Sunday, June 10, 2012

Greece: protest against fascism

Protestors across Greece have poured onto the streets of cities, denouncing the ''dark force'' of fascism as the spokesman of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party continued to elude arrest more than 24 hours after his extraordinary on-screen assault of two female left-wing politicians.

 ''People are becoming increasingly radicalised thanks to all the rhetoric in the EU [European Union] and here against the anti-austerity leftist majority and that is opening the door for Golden Dawn,'' a veteran activist, Petros Constantinou, said.

He is convinced it is the police who facilitated Golden Dawn.
''Without police cover and protection, Golden Dawn would not have survived,'' he said. ''And the proof of that is the failure to capture Kasidiaris.''

Mr Kasidiaris's assault on Liana Kanelli and Rena Dourou during a live TV debate of politicians representing the seven parties that won seats in the inconclusive May 6 election has shocked Greeks.

All day yesterday, TV channels replayed footage showing Mr Kasidiaris, a former commando in the Greek army, lashing out at Ms Dourou first, hurling a glass of water in her face before turning his fists on Ms Kanelli.

Dimitris Trimis, the head of the Greek journalists' association, ESEA, said right-wing extremists had done the police force's ''dirty work'' for years, mopping up migrants from the ghettos of Athens in exchange for protection.

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