Greek Olympian/Golden Dawn supporter expelled for racist tweet

[Terminator X]

Nazi Olympians, fuck off.


Greece has removed triple jumper Voula Papachristou from its Olympic team following posts she made on Twitter mocking African immigrants and expressing support for the fascist Golden Dawn Party.

The 23-year-old athlete was set to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games beginning this Friday, but has now been expelled by the Hellenic Olympic Committee "for statements contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement," it said.

Papachristou has since removed the controversial tweets and has issued a public apology on her Twitter and Facebook accounts.

One of the tweets in question mocked African immigrants in Greece. Greek news blog Keep Talking Greece translated the original statement made July 23 as such:

"With so many Africans in Greece... At least the West Nile mosquitoes will eat home made food!!!"

The other post was a link to a post from Golden Dawn politician Ilias Kasidiaris (known for slapping a female member of the Communist Party on live television) that criticized Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' stance on immigration.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/366722/20120725/greece-golden-dawn-olympics-london-2012-papachristou.htm

[EdgyandOriginal]

Free speech anyone? No, OK.

[Krano]

Free speech anyone? No, OK.
Bad excuse to support reactionary hate speech.

[Igor]

Free speech anyone? No, OK.

:rolleyes: yeah let's defend the right to endorse fascist ideas, that's meaningful for us commies alright. not to mention that free speech doesn't exactly cover some kind of universal right to represent a country in international events.

[EdgyandOriginal]

Bad excuse to support reactionary hate speech.
Firstly, her actual tweet wasn't racist. She may have implied that there were too many immigrants, but that's it. Secondly, I'm fairly sure the ban had nothing to do with the link she posted.

[Igor]

Firstly, her actual tweet wasn't racist. She may have implied that there were too many immigrants, but that's it. Secondly, I'm fairly sure the ban had nothing to do with the link she posted.

not racist she just isn't that fond of immigrants

ok

[EdgyandOriginal]

not racist she just isn't that fond of immigrants

ok
This wasn't implied. Advocating tighter immigration laws does not necessarily imply a dislike of immigrants. Obviously, I completely disagree with what appears to be her views. But I don't think they were inciting hatred.

[Rafiq]

Free speech anyone? No, OK.


Fuck you

[Terminator X]

Firstly, her actual tweet wasn't racist. She may have implied that there were too many immigrants, but that's it. Secondly, I'm fairly sure the ban had nothing to do with the link she posted.

1. The tweet was racist and xenophobic
2. Stop trolling

[Leftsolidarity]

Free speech anyone? No, OK.

I lol at you and your bad trolling.

[EdgyandOriginal]

Fuck you
Right.


1. The tweet was racist and xenophobic
2. Stop trolling
Maybe it did have some xenophobic implications, but come on, it certainly wasn't racist. I think an apology would have been enough, an outright ban that basically destroys all the hard work she's put in over last four years is extremely excessive.

I don't think she was trying to say "I hate immigrants" more "I dislike a lot of immigration and therefore there being lots of immigrants around". Is that an opinion we should be forcibly silencing? We'd have a job.


I lol at you and your bad trolling.
Not even trolling. It would be ironic if I got restricted for this. :laugh:

[Princess Luna]

Right.


Maybe it did have some xenophobic implications, but come on, it certainly wasn't racist. I think an apology would have been enough, an outright ban that basically destroys all the hard work she's put in over last four years is extremely excessive.

I don't think she was trying to say "I hate immigrants" more "I dislike a lot of immigration and therefore there being lots of immigrants around". Is that an opinion we should be forcibly silencing? We'd have a job.


Not even trolling. It would be ironic if I got restricted for this. :laugh:
The fact she was targeting specifically African immigrants, coupled with the fact she also supports the Golden Dawn an undeniably racist group ,leads to the conclusion she is most likely racist......

[Rafiq]

What this reminds me of, is when Noam Chomsky wrote the introduction to that fucking holocuast deniers book, defending the Fascist scum on the basis of "free speech". Fuck this, obscure Liberal ethical absolutism.

[EdgyandOriginal]

The fact she was targeting specifically African immigrants, coupled with the fact she also supports the Golden Dawn an undeniably racist group ,leads to the conclusion she is most likely racist......
I still think the tweet was ambiguous and open to interpretation. I also think the punishment didn't fit the crime. When she used the word "Africans" I don't she meant the race. But whatever, there's bigger things to worry about.

[freeeveryone!]

...and ever since she was banned, the olympics have been a very progressive affair!

