The idiocy of prejudice meets the prejudice of idiots

24.06.2006: At least four policemen torture two migrants inside the police station of Omonia in central Athens. They force them to beat each other while one of the policemen repeatedly instructs them to "hit harder" and beats both.

short transcription of the video

(Bald police officer, to the left):

- Harder, harder. Hit him harder, I'm telling you.
Sit down. You (points to the person to the right) will be number One. And you (points to the person to the left) will be number Two. Whoever hears their number beats up the other one. Do you understand? (Smacks one of the two). Do you understand? What number are you again?

-One.

-...and what number are you?

-Two.

- Allright. Number One. (He smacks his friend).
Number Two. (He does the same).
Number One, five times. Quick, quick!
Number Two. Hit him better. And again... Now sit down. Number One, five times. That's good. Number two, don't turn your head. Sit down. Number two, five times. Faster number Two, faster! Hit harder. Harder!

Now I want you to face each other. Don't stand up, stay like you are, sitting. You will each hit each other with your hands.

-(Police officer in the back) Let's add some some sound. You will both say "what a wanker I was, to go rob that old lady".

-(Bald police officer to the left): Each of you, before hitting the other, will say "I am a wanker".

-(Detainee to the left): I am a wanker (Slaps his friend. Detainee to the right does the same).

-(Officer) Very nice. Don't stop! Harder, hit him harder! Swap over and continue. Now say, "I'm a big wanker" and continue slapping each other. (They both do so. Officer filming the torture laughs).

Transcript courtesy of Indymedia Athens

A couple of days ago I wrote about a case of police brutality (click here) that was captured by somebody's mobile phone camera. It was a shocking example of the casual violence that police in Greece dish out, especially against minority groups, immigrants and anyone suspected of left-wing views.

The video which was posted on YouTube, of course generated many comments, a lot of which expressed the horror and revulsion many ordinary Greeks feel. On the other hand there were plenty of comments expressing satisfaction at what those arrested had suffered.E.g.

1 "albanians scums" (sic) "

2 "etsi kala tous kanoun..gamo tin alvania tous...
F#CK OFF ALBANIA.."

Translation

"They did right. F#ck their Albania"

3 "Katadikazw tin praksi mono giati den egine gia timwria alla gia proswpiki ikanopoiisi..Omws eleos!!!!den dikaiologoume kai tous egklimaties!!!!
skeftite mono na isastan ta thumata!"

Translation

"I condemn their actions but only because they did it for personal satisfaction and not to punish. But good grief, we don't justify criminals!!! Just imagine if you were the victims?"


4 "Wraios tropos na pernaei i wra pantws"

Translation

"Anyhow, a great way to spend your time"


5 "exw xeskistei sto gelio , exw liwsei leme .Ti gelio einai afto ? axaxaxaxaxaxa . esy eisai to noumero 1 k sy to 2 xaxaxaxaxaxaxa."

Translation

6 "I've sha@t myself with laughter. I split my sides. What fun is this? Hahahahahaha. You're number 1, you're number 2. Hahahahaha."

7 "albians shut the fuck up! we are giving you food so , about what revenge are u talking?? WE MUST F@CK ALL ALBANIAS AND LET THEM LEAVE OUR COUNTRY!F@CKING ALBANIAS!" (sic)

This is just a small, if vile taste of the hundreds of comments that have been left on the site in favour of beatings and torture. As you can see there is a huge problem with racial prejudice that rarely gets the attention the mainstream media. Almost invariably it is the immigrant, for example who is demonised as a "criminal", "dirty", "unGreek", "untrustworthy".

If anyone else tells me one more time that there is no problem with racism here in Greece I need only show them this Youtube page.

In support

One of my favourite bloggers is Devious Diva who writes about issues of race, prejudice and the like. Her posts have been an inspiration to me on so many levels and she is one of the reasons that I consider blogging a noble calling. Unfortunately, her no nonsense, "call it as it is" writing has drawn the ire of the chauvanist, racist element in the Greek blogosphere. Some of these loathsome pond spittle have outed her. i.e circulated her real name and other personal details. Words cannot describe the anger I feel at such a low blow, such a cowardly gesture. They shriek about honour and courage behind pseudonyms. They make me sick.

There are times when you have to stand up and be counted. This is indeed one of the those times.

