Greek general strike 2009 - γενική απεργεία 2009

Greek general strike 2009 - γενική απεργεία 2009, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek public services closed down and transport was disrupted across the country Thursday as thousands of workers went on strike to protest government spending cuts.

Associated press

Ανοιχτή Σύγκλητος στο Α.Π.Θ

Ανοιχτή Σύγκλητος στο Α.Π.Θ, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Ψήφισμα για τη διευθέτηση του θέματος των εργολαβιών στο Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης (ΑΠΘ) εξέδωσαν οι πρυτανικές αρχές, έπειτα από ανοιχτή Σύγκλητο που πραγματοποιήθηκε για το θέμα αυτό.

Στο ψήφισμα αναφέρεται ότι το ΑΠΘ δεσμεύεται να ασκεί όλα τα δικαιώματα που του παρέχει ο νόμος αναφορικά με τις τρέχουσες συμβάσεις εργολαβίας, ώστε να μην παραβιάζεται από τους εργολήπτες η κείμενη νομοθεσία (εργατική και ασφαλιστική) για τους εργαζόμενους στο πανεπιστήμιο με εξαρτημένη σχέση εργασίας, να τηρούνται οι συναφθείσες συμβάσεις και να ασκεί τα νόμιμα δικαιώματά του, όταν διαπιστώνει ότι υπάρχουν παραβιάσεις των συμβάσεων.

www.kathimerini.gr

Call on the Greek government to set up an independent commission of inquiry

Riot police break up protest march in Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Greek police shot and killed 15-year-old Alexandros-Andreas (Alexis) Gregoropoulos in Athens on 6 December 2008. A longstanding history of human rights violations committed by police in Greece was highlighted by the shooting and by the conduct of officers policing subsequent demonstrations in December 2008 and January 2009.

Following these events, Amnesty International has received numerous reports of such violations by police in the context of policing the protests, including excessive use of force and firearms, torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and denial of prompt access to legal assistance. Complaints of such violations have also been received from children.

Amnesty International believes that the authorities' response to the killing of Alexis Gregoropoulos and the protests which erupted in the aftermath of his death should not end with the ongoing police and judicial investigations.

In this context, a strong message must be sent to the Greek government that no one can be above the law - especially those charged with enforcing it.

Take Action. Join Amnesty International in urging the Greek government to set up an independent commission of inquiry, mandated to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the death of Alexis Gregoropoulos and the police response to the demonstrations and the riots that began on 6 December.

Amnesty International

Έκθεση "καταπέλτης" κατά της ΕΛΑΣ

Για "σοβαρές παραβιάσεις ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων" επικρίνει την ελληνική αστυνομία η Διεθνής Αμνηστία και καλεί την κυβέρνηση να κάνει έρευνα.

Σε έκθεση της που δημοσιοποιήθηκε τη Δευτέρα, η Διεθνής Αμνηστία αναφέρει ότι η αντίδραση της αστυνομίας στις ταραχές του Δεκεμβρίου στην Αθήνα υπήρξε "το αποκορύφωμα της συνταγματικής παραβίασης στην προστασία των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων".

Υποστηρίζει επίσης ότι μετά τον τερματισμό των ταραχών τον Ιανουάριο έλαβε πολλές καταγγελίες (για την παραβίαση ανθρώπινων δικαιωμάτων από την αστυνομία) τις οποίες έθεσε υπόψη του υπουργού εσωτερικών Προκόπη Παυλόπουλου.

Η ελληνική κυβέρνηση δε έχει απαντήσει στην έκθεση της Διεθνούς Αμνηστείας.

Ωστόσο, διπλωματικές πηγές υποστηρίζουν ότι η αστυνομία επέδειξε εξαιρετική αυτοσυγκράτηση, αν λάβει κανείς υπόψη τις περιστάσεις.

Skai.gr

Earth Hour - 2009 Greece

Earth Hour - 2009 Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

http://www.earthhour.org/home/

Earth Hour is almost upon us

Here in Greece Earth Hour will start in about 20 minutes (8.30pm). We'll be switching off the power in a while. Join us.

