04.20 am. A spontaneous demonstration that started off from the point of Alexandros’ assassination headed for the areas of Gazi and Psiri, i.e. Athens’ main entertainment district. On its way back to the Eksarhia area, at Omonia square, the demo was attacked and at least 25 (some claim as many as 40) people are now detained. The vast majority of those detained are underaged!
Meanwhile, there were heavy clashes between the police and demonstrators in the areas surrounding the Athens Polytechnic campus. Tens of molotovs were thrown at them and they seemed to have little space and materials with which to respond.
Earlier on in the night a peaceful gathering at Syntagma square that had been called by bloggers, was attacked by police at around 1.30am, with tear gas; their single aim being to disperse this tiny crowd of about 50.
It is very hard to keep up with the day’s events; I will mention some of Athens IMC’s article titles to give you an idea of the level of activity we are dealing with: “Banks smashed on Panormou street, Athens” | “Eksarhia residents kick out riot police from the neighborhood” | 700 high schools occupied by their students across the country | Eksarhia police station was attacked by approx. 100 people | barricades all over the Eksarhia neighbourhood on the night marking one week since the assassination of Alexandros.
More detailed descriptions of tonight’s events and the (much promised) summary of thoughts on what has happened so far, tomorrow.
41 Comments
THE GREAT HUMANITY
The great humanity is the deck-passenger on the ship
third class on the train
on foot on the causeway
the great humanity.
The great humanity goes to work at eight
marries at twenty
dies at forty
the great humanity.
Bread is enough for all except the great humanity
rice the same
sugar the same
cloth the same
books the same
are enough for all except the great humanity.
The great humanity has no shade on his soil
no lamp on his road
no glass on his window
but the great humanity has hope
you can’t live without hope.
Nâzım Hikmet
Tashkent, 7 October 1958
tr. by Fuat Engin
Thanks for these excellent posts.
For continual updates from many different news sources, please check The Center For Strategic Anarchy blog:
http://anarchiststrategy.blogspot.com
Hey you.
Thank you so much to do what you do.
Oh no, I hope that’s not true about that elderly man…
Resistance news from Greece and elsewhere, updated twice daily:
http://www.anticiv.net
Some solidarity from Milwaukee (US):
http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20081213151915471
….go on…
Thanks so for your blog and your participation in the struggle…I’ve been reading these updates whenever they come out. I posted it to wmass.indymedia.org. Not very many people read that but at least it’s something.
One struggle!
There’s this live webcam from Syntagma sq.
http://mfile.akamai.com/61609/live/reflector:50061.asx?prop=e
thanks so much for the blog! Could you maybe give some more info on how much workers and other parts of the society beside students participate in the struggle?
solidarity!
marko
The spirit of 68 is back. Long live our solidarity! Hand in hand we will create a new world from the ashes of the old one.
Greetings from the other side of the Aegean.
Well Spartakus, the movement of May 68 was squashed with the help of leftist traitors, who managed to limit or block strikes and occupations, and now in Greece there are still a lot of these leftist pussies and “moderate anarchists” who still end up being major obstacles in riots and in organizing process as well, by taking the stance of dangerous, counter-revolutionary non-violence and bureaucratic process.
This is why a major deep social change will not come directly from riots such as the actual ones, but from a wider social movement of refusal towards the dominant system (that a social uprising such as this one can facilitate of course), and let’s hope it’s gonna become wider and bring even more social alternatives for people. From fire and destruction, a new world can be brought to life, indeed.
altought im 100% supporting the protests im seeing something that kinda worries me… its the fact that apparently its beeing created some sort of daily routine of protests, if soon there are no significant actions and advances then the general non politicized population will start to demobilize and with that theres no way to go, dont forget that the students are not essential to the working of the state, yes theyr protests might upset it but it does not stop it from functioning… if the workers are not mobilized and the means of productions in general are not stopping its very hard to in the end get something concrete of this protests
dont make it just a spiritual revolution, dont let just the anger be expressed… make it happen!
I totally agree with the comment of “solidarity” just above. Moreover,I realise that those of us that are not there or those that are there but not in the streets are trapped into consuming the events as informations. Instead of turning into spectacle what is going on, wouldn’t it be more meaningful to start a discussion about what could be done concretely and argue over it? Given that the participation to this blog is both greek and international we could share experiences and points of view so as to imagine ways to turn this riot into an active actor of change not just a unfulfilled inspiration. There is something going on there but it’s not enough by itself. Anger will eventually meet its ends. And then?
Is it possible to use this site for initiating this kind of discussion?
Nomad worlds makes a good point.
Though personally, I think we cannot speak of a “standstill” in Greece yet. In fact, I spot a lot of creativity lately. In one week, they’ve moved from pure riots towards a politically-inspired revolt. They are targetting the police and the government, they are doing a lot of propaganda (take over more tv and radio!), they are changing their tactics (the lasers are an awesome invention!). But indeed, more needs to be done.
