[Note: Below is a collection of various reports and communiqués from the uprising in Greece. Sources and links for more information are at the bottom.]
Communiqué from the Liberated City Hall Of Aghios Dimitrios:
AGAINST PROSECUTIONS AND DETENTIONS
The events that have taken place so far, both inside and outside of Greece, following the murder of 16-year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos from the special guard Epaminondas Korkoneas, show clearly that we are in the midst of a popular insurrection. Ever growing segments of society (high school and university students, workers, unemployed, immigrants, detainees, poor,…) decide to come out in the streets and transform their rage for whatever oppresses them in every expression of their lives into action (dynamic mobilizations during which there are mass clashes with the forces of repression and attacks on government and capitalist targets, occupations of public buildings, open assemblies, counterinformation actions,…).
Within the frame of this insurrection, the City Hall of Aghios Dimitrios has been occupied since the morning of Thursday Dec. 11, so that it may become a place of counter-information, meeting, and self-organizing of the residents of the wider region and for the collective formation and implementation of actions. A main component of this occupation is the daily popular assembly with participation of up to 300 people, a process that functions in contrast to the entrusting of the management of our demands as well as of our struggles to whichever "representatives," elected or not. A process that tends to be implanted deeply into the consciousness of its participants on their role as political beings.
Without a doubt, this popular insurrection is clearly turning against the very structure of the current regime. Therefore, it follows that the subjects of this insurrection will face the repressive fury of the defenders of the system (the state, the businesses, the comfortable, …). Already there have been about 200 arrests around the country (often accompanied by violence and trumped up charges). Some of the charges, misdemeanors as well as felonies are: resisting arrest, disobedience, disturbing the peace, attempting to free detainees, use and possession of tools and explosives, attempt to inflict serious bodily harm, etc. In some instances, the state has prosecuted minors under anti-terrorist statutes (Larissa). Nevertheless, for us it is obvious that all these charges are political in nature. And of course the "not at all" predatory state (in conjunction with the "not at all" profiteering business people) has the audacity to prosecute so-called "looters".
By participating in the popular insurrection both inside and outside of the now liberated City Hall of Ag. Dimitrios, we express with our deeds our solidarity with those arrested and procecuted for their actions in this social struggle. The struggle for their release and the cessation of prosecutions is absolutely connected with the very insurrection and must constitute a main demand.
A few lines above there was a reference to the defenders of the system. Unfortunately this category also includes those segments of society, which, while objectively belong on the side of the oppressed, whether by their opposition to the social struggle or whether by their silence (a result as much of the brainwashing from mass media as from the growing tendency to abandon collective claims and pursue individual solutions) end up playing the game of their oppressors. It is necessary that we realize what is the source of our problems and that all of us "below" are already on the crosshairs of the system, therefore it is to our advantage to join this insurrection.
DROP ALL CHARGES FOR THE EVENTS OF THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS
IMMEDIATE RELEASE OFF ALL DETAINEES
THE SOCIAL STRUGGLES ARE NEITHER LEGAL NOR ILLEGAL – THEY ARE JUST.
RALLY – MARCH
Tuesday December 16, 2008, 7:00pm at the liberated City Hall of Ag. Dimitrios
Accounts of Monday’s events in the second week of social upheaval following the murder of Alexis, including a leaflet by Albanian migrants.
21.16 Athens
Musicians had called for a demo starting from Propylea, before the demo at 18:00. A big number of musicians attended, and were demonstrating by dancing on the street. It was very good to see people dancing in Panepistimiou str….
A video that shows those lovely people that filled the Athens city centre with music today can be found here: http://www.tvxs.gr/v1765
They say that their demo was not really planned, a sms message got the most of them only today calling them for a demo, so they just got their instruments and came down. No political party or movement was responsible for that call it was just the willing of that people that wanted to be on the streets to demonstrate together with the youth against police brutality, in their own unique way. Their petrol bombs was their music.
But the police decided they did not like it so they started spraying towards them with chemicals, at one guy directly to his eyes !! The musicians quickly left the area, they were not formed in a block anyway in order to try to defend from a police attack. Although comrades did also exist in the area, any action to try to stop the attack of the police could be dangerous, as there were a lot of people around watching at that point, and they could get injured.
The demo at 18:00 that was called from the comrades of the taken over Law Department, was relatively big, a few thousands appeared (difficult to estimate correct number). The demo did its normal route from Stadiou and Panepistimiou str, passing quite close from the parliament buidling. It was a passionate and peacefull demo with a lot of chanting. Tension was created outside a well known cafe at Panepistimiou str, when comrades started throwing paint and yoghurt at its entrace, and chanting towards the ones inside : "You that you are staring at the demo, wear bullet proof vests, the police is passing" and also "when the cops will start murdering your children, you will get out of your cages". The demo finished peacefully at Propylea.