Making the world safe for Gucci

The press here in Thessaloniki has been full of stories on the recent clamp down on crime. According to the Greek national daily newspaper Kathimerini, the authorities carried out 1912 checks, reported 386 violations and made 67 arrests. I happened to be in town at the time and as far as I can tell the police's efforts seemed to be once again a "round up the usual suspects" affair in which the plain clothes and uniformed officers chased the African street vendors who sell knock-off bags and other accesssories in the centre.

In the meantime last night thieves attempted to steal a ATM located inside the Praktiker DIY super store by throwing a hand grenade at it, two large stores were attacked midday in the centre, a bank was firebombed in Euosmos and the body of a young woman was found floating in the harbour.

I think we're moving more and more towards a model of law and order that befits a banana republic in which the kind of crime that affects ordinary people is met with indifference and incompetence but in which public order offenses get the lion share of police time and resources. Perhaps this government is, in fact despite its chronic inability to plan more than five minutes ahead, getting ready for the future, knowing full well that there is going to be massive resistance to the inevitable cuts in public services and that the rich are going to be more and more the target of protests as times get harder.

According to the Kathemerini and Eleutherotypia the government is planning to double the number of riot police.In addition the Athens police authorities are creating rapid response teams to police the upscale shopping districts in the centre of the capital even while crime rates in the rest of the city are going through the roof.

The present conservative New Democracy administration cannot fund a US style New Deal because they have already borrowed heavily and even more recklessly lied about financial fundamentals such as the extent of the country's debt load and growth projection to such an extent that the government's macro - economic data is now considered unreliable by EU auditors and potential creditors. The result is that future loans can only be secured at cripplingly high interest rates and that the government will have no alternative but to sell off public assets and cut spending. Both of which will lead to massive public unrest.

Hence the increase in riot police units.

On the other hand, it is comforting knowing that in a world beset by crisis and mayhem the market for high end Italian accessories remains safe under the vigilant eye of the authorities.

American film maker beaten by ultra - nationalists

An American documentary film maker was attacked and beaten during a political rally last night in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. The critic and film maker was visiting the city in order to attend a documentary film festival and was passing by the rally by the far right LAOS party in the central Agias Sophias square when he was set upon by 8 to 10 ultra-nationalists carrying iron bars and clubs who according to police reports, were most likely party supporters. According to the victim's account the attack was probably provoked by the fact that the assailants thought he was a photographer.

Click here for report from the Makedonia newspaper in Greek.

All Along The Watchtower

All Along the Watch Tower, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Car bomb goes off in Athens

A car bomb exploded outside the offices of the Greek Land Registry in central Athens this evening. The device went off at 9.30pm opposite in the headquarters of the police in the Greek capital. At first there was confusion over whether the explosion was caused by a gas leak or a bomb, however, police reports now talk of a explosive device. No casualties have been reported despite the size of the explosion.

The placing of a bomb just 200 metres from the HQ of the Athens police just days after the government had announced a series of tough anti - terrorism measures is likely to lead to political fallout for the embattled ruling New Democracy party.

NowPublic

Tags: Greece | terrorism | World | athens | Greek police | car boomb

Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Alternative forms of information and Democracy

Live at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. No Wi-Fi, however, the event started on time and has an interesting list of speakers (Click here to see the details). Here are my first unfiltered thoughts, please forgive any mistakes, I'll clean them up later.

Paraschos Mandravelis, journalist with Kathimerini. Interesting idea that new technologies at first copy existing formats, e.g TV was simply radio with pictures in the beginning. Likewise the alternative journalism follows the existing mainstream media. True up to a point, as much of what is written is simply copy and paste from newspapers and other news sites. I think this is to expected, considering that blogging and other such forms have recently made their appearance in Greece. Most blogs are less than two years old and thousands discovered them just months ago.

On the other hand there were bloggers and other contributors who went out into the streets in December, talked to those taking part in the protests and disturbances at a time when most mainstream coverage consisted of long distance pictures and analysis by those who were even further from the scene. The media formed a closed system, almost entirely self - referential.