Meanwhile, abroad, it is important to harvest the fruits of the Greek riots, by inspiring revolts in other countries. Especially Iceland, Italy and Spain are in the middle of an economic crisis and have a strong history of struggle. If these struggles could be linked, the movement would grow a lot.
Is there actually a lot of reporting about Iceland in Greece? It seems like that country is being “forgotten” whilst there also a lot of black flags are waving in weekly protests.
As an addition to pieter & nomad’s comment:
The anger is the sparkle that can revolutionize the whole system. It cannot end, but can turn into some other form. It is upto us to specify the route it will follow: either it will lead us to acquiescing or a new world.
So it is critially important to act at the same time in different places; uniting the voices all over the world in one voice.
Get ready for 20th of december! Come together and shout out the words!
“The murderer states of the world, you shall be unbuild!” – in turkish: “Katil devlet, yikacagiz elbet!” -
with solidarity from Istanbul
Pieter wrote:
There’s this live webcam from Syntagma sq.
http://mfile.akamai.com/61609/live/reflector:50061.asx?prop=e
Man, why this translation is stop? Maybe you create a web translation in other hosting?
Normally it should load in your mediaplayer as a stream.
Here’s an article about what’s been going on in Iceland lately. I knew there was some stuff happening, but I’m quite suprised by the ammount of action taken:
http://aftaka.org/2008/12/12/direct-action-in-iceland/
In addition to all the above(and glad to see that our turkish neighbours are present), I have the impression that some ideas of creative “destruction” should be put on the table and spread around. That’s to say (in a simplistic way), burning whatever is into sight or supporting massive destruction is just serving the state and media propaganda as well as their “provocators” without achieving any positive feedback for the dynamics of change. I do acknowledge that sometimes we have to destroy so as to construct something new (both in material and immaterial terms) but let’s be more creative and intelligent in the ways we do that.. Otherwise, the people we need by our side (those thousands of people that are angry but too afraid or too exhausted by their personal every-day struggle)are just terrified and repulsed, retrieving to their sofas, their TVs, their fear and isolation while our voices are systematically attributed to the marginal and caricatured. Pieter already spotted some creative ways of fighting. Ways that can alter the mob-driven riots to an open, inviting and promising political statement. Let’s get our minds together to think even more ways..
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/246161,youths-again-wreck-banks-businesses-in-pre-dawn-athens-attacks.html
This report claims many protestants are wearing gas masks. Is this correct? And if so, where did they get those? Would diminish the effects of newly ordered tear gas though. But the paragraph reads:
“Hooded youths, most wearing gas masks, could be seen setting garbage bins of fire and smashing store fronts to the grievance of restaurants which closed early for fear of attacks. Riot police retaliated by firing tear gas.”
And restaurants don’t sound like an anarchist target to me. Provocateurs?
It looks like organisation is needed…
Don’t let everyone turn the whole situation into chaos without any control, no even the anarchists ! If so… well… good luck to survive.
ive seen many ppl criticize the political partys and yes KKE and even syriza hv behaved like shit (specially kke) but they in theyr 1st comunications about the events were kinda right… you cant let everything be just focused on violence couse that might be understood for the population for 2 or 3 days but if turns out to be that there will be weeks of violence then you will loose full support of the people… and without the people theres nothing to be done
Agree totally nomad. What we need is actually an act of civil disobedience, a way of demonstrating that does not include violence. Wrecking the reflections and directly related objects of the ongoing system is righteous, particularly in this kind of a situation inspired by anger, I think. But for its continuity, this act must turn into something world-wide organized. Something like this, I imagine: Gathering 10000 people and crossing the borders between Greece and Turkey, without any act of violance neither to people, nor to stuff.
In the need for organizing.
with solidarity
^that’s a good point.
Solidarity from Chicago, US.
Our hopes are with you!
Is that true that the protests stopped and won’t continue anymore?? It’s being broadcasted here in the local media.
First of all I think the most important thing is to convince all our fellows to stop paying their interests to the banks. This way we’ll lumber the bank system that rob us. Second is to block the bank offices everywhere, so John and Jane Doe won’t be able to pay their part too. The current problem is that a major part of the banking system now is 100% electronically, so we’ll need enthusiasts to block the online banking websites all over Europe(I think that’s the easiest part of all). Is that possible and should it work, how do you think???
Hacking into bank sites is impossible. Blocking the entrances of the bank offices would be hardly possible aswell.
But that doesn’t mean the bank system is indestructible. Some banks already went bankrupt (missa points at Iceland). There’s been major bankruns in Belgium because people feared they would go bankrupt. I think that, if we target banks, we should target them verbally, by addressing the fears people have about their money and harvesting those fears.
