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TechnoratiGolden Dawn in Greece
In May and June this year, around four hundred thousand Greeks voted for an extreme right-wing party called Golden Dawn, a neo-nazi group that most people previously considered part of the lunatic fringe. Today, many Greeks worry about what they have unleashed...
With 18 seats in Parliament, Golden Dawn has escalated its attack on both the political establishment and social norms. One neo-nazi member of Parliament was accused of assisting an armed robbery; his trial was postponed indefinitely due to his parliamentary immunity. A few days later, just before the June election, he famously assaulted two left-wing members of Parliament, live on television.
Last week, a new wave of attacks shocked politicians and citizens alike. A Golden Dawn deputy assaulted, inside the Parliament building, a delegate of Syriza, the left-wing party and main opposition. Several more Golden Dawn parliamentarians, leading two groups of neo-nazi thugs, attacked foreign-born street vendors in the Athens suburb of Rafina during a church festival and in a farmers’ market in the town Missolonghi.
Missolonghi is a potent symbol that resonates strongly in Greece: the heroic exodus of its besieged inhabitants against an overwhelmingly stronger Ottoman army in 1826, during the Greek War of Independence, inspired the poem that became Greece’s national anthem.
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After the Greek media expressed indignation, Parliament was mobilized and the Government decided to take action. The subject was brought before the Parliament’s Ethics’ Committee which condemned the attacks, though the parties of the Left expressed their disapproval, because the resolution’s wording was not stringent enough.
The Minister of Public Order Nikos Dendias asked the Police to come up with a strategy in order to deal with right-wing extremists and racist attacks. According to media reports, police commissioners were given the go-ahead to arrest even Members of Parliament in case they commit offenses such as usurpation of authority or aggravated assault. Security Police were ordered to have Golden Dawn headquarters and local branches under observation, while websites carrying racist and fascist propaganda will be under surveillance by the Cyber Crime Unit.
Yet many think this will not be enough, and the problem will get more severe as long as conditions in Greece continue to get worse: salaries and pensions have been reduced dramatically and public spending has been slashed while unemployment and crime have gone up. The country is facing at once an economic, a social and a political crisis. Some analysts, looking at the current situation, even detect shades of Weimar, Germany’s failed first republic.
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Golden Dawn - Xrysh Augh
Dear Mr. Vretos,
While I respect your opinion, I cannot help but notice that your article is missing certain crucial facts.
You are giving an international audience, who likely knows very little about Greek politics, only half the story, and therefore, they end up being misinformed.
I will not argue that Golden Dawn is a far right-wing party, but name one country that does not have one such party? (See Mr. Le Pen, since you are writing for RFI). I will inform your readers that Golden Dawn have waged a protracted battle against journalists, who want to give them, as you also do, a neo-nazi stigma.
Certainly, their logo is reminiscent of the swastika, but it is actually an ancient Greek symbol. The Golden Dawn has distanced itself, and publicly rejected outright any ties to nazi ideology.
As for Mr. Kassidiaris' attacks on live Greek TV, and in parliament against Syriza, there are judicial proceedings taking place that will determine guilt or innocence, so I do not think it is appropriate to comment much on these events. Please don't get me wrong, I do not condone violence, and no political leader should be even attempting to slap another member of parliament. What I will say, is that people should have the full picture of things. Syriza is the far-left party in Greece, making them diametrically opposed to Golden Dawn in terms of ideology. Ms. Kanelli, a member of that party, which Mr. kassidiaris is accused of assaulting, has a very poor record of being a provocative, abusive individual. Also, Syriza has been linked time and time again with anarchist gangs, who are very destructive in the streets.
As for the the attacks in Rafina, these were not "attacks". No one was injured or hurt. In response to requests by legitimate street vendors, who happened to mostly be of Greek origin, and in response to the lack of action by Greek authorities (whom, I may add, they notified before taking any action), the Golden Dawn went and asked all vendors, regardless of skin tone, for their licenses. Those who failed to show a license had their stands flipped over, and were told to leave the marketplace.
The Minister of Public Order Mr. Dendias is, in my humble opinion, making a fool of himself, because instead of dealing with such issues as domestic unrest, and illegal immigration, he is trying to make some political statement about the Golden Dawn. In doing so, he is wasting much-needed resources, that could be used to do the job he has repeatedly failed to do.
Perhaps your readers should also know that Golden Dawn members have applied to forego their parliamentary immunity, that they have given up most of their salaries, and are using the money for food banks to help Greeks in poverty. They have also become the resource for Greek citizens who have been ignored by government. Last week, a teacher called them to ask for money for school supplies she could give her students, and they delivered. The elderly, being afraid to walk alone to ATM machines and withdraw their pensions, call Golden Dawn offices for an escort, and they get it. Perhaps Mr. Dendias should take note of this. I thought the cherry on top of the cake was when the mayor of a Greek island neighboring Turkey requested that the government repair the coast guard vessel, and got no response. So, he called the Golden Dawn, and they were able to send him the money to get it fixed. This is really a shameful situation in Greece, and I fear that partisan politics and corrupt leaders have no intention to set their differences aside and do what's right for Greece. This is why a party like Golden Dawn, which is strongly nationalist, is gaining so much support. As a matter of fact, the latest polls place its popularity at 22 percent (skai poll).
So, with respect, I ask that you please consider my note.
Many Thanks,
Giwgros
"Rise up and let the storm
"Rise up and let the storm break loose!"
Golden Dawn has my support from America.
Bring glory to Greece, one of the oldest empires of Europe!
Golden Dawn in Greece
Golden Dawns rise is only partly to do with the economic crisis. It is a political party that openly expresses what many feel and many people before never had a chance to vote based on their hearts. One must consider what is normal.
Golden Dawn is normal as are other parties, but other parties and the media single out Golden Dawn the most because the values of the Golden Dawn and it's beliefs are far different then other parties who seem to have no problem with destroying Greece and the Greek people.
Who is to decide what is normal, what is right, what is politically acceptable? You, the media, the other parties in parliament who have their own agendas. Golden Dawn is acting on what it's voters want and so therefore it is a legitimate influence. It is the people and not the other parties and the media who decides what is legitimate.