[#FF0000]

Maybe it did have some xenophobic implications, but come on, it certainly wasn't racist. I think an apology would have been enough, an outright ban that basically destroys all the hard work she's put in over last four years is extremely excessive

Nah it's pretty racist and it's a little disingenuous to try and suggest otherwise.

but i also can't find myself giving a fuck one way or another about them being expelled from it so.

[Tim Cornelis]

What this reminds me of, is when Noam Chomsky wrote the introduction to that fucking holocuast deniers book, defending the Fascist scum on the basis of "free speech". Fuck this, obscure Liberal ethical absolutism.

I actually agree with that (although it's the first time I hear he wrote an "introduction"). Having the state penalise Holocaust deniers is silly.



Advocating tighter immigration laws does not necessarily imply a dislike of immigrants

It kinda does—certainly if by "tighter" means total lock down and fortifying borders by planting mines.

[Rafiq]

I actually agree with that (although it's the first time I hear he wrote an "introduction"). Having the state penalise Holocaust deniers is silly.


There had been no talk of penalising the holocaust denier, none whatsoever. Chomsky decided to write an introduction, defending him anyway, because apperently in the mind of Libertarian crypto-racists, da Zionizts controwing erryting are a mere step away from establishing laws, of which would make books, such as ones that deny the holocaust, illegal. Chomsky is an apologist for all sort of reactionary scum, but, the coward he is, he'll always re assure to us that "Well, I'm not saying I agree with X reactionary, but yeah they're basically right anyway".

But even if we assume the state would penalize holocaust deniers: Why should we as socialists concern ourselves with this? Who cares?

[Tim Cornelis]

There had been no talk of penalising the holocaust denier, none whatsoever. Chomsky decided to write an introduction, defending him anyway, because apperently in the mind of Libertarian crypto-racists, da Zionizts controwing erryting are a mere step away from establishing laws, of which would make books, such as ones that deny the holocaust, illegal. Chomsky is an apologist for all sort of reactionary scum, but, the coward he is, he'll always re assure to us that "Well, I'm not saying I agree with X reactionary, but yeah they're basically right anyway".

I read some time ago that Chomsky, in response to the persecution of a Holocaust denier, that (paraphrasing) "it's up to academics to criticise faulty reasoning, not judges."

This was what I was talking about.


But even if we assume the state would penalize holocaust deniers: Why should we as socialists concern ourselves with this? Who cares?

Why should we care that other socialists care about something inane?

[Kornilios Sunshine]

Free speech anyone? No, OK.
Wow that sucked.

[EdgyandOriginal]

Nah it's pretty racist and it's a little disingenuous to try and suggest otherwise.

So that's the way people debate here? "Nope you're wrong".



It kinda does—certainly if by "tighter" means total lock down and fortifying borders by planting mines.
This is just stupid. No one's suggesting such things. You can have a conservative opinion regarding immigration without hating immigrants or being prejudiced. A lot of people here seem to think conservativism is synonymous with fascism/racism/xenophobism. It's often the case, but not always.

[#FF0000]

So that's the way people debate here? "Nope you're wrong"

"With so many Africans in Greece... At least the West Nile mosquitoes will eat home made food!!!"

Son I don't know what to tell you if you don't think this is racist.

But regardless, even if it's only 'borderline', it still isn't remotely a free speech issue because that isn't how free speech works. If a nation's olympic committee doesn't want someone representing their country in the olympics, then that's it. They're totally within their rights to expel someone.

Should they have? I don't know. The person wasn't going to go near a medal in the competition -- no one would know their name. Doing this made them (in)famous, though. And it would've been hella funny to see this idiot stumble around with people from all sorts of different cultures and try and cope with dealing with people with different perspectives.

But nah, someone got booted from the olympics for making a racist joke on twitter and retweeting posts from a fascist party. i don't really care.



This is just stupid. No one's suggesting such things. You can have a conservative opinion regarding immigration without hating immigrants or being prejudiced. A lot of people here seem to think conservativism is synonymous with fascism/racism/xenophobism. It's often the case, but not always.

Golden Dawn is, actually. And Golden Dawn is literally a fascist party.

[Leftsolidarity]

So that's the way people debate here? "Nope you're wrong".



When something is blatantly racist/xenophobic and you sit there and defend it saying it is not, what else are people supposed to say?


This is just stupid. No one's suggesting such things. You can have a conservative opinion regarding immigration without hating immigrants or being prejudiced. A lot of people here seem to think conservativism is synonymous with fascism/racism/xenophobism. It's often the case, but not always.

You obviously don't know about Golden Dawn nor what it means to be a supporter of that organization. While some here do throw around the word "fascist" too often, it is literally a fascist organization.

