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Bloody clash at the University between representatives of political extremes

30 March 2012 / 15:03:26  GRReporter
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Three people were injured during heavy clashes between far-right representatives and students at the school of mathematics and physics at the university campus in Athens. Witnesses, who were in the building, say that on Thursday afternoon, "a group of 15 people wearing black clothes and helmets on their heads, with iron and wooden sticks in their hands broke into the school. They attacked the students and beat three of them, who were taken to the consulting room. As the wounds on the head of one of the students were serious, we called an ambulance to take him to the hospital."

The same sources claim that the attackers threatened the students in the amphitheatres and central corridors by hitting walls, tables, message boards with the rods. They shouted slogans and broke fire extinguishers taken from the halls of the mathematics school thus making their breathing difficult. Then, they rushed into the law school, where they threatened and caused damage again. The university administration informed the police to investigate the case.

Golden Dawn, which is suspected of causing the clashes because of the full match in the attackers’ clothing and methods with that of its members, said they have nothing to do with the case.

Deputy Aris Spiliotopoulos, responsible for education in New Democracy, accused "the competent authorities of just watching what is happening without taking any actions against the people with covered faces, and this despite the fact that the law on university asylum was rejected by the law on higher education voted a few months ago and supported by 250 deputies." He urged the university and police authorities to assume their responsibility and observe the law.

A press release of the youth organization of the left coalition SYRIZA states, "40 extreme right-wing neo-fascists with axes and crowbars broke into the faculty of mathematics and physics during the students’ general meeting. After the attack, two students were taken to hospital with severe injuries and the damage they caused the building resemble the methods of Golden Dawn. Left-wing students as well as far right ones see a provocation behind the events. "Such attacks are held to scare the struggling youth, but also to "regularize" the police presence in universities," they say.

The issue of increasing violence, which is affecting a larger part of the society, is becoming more intense in the public domain. Commentators, particularly in social and in some electronic media write on how dangerous is the phenomenon of considering the expression of violence a public reaction "justified with anger." But while no one expects the conservative forces to react, the strange thing is how the "progressive" left-wing forces are also involved in this game that endangers democracy.

Some analysts believe the protests against President Carlos Papoulias during the parade in Thessaloniki in October 2011 set the precedent. "Then, these actions spread all over Greece. Even if not initiated, they were adopted by the left wing. As for the attacks on George Dalaras - a singer, who sang songs-symbols for the left movement in Greece, the majority of the left wing remained silent and some even welcomed them," wrote communications expert Stratos Safioleas in protagon.gr.

The famous singer was forced to stop the concerts because the attacks continued and were becoming more dangerous. According to the commentator, the left wing has felt the need to attach to anyone who is against the memorandum, regardless of who he is or what his motives are. "It is not strange that the nationalists, who attacked Dalaras, were shouting "leftist" slogans." The fact that, according to a recent opinion poll, 45% of those who said they would vote for SYRIZA had a favourable attitude to Panos Kamenos is not strange either."

According to him and according to other commentators, populism is like a comfortable car, in which quite opposite passengers are sitting. Notable opponents of the memorandum who would not even think of becoming a part of the "right wing" appear on top of the list of preferences of Panos Kamenos’ electorate.

A few days ago, the SYRIZA deputy Dimitris Papadimoulis disagreed with the stringent police measures during the parade for the national holiday of Greece in Athens. In the same vein, the famous satirist Lakis Lazopoulos compared in his weekly show the security measures for the parade with those during the military dictatorship in the 1970s.

"In the rhetoric of populism, any justifiable reactions due to the economic crisis are sinking into a sea of ​​hatred, which is getting rough. All those who once were in the dark corners of the protests are already in the foreground, making gallows, shooting grounds, people's courts for traitors and helicopters trying to rescue the deputies, who voted the memorandum of popular anger. So, this is where we have arrived at today. From swearing to yoghurt. From yoghurt to stones. From stones to knives.

The monster of violence is growing. It is smiling at you. Nodding. You pretend not to see it. Or you wink at it. Maybe it is not against you. Maybe it is a friend. Maybe you do not care. It may have mercy on you."

 

Tags: SocietyFar rightFar leftUniversityGolden dawnViolence
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