In a sense they reminded me of Hitler and his high command locked away in their bunker at the end of WW2, cut off from the madness flowing around them giving orders to armies that no longer existed. A fantasy of war and of command. Similarly, the media talked and analysed the riots and protests that swept Greece last December using fragments of evidence, endless discussions based on a single act or image but with no background, nobody thought to go out and ask the most obvious question.

Why are you doing this?

Actually, there were media outlets who were asking people exactly this but they were outside the country. It was strange that whilst Greek TV presented an endless line - up of so called experts, the foreign news service found and interviewed young Greeks taking part in the events. It took the local media a week before to cotton on to the fact that they were participants willing to talk. I guess that didn't fit in with the idea of "mindless violence" and "looting" much of the established media were selling at that point.

The debate covered the idea of reliability of sources but how reliable can a news media source be when those who contribute have at the back of their mind that what they write or say may threaten their jobs? How much self - censorship goes on when people have to weigh up the choice: either the next mortgage payment or the truth?

Article 14 of the Greek constitution was raised time and time again. Nearly 800 words, only three of which outline the freedom of the press. The remaining 700 odd deal with what you can’t say, including laws which belong on the books of North Korea, such as it is a crime to insult in any way the president of the country or that only those licensed by the state may practice journalism.

Such legislation must be the envy of many an authoritarian state. Ironically, just minutes before the conference started. I faced this dilemma when I went to take photographs of a car being pulled out the water here in the port. The cops asked me if I was a journalist i.e. do have permission to take pictures in a public place? Am I properly accredited to comment on what I see?



The idea that people may use the internet to spread untruths and lies. What if somebody insults me on the net? What next? Shall we monitor all phone calls in case somebody is spreading wicked rumours about me? What about bugging bars and cafes to ensure that people are not spreading malicious lies? They have a model of press freedom that resembles Henry Fords ideas about car manufacture. You can say anything you like as long as I agree with it.

The issue of anonymity was also raised and once again the idea that if someone puts their name on an article or publication is somehow an magical guarantee of quality . On the other hand members of the audience expressed views on internet anonymity that would warm the hearts of Kim Il Sung or the leadership of such progressive regimes as Iran, Sudan or China.

The real fear is not the possibility of liable or slander but the feeling of terror that if you give people the chance to tell you their opinion, they will. No longer would the anger or frustration felt by many with those in charge be contained. It would explode, unfiltered onto the public domain, an explosion of rage that can not be mitigated or hidden.

If you can control what people see or read what kind of government are you?

“We are living through a crisis in confidence in the mainstream media." Fabio Wuytack.”

Athens calls in Scotland Yard to deal with recent attacks

The Greek government has invited British anti - terrorist experts to help with investigations into the recent spate of attacks throughout the country. According to the Greek newspaper, Kathimerini on Sunday, Sir Ian Blair, ex - head of Scotland Yard is due to arrive in the Greek capital today in order to assist in the re-organisation of the Athens's anti-terrorist unit which has so far failed to make headway in the series of bomb and gun attacks that have occured since the massive unrest in December that followed the police shooting of 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos.

In recent months Greece has seen a resurgence of terrorist attacks on police, banks and government targets. The recent bombing of Citibank in Athens and the destruction of nine carriage belonging to the Athens subway system in an arson attack have added to a sense of public insecurity which has damaged the ruling New Democracy party's standing in the opinion polls in what is shaping up to be a pre-election period.

So far they have been no arrests connected with any of the dozens of attacks that have taken place since December.

In addition the rampage on Friday by approximately 40 youths through the centre of Athens's upscale Kolonaki shopping district which resulted in damage to luxury cars, banks and shops took place under the noses of hundreds of riot police on duty in the vacinity. The incident which was widely reported on Greek TV has added to the widely held impression that the police has lost control of the security situation.

Greece's anti - terrorism unit was itself at the centre of more controversy when a list of 82 possible terrorist targets was leaked to the press. The publication of the list which included journalists, politicians and judges led to the suspension of four of the unit's six section chiefs earlier this week.

Blair's arrival in Athens marks the second time British police have worked with their Greek anti - terrorist counterparts. In 2000 members of Scotland Yard were invited to help with the investigation into the murder of British military attaché, Stephen Saunders who had been assasinated by the revolutionary group, 17th November.


