Greece falls 38 places in Press Freedom Index

According to Reporters Without Borders Greece has dropped 38 places in their press freeom index and now in 70th place, joint last place with Bulgaria in the European Union.In its latest report the organisation said that the placing was due to,  "to political unrest and physical attacks on several journalists". The Greek national daily, Eleutherotypia  also cited attacks by the police on reporters as a major cause for the fall in ranking for Greece in terms of press freedom.


Given the unprovoked attack on reporters last week during a protest when camera operaters and photographers were clubbed and tear gassed outside the Acropolis Athens position in the list is likely to remain low.

Greek police turn blind eye when far right attacks anti - racist demo in Athens

Picture from Indymedia

During the course of yesterday's anti - racism march in Athens members of far right groups posing as "concerned citizens" were filmed and photographed carrying clubs and attempting to throw Molotov cocktails at demonstrators. All this while the riot police (MAT) walked alongside them and made no attempt to intervene.

Picture from the Eleutherotypia newspaper.

"Η ειρηνική πορεία, που είχε ξεκινήσει από την Ομόνοια, δέχτηκε τα... πυρά των διμοιριών των ΜΑΤ, που μαζί με «αγανακτισμένους πολίτες» από την περιοχή του Αγίου Παντελεήμονα είχαν κάνει φράγμα με τα σώματά τους, προκειμένου να απαγορεύσουν σε αναρχικούς-αντιεξουσιαστές, αλληλέγγυους στους μετανάστες να φτάσουν στον τελικό τους προορισμό. "

Ελευθεροτυπία