Athens mayor Giorgos Kaminis came under physical attack late Sunday afternoon, while he was leaving a meeting of the Confederation of Greek Municipalities (KEDE). The mayor was beaten with fists and he was taken to the hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. At the time of assault, several municipality unionists had gathered outside the KEDE to protest upcoming lay-offs. Kaminis blames the unionists for the attack, while the unionists blame “agent provocateurs from the extreme-right spectrum.”
Kaminis: “Balasopoulos is responsible for inciting violence, as he targeted me by name.”
Balasopoulos: “Lies and slander, it’s right-extremes and Golden Dawn members working at the municipality.” (newsit)
Balasopoulos is the president of municipality workers union POE-OTA.
As the attackers had also caused damages to his car, the Athens mayor was forced to flee on a motorbike.
Video: a man accompanies Kaminis to a motorbike, protesters follow him and one even hurls a water bottle at the mayor.
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Mayors from all over Greece had gathered at KEDE headquarters to discuss the measures agreed by the government and the troika that will lead thousands either to lay-offs or transfer to other services and geographical locations.
“Giorgos Kaminis, who appears willing to cooperate with the government to execute the measures, was attacked as he left the meeting. According to reports, there were dozens of unionists representing municipal workers outside the building.
Kaminis later issued a statement blaming the municipal workers’ union POE-OTA and its leader, Themis Balasopoulos, for the incident.
POE-OTE condemned the attack, saying it was “damaging for the just fight of local authority workers”. The union blamed agent provocateurs for the incident.”(ekathimerini)
On Monday municipality workers are on strike.