Originally on Now Public.

Thesssaloniki paramedics protest over lack of equipment

Συγκέντρωση διαμαρτυρίας εργαζομένων στο ΕΚΑΒ στη Θεσσαλονίκη , originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

The ambulance crews were demonstrating in order to demand new vehicles and protective suits. Of the 220 new ambulance ordered in 2007 not one has been assigned to Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city and home to 10% of the population of the country.

See here for a report in Greek from Kathimerini.

On the other hand the massive medical equipment scam which has cost taxpayers billions since 2004 has gone unpunished despite a government report submitted to then minister of health, Nikos Kaklamanis in 2006 outlining the way in which companies supplying hospitals pumped up prices. For example, A titanium screw, for instance, cost 18 euros in Cyprus, but was bought for 159 euros by Greek hospitals.

Nor has present health minister, Dimitris Avramopoulos, been inclined to act on the report.

See here for a report in English from Kathimerini.

Cloudation

, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Ο Αλέξης ζει

, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Εναλλακτικές μορφές ενημέρωσης και δημοκρατία - Alternative forms of information, and Democracy

Photo by Rabbleradio at Flickr

Αίθουσα TZON KAΣΣABETHΣ, Δευτέρα, 16 Μαρτίου 2009, 11:00


"Πάσχος Μανδραβέλης (δημοσιογράφος / πολιτικός αναλυτής, Καθημερινή / ΣΚΑΙ), Ηλία Κανέλλης (δημοσιογράφος), Niels Kadritzke (δημοσιογράφος, αρχισυντάκτης Le Monde Diplomatique Γερμανίας), Γρηγόρης Πασχαλίδης (κοινωνιολόγος / Αν. Καθηγητής, Σχολή Δημοσιογραφίας και ΜΜΕ του ΑΠΘ) Συντονιστής: Στέλιος Κούλογλου (δημοσιογράφος / σκηνοθέτης) .

Τα πρόσφατα γεγονότα που σημειώθηκαν στην Αθήνα αλλά και την υπόλοιπη ελληνική περιφέρεια τον περασμένο Δεκέμβριο επανέφεραν στο προσκήνιο του δημόσιου λόγου το ρόλο των ΜΜΕ και ανάδειξαν εναλλακτικά μέσα, κυρίως ηλεκτρονικά, που μέχρι τότε βρίσκονταν στο περιθώριο της ενημέρωσης. Μέσα ενημέρωσης ή μοχλοί χειραγώγησης; Διαμορφωτές ή ρυθμιστές της δημοκρατίας; Στο σύνθετο τοπίο της πραγματικότητας η ανάγκη για εναλλακτικές φωνές στους συσχετισμούς δημοκρατίας και ΜΜΕ γίνονται όλο και πιο επιτακτική. Ξεκινώντας από την επικαιρότητα, το 11ο Φεστιβάλ Ντοκιμαντέρ εξετάζει το θέμα σε μια Ημερίδα με τη συμμετοχή δημοσιογράφων, ακαδημαϊκών και bloggers, για να φτάσει στον πυρήνα του, δηλαδή στο ντοκιμαντέρ ως εξέχουσα μορφή εναλλακτικής ενημέρωσης."

11ο Φεστιβάλ Ντοκιμαντέρ Θεσσαλονίκης – Εικόνες του 21ου Αιώνα

At JOHN CASSAVETES Theatre, Thessaloniki Passenger port, Monday, March 16, 2009, 11:00

"Speakers: Paraschos Mandravelis (journalist / political analyst, Kathimerini newspaper / SKAI Radio & TV), Ilias Kanellis (journalist), Niels Kadritzke (journalist, editor of Le Monde Diplomatique German edition), Grigoris Paschalidis (sociologist / Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki). Moderator: Stelios Kouloglou (journalist / doc. director)

The riots that took place in Athens and other major Greek cities this past December brought back to the foreground of public discourse the role of the Mass Media,while at the same time highlighting alternative –mostly electronic –means, which, until then had remained in the margins of the world of information. Are we talking about information media or levers of manipulation? Do they shape democracy or do they regulate it? In the complex landscape of reality, the need for alternative voices in the discourse concerning democracy and the Mass Media is becoming more and more imperative. Through the prism of current events, the 11th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival explores this topic in a panel discussion with journalists, academics and bloggers, in an effort to arrive at its core, i.e. at the documentary as the form par excellence of alternative information."

