2008 December 6., on Saturday night at 21:30 in the center of Athens Alexandros Grigoropoulos was killed by the cops. It happened after a small group of alleged anarchists argued with the crew of a police car. They didn’t have with them any Molotov cocktails, stones or other weapons.
There were many eyewitnesses, since the place has a lot of busy bars, and is very crowded, especially on Saturday night. One of the policemen shot and killed the 15 years old young boy in cold blood.
The two policemen left the boy dead on the ground. The names of the policemen who killed the boy are Epaminodas Korkoneas (37 years old) and Vasilis Saraliotis (31 years old).
9/12: Update of the situation: The riots and the uprising are in the center of attention in the mainstream media and politics as well. The prime minister and the administration are already discussing using special forces to control the situation.
After a night of rage, a day of revolt
A riot map of Greece :
All around Greece riots and demonstrations are taking place at the moment. Demonstrators attacked police departments, burned patrol cars and banks.
Demonstrations, riots and solidarity actions are happening at the moment (or already happened) in Athens, Thessaloniki, Chania, Sparta, Mitilini, Alexandroupolis, Ksanthi, Volos and many other places.
Riots as an answer to the state repression and a political mobilization in Greece!
REPORTS AND UPDATES FROM THE DEMONSTRATIONS AND ACTIONS
A brief report from Athens
7/12: More than 1000 anarchists/autonomous people and others started riots the same night around the Politechnical University in the center of Athens. That university has been a symbol of the Greek radical resistance for many years. The police arrested 7 persons.
7/12: Demonstration: 10.000 people from different political groups participated.
7/12: A report from the demo in Athens by a participant :
“Hello, just got back from the center of Athens. There’s a lot going on, I’m not sure if I can describe it correctly. Today a march was decided about yesterday’s murder of 15 year old Alex. Many people came: ecologists, leftists, anarchists. It was the largest march of this kind I’ve ever participated. About 7-10 thousand people literally occupied the city center. The atmosphere was electrified from the begining, we knew that this was not going to be a peacfull marching but no one left. Along the way the scenery was full of anger, fires, chasing and gas bombs. We were beaten and splitted up but some of us managed to get to the central police station of Athens, the announced destination of the march. People were trying to reform groups, some of them decided to go to the parliament instead. Finally after 3 hours we started gathering back to the occupied polytechnical school. As far as I know there are a few arrests and only a few injuries.
Since yesterday many ATMs and banks are burnt to the ground, attacks on police stations around Greece have happened and are still happening, there are occupied universities and still people are out fighting the state forces.
I’m sorry I can’t say more right now, I tried to give you an idea of the feeling that is all around us.”
7/12: Riots started by members and fans of Athens football club (AEK) around OAKA the field.
7/12 The University of Law occupied by students.
8/12: High school Students call for a demonstration in Athens with a chain of SMSs.
8/12 18:00: Demonstration in the central offices of the university of Athens (propilea).
8/12: The University of Finances occupied by students, anarchists, workers, young immigrants. Assemblies, creation of a blogspot, preparations to keep it open in case of police attack so that people can meet there, discuss, secure from police…
8/12: The students call for a general assembly of all the faculties in order to decide about a general strike and possibly occupations of the universities.
8/12 02:00: Street fights, barricades and riots in front of the Parliament, some of the biggest riots of the last days. City center smashed, big buildings on fire, riots continue till now.
Government fears of attacks against the house of the Prime Minister…
Government denies rumours about martial law. Tomorrow (9/12) the Prime Minister meets with the President and the leaders of all parties to discuss the crisis.
8/12: Prisoners in Greek prisons after fighting for their rights one month ago with a huge collective hungerstrike, decided to abstain from the jail meals tomorrow as a sign of solidarity with the actions and the family of the comrade-child.
8/12: 86 people arrested and many in hospital because of injuries or suffocation.
9/12: High school students’ demonstration in front of parliament thrashed by the police. Ages 13-14 year old!
9/12 15.00: The funeral took place outside the city center. A thousand people gathered when they saw the police and a riot was started. The inhabitants of the area attacked the police and told them to go away. Policemen arrested friends of the child when they tried to come out of the cemetery.
Attention: Policemen shoot 15 times to disperse the crowd!
Students come back to the occupied Economic University and clashes with the police for about 1.5 hours.
Zefyri: Riots erupt in the suburbs outside Athens. Immigrants and Roma youngsters attack the Zefyri police station, burn police cars and fight the police.
Corfu Island: Attacks against police station.
