Mayor Manolis Vournous and the City Council of Chios unanimously declared officials of extreme-right Golden Dawn as “persona non gratae”. The local authorities have herewith expressed their opposition to a planned event organized by the Golden Dawn on the island. The event is on the Migration-Refugee Crisis and is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 31st.
“The presence of the neo-nazi organization is a huge provocation for the democratic morals on the island and the municipality cannot remain idle,” the City Council resolution said. “The Golden Dawn members currently under indictment are not welcome on Chios,” the statement said further adding “Chios is the island of national resistance and democratic struggle, it sternly and categorically disapproves the presence of descendants of Nazism here.”
The event scheduled to take place in a touristic hotel on Chios, the title of the even is “the problem of migration and the Golden Dawn solution.” Two Golden Dawn MPs, Giannis Lagos and Giorgos Epitideios are key speakers.
It is not clear whether the City Council resolution means also banning of the event.
Meanwhile, several anti-fascist activists on internet have launched a campaign to force the hotel to cancel the event. The activists have already informed international hotel booking platforms.
After neighboring Lesvos, Chios is one of the islands of the East Aegean Sea that have been receiving most of refugees and migrants arriving from the Turkish coast.
The hot spot of VIAL is hopelessly overcrowded and part of local residents want to have migrants and refugees away from Chios.
Just last week, the director of identification and registration center in VIAL submitted his resignation citing mounting pressure by local groups.
