Manolis Glezos

Manolis Glezos, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

"On May 30, 1941, he and Apostolos Santas climbed on the Acropolis and tore down the Swastika, which had been there since April 27, 1941, when the Nazi forces had entered Athens. That was the first resistance act that took place in Greece, and probably among the very first ones in Europe. It inspired not only the Greeks, but all subjected people, to resist against the occupation, and established them both as two international anti-Nazi heroes. The Nazi regime responded by sentencing Glezos and Santas to death in absentia.

Glezos was arrested by the German occupation forces on March 24, 1942, and he was subjected to imprisonment and torture. As a result of this treatment, he was gravely affected by tuberculosis. He was arrested on April 21, 1943 by the Italian occupation forces and spent three months in jail. In February 7, 1944 he was arrested again, this time by Greek Nazi collaborators. He spent another seven and a half months in jail, until he finally escaped on September 21 of the same year."

Source :Wikipedia

Tonight Manolis Glezos marched with thousands of others in Thessaloniki, Greece to protest the acid attack on Konstandina Kouneva, the Bulgarian born labour activist who was fighting for the rights of ordinary people in Athens.

"If your whole life is one little car, set fire to it yourself"

"If your whole life is one little car, set fire to it yourself", originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Photos from today's demos in Thessaloniki over the death of Greek teen, Alexandros Grigoropulos, last Saturday at the hands of the police.

Another night of rioting hits Greece

Last night saw the another round of protests and riots in Greece's major cities sparked off by the shooting by police of a 15 year - old in Athens on sSaturday. The scale and intensity of the the troubles has alarmed at shocked those in power and is being compared in the media to the disturbances that followed the Rodney King beating in LA and the 2005 riots in France

In Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city between 5000 and 10, 000 people took part in a protest march last night which was repeatedly tear gassed by riot police. In addition the march was also accompanied by attacks by anarchist groups on stores belonging to multi-national chains, banks and post offices. Several buildings were set on fire including Starbucks and McDonald franchises during the clashes which lasted into the morning.

Although Athens and Thessaloniki are quiet at the moment more protest marches are planned to coincide with the burial today of 15 year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos. In the original police report the death was termed an act of self defense by the two police officers involved who claimed that they had come under attack from a mob of thirty youths.

However, eye witness accounts given to the Greek media talk of an execution style killing as the officer who fired first aimed at the youth after getting into an argument with the teenagers.

What many argue, though is the killing of Alexandros was merely the cue for the violent expression of a much deeper sense of dissatisfaction by young Greeks. Even before the current economic downturn those under 25 faced sky high levels of unemployment and limited prospects in low paying jobs. This combined with a deep sense of distrust of the government fostered by years of scandal has found its expression in violence and protests seen over the last four days.

In addition the incident has once again thrown light on the Greek police's tarnished record concerning unlawful killings and a systematic lack of accountability even when evidence of abuse is overwhelming. According to the national daily, Eleutherotypia one person a week dies in custody in Greek police stations and jails.

NowPublic

Tags: Greece | World | Riots | police violence | Thessaloniki | protest march | greek riots | greek youth