Stories about the antics of stylish Greek anarchists are proving to be increasingly popular in English-language corporate/state media, especially in the US. Previously on Slack Bastard Blues, Greek students are revolting, Greek anarchists are crazy, inspiring, interesting, baffling, running Monkey marathons and being extremely stylish while battling US imperialism. And now:
Suspected anarchists throw petrol bombs at cars outside Athens police station
AP
International Herald Tribune
April 26, 2007
ATHENS, Greece: Suspected anarchist youths threw petrol bombs at cars parked outside an Athens police station early Friday, in the third attack of the kind within a few hours, officials said.
Police said one car was burnt during the pre-dawn attack in the eastern suburb of Zographou. There were no injuries or arrests.
Anarchists, who frequently clash with police and attack symbols of authority, have ratcheted up the level of confrontation with arson strikes outside police stations in the country’s two main cities.
Late Thursday, masked youths threw petrol bombs into two patrol cars outside a police station in the northern city of Thessaloniki, after smashing the windscreens. The fires caused extensive damage.
Earlier, 12 vehicles, including patrol cars, unmarked police cars and a police motorcycle, were burnt by a group of up to 40 youths outside a central Athens police station.
The youths escaped on foot after the attack in the capital’s Exarcheia district, a traditional anarchist stronghold.
Anarchists have stepped up arson attacks to show solidarity with widespread protests by inmates in Greek penitentiaries, after prison guards allegedly beat an anarchist bank robbery suspect.
Order was restored in all prisons Thursday, after four days of protests.
— versus —
Anarchists burn Athens police vehicles
AP
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
April 26, 2007
ATHENS, Greece — Suspected anarchists threw gasoline bombs at cars parked outside a central Athens police station on Thursday, destroying 12 vehicles in the latest in a series of arson attacks, authorities said.
Police said two patrol cars, four unmarked police cars and a police motorcycle were among the burned vehicles. There were no injuries or arrests.
The attack reportedly was carried out by a group of 30 to 40 masked youths in the capital’s Exarcheia district, a traditional stronghold for anarchists. The youths escaped on foot.
Anarchists have stepped up arson attacks to show solidarity with inmate protests in Greek penitentiaries that began after guards allegedly beat an anarchist bank robbery suspect.
Police said order was restored in all prisons Thursday when about 200 inmates at Malandrinos prison in central Greece – where the alleged beating took place – returned to their cells after four days of protests.
- See also : Uruguay Embassy cars damaged in Greek arson attack, AP, International Herald Tribune, April 26, 2007
Greek anarchists are taking action to increase the costs to the Greek state of imprisoning and torturing their comrades. According to one Greek English-language source (Unrest hits central Athens: Anarchists strike in Exarchia in solidarity with disgruntled prison inmates, ekathimerini.com, April 26, 2007): “A group of some 80 suspected anarchists went on the rampage through central Athens yesterday and attacked cars, shops and ministers’ offices while chanting slogans in solidarity with protesting prison inmates…”. The protest, triggered by the beating of an anarchist prisoner, and the generally shitful conditions inside Greek jails — “some 460 people are being held in Malandrino, which only has a capacity of 280 inmates” — was successfully crushed by authorities after four days:
Greece prison protest ends
Al Jazeera English News
April 26, 2007
A four-day rooftop protest by inmates at a Greek maximum security prison against the alleged beating of an inmate by guards has ended.
Trouble in Greece’s prison system spread throughout the country after an inmate in Malandrino prison, about 200km northwest of Athens, was allegedly beaten by guards on Monday.
Hundreds of inmates joined mass protests in another 10 prisons that prompted a nationwide crackdown on Tuesday.
Inmates have also demanded that authorities reduce prison overcrowding and reform Greece’s parole system.
On Wednesday, riot police entered Malandrino, cutting off access to the roof.
The authorities asked the inmates, who spent a cold and rainy night on the roof, to return to their cells.
Tear gas
Protests had died down in prisons in Athens, on the Ionian island of Corfu, the Aegean island of Crete, the central towns of Larissa and Trikala, the western city of Patras, the northern city of Salonika and the northeastern town of Komotini by the end of Tuesday.
Three inmates were injured in a police operation in the high security prison of Korydallos in Athens.
Police use of tear gas led to complaints from the local authorities as the prison lies in in a densely populated area of the city.
Four Korydallos prison guards were hospitalised with breathing problems.
Firebombs
Prisoners in Malandrino have also made a series of demands for reduced sentences and longer leave but this was rejected by the Greek justice ministry.
The alleged beating of the inmate, a [stylish] anarchist [named Yiannis Dimitrakis], was followed by a series of incidents in Athens believed to be staged in his support.
On Wednesday, a group of suspected anarchists threw stones and firebombs at the private offices of the Anastassis Papaligouras, the justice minister and George Voulgarakis the culture minister, formerly minister of public order.
Earlier on Thursday, another group threw firebombs at the headquarters of the Athens riot police department near the city centre.
- See also : Prisoners hit the roof to protest conditions, ekathimerini.com, April 24, 2007; Prisoners revolt around Greece, Athens Indymedia (English) for chronology and deets. Yiannis is allegedly a member of an anarchist group called ‘Thieves in Black’ what robs banks: ‘Police hunt for armed gang’s den: Group had anarchist links’, ekathimerini.com, January 18, 2006. And finally, read Yiannis’ thoughts on prison conditions inside Greece… I think there’s probably something in that for all of us.
