Greek protesters banging pots and pans during anti-government rally - Thessaloniki, Greece

Greek protesters banging pots and pans during anti-government rally - Thessaloniki, Greece, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Defying torrential rain and the siren call of the country's beaches thousands of indignant Greeks massed once more for the third Sunday in a row to show their anger over the latest austerity mesures which the ruling PASOK government aims to get through parliament this week.

With the imposition of poll tax on those earning 8,000 euros and more combined with yet further increases in VAT (sales tax) and extra indirect taxation via power bills prime minister Giorgos Papandreou is attempting to staunch Greece's hemorraghing public finances and satisfy demands for action by the troika of creditors made up of the IMF, EU and European Central Bank.

On the other side of the equation stands a sizeable chunk of Greek public opinion, with according to some polls 90% of the electorate opposed to further measures. In the latest poll carried out by the Greek public opinion research company Public Issue found that over two million Greeks have taken part in some form of anti-government protest. Even within the ruling PASOK party 16 MPs have broken ranks and called upon their leader to allow more debate on the latest legislation which threatens to unleash further social unrest.



For the 19th day running protesters gathered in streets and square nationwide with calls for the government to leave power and the country to stop all payments on debt owed. In the northern port city of Thessaloniki around 5,000 marched through the city despite repeated downpours.

More mass demonstrations have been called for Wednesday to coincided with the national strike called by public and private sector trade unions with plans to encircle parliament and other government buildings across the country.

http://www.demotix.com/news/724140/greeks-defy-rain-and-government-protest-third-week-running

Greek composer, Mikis Theodorakis defies speaking ban to address anti-government rally

Greek composer, Mikis Theordorakis defies speaking ban to address anti-government rally, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

H aνεξάρτητη δημοσιογραφία βλάπτει σοβαρά την κομματική υγεία -Independent journalism can seriously damage the health of the Party

H aνεξάρτητη δημοσιογραφία βλάπτει σοβαρά την κομματική υγεία -Independent journalism can seriously damage the health of the Party, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

ΠΑΜΕ ΠΛΑΤΕΙΑ - Let's go to the square.

With hand outstretched and palm facing skwards, thousands of Greeks direct the "montza", a gesture of deepest loathing and disrespect in the direction of the nation's parliament, the most visible outward sign of the anger and sense of betrayal many people feel towards the ruling PASOK party and the current political system in general.

They call themslves ,"The indignant" and for twelve days crowds have gathered in the centre of cities and towns across Greece to show their dissatisfaction with the current economic crisis caused by the imposition of austerity measures designed to rein in Athens massive public spending deficit. The package designed by the IMF, European Commission and the European Central Bank was intended to put the country's financial house in order and allow it to repay the massive debt load acquired over decades of unchecked public spending. However, the economic recipe of wage reductions, public spending cuts and privatisations has seen a sudden leap in unemployment, business closures on an unprecedented scale and consumer spending drop precipiticiously.



Despite lowering pay and pensions Greek prime minister, Giorgos Papandreou has been unable to stop the Greek eonomy from going into free fall and is now faced with the unenviable task of persuading his own party, parliamentary opposition and the population in general that even more drastic measures need to be taken if the country is not to default on its obligations to creditors.



On the one hand fellow European political and financial leaders have repeatedly emphasised the fact that Greece cannot expect further bailout packages without structural reforms whilst at home Papandreou faces growing pressure from within his own socialist PASOK party to reject such changes. Outside parliament the growing wave of anger with a political caste who, following decades of corruption scandals, have retained little credibility amongst the electorate, means that few can appear in public without creating tense scenes that require the intervention of the police. Over the past weeks MPs and members of the cabinet have been repeatedly booed, jeered and become the target of angry crowds when seen in public,

Most unsettling for the administration is the spontaneous appearance of a natiowide protest movement modelled on previous demonstrations in the Arab world and Spain. Using Facebook and other social media sites the "Aganaktismeni"or Indignant have repeatedly been able to use the internet to muster crowds of hundreds of thousands in Athens, Thessaloniki and other Greek cities, However, in contrast to previous mass demonstrations the peaceful nature of the rallies has flummoxed the authorities more used to using riot police and  tear gas to deal with popular dissent.