The 11th Documentary Thessaloniki - Images of the 21st century

Gay activists attacked by orchestra in Greek National Opera

Photo from TVXS.gr

Gay rights activists protesting the censorship of the opera Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák were attacked by members of the orchestra and security staff at the Greek National Opera (Εθνική Λυρική Σκηνή) in Athens yesterday evening.

Members of the gay and lesbian rights group OLKE were protesting the demand made by the National Opera to cut a scene from the production in which the two male characters kiss. Marion Wassermann, the French director said in an interview (click here to see video) with independent news service, TVXS.gr that although the content of the opera had been known for six weeks she was asked to make the cut only during final rehearsals.

According to Wassermann the attempt to cut the kiss came as a result of the fact that the members of the orchestra had voted to not play in the event of it being included. However the director refused to comply which led to musicians handing out leaflets last night saying that the "degenerate" scene "tainted the central hero with homosexual tendencies" and was "extreme".

Members of the Opera de Nice were booed and jeered by some members of the audience after the performance as was the director who came out on stage in attempt to justify the decision to keep the scene according to the Daily Madness blog.

Attempts by the activists to read out a statement of protest over censorship was prevented when musicians, technicians and security staff attacked members of the group and journalists present.

Originally posted on Nowpublic.com

A man is never lost at sea.

A man is never lost at sea., originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Greek police involved in new brutality case

A university student has accused police in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki of beating him during a routine stop and search. The 22 year old was stopped after leaving a bar with two friends during the early hours of Saturday morning. According to the sworn testimony given by police officers present Rafael Pagadas, refused to provide ID and became abusive. Afterwards the student repeatedly attempted to injure himself by banging his head on the patrol car present and on the wall of the Plateia Demokratias police station where he was taken.

Pagadas claims that he and his friends were stopped without reason and that when asked for ID he presented his Italian passport which lead to his being handcuffed immediately. Later he was taken to the police station where according to his statement plain clothes officers punched him repeatedly while he was handcuffed to a bench. Later, according to Pagadas officers slammed his head against the wall and dragged him by his hair around the station.

The 22 year old is due to stand trial 6th March for disobedience, refusing to provide ID and insulting a police officer.

Now Public

Prisoners in Greek jails pay the price for dramatic escape

Greek prison

see larger image

uploaded by Teacher Dude

The dramatic escape by helicopter from Athens maximum security Korydallos jail by two prisoners for the second time last week turned convicted kidnappers, Vasilis Paleokostas and Alket Razai into folk heros for many ordinary Greeks. Betting sites are offering odds on if the two will be recaptured whilst on Facebook the Paleokostas Airlines group has already 51,000 members.

However, for the 12,000 other prisoners behind bars in Greece's grim jails conditions are set to deteriorate still further as the new minister for Justice, Nikos Dendias has annouced a series of measures designed to clamp down on "lax practices" by prison officers. In many cases the concessions won by prisoners after last November's mass hunger strike (see here for full story) have been revoked or will not be implemented.

As Ioanna Drosou, a prisoners' rights activist said in an interview with Greek net - based news service TVXS.gr the government has reneged on their promises to improve the conditions in the country's jails despite have been repeatedly condemned by organisations such as Amnesty and the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture.

Arbitary violence by prison officers, widespread drug use, overcrowding and primitive health care facilities have all been cited as areas that need to be tackled in order to bring Greek jails in line with European standards.

However, last week's prison break out which has severely embarrased the ruling New Democracy government has lead instead to a tightening of security, a move which prisoners rights organisations such as the Initiative for the Rights of Prisoners argue will futher isolate inmates from wider society and add to ths problems inherent in the prison system.

NowPublic

Tags: Greece | Amnesty | World | cpt | New Democracy | Greek prisons | tvxs.gr | paleokostas | korydallos | nikos dendias

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.