Trouble ahead: Greek and foreign anarchists occupied the Polytechnic University and blocked access to students organizations preparing the 44. anniversary of the bloody 1973 Students’ Uprising against the colonels’ junta. The situation is tense. Authorities are on alert as also anarchists have been ‘imported from abroad’ to assist their Greek counterparts in fight “against the police and the establishment.”
Greek police has arrested a 22-year-old French national for destroying security cameras outside the Culture Ministry, near the Polytechnic University in downtown Athens.
The French was arrested in the early morning hours of Tuesday, while he was destroying security cameras with a crowbar. He was in possession of a stolen security camera and had reportedly destroyed two others.
Another young man who was with him fled and was still at large on Wednesday.
The arrested French man had been taken to prosecutor and faces charges for destruction of property, theft and resistance to authorities.
Τhe incident has alerted authorities especially due to the celebrations of the 44. Anniversary of the Students’ Uprising in Polytechnic School in 1973. The celebrations are scheduled between 15 and 17 November, will conclude with the big traditional march to the US embassy in Athens.
The arrest of the French anarchist has rang the alarm bells as a group of some 30 anarchists had traveled from abroad to join the “Uprising Festival” at the premises of Polytechnic University 12.-14. November.
According to kathimerini, 30 anarchists from central and western Europe traveled to attend the festival, among them also French activists from Zone To Defend (ZAD). “Attendees also included 15 Albanian nationals that live in Exarchia, the site of frequent protests by anti-establishment groups.”
After the 3-day “Uprising” event concluded in the dawn of Wednesday. A group of participants did not leave the premises but locked the gates of the university and occupied Polytechneio thus hindering the planned festivities to honor the bloody Students’ Uprising.
Citing an anarchists announcement, media report that the Polytechnic University occupation aims to “hinder politicians, prime ministers and people protected by the fascists of Greek police from laying wreaths.”
Short before 5 o’ clock in the morning, unknown perpetrators threw molotov cocktail bombs at riot police squads in the area.
Police detained four Greeks and two foreign nationals, the Greeks were later released as there was no evidence and the foreign nationals were arrested for possession of drugs.
Anarchists have been repeatedly throwing fire bombs at riot police squads in the Exarcheia district of Athens.
For the first time this year, anarchists have distributed leaflets to Exarcheia residents urging them for help against the ‘occupation forces of the Greek police’. The leaflets contain instructions like “open the building or your home door to those fleeing the police”, “throw an empty flower pot from the balcony”, “offer refugee and aid to those affected by teargas or are injured.”
Some 7,000 policemen will be reportedly deployed to safeguard the festivities at the Polytechnic University and hinder that ‘anarchists’ create a chaos in the streets of downtown Athens.
For the time being the situation in and outside the Polytechnic University is calm, although some 300 members of Communist Youth of KKE have taken position outside since the morning demanding to enter the premises and prepare the festivities.
Strong riot police forces are at short distance.
In a second announcement on indymedia website, the anarchists inside the Polytechnic University called on a “clash against police forces at 08:00 pm”. They also said they were in need of “food, cigarettes and ammunition [sic!]”
PS Better avoid the area tonight, and be aware of traffic regulation due to march on Friday, Nov 17 2017.
Why to destroy property though? Why not have a nice chat with everyone and see if a soloution to violence can be found.