Greeks Occupy Central City Squares Arab Style

Maria Damanaki ex-KKE but PASOK for the last two decades and a Euro
Commissioner
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/damanaki/index_en.htm
stated in the EU today that 'either the Greeks adopt the 2nd round of
cuts and privatisations' with a unity across the two major parties, or
Greece will return to the Drachma.


Taking into account her current postion as an EU Fisheries Minister,
she cant be saying things without high level agreement with
Papandreou. It is being used to threaten and cajole the Opposition
Parties (var the KKE) to allow PASOK to get through its legislative
programme of more cuts by forcing the 180 votes required in Parliament
this time (2/3 of total) otherwise the government will fall. New
Demccracy traidtionally the pro-American party may be seeking a Euro
exit for Greece.


The government doesn't seek elections as it would lose so it is now
pushing for a Plebiscite for the new round of measures sought by the
IMF


At the same time over the last few days, influenced by the Spanish
events 300 Greeks have occupied Sindagma Square (most of them are ex-
Spitha members) and today they called a facebook protest on the square
and 150,000 have signed up on Facebook which has collapsed in Greece.


We Have Woken Up- in Both Greek and Spanish


Athens Madrid Lisbon All of Europe on the Path of Struglle are two of
the banners and slogans shouted.


Tell the Government we wont sell our Country, tell the Politicians to
Leave said one demostrator on live streaming
http://www.zougla.gr/page.ashx?pid=85&playerType=flashe streaming


VN Gelis


All night discussion occuring in the central squares about what to do next.
A main issue is to stay there until the government leaves or for workers to join protests nightly after work if they cant be there round the clock.

The discussion are occurring in a fraternal manner and it is reminiscent of the last days of the junta. The police so far hasn't attacked the demonstrators with tear gas, but the night is long and one doesn't know what will happen. Some will obviously leave but some will return. The spirit is to fight, most of the mass media has ignored it, but it is widespread on the internet.

Facebook and mobile phones where initially blocked in the square but they have returned. The other issue is whether the organised left will join the protests and try to derail them into a safe for capitalism direction. There is a very large component of youth who were organised via the social media and if it lasts during the night and into the morning it will be difficult to get Athens moving.

So workers may end up joining the protests in the morning...

Some pictures from Indymedia
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1295118

26th may-Update
The police didn't tear gas the massed crowds. A contingent of workers from the electricity workers union GENOP-DEI arrived with a large banner and the crowd supported them.

They placed their banner and shouted slogans outside the Economics Ministry which is on Sindagma Sq which stated We Dont Sell, We Cant Be Sold and shouted slogans, cheap electricity for the masses.

The main media hasn't really promoted it and Facebook was downed a few times alongside mobile phone networks in the centre when people were gathering. The fact that it occurred in every Greek city means there is a shift now and one doesn't know how it will develop as they aren't controlled by the trade union bureaucracy or the political Left and as such it is still new. If nightly gatherings persist and gain in volume it may develop into a real conflict if it isn't derailed or controlled. But by creating a power vacuum, with the state not initially intervening in a heavy hand manner which it has done over the last 12 months every time Greeks have gathered in the centre, may imply the government is looking for an exit, but as yet does not know how or where to go...

Slogans from last night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzk2tjCzsuQ&feature=player_embedded


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------






EE Oh Oh, take the IMF and Get Out...



Democracy, Freedom and Justice


A magical night as in Argentina we will wait to see who gets in the Helicopters first'


Greece of Greek bankers, snitches, usurers, exploiters


'Bread, Education, Freedom, the Junta didn't Die in '73'


Leave the Weapons and Join Us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzk2tjCzsuQ&feature=player_embedded

26th May 2011
Although a greekwebsite one gets a flavour of the demos in the various cities of Greece including the island Rhodes.

http://www.zougla.gr/page.ashx?pid=2&aid=317762&cid=4

For a second night thousands turned up in Sindagma Sq and an open air debate occurred. But it started raining...

Some of the slogans that have been heard by the alleged 'apolitical' audience as reported now by the mass media... most of these rhyme in Greek so translation is difficult.

