News from the front

I haven't posted for the last few days not because things have been quiet but rather that there has been so much happening that I haven't had time to keep the blog up to date. Today, for example a bomb went off inside the central court building in Thessaloniki at midday. I heard about this by chance when the woman sitting next to me in a cafe got news of the event from a friend on her mobile phone. I happened to be in the middle of a major computer meltdown caused by some virus and so lost valuable minutes before I could reach the courts which by then had beeen closed off. Still, where's there a will, there a way in, so I managed to bypass the security cordon and get quite close.

According to eye witnesses I spoke to the bomb went off while people were still inside the building despite a warning phoned into the Athens based Eleutherotypia newspaper,. I think some people thought the whole thing was some kind of practical joke, not an unreasonable assumption given the fact that such phoned in threats are common here in Greece and almost always prove to be a hoax.

However, the fact that those who planted the bomb were able to breach security in a building that is literally crawling with police officers during working hours is not going to look good, especially coming just hours after the bomb attack on the Kordyllios maximum security prison in Athens (For previous security breaches click here).

During the week there were also a number of demonstrations and marches against the government's changes to the national pension scheme, most of which were throughly ignored by the mainstream Greek media who are quite happy to be the government's electronic cheerleaders, repeatedly parroting whatever is today's media line.

Much has been made of the fact that many very rich doctors with private practices in the upscale Kolonaki neighbourhood of Athens will be charged with tax evasion. This has been a staple diet of the TV news for the last few days, I suppose in the hope that by soaking the rich, at least symbolically then people will somehow accept the austerity package being foisted upon them. I doubt that even those who write this believe it will succeed but they faithfully carry out the orders of their "betters", no matter how absurd or untrue (for more on how the Greek media works check out this post).

There is still a real sense of anger over what is happening and despite what the Vima newspaper opinion polls might purport to show there is no popular mandate for the massive eonomic changes being made. Whilst no one is happy with the present situation the cuts in incomes in conjunction with price hikes on everything from petrol to electricity bills has infuriated most Greeks I know and is the constant source of complaint in radio talk in shows and cafe conversations. Where Vima managed to find 55% support for the PASOK government's handling of the crisis is beyond me especially as other polls by internet news serviceTVXS.gr and the centre right Kathimerini newspaper show exactly the opposite.

Soon, however, we'll have student elections in Greece universities and other highter education institutes and these are often seen as an indicator of the general state of the country's political parties support. It'll be interesting to see how PASOK and New Democracy fare given their support in parliament for the EU-IMF rescue deal.

Also the scale of the general strike and protests planned for May 20th should show how much prime minister, Giorgos Papandreou has managed to convince ordinary Greeks to take their medicine.

Whilst Greece sinks German subs and French frigates come to the rescue

Lots has been made of the profilgacy of Greek state spending, on the way in which billions have been wasted on white elephants and unjustifiable wages and benefits. Yet there are areas of public expenditure which have barely been discussed, let alone touched by the swingeing cuts in services and incomes. Whilst the present socialist PASOK government is busily implementing cuts in minimum wage and lowest pensions the country's massive defence outlays seem to be immune from the fiscal demands of the IMF and EU.

Just today two stories have come to light which show just how much military spending weighs down the public coffers and the shadowy way in which Greece's EU partners have used their clout to ensure their own countrys' defence industries are insulated from any possible effects of the economic crisis in Greece.

Despite the dire state of the economy Athens is still going ahead with the purchase of two more German built submarines worth one billion euros in total. To add insult to injury the first Type 214 submarine when delivered to Greece in 2006 had 400 defects according to Strategy Pages, including excessive rolling in bad weather, overheating fuel cells and below par specifications which failed to live up the manufacturer, HDW's claims.

In addition European MP Daniel Cohn Bendit has claimed the Greek prime minister, Giorgos Papandreou confided that French leader, Nicolas Sarkozy strong armed Greece into fulfilling its previous commitment to purchase three billion euros worth of French defence equipment in return for French support for any bailout deal.

Greek teacher protesting - Thessaloniki, Greece

Greek teacher protesting - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Will Greek government be able to implement austerity package?

The streets of Thessaloniki are full of kids carrying bunches of flowers to take home since today is Mother's day here in Greece. It's strange to be strolling with my daughter along streets that just a few days ago looked like scenes out of a war movie with phalanxes of riot police charging protesters and the air heavy with the stench of tear gas and burning plastic.

Yet the calmness is deceptive and belays the fact that people here are extremely angry over the latest developments concerning the IMF-EU brokered bailout deal, and despite the concerted efforts of the country's media and especially the main TV stations not convinced that the massive cuts in incomes and public spending are the inevitable price Greece will have to pay to stop the slide into bankcruptcy. In a poll carried out by VPRC 55% of those asked said that they supported the idea of renegotiating the terms of the debt repayment whilst nearly a third wanted a stop on payments altogether. Similarly, the May 4th poll carried out by Public Issue on behalf of the Greek newspaper, Kathimerini on Sunday found that 66% of Greeks were against the measures. (it should be noted that opinion polls carried out for the Vima and Naytemporiki papers found exactly the opposite figures).



