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Eighteen of the members of the Greek Public Power Corporation’s trade union will face a prosecutor on charges of violation of the domestic peace. On Sunday evening, the trade unionists besieged and broke into the building housing the data centre of the electricity company.

The activists wanted to take information proving that people with low and middle incomes pay the high property tax imposed last year and that it is not imposed on some privileged citizens with higher incomes.

In the announcement for the blockade of the data centre of the Greek Public Power Corporation, the trade unionists state that the data concealed by the company could cause a serious moral scandal. According to them, suppressing the specific information is a mockery to the poor and unemployed citizens. They say it provides the basis for a judicial investigation. The trade unionists tried to block the building to be able to make copies of all documents, which according to them are indicative of the violations. The law does not justify their actions and arrests followed later in the evening.

After the inrush in the building on Sunday, a prosecutor arrived, who tried to dissuade the trade unionists and to make them voluntarily leave the data centre. Since this did not happen, forces combating civil unrest broke into the building at 11 pm and defeated the blockade led by the union leader of the Greek Public Power Corporation’s employees Nikos Fotopoulos. About 100 people were arrested, 18 of which will face the court for their actions on Monday, 8 October. Fotopoulos is among them.

In the afternoon, the 18 accused were released, but the criminal proceedings against them continue and the case will be up before the court  on 18 January, 2013. Upon leaving the courtroom, the chairman of the union Nikos Fotopoulos said, "No matter how long they will be taking us to courtrooms, let them know that we will not submit, will not bend down nor will we fall on our knees. We will fulfil our duty and nothing will stop us. Mr. Samaras’ threats have no effect. We continue the fight." According to sources close to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the arrest of the trade unionists of the national electricity company was imperative because there are concerns about an attempt to sabotage the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.