With protests growing in size day the options available for Giorgos Papandeou seem to shrinking day by day.

For more pictures check out the Demotix article.

From late afternoon hundreds of cyclists congregated in the centre of the northern port city of Thessaloniki to strip down and get painted up in prepration for the city's fourth annual Naked Bike Ride. However, following clashes with the authorities on previous occasions over the issue of public nudity the vast majority of those taking place choose to avoid causing possible embarassment by donning beach wear and copius body paint.

The Naked Bike Ride, which has now become a landmark on Thessaloniki's cultural agenda, is part of an ongoing effort by local Green groups to promote alternatives to the internal combustion engine in Greece's polluted cities.

After parading through the city the participants ended the evening with a massive street party which lastd into the small hours of the morning,

www.demotix.com/news/714574/greek-cyclists-nearly-bare-al...

Greece's Los Indignados - Day Nine - Thessaloniki, Greece

With Greek protest rallies entering their ninth day the country's Facebook revolution is adding to government's headaches ahead of a controversial vote on new austerity measures. Thessaloniki, Greece. 2nd June 2011

www.demotix.com/news/713031/greeks-step-pressure-governme...

Greece's Los Indignados continue protests for seventh day

Greece's Los Indignados continue protests for seventh day, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Activists have set up online media centre in shadow of Thessaloniki's historic White Tower.

Their blog

aganaktismenoi-thess.blogspot.com/

Greek Revolution: Day Six - man addresses open assembly, Thessaloniki

Greek Revolution: Day Six - man addresses open assembly, Thessaloniki, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

For more photos from the Greek Revolution click here.

Greek Revolution - Thessaloniki 5th day

Greek Revolution - Thessaloniki 5th day, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

In Athens, Thessaloniki and score of other cities and towns across Greece, protesters have continued to attend rallies in protest against the government and the austerity measures demanded by the country's creditors.

In Athens more than 100,000 gathered peacefully in the central Syntagma Square opposite parliament to express their indigbation with not only the policies ofthe ruling PASOK party but also with the whole political system in general which is widely perceived as being corrupt and unrespeonsive to popular needs.

In Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki thousands also rallied, taking part in open assemblies which lasted from 6pm till after midnight, despite torrential downpours. Debates not only focused on the current economic crisis but also touched on wider issues such as how the country should be governed.

However, as the days pass demonstrators, following the example of Spanish, Egyptian and Tunisian protests have been organising themselves with internet camps, cleaning crews, translation groups being formed in order to get their message across and keep sites tidy.

In sharp contrast to massive unrest that gripped Greece in December 2008 following the police shooting of a teenager the present demonstrations have been remarkably peaceful and have included a far wider ranger of ages and political views as ordinary people unaffliated with any political group have come to hear and share with others their own experiences.

ΕΛΛΑΣ - ΙΣΠΑΝΙΑ - ΣΥΜΜΑΧΙΑ, Greek revolution meets Spanish revolution

Ισπανίδα μιλάει για τις κινητοποιήσεις στην Ισπανία και για την επίθεση της αστυνομίας στην Βαρκελώνη, στην συνέλευση των Αγανακτισμένων στον Λευκό Πύργο.

A Spanish woman addresses an anti - government rally in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, sending messages of support and solidarity to those present. Video on Youtube.

Greece's Los Indigados (Indignant) - A slide show

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

With an estimated 30,000 taking to Athens's central Syntagma Square and 8-10,000 massed in Thessaloniki, the country's second largest city Greeks has been protesting against the latest round of asuterity measures and the performance of the country's political caste in general.

Sign in Greek saying "For Sale" on side of historical monument. Greeks take to the streets again in second day of Spanish style protests

Sign in Greek saying "ForSale" on side of historical monument. Greeks take to the streets again in second day of Spanish style protests, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Gathering in cities across the nation Greeks have once more gathered in peaceful protest to show their disatisfacation not only with the current ruling PASOk party but also the Greek political system in general. In a campaign organised via Facebook and inspired by similiar Spanish protests thousands shouted anti-government and ant- IMF slogans.