Once again despite what Prime minister Giorgos Papadreou may declare to fellow EU leaders at meetings in Brussels there is absoluely no popular support for the current measues and that the tactic of bypassing constititional and legal objections as part of their imposition is simply fanning the flames of disdent. Reform by diktat is not going to win over many hearts or minds here in Greece and is rapidly dismantling what little consensus exists within the country.

There is also the growing fear that even if the measures announced are enforced there is no guarantee that the sacrifices will bear any kind of fruit. If the rest of the world thinks that the Greek people are simply going to may down and play dead in order that Wall Street/The City/ Franfkfurt can sleep easier at night is in for a terrible shock. The month long wave of riots and revolt that struck Greece in December 2008 following the death of 15 year old Alexander Grigoropoulos was the work of Greece's youth to alarge extent. Current dissatisfaction with the political and economic system covers a much wider segment of the population and is likely to be even more bitter as millions slide into poverty and despair.



One only has to see the example of IMF intervention in Argentina to see the likely social effects of an austerity package which may last for a decade and may nothing but the chance of better macroeconomic statistics at the cost of untold human misery.

Greeks demonstrate against bus price hike - Thessaloniki, Greece

Greek demonstrate against bus price hike - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Ireland Vs Greece

Greeks protest austerity package - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Yesterday I was once again by the BBC World Service to comment on why people are reacting no negatively to the EU-IMF bailout deal. I was paired with the head of one of Ireland's teaching unions (whose name I forget) to show perhaps how different the two country's reaction has been to similar measures.

Whilst Ireland underwent a painful readjustment in incomes and public services there was none of the violence recently witnessed in Athens an many other Greek cities. The impression I got was that Dublin managed to negotiate the changes through dialogue with the major trade unions and built up a consensus, that the cuts in wages and services was vital for the country's future.

No such dialogue exists here in Greece and the massive reductions in public spending combined with tax hikes has been imposed as a fait d'accomplice by the ruling PASOK party.

Greek riot police use military stun grenades against demonstrators

Greek riot police use military stun grenades against demonstrators, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Greek riot police used stun grenades designed for use by special forces in anti-terrorist situations to break up protests outside the ex-ministry of Macedonia and Thrace in the northern city of Thessaloniki yesterday May 5 2010.

"The Grenade Hand Stun N580 and Grenade Hand
Stun Multi’s N582, N591 and N592 are diversionary
assault grenades, designed for use in confined
spaces by Special Forces during hostage release.
Noise and candela levels induce disorientation in
any persons within the effective range."

Chemring Defense

Greece mourns loss of three bank workers lost in arson attack

Last night my dreams were full of smoke, flame and screams. I slept fitfully and when I woke I felt a sadness that I could not place till I remembered the tragic deaths of three people in a branch of Marfin bank in Athens yesterday after a group of people smashed the bank windows on the ground floor, poured petrol into it and set fire to the building. As a result three employees, including a pregnant woman died of asphyxiation. Everyone I know, everyone who has heard the news is in a state of shock, mourning those who were lost in such a senseless manner.

When the news first hit the internet, Twitter was full of wild rumours and speculation, some argued that the deaths were just black propaganda or the work of agent provocateurs intent on discrediting the anti-government demonstrations. Others still insisted that the real target of the arsonists were the archives of the government's anti-fraud agency which supposedly has offices in the same building. As time passed and the details of the tragedy came to light the rumours were quietly replaced by the realisation that the attack and deaths were most probably the result of that most deadly of human traits, stupidity. Those who set fire to the bank saw a target and give little or no heed to the possibility that people were inside.

This is not to say they are not responsible for their actions and I sincerely hope that they are caught and receive the punishment they so richly deserve.

On the other hand there is great sadness amongst those who took part in yesterday's demonstrations that this brutal act has allowed the local media to shift attention from the demands of the hundreds of thousands who took part in the marches onto those responsible for the deaths and so tar legitimate opposition to the austerity package with the actions of a handful of murderous morons.

Despite the attempts by the local media and especially the country's TV channels to present the massive cuts in income and jobs as inevitable the reality remains that the majority of Greeks are unwilling to sacrifice so much in order to pay debts racked up by the current economic and political systems which is already creaking under the weight of the anger that is building up. Today the Greek parliament will most probably vote in favour of the IMF-EU bailout plan but that is almost irrevelent as what really matters is the ability of the ruling PASOK government to implement the measures in the face of opposition from virtually every sector of society, to impose a cut in living standards unprecedented not just in post war Greek society but in the post - war history of western Europe.

