Treated like terrorists - Greek high school students mark the fifth anniversary of the police murder of 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos

Treated like terrorists - Greek high school students mark the fifith anniversary of the police murder of 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

A Night in Greece - Video

Four years after the murder of 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos by a police officer in Athens, people took to the streets across Greece to remember his death and the uprising that broke out in his name in December 2008.

A Greek childhood.

The video was taken last night during a march to mark the 4th anniversary of the murder of 15 year old Greek teen, Alexis Grigoropoulos by a police officer in central Athens. The killing set in motion a wave of protests and clashes which last for over a month.

www.flickr.com/photos/teacherdudebbq2/sets/72157610963947...

I found the video disturbing considering that these same riot police units who stopped to tussle the little kid's hair had spend the morning attacking high school pupils who'd held their own protest march.

Police officer charged with killing Greek teen in 2008 set free by courts

Riots in Thessaloniki - Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Despite being witnessed by dozens of people in the neighbourhood and part of it captured on video Greek courts were unable to convict police officer, Epameintas Korkoneas who on December 6th shot and killed 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos in Exarchia, Athens. As 18 months had elapsed since the officer's arrest the court was obliged to set him free.

The death sparked off riots that lasted nearly a month and cost the country billions in damages as outraged Greeks repeatedly clashed with police across the country and produced the worst civil unrest in a generation. The ferocity of the response was, in part fuelled by the conviction that the police officer would not be punished.

UPDATE

It seems that the officer has been released but the trial is set to continue. The 18 month limit was how long somebody could be held pre-trial before the courts were obliged to release them. Thanks to blogger Lollipop for putting me right on this.

"Remember, remember 6th December"

"Remember, remember 6th December", originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

With the first anniversary of the killing of Alexandros Grigoropoulos by a police officer last year in Athens the scene looks set for a repeat of last year's violent protests which engulfed most of Greece.

In the run up to 6th December there have been a number of bombings and attacks on both the offices of the ruling PASOK party and and anti - authoritarian communes in Thessaloniki and Athens.

Nor do the police seems to have learnt the lessons of December 2008. Only last week a 35 year old Armenian woman was beaten in front of her two year old child by two plain clothes officers who accused her of insulting them. The fact that she was pushing a pram laden with shopping was not enough to deter them from handcuffing her, kicking her whilst she lay on the ground then taking her to a police station where she was held for six hours.

A day late and a dollar short - Channel 4 on Ian Tomlinson

More footage has come to light that show the attack by London police on Ian Tomlinson just minutes before he died. Today ITN/Channel 4 aired video taken during the assault that once again contradicts the official version that said that Tomlinson died of natural causes and made no mention whatsoever of any police involvement in the death.

What really makes me angry is the fact that a major media outlet waited an entire week before it decided to release a visual record of what, could in all honesty be called an unlawful killing. In addition not one officer came forward until other footage published in the Guardian today came to light. Every officer who witnessed this killing decided that they could avoid not only their duty but also knowingly break the law in order to cover up the actions of a colleague.

There are so many comparisons I could make with the police shooting of Greek teenager, Alexis Grigoropoulos in December. Lies, cover ups, media indifference to anything other than the official police line are just some of the common points. The big difference is that people here didn't take such behaviour laying down.

Is it just me or does that fact that balaclava wearing men spent days beating peaceful protesters in the centre of a European capital with impunity strike you as deeply disturbing? Dark portents indeed.

Athens sees still more violent clashes

Athens marchers attacked by police - Indymedia Athens-Photo-01

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Pictures from Indymedia Athens

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On Saturday protest marches were held in Athens in solidarity with those arrested by police during the series of clashes which spread across Greece in December following the shooting by police of a 15 year old teenager in the capital's Exarchia district.

Protests turned violent as some demonstrators clashed with riot police near the Propylia area of downtown Athens. However, eyewitness accounts published in Greek language blogs say that the police used excessive force, throwing stun grenades into the crowds and indiscriminately beating marchers. Attacks were also reported upon riot police in Thessaloniki, Greece's second city last night in which Molotov cocktails were thrown at police vans.

Despite hopes that last year's violent confrontations have died down, the marches demonstrate that popular anger has yet to be extinguished. On Thursday (see here for video) about 1000 people marched in protest against the attack on Labour activist, Konstandina Kouneva, the victim of an acid attack in December. The 44 year - old Bulgarian trade unionist is still in intensive care after having acid thrown in her face and being forced to drink the liquid.

Lawyers representing her say the attack was prompted by her work in exposing an alleged scam by cleaning companies with contracts with the state run organisations which meant that the mainly foreign born work force received slave wages.

The duration of the confrontations has seen the rapid development of a mini "arms race" on Greek streets with the appearance of more and more protesters wearing gas masks in order to counter-act the authorities extensive use of tear gas. According to the BBC the government has responded by ordering water cannons which will be ready for action within the next two weeks.

The ruling New Democracy party also faces protests by farmers who have used tractors to block road junctions across the country in demonstration over low prices and lack of government support for the nation's agricultural sector. Attempts to placate farmers with a 500 million euro aid package have still not seen an end to the roadblocks.

NowPublic

Tags: Greece | protests | farmers | World | Riots | athens | roadblocks | Thessaloniki | kouneva

When words fail us

The Greek protests of the last few weeks set to music. Sometimes a song can tell much more than a bookcase full of essays and articles. Music by Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name of... The song is raw and angry, a perfect description of many people's feelings over the death of 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos at the hands of a police officer on 6th December. His crime - bad mouthing a cop.

Athens Freeze Protest

Athens Freeze Protest, December 20th 2008 - Syntagma Square. A video by the Klein Mein Film Team. In memory of Alexis Grigoropoulos.

"Finch: Who was he?

Evey Hammond: He was Edmond Dantés... and he was my father. And my mother... my brother... my friend. He was you... and me. He was all of us. "

V For Vendetta.

Mixed reactions to the protests in Greece

Mixed reactions to the protests in Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

A smartly dressed woman , shopping bags around her waiting at the bus stop claps and cheers masked protesters marching by. The man next to her shouts out "Shame, shame on you"

Taken during a protest march in Thessaloniki, Greece last week.

Greek riots - Designers reaction

"A collection of posters created by Greek graphic designers, inspired by the latest event in Greece. The death of a 15 year old kid shot by a cop, and all the reasons that lead to clashes on the streets of Athens and several thousand people protesting at the government’s economic policies, as part of a general strike. RIP Alex."

From NassosKappa.com

Image by Nassos K

Image by DPGR