In Athens more than 15,000 remain in front of the country's parliament despite rain. In the northern port city of Thessaloniki thousands rallied outside the town's White Tower in symbolic protest, while several hundred took part in impromptu open air political debates, sharing views and personal stories of how the economic crisis has affected them.

www.demotix.com/news/705445/greeces-indignant-take-street...

Greece's Los Indignados (Indignant) take to the streets

Greece's Los Indignados (Indignant) take to the streets, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

With an estimated 30,000 taking to Athens's central Syntagma Square and 8-10,000 massed in Thessaloniki, the country's second largest city Greeks has been protesting against the latest round of asuterity measures and the performance of the country's political caste in general.



"With slogans such as Let's burn that bourdello, the parliament" and "We are nobody's hotel maid" thousands took over central roads and squares in a mixture of serious protest and street party. Despite the level of anger and upset many feel the Aganaktismenoi (Indignant) as they call themselves staged peaceful protests with no reports of clashes with the police.

The campaign which takes inspiration from similar protests in Spain has used Facebook, Twitter and blogs as well as more traditional media to get people out onto the streets and has given a focus to growing discontent Greece's embattled population feels not only with its creditors but also the ruling PASOK party who have imposed round after round of public spending cuts,tax hikes and lay offs.



With VAT now being levied on even basic food items such as bread, milk and meat many household are worrying if they can make ends meets in an economy which is shedding jobs at an unprecedented rate and seems to offer little in the way of hope for people.

For more pictures check out my Demotix story.

HOW TO START A REVOLUTION a new documentary film

"HOW TO START A REVOLUTION is a new documentary film revealing how one man's work has helped millions of people achieve freedom in the face of oppression and tyranny. 

Gene Sharp is a shy, modest and little-known man. But his work has inspired a generation of people to challenge dictators through non-violent action in a tidal wave of revolutionary spirit and reform that has swept from Eastern Europe, though Asia and to the Middle East and North Africa. 

18 months ago we started work on this feature-length documentary.  Through the candid and intimate testimony of the people responsible for non-violent revolutions our film seeks to tell the story of how people power can be used topple dictators. 

To make this film our director (Ruaridh Arrow pictured above) slept overnight in Tahrir Square in Cairo at the height of the February revolution.  He’s met the leaders of the Syrian pro-democracy movement and the people responsible for overthrowing dictators in Serbia and Ukraine. He has spent time with Gene and his colleagues as they spread their message of effective non-violent revolution. 

The film reveals how the leaders of an uprising in one country train the participants in the next and how social media now threatens dictators and tyrants around the world in ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago.

Not only is this documentary an important film of record of the civil uprisings that have shaken the world in the last decade but we also hope it will help inspire future pro-democracy movements develop their strategies for non-violent revolution in the face of apparently overwhelming odds."

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/172444007/how-to-start-a-revolution-a-new-documentary-film?ref=category

Greeks react angrily to latest austerity measures

Greeks react angrily to latest austerity measures, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Today the ruling PASOK party announced the latest round of austerity measures meant to put Greece financial house in order. Yet more increases in VAT (this time on basic food items such as bread and milk), a road tax hike, lower tax bands as well as a new privatisation plan.

In other words more of the same kind of policies that have brought about an economic decline unprecedented in post war years and created an army of desperate unemployed who are being left to the mercy of the marketplace. Despite German media reports to the contrary Greece's not a paradise for the jobless with fewer than half those without work entitled to unemployment benefit. While other help is available, at least on paper, bureaucracy and lack of funds means that many who require help do not receive it.

Despite the continued fall in the economy and a spiralling debt load Athens continues to follow the recipe led down by its IMF. EU and ECB creditors which has brought little but disaster and suffering to millions of Greeks on lower incomes.

