Merry X-mas!!!

The picture shows the big x-mas tree downtown Athens in front of the parliament going up in flames during the riots following the murder of Alex G. by the police.
The text translates:
"EVERYTHING IS, UNFORTUNATELY A MISUNDERSTANDING ...
-statement of the lawyer who is defending the 2 cops that murdered in cold blood Alexis Grigoropoulos

EVERYBODY ON THE STREETS
OCCUPY, DEMONSTRATE, CLASH
...WITH NO MISUNDERSTANDING"

A wave of repression against immigrants during the riots in Greece

: A wave of repression against immigrants during the riots in Greece



In the last few days, there has been an explosion of violence and racism against immigrants by the police and the courts. In Athens only, over 50 immigrants have been sent to trial in flagrante delicto, with ridiculously insignificant accusations. This is the general picture: Express trials, no legal representation, no interpreters and a pre-decided charge of 18 months in prison followed by deportation. Most immigrants were arrested on the streets and not inside shops. Some were found carrying looted wares, some weren’t. In one characteristic case, an immigrant was charged with robbery while he insisted that the single cellphone he was found carrying was actually his own! He was imprisoned and is awaiting deportation. In another incident, an immigrant was incarcerated for carrying a cellphone charging device! He was also sent to prison. He will be deported too.




In Athens, Patras and other cities, cops, para-State groups and fascists seized the opportunity to organize pogroms against immigrants. According to the denouncement by Elias Ahmed, representative of the Union of Bangladeshi Workers: “In the last days extremist nationalists are ambushing immigrants’ meeting places. Most immigrants return home late at night, since they work in restaurants or do other evening jobs, and wherever the nationalists find them, they beat them up and terrorize them.” The representative of the Afghan Community Zacher Mahmat issued an accusation stating, amongst other things: “Two nights ago at Attiki Square 4 or 5 Syrians were beaten up. They were attacked by a group of 10 to 15 (…) Everyday policemen beat up immigrants”.




The police is working hard these days, with the excuse of lootings and unrest: Multiple arrests of immigrants, threats of deportation, beatings and mass transportations to police stations. On Monday evening, in an exhibition of atrocious violence in Omonoia Square, policemen were beating up immigrants for hours on end and dragging them to the nearby police station to be held (- let us note here that the Omonoia police station is notorious for its brutality).




And while all this is happening, the sensitive Interior minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos, -also head of the Greek Police (a post which he publicly announced he wanted to resign from, expecting that the prime minister would never accept his resignation)- is zealously getting on with his own business: On Friday 12 he and Merchant Marine, Aegean and Island Policy Minister Anastasis Papaligouras signed a declaration for the supply of equipment with the European agency FRONTEX, responsible for coordinating efforts to curb illegal immigration into Europe, at the former public order ministry with the executive director of FRONTEX Ilkka Laitinen. In other words, FRONTEX is congratulating the Greek police and coast guard for doing a good job and is offering them more arms and equipment…As minister Pavlopoulos proudly stated: “This initiative was taken by the Greek prime minister, and after this FRONTEX could eventually evolve into an organisation like Europol…I warmly thank mister Laitinen that the greatly successful NEPTUNE Operation [by FRONTEX], which was so important to us, was given an extension until March 1, 2009”. Ilkka Laitinen returned the compliments by especially thanking the “Greek Police and the Greek Coast Guard for their cooperation”.


But that is not the only cooperation beyond borders that is going on. The same goes for social struggle and solidarity. Governments in various European states are expressing their fear and caution…Let us prove them right.




IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ALL IMPRISONED IMMIGRANTS

IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ALL THE PRISONERS OF THE LAST DAYS

We shall meet in the streets



Group of immigrants and refugees-www. clandestina. org

S statement describing how the Police shot Alex Grigorpoulos

Statement of Nikos R.
, a friend of Alexandros

Translation of the statement of Nikos R.
, which describes what happened on the night of December 6 and how the police shot his friend Alexandros Grigoropoulos

I go to the first year of high school at Psychiko Public High School. I knew Alexandros, or Gregory (the pet name we used for him, from his last name) since 4th grade in elementary school. We used to go to the same school. Until the first year of middle school we didn't keep close company. From the first year of middle school however, until yesterday when they killed him, we were close friends.