[Delenda Carthago]

You obviously don't know about Golden Dawn nor what it means to be a supporter of that organization. While some here do throw around the word "fascist" too often, it is literally a fascist organization.
this.

[F9]

ffs.... that idiot was constantly reposting shit from the golden dawn and supporting its idiotic members. should just fuck off and die along with her "free of speech":rolleyes: and i dont give a fuck if she is banned or not from the olympics, its still completely shit!(except basketball:D)
now on people saying that it wasnt racist, it wasnt on that context, again complete bullshit, her remarks are obviously 1000% racist.She just followes the modern trend of this shit and gives her support to her fascist friends. Only one solution for this kind of people. meligalas

Fuserg9:star:

[Le Socialiste]

I don't think she was trying to say "I hate immigrants" more "I dislike a lot of immigration and therefore there being lots of immigrants around".

...And the difference is? :confused:


Is that an opinion we should be forcibly silencing? We'd have a job.

Right, because revolutionary leftism is such a cakewalk.

[Pretty Flaco]

this is so non-news

[Rafiq]

I read some time ago that Chomsky, in response to the persecution of a Holocaust denier, that (paraphrasing) "it's up to academics to criticise faulty reasoning, not judges."

This was what I was talking about.

That's really nothing short of apologia for hate speech. Really, Liberal academia has put holocaust denial to rest, albeit barely, though still, put to rest.


Why should we care that other socialists care about something inane?


Because this reflects a lot about what Chomsky, a self proclaimed socialist, concerns himself with, the legal defense of proponents of hate speech and exceedingly brutal racism. If we agree that socialists shouldn't concern themselves of whatever measures the bourgeois state takes against holocaust deniers, that alone justifies a criticism of Noam Chomsky. Why does he care? I'll tell you: He's not only a Liberal, he's a conservative Liberal.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

So that's the way people debate here? "Nope you're wrong".


This is just stupid. No one's suggesting such things. You can have a conservative opinion regarding immigration without hating immigrants or being prejudiced. A lot of people here seem to think conservativism is synonymous with fascism/racism/xenophobism. It's often the case, but not always.

Conservatism is not Fascism, but a conservative view on immigration stems from the very racism that is central to much of what Fascism is about, and is thoroughly anti-Marxist and anti-worker. The whole idea of Marxism is the emancipation of the working class ("you have nothing to lose but your chains"), from wage slavery and from the chains of national bondage that Capitalism imposes upon us to divide the working class and stop us realising that we are all part of a socio-economic group being shit on by the bourgeoisie.

[The Burgundy Rose]

concerning edgyandoriginal's ostensibly bad riposte to the common consensus that exists among us, i would say that he has brought up, however inadvertantly, an interesting point. racist thought cannot be extirpated by simply censoring it and penalising those who are public about it; this will only serve to contain and intensify their polemical and pernicious perspectives. it is reasonable then to let people say what they think and then bring it to debate; defeat it with rationality and reveal it as the ridiculous and empty hate rhetoric that it is. afterall, just look at how edgyandoriginal's comment is getting shot down in a ball of flames, and he's not even fully supportive of the dismissed olympian.

[Art Vandelay]

No platform for fascists; end of discussion.

[Bronco]

I don't think this really needs to be made into a "free speech" issue, she posted something pretty dumb and racist the likes of which are all over twitter, it so happens that she's an athlete who has been called up to represent their country and if the Greek Olympic committee are unhappy with her conduct then it's entirely understandable they would no longer want her as part of their team. It's not about censoring her, it's not about suppressing her speech, she just should have had more sense

A Swiss footballer has also been expelled for a racist tweet

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/football/9439473/London-2012-Olympics-footballer-Michel-Morganella-expelled-from-Games-for-allegedly-racist-tweet.html

[The Burgundy Rose]

I don't think this really needs to be made into a "free speech" issue, she posted something pretty dumb and racist the likes of which are all over twitter, it so happens that she's an athlete who has been called up to represent their country and if the Greek Olympic committee are unhappy with her conduct then it's entirely understandable they would no longer want her as part of their team. It's not about censoring her, it's not about suppressing her speech, she just should have had more sense

A Swiss footballer has also been expelled for a racist tweet


i've thought about your point. i would concede that within an international event the expulsion of such athletes is for the best, and i nevertheless think there is still some significance to my point in a more general context, not just relevant to the games.

[Beeth]

Words and thoughts translate into actions, or they may incite other people. And especially high profile folks will have fans who take their every word seriously.