Tomorrow there has been a call for a Spanish style street protests here in Thessaloniki (6pm Wednesday outside the White Tower) so it shall be interesting to see if people respond. On the one hand there is certainly enough anger and indignation in Greek society but the experience of 18 months of severe economic downturn has sapped people's will to protest.

Εμπρός Λαέ, μη σκύβεις το κεφάλι - Rise up, people. Bow your head to no one.

Εμπρός Λαέ, μη σκύβεις το κεφάλι - Rise up, people. Bow your head to no one., originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Greek health workers demand six months of back pay

Greek health workers demand six months of back pay, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Although Greek prime minister Giorgos Papandreou has repeatedly stated that his government will honour its debt comittments in full the ruling PASOK party has no qualms it seems about defaulting on the mountain of internal debt the state has racked up in terms of unpaid bills to employees and contractors in the health system.

For more pictures check out the Demotix story.

Conservatives struggle to make their mark in crisis torn Greece

Antonis Samaras, head of Greece's main opposition party, New Democracy, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

As conservative leader Antonis Samaras enters the lecture hall in the Aristotelion university of Thessaloniki, students who've have working themselves up into a frenzy fill the room with the kind of enthusiasm and passion that Greeks usually reserve for the victory of their favourite soccer team. However, beyond the yells and chants the reality of the situation is the the country's main opposition party is in crisis, unable to rid itself of accusations that it, along with the ruling left wing PASOK party has helped bring the nation to its knees through a toxic mix of incompetent governance, corruption and deceit.

Following his victory last year Samaras inherited from his predecessor, prime minister Konstantinos Karamanlis a party riddled with dissatisfation and dissent which can barely garner 20% in opinion polls with much of its policy platform usurped by Giorgos Papandreou's PASOK which has implemented a reform policy that includes a massive privatisation program, public spending cuts and a sharp reduction in the size of Greek state.

However, New Democracy is on the horns of a dilemma, torn between endorsing an austerity package which includes many of the policies it tried to implement when in power while not being associated with a series of deeply unpopular policies which are opposed by the majority of the electorate.

Samaras's position has not been helped by the divisive leadership battle which lead to the defection of New Democracy heavy weight (and daughter of party founder Constantinos Bakoyianni) who her formed Democratic Alliance (Dimokratiki Symmaxia) party in the wake of a failed leadership bid.

The drop in support for New Democracy is part of a deeper problem of credibility which the Greek political system is facing. In the wake of a seemingly endless list of bribery scandals and flagrant abuses of office many Greeks are turning their backs on the existing parties which seem unwilling or unable to fight corruption within their own ranks.

For more pictures check out the story on Demotix.

Workers from Greek town of Xanthi protest outside ministry building, Thessaloniki, Greece

Workers from Greek town of Xanthi protest outside ministry building, Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

This guy had just gone to speak with a representative of the government. I think his expression says it all. It's hard to express accurately to outsiders the level of contempt in which Greece's political class hold the rest of the country. The only thing that matches it is the disgust most voters feel for the politicians that supposedly represent them.

Greek police force's reputation drops still further

Over the last three days two stories have dominated much of Greece's domestic news coverage and especially the TV news. The first concerns the tragic death of a 44 year old Athens resident who was murdered as he was getting ready to take his wife to hospital to give birth to their second child. According to newspaper reports the man was accosted by three assailents in the parking area of his apartment and when he refused to hand over a video camera he was carrying stabbed fatally.

The second story concerns savage attacks by riot police in Athens on participants in yesterday's protest marchers held in support of the country's general strike. As the video above shows the police beat and kicked repeatedly marchers leading to the hospitalisation of over 20 including two who are still in intensive care.



In both cases we are witnessing the failure of Greece's police force to deal with the challenges being wrought by wrenching economic changes and a rising crime wave. For too long the police have operated with impunity able to ignore short comings in both its ability to deal with day to day crime and an evermore restive population that is angry with the role of the government in the current financial crisis. On the other hand the lessons learnt following the month long wave of unrest that accompanied the death of a 15 year old at the hands of police officers in the Exarchia district of central Athens in 2008 have already appear to have been forgotten.