Even within PASOK itself resistance to the measures is growing and how long prime minister Giorgos Papandreou will be able to maintain party discipline is a matter of doubt. More fundamentally the current political leadership does not have the moral clout to demand so much of the Greek people when it has been mired so deeply in corruption and scandal. The role of leading PASOK politicians in the Siemens, Daimler and Krupps corruption cases has yet to be satisfactorily resolved and there is a widespread belief that the hundreds of billions destined for Greece will just be used by the political elite to line their pockets and pay off political favours.

Yet it is not business as usual in Greece as people are starting to realise. The rage felt has momentarily subsided replaced by grief over yesterday's awful events but that will be just a brief respite for the government as the underlaying causes of popular anger still remain. When you see a woman pensioner, apoplectic with rage, using virtually every swear word available in the Greek canon to insult police menacing protest marchers then you know that Greece is undergoing a profound sea change.

Greek anti-austerity protests turn violent

Greek anti-austerity protests turn violent, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Greek teachers kick off country's general strike

Greek teachers kick off country's general strike, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Following the announcement of the austerity measures accompanying the EU-IMF bailout package thousands of Greeks have started a two general strike which is set to close down the country tomorrow. This morning thousands of teachers marchs in cities around the country over cuts in educational budgets and lost positions.

Yesterday evening approximately 40 teachers entered the state run NET TV station and interrupted the news forcing the channel to cut its regular programming. The incident ended with the intervention of riot police units who clashed with protesters..

More pictures on Demotix.com

Do you feel grateful? You've got to be kidding, right?

Just got off the phone with the BBC. I got a phone call earlier today asking if I would like to take part in a discussuion on the their Have Your Say programme and I said that I would be delighted to take part, especially after the BBC employee me asked me why Greeks were not feeling more grateful about the recent bailout deal. People here have a number of reactions to the EU-IMF brokered deal but gratitude is certianly not one of them. Anger, outrage, frustration and fear are far likely to be quoted but no one, and I mean no one I have heard discuss the matter considerd the current situation something to celebrate.

This seemed to puzzle some of the other participants on Have Your Say and many of the listener who sent in emails. Perhaps this stems from the fact apart from the raw economic facts people living outside Greece have only the vaguest idea of how things work here and how big a shock the present crisis is to people throughout the country. As I said to the presenter imagine being mugged and then being asked to contribute to your mugger's legal costs, which is basically what many Greeks are feeling at the moment.

Whilst everyone here is aware of the extensive faults of the Greek government (we live them daily) and the problems with graft and waste the the sheer size of the deficit created by the past two government's came as much as a surprise to ordinary people here as it did to the world's financial markets. Now it seems that the two major parties have not just sold off the family silver but mortgaged the future of the whole nation for at least a generation the mood of seething anger lies over the country like some kind of toxic fug.

How did it come to this? Where did all that money go? How come the country owes so much? are just some of the questions on everyone's lips. Now those who are responsible for getting the country into this "death spiral" as the BBC put it are now calling for a joint national effort to pay off an impossible mountain of debt. I swear that if the leader of either PASOK or New Democracy made a public appearence at the moment they'd be lucky to escape a lynching by a baying mob.

A measure of the fear that the present administration feels over the strength of popular resentment that it announced the fact that the country was going to go to the EU-IMF from the island of Kastellorizo which about as far away from Athens as it far to get and still remain in Greece. This is akin to Gordon Brown announcing the most regressive social measures in a generation from the Outer Hebrides.

Greeks angry over price hikes in wake of austerity package

Greeks angry over price hikes in wake of austerity package, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

As well as cuts in wages and pensions Greeks are also reeling from massive price hikes in basic goods and services.

In the country's second city, Thessaloniki there was anger and minor scuffles outside the bus company offices when long lines of commuters queued, forced to upgrade tickest and pay the difference.

Members of Akrivia - Stop ("Stop rising prices") staged a ticket boycott and called upon passengers to refuse to buy tickets today in protest against what it called unjustisfiable increases in a time of economic crisis.

More pictures on Demotix.com

Austerity package details bring Greeks out on the streets again tonight

Austerity package details bring Greeks out on the streets again tonight, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Just hours after Athens revealed the final details of the country's $140 billion dollar rescue package about 1,000 people took to the streets of Greece's second city in protest over cuts in jobs and wages which accompany the deal. Closely followed by platoons of riot police marchers went through the city centre calling for the overthrow of the government and for Greeks to refuse to pay back debts. Despite some tense scenes the march passed off without incident.

More pictures on demotix.com.