Volos: Attempt to occupy the police station. Burning car thrown in the entrance.
Larisa: Big riots in this big rural town.
Patras: Greece’s third largest city. Demo of 5.000 people attacked by policemen and nazis united with stones and knives! Demonstration dispersed because of fear of injuries.
10/12 General Strike:
Syndicates and communist party sabotage the general strike. Televisions try to make terrorise people from going out of their house. About 5000 people in demonstration, outside parliament some want to engage in riots. Syndicates say :Ok our large demo made its point we call you to disperse in ten minutes…
Attack with molotov cocktails against the Court where the cop was supposed to go.Police cars destroyed.
The lawyer of the cop whio is a famous TV-person and a well known lawyer of drug dealers etc says : “This was an accident…The Judge will say if Alexis (the young boy) had to die or not…”
Riots continue in the center immigrants burned a building, created barricades and fight with the police. Tear gas all around…
Photos from the riots in Athens 7/12
Athens by night: photos from 8/12
Report from the funeral of the young boy
“Today was the funeral of the murdered 15 year old Alex. 5.000 people attented the funeral in a sad ceremony. It was a somehow quiet (except from 2 helicopters above…) and peaceful scene until a students march arrived from the center of Athens (at least all that managed to do it) and after them the riot police. Soon this provocative action led to some minor incidents between students and cops and this resulted in the arrest of one 15 years old student. This was a turning point because from that moment a clash started and very soon a nearby bank was on fire and the riot police attacked throwing heavy gas bombs even at the area of the cemetery! The cemetery doors were closed and people were trapped inside, while outside the fight was raging. Eventually the police withdraw 300 meters and the ceremony continued with the crowd screaming “cops, pigs, murderers” and bursting out in a strong applaud when the white coffin came out. The words “immortal, immortal” were spoken out loud.
Alex’s mother asked the police not to be near the area. What a disgrace of them! Bastards… After the funeral was over, some riots started (for the first time in the area) but this was the time I left so I don’t know exactly what happened.”
12/12 In Athens and the surrounding regions: There was a march at Omonia at noon of thousands of people, which the police met with tear gas and flash bang grenades. At one point as the march passed by the offices of Kougias, the lawyer for the police officer who killed Alexandros, the offices were broken into and trashed. At Stadiou and Korai Streets, riot cops arrested and beat a 13 year old girl, journalists caught it on video and were themselves threatened and beaten by police.
Additionally there was a gathering at Syntagma Square at 3:30 p.m., a bicycle action at 9:30 p.m., and a sit-in at Syntagma Square at 10 p.m. There was a march at 10 a.m. of high school students in Palio Faliro which ended up at the police station there. At 1 p.m. there was a gathering of workers in psychiatric units for children and adolescents, in front of the police department in Chalandri. About 300 people marched in Agios Dimitrios at around 8 p.m.
In other locations: In Ilioupoli, two young students at a protest blocking the road were struck by a car which then took off, and the license plates were later found to be unregistered.
A map of schools and universities taken over by students has been started at http://www.edopolytexneio.org/, while a radio station and a television station were even taken over for a short time, with information and statements about the murder of Alexandros and the use of police in service of state repression.
These and many other actions took place in the cold and rain. A new round of marches and gatherings is set for Saturday, December 13.
The police say that they are running out of tear gas, having used 4600 cannisters in this one week, and they are trying to get more from foreign sources. There are over 170 arrests so far in Athens alone.
13/12 Saturday, December 13, 2008
Today (Friday), the assembly of the occupied Athens Polytechnic decided to make a callout for European and global-wide actions of resistance in the memory of all assassinated youth, migrants and all those who were struggling against the lackeys of the state. Carlo Juliani; the French suburb youths; Alexandros Grigoropoulos and the countless others, all around the world. Our lives do not belong to the states and their assassins! The memory of the assassinated brothers and sisters, friends and comrades stays alive through our struggles!
We do not forget our brothers and sisters, we do not forgive their murderers. Please translate and spread around this message for a common day of coordinated actions of resistance in as many places around the world as possible.
Pireas
8/12: Report from an activist who was there:
“Today schools were closed either by decision of both students and teachers or by occupation. Around 12:30 a growing march reached the central police station of Pireas, the 2nd largest in Athens. Alreadyanother minor police department in Pireas and the Shipping Ministry were alread “visited”. 3.000 students marched and attacked the police station throwing anything they could find: rocks, sticks, even oranges!