Racist graffiti

"Albanians out"

Golden Dawn - Hellas

I was surfing over at Devious Diva's blog and came across a post she had written recntly on hate graffiti in Athens. Here in Thessaloniki we have equally virulent examples of such racism. The one that particularly appalled me was one that said;

"Αλβανος καλος μονο νεκρος"

"The only good Albanian is a dead one"

or a favourite in my neighbourhood;

"ΕΞΟ ΟΙ ΞΕΝΟΙ"

"FOREIGNERS OUT"

This crap often stays on the walls for months, if not years and sends the message to the world that if you're not Greek you don't belong here. Even "respectable" politicians such as Psomiadis blithely state that you can only be born Greek.

Am I angry?

You bet! Already my daughter, born in Greece is learning an object lesson in the demonisation of the "other". She is being teased and made fun of relentlessly in school because her surname is obviously not Greek. This is just the mildest form such prejudice takes. Yet she in her own way is bearing the brunt of the kind of chauvinism that has become taken for granted here in Thessaloniki, fed by hate graffiti or the endless hours of hate TV that pollute the airwaves everyday.

Despite all this there is a state of denial about the situation. Even on the state - run channels such as ET3 I have seen Greek TV presenters belittle and demean immigrants on live TV for daring to suggest that racism maybe a problem in the city.

Now, you might say why stay in such a place? Why not go back home and forget all about it?

First, I decided to make this place my home and so I'm not going to let these bas####s tell where I can or cannot live and secondly, my daughter was born here. This is the only home she knows.

ΦΤΑΝΕΙ ΠΙΑ!

Just because you don't dress up in a bed sheet and go racing acoss the countryside lynching folk and burning churches, doesn't mean you're not a racist.

V for Vendetta

I saw this film over the weekend and though it is based on a comic strip it has a lot of themes that made me think as a grown - up about the nature of power and the role of the State. What it also made me do is look more carefully at the role of TV and especially that of hate TV. In the movie the regime uses Talk TV as effective tool to inspire hate and fear and thus unquestioning obedience.

The unnerving thing was how close in form and content were the the programmes shown in the film and the programmes broadcast regularly on the smaller channels here in Thessaloniki. They promote national chauvanism, hatred of other groups and endless ranting just like in the movie and God help us if they ever get into any position of power.

See here for lesson plan.

Alex

Sources: NET - NET 105.8 - ANA

"The public opinion is numbed over the developments in the case of Alex Meschisvili, 11, who has been missing since 3 February from his home in Veria, Greece. As per the police, little Alex was murdered and a group of five children, aged between 11 and 13, hold the key to solving the case. A search is underway to locate the body of the unfortunate boy in the ruins of an abandoned house that was demolished a couple of months ago, as the juveniles indicated that Alex was buried in the house’s basement. Moreover, the foundations have been laid for a new building, just metres from the location. The Police are searching the premises assisted by an EMAK (Hellenic Rescue Team) unit with specially-trained dogs, while a Prosecutor and a Coroner have also arrived on site. In addition, by order of the Police Chief, the operation is being videotaped. A pair of shoes was found in the rubble earlier, but it was later clarified that they did not belong to Alex."

see here for the rest of the story

I thought long and hard about writing this post. I usually don't us this blog to talk about anything political as it is not the appropriate forum. However, sometimes things happen which make you stop and think about what the hell is happening around you. The murder of an 11 year old boy by his fellow students is one of those things.

For those of you who do not live in Greece the whole country has been watching with a kind of shocked horror the story that is coming out of the town of Veroia. Thankfully, such events are rare in Greece, however, the thing that makes my blood boil is the fact is that this is so obviously a hate crime and yet the media is spinning it as anything but. The fact that the five kids accused of murdering Alex were not all Greek seems to have blinded people to the obvious.

Yet, I would argue that racism, and lets do some straight talking here, is at the heart of the whole affair. It was racism, and not just Greek vs non-Greek prejudice that I believe help the "gang" decide upon their victim and it was racism that kept peoples' mouths shut afterward. If he had had a Greek surname there is no way a murder carried out in the centre of this small town, next to the town hall, in plain sight of hundreds of apartments would have gone unsolved for four months.

Believe me, anyone who has spent time in close-knit towns like Veroia knows that there is no such thing as a secret, that absolutely everyone knows everyone else's business.

I don't which is worse, a community that fills young peoples' mind with ideas of hate and prejudice or the adults who undoubtedly helped the children hide poor Alex's body and so prolonged a mother's agony for so long ?

I'm a parent too, and I wonder what the future holds or my daughter with her non-Greek looks and foreign surname. What kind of treatment awaits her in a society that finds it so hard to accept anyone different?

Also See Devious Diva's blog for her take on this.

Αθειρωμενο σε οσους κρυβονται πισω απο το δαχτυλο τους.