Alexis Tsipras in Thessaloniki today

Alexis Tsipras in Thessaloniki today, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

With parliamentary elections just weeks away Greece's radical left alliance, SYRIZA (Coalition of the Radical Left) has launched its elections campaign with a withering attack on both the ruling conservative New Democracy government and it's main socialist rival, PASOK. Speaking today at a press conference in Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki, leader of SYRIZA's parliamentary group. Alexis Tsipras attacked the government's bank bail out policy for supporting the country's financial institutions with public money at a time when they have reported massive profits.

In addition Tsipras poured cold water on the idea of any possible post election coalition with the PASOK party of Giorgos Papandreou. However, SYRIZA, which is made up of several smaller left wing parties has itself found difficulties with leadership battles and an electorate that failed to respond to the party's platform in the recent European parliamentary elections.

Gimme Shelter

I have Silence of Our Friends to thank for rescuing this video that I made just after the last national elections here in Greece in 2007. I posted it on Youtube only to have it pulled after " a third party" complained about my choice of music. For some strange reason it is still available on the blogs to which it was posted.

The clip consists of photographs I took during the 2007 campaign and, to tell you the truth, brings back a whole raft of memories, not all of them pleasant as I was the victim of an unprovoked attack by the MAT (Greek riot police) during a peaceful demo. I guess the case of Ian Tomlinson struck a raw nerve as, I suppose I could have suffered the same fate. Instead I ended up with a broken nose, dislocated shoulder and enough bruising to ensure I didn't get a good night's sleep for weeks after.

Unlike Ian, I was given the opportunity to turn my anger into something more productive.