The front side of the police station is a total wreck, and all police cars and motorbikes are burned or destroyed. No other car or shop was harmed. 2 motorbikes were dragged in front of the police station and set on fire. More people joined from Pireas University and comrades from nearby areas and then 5 police squads came and attacked.
But students were full of rage and despite continued chasing they did not give up. In a while a student was arrested and a fucking cop in civilian clothing started beating him in front of all of us. This caused a mass attack from the people and a counterattack from the cops where one man who protested against their attitude was arrested too. The central road was still closed when I left and as far as I know there are still students there fighting after 5 hours!”
Chania Crete
7/12 : Anarchists burned state cars in the morning.
Sparta (Southern Greece)
7/12: Members of the anarchists/autonomous assembly of the city started to write slogans on the walls of state buildings. The police was not there just an undercover bastard in a car. He left when he saw the people writing on the wall.
8/12 anarchists thrown stones and other objects in a state building.
Thessaloniki
7/12: All the anarchist groups as well as extra parliamentary ultra left groups call for a demonstration.
7/12: Around 200 people attacked with petrol bombs and riots started in the center of the city near the white tower. Afterwards the anarchists moved into the university and the special forces of the police surrounded the place.
7/12: Anarchists occupied the School of Theater in the city, the cops answered with tear gass. At the moment the people are trapped inside because the university is surrounded by the police
12/12 At 6 p.m. there was a march starting at Kamara (Thessaloniki) during which the offices of LAOS and New Democracy were attacked, with many supporters in the area applauding and cheering the demonstrators, and at 6:30 a gathering and protest at the Labor Center of Thessaloniki.
Alexandroupolis
7/12: People gathered in front of the police station.
Patra
7/12: more than 300 people gathered for a demonstration in memory of Alexandros Andreas Grigoropoulos. The demo hasn’t ended yet, because protests are not extinguished by tear gas sprayed right now and right here at the center of the city. People are still around in the streets.
It’s gonna be a long night tonight.
7/12: Five people arrested by the police.
8/12:One more person arrested.
8/12:
“Our informations have been confirmed about groups of fascists in action with police forces at the city of Patras. This is happening now, it is not a joke! The media speaks of ‘civilians’ who attack anarchists.
We know very well the concept of ‘angry civilians’. Already known faces of fascists from other cities (including Athens) are seen in Patras, walking down the streets accompanied by policemen in civilian clothing, attacking and arresting anyone who looks suspicious. At least one student is at the hospital stabbed by them. People are reported to hide protesters from these fascist groups who already have spotted such houses where protesters are hidden. They stand outside throwing rocks, yelling “come out or we will come in”, threatening the owners. Since the police forces cannot handle the riot situation all over greece, their right hand is unleashed, the fascists and neonazis.”
12/12 In Patra at a demonstration a student was injured by tear gas that caused a serious skin reaction, in Leros middle school and high school students demonstrated, in Volos people marched and the police used tear gas, in Giannena people marched with no police present, and, with no police to provoke them, there were no disturbances.
Volos
7/12: A demonstration took place at 18:00. More than 15 banks smashed.
Giannena
7/12 : Street fighting going on in the city right now. More than 500 people on the streets.
12/12 Around 40 people occupied the city house in solidarity with the struggle all around Greece.
7/12 Corfu: More than 100 anarchists joined a demonstration. The block of the anarchists burned an ATM. Another block of members of extraparliamentary groups joined the demo as well.
7/12 Karditsa (north Greece): Organizations and groups call for a demonstration on Monday 8/12.
7/12 Korinthos: Various groups call for a demonstration Monday 8/12.
7/12 Larisa: Call for a demonstration on Monday 8/12.
Island of Naxos: A demonstration will take place on Monday 8/12 at 13:00
Iraklio, Crete
7/12: Around 200 people gathered in Iraklio protesting against the murder of the young boy. During the demo the protesters threw stones on a police station and the courthouse.
Some photos:
8/12 Pirgos (southen greece): A group of 10 people attacked the court house of the city with petrol bombs and shouted slogans for the murdered child.
8/12 Drama (north Greece): The central police station smashed by a group of people.
8/12 Kozani (North Greece): More than 200 people on the streets. They smashed Banks in the center.
8/12 Island of Leros: Students organized a demonstration in the central village of the island.
Solidarity actions in other countries.
Zagreb: Anarchists organized a solidarity action at the Greek embassy.
Berlin
7/12: Solidarity action organized by autonomous groups. Around 300 people joined the protest.
8/12: Another protest, the Greek embassy occupied.