Because the way you mention it: blocking the offices, people will end up being poor. We don’t want the people poor. We want the banks poor. In other words, we need people to withdraw their money. Banks without money are bankrupt.
Peter:
“Violence across Greece continued into its second week on Sunday as demonstrators firebombed banks and police stations in some of the worst riots yet. ” from Telegraph, today report.
Doesn’t look like it’s over thus.
Pieter, the people should be let use cache money. That’s the opposite on what every government tries to do – keep all virtual, electronic. Actually, I don’t mean hacking into the sites but blocking the traffic to them – filtering, denial of service. If all the money is being kept into the people, not in the banks, the job will be done!
The Jolly Banker
My name is Tom Cranker and I’m a jolly banker,
I’m a Jolly banker, jolly banker am I.
I safeguard the farmers and widows and orphans,
Singin’ I’m a jolly banker, jolly banker am I.
When dust storms are sailing, and crops they are failing,
I’m a Jolly banker, Jolly banker am I.
I check up your shortage and bring down your mortgage,
Singin’ I’m a jolly banker, jolly banker am I.
When money you’re needing, and mouths you are feeding,
I’m a jolly banker, jolly banker am I.
I’ll plaster your home with a furniture loan,
Singin’ I’m a jolly banker, jolly banker am I.
If you show me you need it, I’ll let you have credit,
I’m a Jolly banker, jolly banker am I.
Just bring me back two for the one I lend you,
Singin’ I’m jolly banker, jolly banker am I.
When the bugs get your cotton, the times they are rotten,
I’m jolly banker, jolly banker am I.
I’ll come down and help you, I’ll rake you and scalp you,
Singin’ I’m jolly banker jolly banker am I.
When the landlords abuse you, or sadly misuse you,
I’m a jolly banker, Jolly banker am I.
I’ll send down the police chief to keep you from mischief,
Singin’ I’m jolly banker, jolly banker am I.
W. Guthrie
You can count on me the 20th.
Love,
Obi
Now look, the problem began at the moment once the central banks decided not to keep any equivalent in GOLD for the banknotes they print. That’s why from that moment the gold started to get more and more expensive – because the banknotes become cheaper, because of the inflation they produce(the inflation is being produced by the monetary system itself). That’s why the only aim of the governments is to keep the economy growing(!), but in Europe the population growth is negative, so every european should work more and more, 12, 14, 18h per day… The system is wrong, so we must destroy it before it destroys us!!!
Also the banks are the money, withdraw the money from the banks and the money is nothing.
The banks support the goverment; that prints the money; that supports the banks.
You can say the problem actually already began when money, invented to make trade easier, overtook its original purpose by becoming a good on its own.
All that being said, this system is indeed built on the value of money and it will destroy us if we dont destroy it.
Jeroen, the root of the problem is not in the money itself and 1000 or 2000 thousand years ago, there were no such problems like during the last 10-20 yrs. Money that circulate need to be FINITE, linked to something (like the gold available). When the value of the banknote can’t be exchanged for something, when it has not a true base, the government can print as much money as it want and can give as much credits as it needs to. That’s the real problem that caused everything.
All this talk of money and banking and yet how abstract it is to a hungry person! I do hope that when the grocery stores have been abandoned and emptied that there remains the self-discipline to organize and provide collectively for people’s real needs. It seems as though real autonomy is being established but skills like water purification and waste removal must be present to maintain momentum as support from the old system wanes.
If not, I’m sure a state would be more than happy to put everyone back to work.
http://www.inthewake.org/downloads.html
Unfortunately this manual is english only but I’m sure Aric would love translators!
Indeed, Get off the grid, go for self-sufficiency, get yourselves organised and we’ll be stronger than ever before
Forget the grid, there’s enough energy for all of us free on this planet, it’s all around us and below us. The problem is the system: money rules makes the laws of the nature not working anymore. The working rule is the one of the international bankers!
In the long term, three sisters, I think those techniques should be widely implemented, but in the short term, it might be best to seize the means of sufficiency already in existence.
That means, if possible, inspire water workers to seize the Water Works, electricity workers to seize the power plants… or seize them yourself, with other worker’s help?
Already on the road with TV and radio occupations. You’ve taken the ability to speak, Greece, now take back your ability to live and survive!
Christian wrote:
“…in Greece there are still a lot of these leftist pussies…”
Nice, real nice. No trace of knuckle-dragging machismo or the disparaging of women here. It isn’t that people might disagree or have different analysis of what needs to be done, it’s just that they’re a bunch of womanly scaredy-cats, not man enough for the job.
Georgi, misunderstanding here. But i’m too tired to go into this right now. Ill see I take you up on this somewhere this week.
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