Athens, the long night of February 12: “burning and looting tonight”

Feb. 12, 2012 Occupied London

Tens of banks and other buildings are burning across Athens after today’s
demonstrations. There are huge riots in Thessaloniki and Patra as well.
The situation seems to be spiralling out of control. We will try to
summarise key developments through the night, below:

All times are GMT+2

01.06 The new memorandum has just been voted in parliament.

01.03 Statement by the occupied law school (greek original):

It was decided by the assembly of the occupied law school for the
occupation to continue.
We call all the people to take to the streets, to keep on fighting!
Nothing has ended, everything begins now.
The law school is a centre of struggle and will continue to be so!

00.42 In parliament, the voting process for the new memorandum started a
few moments ago. It appears very likely that it will be voted through.

00.22 A few hours ago, enraged demonstrators in the city of Corfu stormed
the offices of the local ‘socialist’ MPs Gerekou and Dendias (an
ex-minister of Justice), destroying them completely.

00.20 The town hall of the city of Volos is burning. Earlier, people had
stormed the local tax office, destroying plenty of documents inside.

00.14 A demonstration has only just started in the city of Athens, with
people roaming through the city’s streets and the police tucked away in
the sidestreets.

00:07 Demonstrators attacked the Exarcheia Police station a few minutes ago.

23:45 Smoke from tear gas and burning buildings has covered central
Athens. Clashes are still going on and the streets are full of people.
Earlier, a lot of demonstrators tried to attack the house of the former
Prime Minister Costas Simitis in the upper class district of Kolonaki
(Anagnostopoulou st.)they clashed with the police units guarding the
house.

Earlier a group of demonstrators tried to invade Acropolis police station.
The police officers managed to protect the police station but several of
them were injured while police vehicles in front of the station were
burnt.

Early in the afternoon a DELTA motorcycle police unit, was trapped by
demonstrators: people held a rope across the street throwing down the
speeding motorcycles.

23.10 GMT+2 It is entirely impossible to estimate the number of people who
have taken to the streets in Athens tonight. They are definitely in the
hundreds of thousands – there are simply people everywhere.

23.07 GMT+2 The building of Marfin bank (the same building where three
bank workers died on May 5, 2010) has been burnt to the ground.

23.05 GMT+2 A gun shop in Omonoia, Athens, has been looted.

23.02 GMT+2 Information about the alleged occupation of the town hall is
confirmed: a group of people entered the building, only to be evicted and
arrested by riot police a few minutes later.

22.42 GMT+2 The town hall of Athens has allegedly been occupied.

22.40 GMT+2 Police attack and cut off people in the Law school. At least
200 people are trapped inside.

22.30 GMT+2 At least 20 demonstrators and another 30 police have been
injured during the day’s clashes.




Pre-emptive arrests ahead of the February 12 demonstration in Athens

http://www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/2012/02/12/pre-emptive-arrests-ahead-of-the-demonstration-in-athens/

greek original

The initiative Ship to Gaza denounces the illegal arrest and detention of
its member I.L. from their home today, by the police.

Denunciation

Ship to Gaza Initiative

Athens, February 12, 2012

The Initiative Ship to Gaza denounces the illegal arrest and detention of
its member I.L. from their home this morning by the police. We know more
“preemptive” detentions have been taking place ahead of today’s popular
demonstration against the new Memorandum and this comprises an
unprecedented, as much as illegal practice of the police authorities of
the troika-government of the Memorandum and the greko-israeli “coalition”.

We demand the immediate release of our comrade, as well as all those
“preemptively” arrested, as this kind of preemptive arrests comprise an
unacceptable Junta-type practice and aim at the complete annihilation of
all our constitutional rights.

www.shiptogaza.gr



Update on the people arrested on the first day of the General Strike (Feb 10)

http://www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/2012/02/11/update-on-the-people-arrested-on-the-first-day-of-the-general-strike-feb-10/

greek original

Information on those arrested during the first day of the strike
mobilisations (10/02/12)

Three people are charged for one felony and three misdemeanours:

one 16-year old boy, one 20-year old French erasmus exchange student and
one third person, who faces serious health problems.

The charges are:

- Resistance to authority

- Attempted serious bodily harm

- Disturbance of social peace (with covered facial characteristics)

- Weapon law (it concerns possession of stones)

The above three people will appear before a prosecutor on Monday at 10.00
at office 9, at the 1th prosecutor.



Regarding the people charged with misdemeanours:

- Three have been released, one of which is underage.

- Two of them will appear before the second court of misdemeanours on
Monday at 13:00. At this time, N.P. is hospitalised with two broken ribs
and serious injuries in his entire body due to the beating he suffered by
the police.

The misdemeanour charges are:

- resistance to authority

- Attempted serious bodily harm

- Disturbance of social peace

- Weapon law (it also concerns possession of stones)

Due to the lawyers’ strike it is most likely that the trial concerning the
misdemeanours will be postponed by 15 days.