Brutal repression of protest march in Athens

Libcom.org Feb 27 2010

A protest march against the police killing of the 25 year old plumber
Nikolas Toddi a few weeks ago in Byronas, Athens, was subject of brutal
police repression with 11 people arrested and many badly wounded, with one
of the arrested hospitalised

The protest march against the police killing of Nikolas Toddi, the 25 year
old plumber who fell dead by nine police bullets on the back and the head
two weeks ago has been met by brutal police repression.

The 500 strong protest march started in Tapitourgeiou square in Byronas,
the eastern Athens suburb on the slopes of Mt Imitus where cops killed
Nikos during a shootout with alleged bank robbers. The majority of the
protesters were anarchists but also some Coalition of Radical Left and
Communist Party of Greece M-L (Maoists) members attended. The march took
to the streets of the old guerrilla stronghold chanting slogans against
the police murder enjoying wide popular support with the cops even
receiving eggs on their heads from the balconies. At the spot of the
murder, the protesters sprayed a memorial message, while on the way two
officers of the ruling party PASOK were smashed. At the moment that the
protest march reached its end destination at Deliyannis square, and after
most flags had been gathered and removed from the scene, it came under
unprovoked attack by riot police and motorised Delta forces. The motorised
cops hit the crowd in full speed while riot cops sprayed the densely
residential area with tear gas. During the brutal police attack dozens of
people were injured and 11 protesters were arrested, one of them
hospitalised with heavy cranial injuries. The police has issued a false
announcement talking about it being attacked with molotov cocktails
although not a single petrol bomb fell during the march. It is expected
that the announcement is used in order to incriminate people arrested.
Most comrades estimate that today's brutal attack is a response to the
public humiliation of the police during the march of the general strike.

At the time of writing it is not certain what what are people arrested
charged with, but solidarity demos have already been called for tomorrow
at the courthouses and on the streets of Athens as the following
communique demonstrates:

THE STRUGGLE FOR DIGNITY AND FREEDOM CANNOT BE REPRESSED OR TERRORISED

Saturday 27/2 in the neighbourhood of Byronas a march was realised against
state terrorism on account of the assassination of the 25 year old worker
Nikolas Toddi from Albania by cop bullets. N. Toddi was murdered in the
neighbourhood where he works because the Greek Police set up a war
operation of arrest of "notorious criminals". The march walked the streets
of Byronas in a dynamic manner informing the residents about the even of
the state murder and the wider repression plan of the Ministry "of
Citizens Protection". At the end of the march, in Deliolani square riot
police squads and motorised cop forces that were following the march
terrorising the bystanders attacked the protesters and chased them all the
way to Pagrati. They beat up and waged chemical warfare in our
neighbourhoods and realised 18 detentions out of which 11 have been
transformed into arrests (as of Saturday afternoon). One of the arrested
is hospitalised in Evangelismos hospital wounded on the head by the cops'
globs. The residents stood by the side of the protesters heckling the cops
who had taken over the streets, or throwing eggs and other objects against
them. The [state's] intention is clear. Whoever raise their heads and
resist, breaking the veil of silence and consent are placed at the target
of the repressive mechanisms. Their aim is the rule of fear, the smashing
of every focus of resistance that reveals the terroristic and exploitative
nature of the regime. At the time of economic crisis, the need to control
social discontent becomes ever more urgent, since the ghost of the
social-class uprising of December and of all those who are approaching
continues to haunt the minds of the bosses and their state. Following the
war operation of the police in Byronas which killed with 9 bullets on the
back a bystander, now the police has made a comeback by repressing all
those who have not consented and have not kept silent. We shall not allow
them to roam the streets, not turn our neighbourhoods into camps. One way
or another the security they "provide" us with is translated to bullets.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE ARRESTED OF THE PROTEST MARCH OF 27 FEBRUARY
COPS OUT OF OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
NO TOLERANCE TO STATE TERRORISM
DEMO AT DELIOLANI SQUARE SUNDAY 28/2 12:00


Feb 28 2010 17:12

Update: According to all available sources the heavily injured and
hospitalised protester has been charged with both the anti-hood law and
for use of molotov cocktails although not a single bottle fell during the
protest march in Byronas. The juridical scheme is a classic way for the
greek police to cover up its brutality. All the accused will present their
case in court during the following week, although the precise procedure is
yet unclear. The police continues its propaganda war of lies claiming that
during the unprovoked police attack 11 cops were injured.

On other news, a riot police squad was attacked with molotov cocktails and
rocks during Saturday night near by the national PASOK headquarters.
Meanwhile, clashes erupted in Nea Michaniona between Communist Party
protesters in solidarity to the struggle of the Egyptian fish-workers and
fish-boat owners. 20 fishboat bosses attacked the demo without the
slightest provocation, injuring an egyptian fish-worker. The fishermen's
strike has been judged legal by the courts which will be ruling on the
fishboat bosses appeal on Monday morning.

On the student struggle front, Mr Manthos the notorious rector of the
Aristotelian University has defended the police invasion of the university
asylum giving the cops a carte blanche to breach it whenever they feel
like it. Having learned nothing of his earlier punishments at the hands of
students, the nationalist scum took the unprecedented measure tonight of
cutting off electricity of the occupied rectorial headquarters. The act is
expected only to further fuel the struggle against his tyrannical rule.

Finally, the government has announced that it will air its decisions on
new austerity measures in the midst of the new week. Already unions are
warning of a new general strike for the 8th of March.