In the wake the December shooting of Alexandros Grigoropoulos riots and street fighting broke across Greece and lead to billions of euros worth of damage. Yet, less than three years later the lack of control both  by the police authorities and the legal system over the conduct of officers has once more come to the fore.

It is the same lack of accountability that has seen the police fail to deal with a growing crime wave which has turned some areas of Athens in no-go zones and allowed local far right to gain ground politically by setting itself up as the saviours of the locally born Greek population against a supposedly criminal immigrant element. Aided by media eager to scape goat foreigners for Greece's present economic woes extremists are filling the vacuum created by lack of effective, professional policing.

However, the police authorities, despite the suspension of some officers following the Athens incident ares no mood to change their ways. Indeed with the ruling PASOK party's popularity at an all-time low the government needs the police more than ever as it battles to impose deeply unpopular austerity measures on a angry electorate. In a country where no member of the government can appear in public without causing a near riot PM, Giorgos Papandreou's cabinet knows that it dare not push the police too far since it is next to helpless without them.

Police violence sparks off new round of protests across Greece

Welcome to Greece - Enjoy your stay, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Thursday night's demonstration against the savage attacks by riot police on marchers taking part in the protests in support of the Greek general strike on Wednesday. After a result 67 people needed medical treatment including a 30 year old who is in critical condition in a central Athens hospital. See here for photographs of the victims.

www.demotix.com/news/687230/20000-greeks-protest-over-new...

Greek cyclists take to the streets for fourth annual mass ride

Greek cyclists take to the streets for fourth time, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Taking advantage of the unusually warm weather cyclists across Greece took part in the country's fourth annual cycle ride. The event which took place in 30 venues is designed to promote the adption of bicycles in the country's cities and raise awareness of environmentally friendly alternatives to the use cars and buses for urban tranport.

In the northern port city of Thessaloniki nearly 2000 riders took to the streets with participation by cyclists of all ages. The good weather combined with the relaxed Sunday atmosphere gave the ride a carnival atmosphere.

Despite Greeks love affair with the internal combustion engine the current economic crisis in conjunction with sky high petrol prices (currently approaching 2 euros a litre / $10 dollars a gallon) means that many are digging out bicycles from storage in an effort to cut transport costs.

www.demotix.com/news/684001/greek-cyclists-take-streets-m...

The Greek economic crisis - in pictures

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


This is part of an ongoing project to document the effects of the crisis on life in Greece.

"If you tolerate this then your children will be next."

Manic Street Preachers

"These photographs like poems will sing in dark times and as Brecht says, they will sing about dark times."


Robert Capa - In Love and War

May Day march in Thessaloniki, Greece

May Day march in Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

A Tale of Three Starbucks - Or a day in the life of the Greek economic crisis

On Tuesday I happened to pass by three separate Starbucks here in Thessaloniki and in each case witnessed  scenes that in other times would have been considered unbelievable. In the first case I saw a smart young man come in, case the place and sit down next to somebody's laptop which has been left unattended, I know that this guy was probably up to no good as I regularly saw him do the same thing in another cafe I used to hang out at. Every two, three days he'd, come in, look around and sit down for a few minutes next to any jacket, bag or mobile that seemed to unattended and then leave when he caught me glancing in his direction. I never saw him steal anything but the same suspicious pattern was repeated enough times to leave me with little room for doubt.

This time he saw me looking at him and quickly got up and left.I promptly warned those around me about the incident and made a note to myself to make sure I never leave anything when I use the bathroom. While there has always been petty crime in Greece the amount has risen exponentially over the last few years and is now becoming endemic in some areas. This is no longer a place where you can leave your possessions even for few minutes which is deeply saddening.

Later on while arranging to meet with a friend at another Starbucks near Kamara our conversation was interrupted by a junkie asking for money, when I refused he got nasty and started grabbing at my friend's jacket, only the threat of a phone call to the police seemed to get through to him as he was in such an addled state they I'm not sure he was fully aware of what he was doing. Like crime in general illegal drug use in the centre is on the rise and with the economic crisis hitting hard people are far less likely to give beggars anything making them more insistent in turn as they become more desperate.

