Photographs from last night, more on Athens IMC.

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At about 22.00 local time (20.00 GMT), approximately 70 people were detained from Exarcheia’s Navarinou Self-Organized Park without any obvious reason. Hundreds of cops raided the little park -which was created in March 2009- beating up brutally and injuring dozens of people. After the event and while the people were detained in the cops HQ, more than 150 people marched from Exarcheia to the Police HQ. Some of the detainees are already released but the majority remains hostage.

A decision had been made from the demo to head for the Exarcheia police station (it is a permanent demand of the locals that the police station is removed from their area). The station was reached by part of the demonstration and pelted with stones; the cops tear-gassed heavily and threw stun grenades to the people gathered in the Exarcheia square.

A good response to the police violence of September 4 and a clear message that it won’t go unanswered, especially in Exarcheia. As the slogan goes, “cops, out of the universe!”

“Against state repression and police violence DEMONSTRATION Thursday 24.10, 7pm. Open Assembly of the self-organised park of Z.Pigis, X.Trikoupi and Navarinou Streets (Exarcheia)”

…soon after 01.30 a.m. two jeeps of the OPKE force (the so-called crime protection units, similar to the special guards who shot Alexis –trans.) drove down Navarinou Road, a one way street, the wrong way (that’s the road by the self-organised park –trans.) speeding, shouting and swearing at passers-by. We were all taken by surprise without quite realising what was going on, people started mobilising and chasing the OPKE jeeps, which drove through the nearby Kolleti street with some crazy speed, with the danger of running over passers-by. At the same time at the corner of Solonos and Trikoupi Streets (around one block away from the park –trans.) another OPKE unit had forced two young persons to lie down on the pavement, swearing and threatening them. Some people ran in that direction to assist the two, the OPKE police were taken by surprise and one of the two pulled out his gun and aimed at the crowd, immediately another one threw a stun grenade and the crowd dispersed.  The OPKE policemen managed to retreat and yet they returned swearing and holding their genitals. The incident with the gun was very serious and witnessed by at least two comrades.

The assembly called for after the police assault is currently underway at the self-organised park.

From those arrested, one (charged with a “misdemeanor”, that is, graffiti) will be at court on Monday and other four will appear on Tuesday. The four are charged with felonies: molotov cocktails and stone-throwing, except according to eye-witnesses, not a single molotov was thrown in the area last night! They are all held in detention until then and it is possible they might be ordered in pre-trial detention – in Greece this can last up to 18 months.

In an hour or so, an assembly will begin at the park, spontaneously called after last night’s events. More info will follow. A more detailed account of the events is up on Athens IMC.