Judgement day for Greece

Today Greek prime minister will announce the full details of the deal that it has negotiated with the EU-IMF-ECB over the conditions of the bailout package. So far the media here have been coy about saying what exactly the agreement contains but the general consensus is that it will include painful cuts across the board in terms of pay and conditions in both the private and public sector. In addition there are likely to be large job cuts as many civil service positions are axed.The most likely tactic will be a change from permanent contract to fixed term ones which when they run out will not be renewed.

As well as cuts in income Greeks are also going to be hit by yet another round of rises in VAT and other indirect taxes (the second in six months). Already the local public tranport authority here in Thessaloniki has announced 20-100% increase in bus ticket prices.

As you can imagine there is a lot of popular anger from people affected by these measures and this is likely to fuel a wave of protests and strikes in the coming months. Already the Greek communist party (KKE), which is the third largest has delared that it will fight the austerity package and is calling on workers to raise up. Other groups are also oganising different ways to try and fight against the government's plans with direct action and protests which have been scheduled for the coming week.

While everyone in Greece agrrees that the present situation is dire and things cannot continue as before they are bitter and angry that the very same politicians who failed to avert the present economic crisis either due to incompetence, corruption or indifference are now calling upon ordinary Greeks to make sacrifices. This would be a steep order for any country even in the best of circumstances but giving the extreme corruption of Greece's ruling political and economic nomenclenture none of country's leaders retains the moral stature necessary to convince people to take the difficult steps that lay ahead.

THe ruling PASOK party headed by Giorgos Papandreou has done little to clean up ts own house when it comes to graft and influence peddling and despite court cases in Germany and the UK, the scandals its senior members were involved in during their last term in power have yet to result in any criminal charges being brought against those involved here. On the other hand the newly elected leader of the defeated New Democracy, Antonis Samaras heads a party whose members presided other one of the worst periods of corruption in Greek history yet few have even been fired let alone been the subject of a court trial.

What people are enraged about is that such incompetence and corruption is likely to be repeated since no one is in a position to put a stop to the pevious abuses of power. The judiciary is little more than an extension of whoever is in power and can be ignored at will while the media is suppine in the face of the temptation of rewards from those in power in the form of state jobs, contracts and advertising revenue. Sometimes it seems that the news here is a choice between a Hellenic version of Fox News or Pravda, with very little objective reporting.

The clashes witnessed in Athens during May Day are likely to be repeated in the following days as the general strike this week is going to a catatlyst for people's rage and frustration.

May Day marcher - Thessaloniki, Greece

May Day marcher - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

More pics on Demotix.com

www.demotix.com/news/317176/greeks-vent-anti-government-a...

May Day tomorrow - A prediction

May Day tomorrow , originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

The Greek government is the process of negotiating an austerity package with the EU and the IMF. The details of which will be announced on Sunday. The choice of day is not a random detail but rather reflects the likely effect of the cuts in public services, wages and jobs on public opinion that are almost certainly part of the deal.

As tomorrow is first of May the country will be holding a series of marches to mark the event. Usually it is marked peacefully and more with a sense of ceremony that any burning revolutionary drive, a secular holiday, especially for those on the Left.

However, tomorrow promises to be different as popular anger over the massive cuts in income and living standards that are likely to be seen in the next few years is looking for an outlet,

Trade unions, public sector workers, members of oppoisition parties plus any number of ordinary citizens will be in the streets on Saturday outraged by the fact that the present political system has brought the country to this impasse

As well as sense of palable rage the government has also added to this explosive mix by giving free rein to the security forces in maintaining of public order. Acutely aware of the fact that the eyes of the financial world are focused on Greece at the moment they are going to try everything in their power to prevent a repeat of the events of December 2008 when the killing of a 15 year old by a police officer sparked off a wave of riots and protests that engulfed Athens and other Greek cities for a month.

On the other hand the riot police, known as the MAT in Greek, are notorious for their lack of discipline and indiscriminate use of both the baton and tear gas, a fact that is likely to inflame matters producing the kinds of images prime minister, Giorgos Papandreou so dearly wishes to avoid.

Refugee child - Thessaloniki, Greece

Refugee child - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

This boy and his family face eviction from Thessaloniki's only refugee recption centre. They and everyone else are being threatened after the city council said that it cannot pay for its upkeep.

This is the same city council that cannot account for at least 50 million euros in expenditure and is currently under criminal investigation. Go figure.

The IMF needs YOU - Join the professionals

The IMF needs YOU - Join the professionals, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

"The International Monetary Fund offers exciting career opportunities for motivated people who want to help others and make a difference in today's troubled financial environment. For more details contact a recruitment officer near you."

Anti-government protests - Thessaloniki, Greece 27/04/2010

Anti-government protests - Thessaloniki, Greece 27/04/2010, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

In Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki about 1000 demonstrators marched through the street with some groups calling for the country's withdraw from the Eurozone. In tense scenes outside a government compound riot police used batons, tear gas and flash grenades to break up crowds who gathered to protests the attempted detention of two youth spraying graffiti on the walls of the building.