Finally, I was covering a protest march by Thessaloniki football fans which turned violent and led to a series of attacks on cafes and other businesses alone the seafront. Amongst those was the White Tower Starbucks which become the target of the fans' fury, however the situation was not helped when some bright spark decided to lock the front doors, leaving customers alone inside. Luckily, a side door remained open and so they found their own way out amidst the chaos inside.

The strangest thing about these riots was the composition and choices of those taking part, in contrast to other such clashes the participants were all ages from kids of no more than ten (who happily covered every surface available in graffiti) to middle aged guys, nor were the targets of their wrath the usual ones such as banks and government buildings but also included a seemingly random assortment of supermarkets, cafes and apartment blocks. The one thing that was sure was that the thousands who took to the street were outraged and their anger once started spiralled out of control, perhaps reflecting deeper frustrations many Greeks feel over how their lives are going. Pummelled by austerity measures and an economy in free fall many people are incensed by what is happening in the country and so looking to lash out.

All of these incidents happened in the space of 12 hours.

Hands off

Hands, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Greek fireman deals with aftermath of football fan riot in Thessaloniki

Greek fireman deals with aftermath of football fan riot in Thessaloniki, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Between four and five thousand fans of the local football team Iraklis Fc took to the streets of Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki over the decision by football authorities to revoke the team's right to take part in national championship games.

After violent clashes with fans of rival PAOK FC the march once more turned violent later on in the evening with protsters attacking cafes and apartment blocks after alleged insults against their club by residents and customers.

The intervention of the riot police with tear gas and flash grenades turned the city's central shopping district into a war zone as police and fans clashed repeatedly amidst trapped drivers and startled shoppers.

Summer's coming

Summer's coming, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Easter shopping in Greece

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

Unemployment crisis in Thessaloniki

Unemployment crisis in Thessaloniki, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

According to a study recently carried out by the Workers Centre in Thessaloniki (Greece's second largest city and home to over a million inhabitants) one in four is unemployed, however in some trades such as construction that figure is nearly 70%.

In terms of everyday life this means that the city is being torn apart by the sudden loss in income suffered by many families with some estimates putting the drop as high as 40%. This means that even those who have a job and an income are loathed to spend money on anything other than the basics in the fear that they too may lose their job in the near future. As you can imagine the sudden shrinkage in economic activity has proved to be disasterous with For Sale and To Let signs sprouting up even in the city's most exclusive shopping areas. In less favoured districts the number of emply or closing businesses is enormous, in some cases outnumbering those who struggle on.

Not that much of this story makes it onto the nation's news bulletins, instead the state run channels and the pro - government sections of the press are more interested in presenting the official line that such changes are an inevitable in order to bring growth and development to Greece. This is in stark contrast to the message in the media abroad which is more and more convinced that the current austerity measures are doomed to failure as government income projections time and time again turn out to be unrealistic.

The current policy seems less like a rescue package than scorched earth economics which leave in their wake nothing but ruin and poverty.

Game Over

Game Over, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Part of Thessaloniki's bid for the 2014 European Youth Capital

Part of Thessaloniki's bif for the 2014 European Youth Capital , originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Protesters demonstrate against rising unemployment in Greece

Protesters demosntrate against rising unemployment in Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Figures recently announced by the Greek government show that unemployment nationwide at the record high of 15.1% and set to go even higher as nearly 1000 jobs are lost per day in the worst economic crisis the country has seeen since the end of the Second World War..

As the effects of the austerity package implemented at the behest of its creditors bite even deeper the Greek economy has contracted by over 6% in the last year alone. With cuts in the public sector and wages in general the average household has seen a drop in spending power of 40% which has led in turn to job losses in the private sector.

