Police and fascists attempt raid on Greek SWP

[Crux]

Police and fascists attempt raid on Greek socialists

Posted by Matthew Black (http://liveraf.wordpress.com/author/matthewblak/) on May 25, 2012 · Leave a Comment (http://liveraf.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/police-and-fascists-attempt-raid-on-greek-socialists/#respond)


http://liveraf.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/golden-dawn-greece-730.jpg?w=640 (http://liveraf.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/golden-dawn-greece-730.jpg)
Around 30 police attempted to break in to the headquarters of the Socialist Workers Party (SEK) in Athens this morning (Thursday).
A group of fascists joined the police in shouting racist obscenities and attempting to kick down the front door.
SEK members quickly alerted the media and others on the left. The public exposure led to a senior police officer arriving at the scene to call off the attempted raid.
Police remained in the area for some time but eventually withdrew as the incident drew more publicity.
The raid began after a journalist for Workers Solidarity, Socialist Worker’s sister paper in Greece, took photographs of a police stop and search operation near the office.
The police at first threatened the journalist, before another SWP member intervened. The attempted raid began soon afterwards.
Panos Garganas, editor of Workers Solidarity, spoke to Socialist Worker about this morning’s events.
“Some police claimed they wanted to arrest our comrades for obstructing the stop and search operation and insulting police officers,” he said.
“But others said they would do it anyway—because the police force is ‘too soft on un-Greek elements’.
“All of them were swearing at the comrades and kicking the front door, which was locked.”


Panos added that it was unclear whether the police were acting under official orders. But he added, “The electoral result of the neo-Nazis of Golden Dawn, which received 50 percent of police votes in Athens, has made the police more provocative.”


The SEK issued a statement linking the attack to the racist policies of the New
Democracy and Pasok governments. It also called on the left and the unions to defend democratic rights.
“If police can attempt a raid on a political party in the middle of an election, this is a reminder of how the state reacts to an advance of the left,” said Panos.
“It has happened in the past and we should be on the alert.

[Crux]

Literally fascist pigs. It should come as no suprise that the police force was never reconstructed in greece post the military dictatorship, so again, literally, fascist pigs. Solidarity to the SEK.

[ВАЛТЕР]

Wow. This is getting seriously out of hand. Has there even been a radical response from the left? I mean the fash are now raiding the offices of their political enemies. This is going beyond politically motivated street fights into straight up attacks on the infrastructure of the parties and organizations, blatantly backed by the police force.

[Sasha]

to be fair, its usely the GD offices getting raided... ot happens about once a week a GD office burns down or is trashed in broad daylight by the "hooded provacateurs" (as they are called in some circles on the "left")

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Always suspected / accused some police of having fash sympathies or at least anti-leftist sympathies...but to actually see it really happen..still shocking and cause for concern.

[Niall]

Always suspected / accused some police of having fash sympathies or at least anti-leftist sympathies...but to actually see it really happen..still shocking and cause for concern.

agreed mate, whats next? Didnt the nazis do similar things???

[Rainsborough]

Cops, workers in uniform anyone :rolleyes:

[Vninect]

“The electoral result of the neo-Nazis of Golden Dawn, which received 50 percent of police votes in Athens, has made the police more provocative.”
This number is totally exaggerated and ill sourced. Please stop using this statistic. It's very misleading and that doesn't help us. It's also unnecessary: The actual reports of fash and police collaboration are serious enough on their own.

[Crux]

Hey, I didn't actually write the OP, it's a Socialist Worker article. But fact remains that greek police in particular have ties to the far right. Again, it is essentially the same police force as under the military dictatorship. Something else this also high light is, how do we defend ourselfes from the fascists? Indeed the GD have had their offices burned down, most likely by groups from the anarchist mileu. My critique of that would be that it does not go far enough actually. As my greek comrades in Xekinima say, what needs to be done is to organize committes of self-defence, democratically controlled, in the communities, workplaces, schools and universities. Especially in the face of cop fash collaboration.

[Mather]

As my greek comrades in Xekinima say, what needs to be done is to organize committes of self-defence, democratically controlled, in the communities, workplaces, schools and universities. Especially in the face of cop fash collaboration.


Working class self-defense is needed in Greece. Have there been any serious efforts by the revolutionary left (either anarchists or marxists) in Greece to do this?