George (Papandreou) you Wanker we Didn't Come Here for a Joke

31st May 2011

The occupation continues for a 7th night.

Some scenes with the background music of a new song by a popular Greek singer called Cooking Pot about how empty it will become.... and a lot more.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydMN1PITgp8&feature=player_embedded



The media hasn't interviewed people on the square and just mentions it.



7,000 attended a meeting in the centre with Theodorakis as speaker and many shouted for Papandreou to leave now. Theodorakis said this film has been replayed before in 1944 with his grandfather in the same place (implying that this led to defeat of the Left) and he got booed for it...



A video of the speech today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6aA3AjzYOUo



From the video one can clearly discern the waving of Greek flags and the social composition of the audience which clearly isn't middle class.



Greece will allegedly receive its 5th interim loan this week after agreement by Merkel, but massive cuts in benefits are going to be the payback, so it looks like the demos on the streets of the major cities in Greece will continue as the crisis aint going away.




1st June
Last night after the Theodorakis speech thousands surrounded the entrances to Parliament changing Thieves Thieves Politicians not allowing them to leave. When some got into their chauffeur driven cars, they were sworn at, rude hand gestures Greek style were made to them and some were followed by old ladies along the narrow pavements. As the police deemed it would spiral out of control some were rushed to other exits than the main ones along dark pathways leading to the national park adjacent to Parliament.



For the whole of today the mass media has attacked the protestors as being basically hooligans alleging Greeks are as bad as Mugabe and that this is a massive attack on Parliamentarism, not the IMF measures which are crippling the country. They are also alleging that these are acts against democracy and elected Parliament, whilst thieving pensions and creating mass unemployment are obviously democratic acts of a flourshing social system which condemns people to a slow and arduous death. They then brought out the riot police to surround the side entrances to Parliament without attacking the protestors but guarding those who wanted to leave Parliament.



One of the leaders of the Euros today Alavanos, not having appeared to support the movement of the Disgruntled (which is what it is being labelled by the media) stated the Left should depart from Parliament. The peaceful nature of the protests which have gone on for one week now is nearing an end. The situation will end up spiralling out of control. If people in such large numbers have gone on the streets they will end up staying until the govt departs. Allready a big banner has replaced all others stating We Will Stay Until the IMF, the Govt and the Debt Goes.



Either the government will have to attack the demonstrators at some stage, or clear the area on some hygiene issue or it will have to depart. What happened last night has raised the morale of all undoubtedly, the streets will undo what the IMF politicians created...



Video of politicians and drivers trying to leave Parliament

http://www.tsantiri.gr/koinonia-kinimata/dite-se-vinteo-aganaktismenous-na-apodokimazoun-vouleftes-me-vrisies-ke-katares.html

June 3rd 2011

Two events yesterday have hit the mass media.
Govt spokesperson Petalotis went to give a speech at a pensioners club in Argiroupoli a working class district of Athens and the local residents confronted him and he had to be scurried out via the back door.
Riot police were called out to control the crowds of workers and pensioners...

Argiroupoli events video
http://tro-ma-ktiko.blogspot.com/2011/06/videos.html

In the meantime in Corfu Greek politicians and invited Euro MP's were scurried out by yachts after leaving a hall they were meeting in by a port due to the massed citizens protesting and calling in one of their slogans for the whole of Greece to become like Keratea (are that defeated the IMF govt after they attempted to impose a rubbish dump)

Corfu events
http://www.dailymotion.com/jvnadr#videoId=xj1zm4

16 PASOK MP's have writtent a letter to Papandreiou showing reservations against the new round of cuts for the 5th interim bailout package which in reality is an accounting trick as no money ever arrives in Greece from the IMF it is just funnelled away from peoples pockets to the banksters.

The next few weeks are going to be crucial as Greeks are still congregating in the main squares and this Sundays event is billed to be the biggest ever...

KKE
CP leader Papariga has come out firmly against a return to the drachma and does not even call for elections or the government to go now. It hasn't called its members to take part in the demos in the main squares and it is doing everyghing in its power to prop up the IMF govt, but it will start to lose many of its younger followers in the coming period...