However, according to recent studies carried out by the GSEE (Greece's equivalent of the British TUC) the unemployment rate is likely to top 20 - 22% in 2012, meaning that 1,2000,000 will be looking for work in a nation of 11 million inhabitants..

In protesters outside a local unemployment office in the Northern Greek city of Thessaloniki today demanded the extention of benefit payments to all jobless for the entire period of their time out of work. At present jobless Greek can only claim dole if they have had collected 250 national insurance stamps in the previous two years, so ruling out hundreds of thousands who were previously employed in the country's extensive black economy. In addition once benefit payments run out after 12 months those without work can only claim again after two years of full unemployment leaving a question mark over the future of millions of families who may be faced with a future without any tangible source of income

www.demotix.com/news/658923/greek-jobless-figures-reach-r...

We Won't Pay - Civil disobedience in Thessaloniki, Greece

Over the last year a group of ordinary Greeks have embarked on a series of acts of civil disobedience by refusing to pay bus fares which have gone up 280% in some cases. Every weekend volunteers board buses and encourage fellow passengers not to buy tickets. Worrried by the movement the government has ordered a police crackdown on such acts, leading to the detention and harassment of activists.

Ανάπτυξη στην πράξη - The Greek Economic Miracle

Ανάπτυξη στην πράξη - The Greek Economic Miracle, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

The only miracle most Greek can see is how anyone could possibly believe that the current government's policies will bring anything other than economic stagnation and massive poverty.

Lydia by the sea

Lydia, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Thessaloniki Graffiti

Thessaloniki Graffiti, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Plans for a future that no longer exists

Plans for a future that no longer exists, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

With the Greek economy in free fall more and more businesses are going under with a resulting surge in unemployment which in turn adds to the country's economic wows. The continued "Iceberg? What iceberg?" attitude of the PASOK government and its Troika (IMF, ECB and EU) partners is destroying what is left of the economic base.

Lack of trust in Greek government fuelling popular protests

Greek government radical new approach to economic growth pays off, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

With virtually every economic indicator in Greece showing an ever worsening situation the ruling PASOK administration and its supporters in the media have been desperately trying to convince Greeks that the worst is already over. With phrases such as the "light at the end of the tunnels" and the "first green shoots of recovery" prime minister Giorgos Papandreou has been embarking on a concerted campaign of turning around public perceptions.

With this in mind Athens has been announcing new measures to promote development on an almost daily basis with ministers hoping that people will be convinced to accept the massive cuts in spending that have crippled the economy not just in Greece but Ireland and Portugal as well.

However, the grandiose policies being promoted so assiduously in the media are as real as the phantom armies Hitler ordered to counter attack the Red Army as it surrounded Berlin. Hunkered down in his bunker the nazi leader sent units that existed only on paper to counter the Russian divisions closing in on the Reichstag.

Similarly, a beleagured Papandreou and cabinet members have been promising large scale projects for education, economic and ecological devlopment , yet for which the funding simply doesn't exist except on the pages of glossy PR handouts.Case in point being last month's ambitious life long learning project with an estimated 2.4 billion euro budget. This at a time when the country is being obliged to close or merge nearly 2000 schools and hundreds of others are without heating due to unpaid fuel bills.

As time goes on the gap between the reality of everyday life for most Greeks and the optimistic pronouncements of the government drift ever further apart.Just as the downgrading of Greece's credit rating by both Moodys and Standard and Poor's reveals the money markets lack of faith in Athens to deliver what it has been promising so Papandreou's lack of credibility at home is becoming ever moe apparent in the opinion poll figures that show support for his PASOK party at historically low levels.


A seemingly endless list of broken promises, botched polices and an ever present stench of corruption have made the vast majority of voter wary of any promise made by government officials. This lack of faith means that most negotiations between ministers and groups such as trade unions, business leaders and others become infinitely more difficult as few believe that the government will keep its word and whenever the country's creditors decide to impose yet more austerity measures any agreement will be void.

Such lack of faith is stiffening resistance to any kind of change proposed by officials leading many to believe that only a show of force in the form of strikes or street protests will stop PASOK from reneging on deals.