More pictures and analysis on Demotix.com

As austerity package is announced Greek workers plan industrial action

Wherever you turn you can't miss the growing tide of anger about the economic situation here in Greece. On TV, radio talk shows, bus queues etc people are besides themselves with indignation about how the economic situation has come to such a pass. Today's news that there are going to be widespread cuts in public services has just added to the shock while others are worried about being paid wages owed or getting their pensions.

Already there have been protests and strike, some in the most unlikely of places. Yesterday Greek airforce pilots announced that they are working to rule a "white strike" as it is termed in Greek over plans to tax flight pay. In addition members of the PAME tade union blocked Pireaus port denying entrance to the 950 passengers of the Zenith cruise ship, forcing the tourists to stay overnight in Athens.

Strike actions have also been announced by many other unions and the number of industrial actions are set to rise exponentially as the details of the spending cuts become known. Tonight there are protest marches palnned for Athens (6.30pm Syntagma Square) and Thessaloniki 7pm (Statute of Venizelou, Aristotelous Square).

The one exception to all this doom and gloom are the state run TV channels which seem to be have transformed themselves in the official media wing of the ruling PASOK party with enough spin on the week's events to make the casual observer dizzy. Reports from journalist covering the unfolding crisis are virtually indistinguishable from official government accounts, complete with appropriate upbeat annotations and flourishes.

The IMF - Coming to a demo near YOU

The IMF - Coming to a demo near YOU, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Greece and the IMF - The Day After

The Greek government is currently negotiating the details of the EU-IMF brokered emergency loan pakage and as a result TV stations are covering the story non-stop, much in the manner of some kind of natural disaster with breaking news interrrupting regular programming. Whatever the final details are the reality of the situation is now painfully obvious to everyone.

The country is, in essence bankrupt and now faces the prospect of massive economic dislocation with huge cuts in wages and most likely a sharp rise in unemployment. Local newspapers are talking about one million without work (Greece has a population of 11 million) before the year is out.

The question on everyone's lips is, "How did it come to this?" People are still in a state of shock and there is a numbness as if Greeks cannot quite fathom what is happening to them. But beyond that there is a feeling of intense anger that the ruling political parties have betrayed the country and left its inhabitants at the mercy of outside forces. Soon, once the initial dismay has worn off and the effects of the crisis appear in wallets and pockets there is going to be a massive backlash against both Greece's two largest parties, PASOK who and New Democracy who swopped places in last year's general elections.

Already there have been protests and marches in many cities as as the weeeks go by these are set to increase in size and frequency. Buses full of riot police are now to be seen regularly in city centres and few believe that the demonstrations will remain peaceful. There is no way the current political establishment can ask sacrifices of people when they themselves have been mired so long in a constant tangle of corruption and scandal. Neither PASOK nor New Democracy seem to think that the Greece's plight is their fault and simply feel that it is business as usual as far as campaigning goes. I think that they have seriously misread the feeling of the country and are likely to be the victims of this backlash in the local council elections this year.

It will be interesting to see how the current PASOK government manages to deal with fact that they can no longer buy support through the traditional method of handing out contracts and jobs to supporters. Once the intricate web of patron-client relationships starts to fray what will take its place? For decades both the major parties have used such tactics to shore up their electoral base and ensure powerful "friendships" with the country's economic elites. With the system now under close scrutiny from both the IMF and the EU political leaders will have little to offer apart from promises, which have come to mean virtually nothing to most Greeks.

What we are witnessing is not just a economic but also a moral bankruptcy with a deeply corrupt and amoral political apparatus collapsing under the weight of its own inadequency.

For more on the background to the present economic crisis check out this previous post which analyses its roots.

Greek riot police about to use pepper spray against protesters outside town hall - Thessaloniki, Greece

Greek riot police about to use pepper spray against protesters outside town hall - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

The riot police were used to break up a protest outside the town hall in Thessaloniki last week. Despite a pledge by the Minister for Protection of the Citizen (obviously, 1984 is not required reading for those who renamed the ministry) that the police would not be allowed to use chemical weapons such as tear gas and pepper spray they employed both liberally on the peaceful demonstration..

That, like some many other promise made by the recently elected PASOK administration seems to have gone out of the window. With the economic crisis set to worsen and austerity measures unprecedented in modern Greek history on the table this is just the beginning. As a speaker at a rally I attended today pointed out the war reparations which played a pivotal role in the economic collapse that brought down the Weimar republic amounted to 2.5% of GNP (the Wiki article on WWI reparations quotes a figure of 4-7%). Greece is being asked to devote 12.5% of its GNP to servicing its debt payments. There is no way any government can last with such a noose around its neck.