Yesterday 12-6-2008 were you with Alexandros?

Yesterday around 5:50 p.m. I went with a friend from next door to Larisis Station. Before I went there, however, I had spoken with Alexandros. He told me that he was going to go to a polo match... I told him to call me when the match was over so we could meet at Mesolongi Street, in Exarcheia. He was going to go to the match with his friend Nikos F. and P. Ch. At regular intervals we used to meet there. We planned to go to Faros Psychikou, to find our friends from our old schools and go do something together because yesterday I celebrated my name day.


In the end, Alexandros called you when the match ended.
Where was he going to go?

Yes, he called me and told me to start out and he would set out as well from the athletic field... From what I see on my cell phone the call from Alexandros happened at 7:10 p.m.


When did you meet with Alexandros on Mesolongi Street in Exarcheia?

I don't remember exactly. About 45 minutes before the incident. From my friend's house I went by foot. I went up Ipeirou (if I am not mistaken), then right to the Museum, left up on Stournari up to the square on the right, and 10 meters afterwards is Mesolongi. I waited for him 3 to 4 minutes.


When he came what did you do?

When he came we went to a convenience store 10 meters further up and we bought something to eat and two soft drinks... We went back again to the sidewalk on Mesologgiou Streeet to eat and talk.


Where exactly did you sit?

We sat there by the entrance of an apartment building at the intersection of Mesolongi and Tzavella, on the left side where we were watching Zoodochou Pigis Street. There they have three railings on the walkway where you can sit. We sat there. (At this point they show the witness a printed map of the area.) We ate the things we had bought and suddenly, as we were talking, we heard a somewhat loud bang. Near enough to us that we could hear it, but far enough away that we couldn't figured out what had happened. We didn't pay any attention...

Did you see light accompany the bang that you described to me?

No, because from the direction where we heard the bang, we didn't have visual contact, because there was a wall in front of us... In order to see what happens on Navarinou Street you have to leave down the middle of the walkway of Tzavella Street.


After a minute and a half we heard about 4 or 5 passers by "the cops are coming, something happened...". So out of curiosity, Alexandros and I went to the middle of Tzavella Street to see what had happened. A distance of 2 to 3 meters away... When we went out into the middle of the walkway we saw from a distance of 15 to 20 meters two police officers. They were right at the intersection of Zoodochou Pigis and Tzavella. One was taller than the other. Next they stopped at the intersection of the two streets... In front of us there was no one else. Alexandros was in front of me and I was behind and to the right of them. When the police stopped at Zoodochou Pigis and Tzavella, they had their hands, left or right I don't remember, on their weapons which were in their holsters which hang from the belt. Someone from behind me tossed an empty plastic bottle and naturally it did not reach the police. I forgot to tell you that when I saw the police, they started to curse at me and Alexandros, saying "We will f... you, come here and I'll show you who is the tough guy" and things like that. The guys behind us were yelling "get back" and "go to hell..." at the police...

When someone threw the plastic bottle, the police, both of them if I am not mistaken, took their weapons out of their holsters, aimed in front of them, that is towards the place where I, Alexandros and the other person were, and three continuous shots were heard. I forgot to tell you that I am sure that one of the two police officers held his weapon with both hands. I saw then - and I am absolutely sure - that the police weren't shooting either towards the sky or towards the ground.
They aimed towards our location and fired!

Alexandros fell down, if I am not mistaken on the first or second gunshot, surely anyways before the third... Afterwards, I didn't know what was going on. People were yelling and some people lifted up Alexandros' shirt. I saw that he had a hole in the middle of the chest and a little towards the heart. There was blood from the wound...

Let me tell you also that the police who fired, when they saw Alexandros fall, they left. I don't remember which direction... Then the ambulance came and took Alexandros, dead. I say this because he didn't have a pulse and there was blood coming from his mouth...

What light was there in the place where you described the incident?

Even though night had fallen, there was light from the street lamps on the poles which shines and also from the shops... Only one lamp wasn't working, to the left of Alexandros...

Do you want to tell us something else from everything you know?

The only thing I want to tell you is that they didn't kill Alexandros. They murdered him in cold blood...