Arrested, punched, kicked, kept for three days in a police cell, convicted and fined. His crime? Playing music in the street in the same spot where he has alway played.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Victimised
Arrested, punched, kicked, kept for three days in a police cell, convicted and fined. His crime? Playing music in the street in the same spot where he has alway played.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Protesters occupy Thessaloniki chamber of commerce
Thessaloniki - Greece
Demonstrators in the northern Greek town of Thessaloniki occupied the city's chamber of commerce (SEV) in protest against the government's plans to reform the state pension scheme. In prelude to the general strike announced by unions tomorrow anti - authoritarian groups took over the building housing SEv on Tsimiski St and handed out leaflets to passers by. They denounced reform plans which have generated a wave strikes and stoppages and strikes over the last month.
The conservative government's new law, which will be put the vote in parliament tomorrow, would see the country's 133 pension schemes slimmed down to 13 and see drastic cuts in the pensions given to those retiring early and an increase in retirement age for others.
The demonstrators argue that existing shortfalls in the pension funding system comes from the failure of government to collect contributions from employers and the fact that billions of euros in debt have been written off in return for political favours. Indeed the Greek state itself owes the pension fund 7.8 billion euros, according to figures quoted by representatives of those protesting.
Tomorrow power workers, local council staff, lawyers, journalists, public transport employees and many other public and private sector workers are planning to strike in an action that is expected to bring the country to a halt.
Tags: Greece | Thessaloniki | CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | demonstrations | OCCUPATIONS | pension reforms | protest | World
Strikes and demonstrations
"With 70,000 tons of rubbish laying uncollected in the greater metropolitan Athens area the Greek government has sent in riot police to ensure than the garbage trucks can enter the capital's Ano Losion land fill. The move underlines the government's hardening stance over the stoppages caused by controversial pension reform plans. The country has been convulsed by strike action by unions determined to oppose the government's plans to merge the nation's 133 pension funds with the state run IKA fund.
The POE - OTA union has announced that it will continue strike action for the next two days and take part in the general strike scheduled for Wednesday."
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/greek-government-
sends-riot-police-break-strike
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The little blog that could
I just got name checked by CNN over a story I wrote about yesterday (see here). Well, If you dig down deep enough and click on From The Blogs you'll find a link to this blog. Still, it's a start. All right, Mr DeMille I'm ready for my close up.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Greek government facing perfect storm
Despite having won a re-election campaign just six months ago the conservative government of Greece is facing a political perfect storm. With the streets of major cities filling up with uncollected rubbish and the country facing rolling blackouts, both caused by striking public sector workers, the New Democracy government of Kostas Karamanlis is beset with a series of scandals and political battles both at home and abroad.
The ongoing sex and blackmail scandal which saw the minister for culture, Christos Zaxopulos attempt to take his own life last month has continued to shock and titilate the Greek public. In addition revelations over alleged corruption and bribery by the German Siemens corporation in order to win security contracts for the 2004 Olympic games in Athens have severely dented the ruling party's standing in the polls.
The next two weeks will prove crucial to the gvernement as it has promised to push through controversial pension reforms that have stirred up a wave of strikes and protests by groups as diverse as lawyers and rubbish collectors. With a slim parliamentary majority of just two seats, Prime minister Kostas Karamanlis is faced with a plethora of problems not least of which is the thorny issue of the naming of Greece's northern neighbour. Greek foreign minister, Dora Bakoyianni has vowed that Greece will not allow the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia apply for either NATO or European Union membership with the name Macedonia.
Tags: Europe | Greece | Macedonia | Kostas Karamanlis | pension reforms | Politics | STRIKES | World
Picasso rated R for Greek students
An exhibition of work by by Picasso in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki has been judged unsuitable for high school students.
The director of the secondary education in East Thessaloniki, Mr Theodoros Tapanidis withdrew approval for the participation of junior and senior high school students in the exhibition, Picasso 347 Suite at the Telleiogleio Art Foundation. Mr Tapanidis told the Makedonia newspaper that he was responding to telephone calls by parents and students that the exibition contained "indecent images" He is quoted as saying; "Just because its Picasso, when there is an exhibition we can just show the children anything?"
The ban sparked a stream of protests by local politicians and educators who have condemned the decision as censorship and "medieval".
However, Museum official today said that the ban had been lifted and that students were once again able to visit the gallery, as long as their teachers approved.
The Picasso 347 Suite exhibition, which contains 347 pieces created by Picasso in 1968, will be open to the public until 16th April
Tags: Greece | School | Thessaloniki | Censorship | Culture | Education | picasso
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Strikes shut down much of Greece
Just as the Greek power company (DEH) and striking unions negotiated a compromise limiting the length of black outs hitting the country, other striking workers brought the country to a halt with a three -hour stoppage that saw banks, public transport and public other services shut down today.
Tomorrow sees the start of a 48 - hour stoppage by lawyers, doctors, chemists and court officials. Bank workers are also set to strike on Thursday and Friday. The current wave of stoppages and demonstrations are set to culminate in a nation wide protest on the 19th March, one day ahead of the parliamentary vote on the conservative government's controversial pension reform plans.
Tags: Greece | Thessaloniki | Black Out | ασφαλιστικο | protests | STRIKES | World
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Firefly
This is one series that I absolutely love. So much so I bought the box set. However, it's now on TV Makedonia every night at midnight from Tuesday to Friday.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Clean Monday
"Clean Monday (Greek: Καθαρά Δευτέρα), also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or (in Cyprus only) Green Monday (actually translated as such), is the first day of the Eastern Orthodox Christian and Eastern Catholic Great Lent. It is a movable feast that occurs at the beginning of the 7th week before Easter Sunday. Because of the differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendar, Clean Monday usually falls on different days. In 2007, those following the Gregorian calendar celebrated Clean Monday on February 4 while those following the Julian calendar celebrated on March 6."
For more details click here.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Courts intervene in Greek power strike
The on off saga between the striking Greek power unions and the courts takes yet another turn as the head of DEH (the state power company), Takis Athanaspouolos sought the intervention of the public prosecutor over the power cuts that have affected much of Greece. Both the management and worker's union blame each other for the blackouts.
Representatives of the GENOP unions argue that they have enough staff in place so that the outages should last no longer than 40 minutes and that the blame for longer outages lies with management.
Next Tuesday will see the start of another wave of strike action which will effect banks, the Greek stock exchange, electricity supply, rubbish collection and much of the public sector. The strikes are aimed at preventing the conservative New Democracy governement from passing legislation which would merge Greece's many pension funds with the larger, state - run IKA scheme.
Despite being re-elected last September Greek prime miniter, Kostas Karamanlis's government has been rocked by a series of scandals which have see his party's standing in the polls drop dramatically.
Tags: Greece | Black Out | ασφαλιστικο | απεργεια | ΔΕΗ | Ελλαδα | power outages | STRIKES | World
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Nationalists rally in Thessaloniki
"ΠΑΣ ΜΑΚΕΔΩΝ ΜΗ ΕΛΛΗΝ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟΣ - ΚΛΕΠΤΗΣ"
"Every non-Greek Macedonian, is a barbarian-thief"
A slogan echoing those of the far right racists.
Stelios Papathemalis
"You gotta get close, Rich, to get the truth."
Salvador
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wok640NWVCQ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)