"Down with the EU - IMF Junta - Mutiny!"

"Down with the EU - IMF Junta - Mutiny!", originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Taken during an anti-government protests tonight in Thessaloniki, Greece. 600-800 people marched to demonstrate against the imposition of austerity measures .

"Hi, we're from the IMF. We've come to read the meter."

"Hi, we're from the IMF. We've come to read the meter.", originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Greek riot police use teargas on protesters outside Thessaloniki town hall

Several people were injured and at least two taken to hospital during the riot police attempts to breaks up a demonstration outside a town hall in Greece's second city, Thessaloniki.

According to eye witness reports relayed via Twitter two women bystanders needed medical assistance for respiratory problems following the police's use of tear gas and pepper spray.

The demonstration was over government plans to reorganise local authorities, a move opposition parties claim is part of Athens austerity measures and which will lead to massive job losses.

More photographs on Demotix.com

Second day of nationwide wave of protests and strike - Thessaloniki, Greece

PAME trade unionists picket Fokas department store - Thessaloniki, Greece

PAME trade unionists picket Fokas department store - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Members of the PAME (ΠΑΜΕ) trade union joined with employees of the Fokas and Hondas Centre department stores in a day long strike in the centre of Thessaloniki, Greece today over deteriorating pay and conditions for shop workers. The action was taken as part of a general wave of strikes planned for the next two days.

The effects of Greece's economic crisis hit home

Greek flag - EU flag, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

You can see the current economic crisis in Greece start to nibble away at even the upscale neighbourhoods here in Thessaloniki. The symptoms are not as brutal or as obvious as the endless rows of For Sale/For Rent signs that have sprouted up in the poorer areas on the west side of the city. Yet like fissures in a supporting wall they are set to widen and become more visible as the stresses on it increase.

In the shopping malls on the east end of town such as Mediterranean Cosmos the paving stones are cracked, seemingly uncared for and the food court floor is strewn with rubbish. On the other hand security guards thread their way endlessly around the tables in their mock police outfits, like revellers on their way to a fancy dress party.

In the other malls even local fast food outlets such as Goodys have stopped displaying prices, perhaps in an attempt to delay sticker shock until after the unsuspecting customer has made their choice. The whole complex has an eerie Dawn of the Dead, Zombies in the Mall feel to it as the handful of shoppers listlessly wheel their trollies up and down the empty aisles.

What the wealthier sections of Thessaloniki, and Greek society in general are realising is that the financial downturn which has been hitting poorer Greeks for last two to three years is exonerably reaching out to their corner of the world as well.

Thessaloniki marathon 2010

Thessaloniki marathon 2010, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

What a week

What a week. Sometimes things come so thick and fast that it's hard to keep track of it all. So in no particular order I'll let you in on what as been happening so far. Last Saturday I was part of the premier of the documentary, Enraged December and even got to see my name in the credits which, frankly is something I never, ever thought I'd see in this lifetime, nor the next few ones either.

Later in the week I covered A Ship To Gaza benefit concert, several demos and protests, a conference on blogging and journalism, got my first photographic assignment from a newspaper, designed a poster, got asked for an interview by the local newspaper, got name checked by a photography institution, got linked to by the Guardian and by the way put in full week's work as a teacher. Well, someone has to pay the bills.

I'll update this post with the appropriate links when I get time, till then have a great weekend.

Enraged December/ Οργισμένος Δεκέμβρης - Documentary

Enraged December/ Οργισμένος Δεκέμβρης - Documentary, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Along with others I gave all the photographs and video I took during the first few weeks of the December 2008 uprising in Greece to friends who were in the process of making a documentary about the events. Their aim was to give a perspective on the nationwide riots and protests that followed the death of 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos at the hands of a Greek police officer in the Exarchia district of central Athens.

That video has now been finished and is being shown around the country.

As part of my on going support for the project I designed this poster and I'm in the process of translating the documentary into English.

Protesters demand the release of Mario Z - Thessaloniki, Greece

Protesters demand the release of Mario Z - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

A Ship For Gaza benefit concert - Thessaloniki, Greece

A Ship For Gaza benefit concert - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

"In less than a month our boats will set sails for Gaza. The Greek campaign Ship to Gaza (www.shiptogaza.gr) has joined forces with four organizations to break the illegal blockade imposed by Israel in the 41 kilometer strip. The coalition, comprised of the Turkey-based IHH, the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza, the Swedish Ship to Gaza, the Free Gaza Movement and the Greek Ship To Gaza, will launch a flotilla of ships laden with cargo, media, parliamentarians, celebrities and activists to Gaza early next month.

Over 500 passengers from more than 20 countries will take part, and 5,000 tons of cargo, including cement, prefabricated housing, other building materials, medical equipment, and educational supplies will be delivered to Palestinians in Gaza"

A Ship For Gaza

For information in Greek click here and in Arabic click here.