4 people more went to prison today, waiting for trial. Also in prison waiting for trial, during the last days of the uprising, are 5 more people in Athens, 4 in Larisa and 3 in Kozani plus 25 immigrants from Athens for looting.
A very large number of demonstrators have been detained during the last week, it is not clear yet exactly how many of them are actually arrested and will pass from the public attorney and how many not.
In the most taken over university departments, general assembly meetings are taking place in order to vote for the forthcoming actions, in all up to now they have decided to continue their take overs. More general assembly meetings will take place tomorrow and in other departments.
In Larisa, a 250 people demo started at 19:00, the half of them being anarchists and the others people from radical left groups. It passed from the court building and the police station of Larisa, stones and fireworks were thrown, and the police responded with chemicals. Road blocks got formed and a riot started with the police but did not last long because there was a clear danger that the comrades would get trapped.
14.49 Athens
Yesterday I forgot to mention that the building "Galaxias" in N. Smirni (a suburb of Athens) is also taken over by comrades and it is used as a coordination centre for the actions that will take place.
At 12 o clock today a high school student demo was announced outside GADA, the Police Headquarters of Athens. A big number of school students attended as well as comrades, parents of the kids and other people. There was a heavy police presence, in all streets and alleys around GADA. The kids in a lot of occassions confronted the police, and there was tention during the whole demo. At the end, when the public had started leaving and the school kids remained there, there was an attack by the police to them. The kids responded with yoghurt, flour, fruit as well as stones, but the police managed to break the demo in three parts and send them to different directions. At least 2 kids have been arrested, one teenage boy was pent down by the police and was sprayed with chemicals although it was down arrested and not able to move.
On the same time, school students from other areas of Athens but also from all over Greece, demonstrated outside their police departments. Riots started and at Koridalos (a suburb of Athens) where also the biggest high security prison establishment of Greece exists. The school demo was leading towards that direction (the prison) but was stopped by police. A lot of chemicals were used, the demonstrators responded with stones and petrol bombs.
In Thessaloniki, the town hall of Sikeon was taken over, there will be an open public meeting there on 19:00 today.
In Mytilini (greek island) 3 different radio stations were taken over by comrades and broadcastes. Also an another one at Ioannina was also taken over. Finally a radio station was taken over in Rethimno, Crete, by anarchists and anti authoritarians and broadcasted live as well.
A big demonstration at 6 o clock will start today from Propylaia. My shift at work is allready over so I will head down for that demo as well, I will give you updates later on today.
NOTHING IS OVER YET, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
#22, 14:42 High school students brutally attacked by the cops; another four arrestees ordered in pre-trial detention
17.36 A musician’s protest at the Propylea was encircled and tear-gassed by riot police (!) The musicians were performing a track when attacked. There are rumours that this is the first time police use tear gas from their new stock; apparently this is some sort of paralytical tear gas…
14.52 Another four of last week’s arrestees appeared before the prosecutor today, who ordered their pre-trial detention (which can, and more often than not lasts one year in Greece). This, combined with the pre-trial detention of arrestees in small cities (i.e. in Kozani and Larissa) shows the greek "justice" will be following a zero tolerance approach with anyone suspected of participating in the revolt. As the prosecutor told the arrestees in Kozani, "the police can no longer deal with you – so we will".
14.42 The peaceful student sit-in outside the police headquarters on Aleksandras Ave is unprovokenly attacked by police with tear gas. The crowd dispersed in three groups, all of which started fighting back with stones and spontaneous small barrickades. At least two arrests – one young male student was arrested, handcuffed and then teargassed and kicked in front of us. People tried to save him from the police but it was impossible. Indymedia reports that another young female student was injured in the head by the pigs. The anti-police sentiment on the streets is simply phenomenal.
#21, 11:47: High school students gather outside police headquarters; solidarity meeting outside the courts; fascist attacks Chalandri occupation with gun
In the next few minutes, high school students will be gathering outside the police headquarters on Alexandras Ave – an unprecedented move even for leftie/ anarchist groups. But the students have already overcome nearly all conventional forms of political action, so far.
A solidarity meeting is called for today outside the main courthouse in Athens, in solidarity with the arrestees – the pre-trial detention (or not) of many of them is to be decided today.
05.00 Athens
In the early hours of Monday morning, a well-know local fascist/mafia-type with two others, armed with a gun and a bat threatened the people inside the occupied building of the town hall of Chalandri in Athens. The people in the building were threatened with the firearm, one person was hit in injured with the bat and forcibly told to leave. So they departed, to prevent things from getting worse, and re-occupied it a few hours later as it was not locked.
The mayor of Chalandri denies that he has any connection with those people, it is clear though that we are talking about paid men who were there on a mission and not some "angry civillians".
The police helicopter is hovering over Athens for the ninth consequtive day. We are off to the police headquarters gathering; more reports to follow.
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