering outside these refuges, throwing rocks, yelling “come out or we will come in” and threatening householders with violence. Obviously, despite having 45,000 active police on duty, the police forces cannot handle the popular uprisings in Greece, and so the right-hand is being unleashed: the organised violence of fascists and neo-Nazis.
Please re-post this whenever you can!
Example of corporate accounts (Clashes break out as strike shuts down Greece, Derek Gatopoulos, AP): “Local media reported early Wednesday that groups of civilians had begun taking matters into their own hands, confronting looters in the western city of Patras and the central city of Larissa.”
See also :
3:11am, Patras: This is what a junta looks like!
eyewitness report
Tuesday’s demonstration was called by local anarchist groups. Participation was phenomenal by the city’s standards – around 3,000 people (some reports put this number up to 5,000) took the streets of Patras behind the anarchist banners and against state violence. The march cruised through the city; banks were smashed. Meanwhile, the city’s police force had gathered around the main police station in order to protect it.
Toward the end of the demo however the riot police launched a major attack, forcing it to retreat toward the city’s historical university building (the so-called parartima). Soon thereafter, the most incredible attack began: Tens of fascists (that seem to had gathered in Patras from across the country, in a pre-planned joint operation with the police) attacked the demonstration with knives and stones. Co-ordinating perfectly with the police, they continued their attack and, according to some reports, even did some joint arrests. The demonstrators were confronted with the following unbelievable spectacle: They were facing a group of people throwing them police-owned tear gas while chanting “blood-honour-golden dawn” (the name of a nazi group in Greece).
The demonstrators’ block (which only numbered around 500 at the time, as this happened near the end of the demo) was completely torn apart; people were chased all the way into their flats; demonstrators had to seek refuge in flats in 10s and 20s, while the cops and the nazis would smash their windows and try to force entry.
Patras Indymedia reports 26 detentions and 9 arrests. Thankfully, the reports that the fascists would head for the city’s Afghan refugee camp have proven false so far.
What makes the above story even more unbelievable is that the mainstream media report it as the “local business owners” being the ones who attacked the demonstrators, “taking the law into their own hands”. Putting aside the minor detail that absolutely no local businesses were damaged (only multinational banks, the courts and the police station), these supposed “shop owners” and “respectful citizens” were depicted in media in their balaclavas, holding knives! There was an unbelievable joint police-fascist operation in Patras today and they are trying to cover it up and to claim the public has turned against the demonstrators.
It is crucial to confront their lies and to resist their repression – the future of this movement could depend on this. Please spread the word.