Thessaloniki refugee reception centre faces closure

Thessaloniki refugee reception centre, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

The centre, the only one in a city of 1.3 million people has been threatened with closure for nearly two months. It's only through the help of individuals and anti-racist organisations that the place is still functioning.

I was invited by the residents to take pictures showing the conditions in which they live. Often whole familes are crammed into just one room with little space for children to play. The adults struggle to survive, unable to work officially without the permits and permission that the state is loathed to grant to all save a handful of the refugees who enter the country every year.

Yesterday's conference on blogging and journalism - Thessaloniki, Greece

Today's conference on blogging and journalism - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

At the conference on blogging and journalism here at the Olympion cinema – first presentation was research on how Greek internet users view blogs in general and a source of news in particular. It seems that those on the internet (70+%) visit blogs regularly and many of them just under ¾ a reasonably accurate source of news.

Looks like the idea of anonymity will be discussed again, the idea that putting your name on a story is automatically better than remaining anonymous, the argument being that newspapers and other media are constantly faced by the threat of being sued for writing something that maybe be considered untrue.

However, there has been a number of cases in which newspapers and TV stations have quite happily spashed the images and names the six people arrested, allegedly involved in recent terrorist attacks. Defying the country's established codes of ethics the names and pictures of the detainees have been shown repeatedly on the country's TV screens and newspapers. Reporters have even dispensed with words such as “alleged” and “suspects” and simply referred to them as “terrorists”. Without trial, in some cases without even being charged the major TV channels had already decided that those detained were indeed guilty.

The overage has been so one sided that according to the Active media blog many journalist are demanding the Greek Press Council condemn these practices.

The mainstream media has simply broadcast, without any form of critical analysis the police's official reports or leaks concerning the case. In the UK or USA such coverage would be deemed enough to cause a mistrial as any kind of competent trial lawyer would argue that his/her clients would not receive a fair trial.

Thomas is speaking in defence of blogs, his main argument is that while many blog are indeed full of inaccuracies and groundless rumours the mainstream media is rife with such “news items”. If their beef with blogs is their level of professionalism and attention to details they are skating on thin ice. One only has to recall the case of the “visit” of Turkish PM to Greece last year. Despite the fact that the visit was called off on a Friday the Sunday newspapers Vima, Ethnos etc covered the event in great detail in their Sunday editions complete with pictures, quotes and analysis.

On the other hand we have Wikileaks, which Thomas is talking about now, as an example of how anonymity is sometimes necessary to cover stories governments and large, powerful organisations want to keep secret.

According to Thomas the most important thing is credibility in that just because a story or accusation appears on a blog means nothing unless that site has established itself as a credible source. He also argues in many respect TV news has lost ground in that it has ceased to be a trustworthy news source, at least according to the survey with just 1% of internet users considering TV the most reliable medium.

Once again none in the audience, myself excepted, seemed to be utlising any form of technology invented after the ball point pen. Instead they all just scribbled down notes on paper and seemed to havea particular weakness for any kind of stat.

Update

I enjoyd the debate even f I didn't agree with much of what was said, though saying that the criticism made by the panel were well thought out and not just knee - jerk reactions to change. Unfortunately, I can not say the same of the Q&A session which followed. The questions pitched ranged from the inane to the incoherent. It seemed many of those budding journalists present had a hard time putting together a coherent utterence, god knows how they're going to cope with whole paragraphs.

Bloggers who write anonymously were even compared with masked hoodies who attack and firebomb banks in that they wished to hide their identity, which gives a pretty good idea of how low the intellectual content of much of the audience's contribution. It was a shame as there are plenty of serious issues concerning the changing role of the media and The People Formerly Known as the Audience.

It's a brave new world forming on the internet but anyone who believes that the sins and faults of the past will magically disappear with the advent of mass participation in the creation of the news is likely to be disappointed.

A Ship For Gaza benefit concert - Thessaloniki, Greece

A Ship For Gaza benefit concert - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Street Panthers protest - Thessaloniki, Greece

Street Panthers protest - Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Shouting out slogans such "Pedestrians off the sidewalks now" and "Please make way for vehicles" the ecological group, Street Panthers took to the streets of Greece's second city, Thessaloniki in an ironic protest to make people aware of the way in which cars and bikes have taken over the country's sidewalks and public spaces.

Bemused bystanders cheered the event though many expressed their dissatisfaction with the slogans and remonstrated with protesters not understanding at first the ironic tone of the event.

Protesters also handed out stickers saying "I'm as stubborn as a mule. I park where I like" and encouraged people to put them on illegally parked cars that are a permanent fixture of Greek towns and cities.

