Greek riot police tear gas peaceful protest in Athens

One of the few good things to have come out of the events that Greece has witnessed over the last week is the growing awareness amongst ordinary people that they can get out their message without having to rely on the traditional media.

I have decided to share this video posted 13th December which shows the effects of the police using tear gas on a peaceful protest in Syntagma Square, central Athens. For those who haven't experienced this, imagine someone throwing vinegar in your eyes while you are in the middle of a severe asthma attack.

I include the text which accompanies the video on Youtube.

"Κάθε βράδυ στο Σύνταγμα, από την δευτέρα 8/12/08, μαζευόμαστε και κάνουμε μια ειρηνική διαδήλωση. Στις 13/12/2008 έγινε μία ειρηνική διαδήλωση. Φωνάζαμε συνθήματα, τραγουδούσαμε, μέχρι που, γύρω στις 12 το βράδυ, μας περικύκλωσαν τα ΜΑΤ. Τους είδαμε ότι είχαν προετοιμαστεί, φορόντας μάσκες και μετά, χωρίς να έχει προηγηθεί κάτι, προσπαθούσαν να διαλύσουν την ειρηνική διαδήλωση με χημικά (παρεπιπτώντος, επειδή έφαγα το χημικό στην μούρη, δεν μπορείτε να φανταστείτε πως πονάει) και ξύλο με τα γκλοπ. Δύο κοπέλες και ένα παλληκάρι πήγαν στο νοσοκομείο, η μία κοπέλα και το παιδί λόγω άσθματος, και η άλλη λιποθύμησε από το χημικό και την έδειραν. Ένα παιδί το βάρεσαν στο κεφάλι, και ένα άλλο το χτύπησαν στα πόδια.

Translation

"Every evening since Monday 8/12/08 we have been gathering in Syntagma Square to protest peacefully. On 13/12/08 there was also a peaceful demo. We shouted slogans, we sang and it was around about 12 midnight when the MAT (Greek riot police) surrounded us. We saw that they had prepared for this as they were wearing gas masks and then, without anything having happened they tried to break up the peaceful demo using tear gas. (BTW as I got some tear gas in the face you can't imagine how much it hurts) and truncheons. Two girls and a lad went to hospital . One of the girls and a kid because of asthma and the other who had fainted due to gas who was beaten. One guy was beaten in the head, the other on the legs."

UK police accused of heavy handedness in green protest

Despite ever growing evidence of the role of fossil fuels in global warming the British government has insisted on pushing ahead with plans to rebuild a coal burning power station at Kingsnorth, Kent. Environmental activist argue that the construction, which they claim is the first of six similar projects, will produce between six and eight million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Green activists who have set up a camp in order to protest plans to refurbish the existing power plant have accused police of excessive violence in dealing with demonstratoers who have set up camp on the Hoo peninsular. In video footage aired on the BBC police were shown forcibly entering Climate Camp 2008 in order to remove "abandoned vehicles" according to one participating police officer inteviewed by the BBC.

Activists at the camp claim that the local authorities have been involved in a series of actions aimed at preventing or harassing peaceful protests. Actions which have included the confiscation by the police of items such as board games and crayons.

However, assistant chief constable of Kent police, Gary Beautridge, speaking to the Guardian newspaper said that his officers have recovered knives and makeshift weapons during searches near the camp and that their dicovery indicated that elements within the demonstration intended to break the law. Such accusations were quickly dismissed by protestor, Simon Evans arguing that the they were part of a "smear campaign" against the environmentalists protesting.

The protests are expected to continue for the rest of the week.

NowPublic

Tags: Environment police Global Warming UK green protest climate camp 2008 kingsnorth power station