Photo from the occupation:
Hamburg: around 200 people participated in a solidarity demonstration.
London call by greek anarchists for a demonstration on Monday 8/12 at Hyde Park Corner (Marble Arch) at 9:30 in the morning. The greek embassy occupied. Photo here:
8/12 Edinburgh Solidarity picket 1pm Monday 8 Dec at the Greek Consulate, 12 Queen’s Crescent, Edinburgh, EH9 2 AZ.
On Saturday, December 6, police shot and killed teenager Alexandros-Andreas Grigoropoulos in Athens. Greek activists have called for solidarity actions to take place, while people are on the streets in Greece, protesting against police violence.
Be at Hyde Park Corner tomorrow morning at 9:30 sharp, as the demonstration will leave immediately towards Olympic Airways and the Greek Ministry of Tourism.
from IMC UK
8/12 Vienna: solidarity protest.
8/12 Nikosia, Cyprus: Solidarity demo took place in the city, some people got arrested.
a photo
9/12 Warsaw anarchists organized solidarity pickets at the Greek and the French embassies. The first took place in front of the Greek Embassy. The protestors held pictures of Alexandros-Andreas Grigoropoulos, killed by police a few days ago. The anarchists, besides condemning the murder also expressed their support for protestors in Greece, for the planned general strike and the stuggle against capitalism and neoliberal reforms in Greece. The chanted different slogans such as “Murderers”, “That’s what your democracy looks like”, “Solidarity is our Weapon”, “Bourgeoisie your end is near” and “No justice, no peace”. Embassy employees refused to speak to the protestors.
After some time, the protest moved up the block to the French Embassy. Passing the Parliament, just next to the Embassy, a siren was sounded and anarchists yelled “Watch out! Anarchists are coming!”. At the French Embassy the protestors expressed their solidarity for the Tarnac 9. They also criticized the politics of Sarkozy.
At this time, the police tried to put an end to the protests but part of the people regrouped and went back to the Greek Embassy, part of them going through the terrain of the parliament. The police decided that the group, now down to just a little over a dozen people were some “potential terrorist threat” to the Embassy, which prompted some laughs. A few people spontaneously decided to TP the Embassy. The anarchists promised to come back in the next few days in a bigger group and protest again.
Pics: http://cia.bzzz.net/warsaw_solidarity_Pickets
9/12 Constance, Germany: solidarity action today. There was a small spontaneous rally and a speech was given on the Christmas market in Konstanz/Constance in Southern Germany. Information about the repression in Greece and the actual situation was spread among the people. Flyers were given out. After a short while the police arrived and they arrested four people.
http://de.indymedia.org/2008/12/235487.shtml
9/12 Holland 200 people (a lot of greek students but also local anarchists and socialists) gathered tonight in de dutch political capital den Haag and marched towards the greek embassy where they were stopped by riot police, no arrests were made. in a seperate demonstration in the student town of nijmegen 30 people protested in the city center and before the local police HQ.
Pictures can be found here: http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2008/12/56282.shtml
9/12 brussels In the night of tuesday, 9th of decembre, a syndicat of the cops (vsoa) in molenbeek (brussels, Belgium) was attacked. All windows were destroyed.
Video from the same night: an activist is filming from inside the politechical university, in the center of Athens:
Riots in the center of Athens:
Monday 8/12 Night: Demo in the center:
Down with the government of the murders!
8/12 Ermou (main commercial street of Athens):
9/12: Post from the mass media about a parliamentary beaten up by the cops: “A man stands in front of riot policemen during a demonstration in Athens December 9, 2008. Hundreds of protesters threw stones and bottles at lines of riot police outside the Greek parliament on Tuesday, in a fourth day of anti-government clashes triggered by police killing a teenager.” REUTERS / John Kolesidis (GREECE).
9/12: Thousands of people in protest in the center of Athens. The special police forces use tear gas all around. High school students provoked increasingly by the police.
USA
10/12: Several windows were smashed at the Greek consulate in NYC last night, along with graffiti reading “Alex was here,” “Murderer” and a circle A. This action took place the night before a scheduled solidarity demonstration at the same location.
9/12 Bradislava Slovakia On Tuesday, 9th of December, approximately at 6:30 pm on Main Square, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, about 40 people came to express their protest and anger against the murder of Alexandros and to memorialize this young boy. There was a transparence laying on the stairs of The Embassy of Greece saying “6.12.2008, Athens, 16-years-old Alexandros Andreas Grigoropoulos, murdered by a cop! R.I.P./A.C.A.B.” Two activists have attached a banner with a slogan “Punishment for the assassin” in Greek on the entrance door.