More photos at Demotix.com

Street Panthers strike again

In just over 30 minutes (11.30am) the Greek Street Panthers eco activist are going to carry out a similiar protest to the one shown in the video in the centre of Thessaloniki in an attempt to make people think more about the use of cars in the city. If you happen to be in Aristotelous Square, near the police station then pop by and check it out. If you can't make it then follow their live stream broadcast here.

I'll be there taking pictures and video, so keep tuned for the latest news. If possible I'll be Twittering as well.

PAME trade unionists demonstrate in Thessaloniki, Greece

PAME trade unionists demonstrate in Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

About 1000 members of the PAME trade union demonstrated in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, part of a nationwide wave of protests in Greece against the government's austerity measures.

Gordon "godfather" Brown

Gordon "godfather" Brown, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

"That Cameron guy is going to be sleeping with the fishes"

My take on the Guardian's April Fool spoof Labour campaign posters.

Wikileaks video struggles to get airing on US TV

Yesterday Wikileaks released a decoded video showing the killing of a dozen people, including a Reuters news agency photographer, Namir Noor-Eldeen and his driver, Saeed Chmagh in Baghdad in 2007. The footage, which is harrowing not only in what it depicts but also the attitude of the Apache attack helicopter crew to those who were shot to death, spread across the internet, driven by Twitter users who were quick to pick up the story.

On the other hand the mainstream press in the US has been more reticent about the incident and for a period yesterday MSNBC blocked all search attempts using the term "wikileaks". Even as I write this CNN is not showing the whole video but rather a truncated version which has scenes from the start of the video and not footage which shows the helicopter crew a firing upon a civilian van which had drawn up to help the Reuters driver who was injured in the initial attack and resulted in the serious injury to two young children inside.

The video is also at odds with the account by the Washington Post published at the time where those who took part in the operation stated that the chopper, code named Crazy Horse was responding to insurgent fire and that every effort had been made to deal humanely with the dead and wounded. As Capt. James Hall, a chaplain with the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, who arrived on the scene minutes after the incident said to the Post, July 13, 2007.

"We pulled up and stopped, and I could hear them over the intercom say they couldn't drive the Bradleys in because there were too many bodies and didn't want to drive over them,"

On the other hand the transcript taken from the Apache's radio traffic just after the attack (see here for the transcript on the Wikileaks site) reveals a different story.

"I think they just ran over the body,"

"Ha, ha."

"Yeah"

"Maybe it was just a visual illusion, but it looked like it."

"Well, they're dead, so."

Death in Baghdad - The real story thanks to Wikileaks

Private Joker: How can you shoot women or children?
Door Gunner: Easy! Ya just don't lead 'em so much! Ain't war hell?

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

To someone like myself the madness of war is something that belongs just in movies, the product of a director's desire to shock and perhaps entertain. Somehow you don't imagine that the maniacs you see in war movies actually exist, at least not in the way they are depicted on film. So it comes are a greater shock when you see the kind of cold blooded insanity that views human life with such disdain.

Recently, Wikileaks released video footage of an attack by a US army Apache attack helicopter on a group of civilians in Baghdad in 2007. As a result of the engagement over a dozen people died, including two Reuters staff members. According to Reuters the army initially said that the incident had been a firefight with insurgents.

The video shows the attack from the viewpoint of the helicopter and shows what appears to be a group of men pointing out to the Reuter's photographer US units in the suburb of New Baghdad. The two-man crew apparently mistook photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen's camera for a rocket launcher and repeatedly opened fire on the group with 30mm calibre canon, a weapon capable of piercing armour and bunkers killing most of them. The chopper also fired upon a van which came to the aid of the survivors, resulting in the death of its occupants and causing serious injury to two children.

US Major Brent Cumming speaking to the Washington Post on July 13th 2007 was quoted as saying,

"The Apache crew fired because militants "were endangering the stability of Iraq" and because they had positive identification that the militants "had weapons and were using them against coalition and Iraqi security forces,"

The US Military investigation into the event also reportedthat the helicopter crew acted in accordance with the army's rules of engagement (which it has repeatedly refused to make public). However, while the scenes from the start of the video are open to interpretation as to whether the group was armed the following actions of the crew which launched an unprovoked attack on the van that drew up to help the wounded cast doubt on the military's version of the story which talked of an armed clash with armed iraqis insurgents.

Reuters had been trying unsuccessfully to get access to the video footage under the Freedom of Information Act since the deaths of Namir Noor-Eldeen and driver Saeed Chmagh in 2007. Even as late as July 2008 US miltary officials stated that they were still processing the request for the onboard camera footage.

Καλή Ανάσταση - Happy Easter

Καλή Ανάσταση - Happy Easter, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Easter in Greece

Easter in Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Last of a dying breed

Last of a dying breed, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

One of the last tailors working in the centre of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Easter in Greece

Easter in Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.