We also put a wreath and have lighted tenths of candles together neer the
stairs and the photography of young Alexandros.
10/12 Solidarity demo in front of the greek embassy in Sofia (Bulgaria)
Today, 10th December 2008, around 20:30 bulgarian time (EET) a solidarity protest in commemoration of the killed by a policeman 15-years old Alex Grigoropoulos took place in front of the greek embassy in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Around 40 people from the Federation of the Anarchists in Bulgaria (FAB), autonomous anti-authoritarian group “AnarchoResistance”, movement for resistance “23rd of September” and movement for students rights “Priziv” gathered.
Representatives from FAB and “23rd of September” read declarations to speak out our anger with the killing of Alexandros. The activists shouted slogans like “Solidarity between the people is our weapon against the state”, “Cops, pigs, killers” and “Freedom” in bulgarian and greek and waved anarchist’s flad and transparents with slogans “Enough with the killings and the police terror!”, “He, who falls for freedom, does not die!”. The protest ended with candles and portraits of Alex, put in front of the main entrance of the embassy.
During the protest all of the people were observed by approximately 20 policemen (who were there already, although the action was announced only in a press-release to several newspapers and TV-stations!) and filmed by the police’s cameraman (again, like in any other protest).
More pictures here: http://bulgaria.indymedia.org/newswire/display/30863/index.php
10/12 Bologna Solidarity demonstration
10/12 Madrid Demonstration in Madrid in solidarity with Greek revolts and the murder of Alexis
10/12 Barcelona Demonstration in Barcelona in solidarity with Greek revolts and the murder of Alexis
10/12 Toledo Gathering in Toledo in solidarity with Greek Revolts
10/12 Sevilla Gatherings in Sevilla
10/12 Burgos Concentration in memory of Alexandros Wednesday December 10th at 8pm in Plaza Roma (Gamonal Area)
10/12 Granada Concentration in solidarity with Greek companions. Soon the concentration in solidarity with the young anarchist shot murdered by Greek police, will take place in Plaza del Triunfo at 8pm.
11/12 Zaragoza Concentration for Greece. Thursday, 11th of December, 7pm. Plaza España
12/12 Salamanca Concentration to support Greek companions in fight Friday, 12th of December, 8:30 pm in Plaza de la Constitucion.
Grenoble 12/12 solidarity action for the greek rioters http://grenoble.indymedia.org/index.php?page=article&id=8332
it’s in french, but in a few words: there was a demonstration accross city-center of grenoble, with a bit more than one hundred of persons.
banners (“solidarity with the -insurrected- people”, “ΜΠΑΤΣΟΙ ΓΟΥΡΟΥΝΙΑ ΔΟΛΟΦΟΝΟΙ” – in greek ! -), black and red flag, slogans (“in greece like in france, police kills, our answer: autodefense”, “cops, pigs, murderers”, “solidarity with the rioters”, etc.). paint bombs have been “exploded” on the wall of the greek consulate, on a bank, etc. some “fireworks” were done during the demo. almost everybody was masked and wearing black. cops were filming but they did not try anything. then, no arrest, everything was fine.
12/12 New Zeland solidarity action took place in New Zeland
a photo
Moscow 12/12ACAB / Greece solidarity actions in Moscow
On the December, 10 a molotov cocktail was thrown to the Greek embassy in Moscow and set it on fire.
On the December 12, anarchists hold ACAB demo in Moscow which started from the notorious police station Sokolniki (where at spring 2008 torches of anarchists took place) to the Greek embassy. About 100 people participated the demo with banners, pyrotechnics, shouting anti-cops slogans on the way attacking banks with paint bombs and making anti-cops graffiti on the walls. Nobody was arrested.
13/12 Australia Melbourne A protest in the front of the greek council
14/12 Wroclaw On Sunday night in Wroclaw there was a demonstration in support if the events happening in Greece organized by local anarchists. About 70 people gathered on the main square. Candles were lit under a portrait of Alexandros.
15/12 Montevideo the greek embassy in Montevideo was attacked Several paint bombs and some stones that broken the glasses of the principal door of the embassy, and graffities supporting the greek riot, were a little act of solidarity from this place of the land with the revolted comrades from the mediterranean country in their direct confrontation against the repression, the State and the capitalism.
Source of this summary : balkans.puscii.nl
Most of this information is translated into English from Greek.