Footage from security cameras show a group of people smashing shop windows on Patision Avenue in downtown Athens on Friday morning. The group is wearing hoods and is armed with iron bars, hammers and stones. When the group arrives, passersby start to flee in panic.
The group starts to smash and destroy whatever comes into the way. Ten shops in total have been reportedly destroyed, damages have been caused also at the Post Office on one of the most vibrant and commercial streets in the center of the city.
When police units arrive in the area, the perpetrators have fled, nobody is there to be arrested.
Behind were left the horrified shipowners and the broken glass.
The group had reportedly left the Athens Economic & Business University nearby and returned there after the attacks. The Athens prosecutor has ordered an investigation.
Several shops in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras have become the target of anarchists in recent days who claim by destroying private property they express solidarity with hunger-striker Konstantinos (Dinos) Yiatzoglou who has been in prison for having sent parcel bombs to ex prime minister Lucas Papadimos, the IMF and Wolfgang Schaeuble. In uploads on anti-authoritarian websites, the anarchists threatened to escalate violence and that even “blood will flow if Dinos dies.”
29-year-old terrorism suspect Giatzoglou has been on hunger and thirst strike following his transfer from Korydallos prison to Larissa last month.
Only in the last few days, the “Giatzoglou solidarity movemnet” destroyed shops in Ermou street in Athens and in downtown Thessaloniki, occupied the offices of SYRIZA-owned Avgi newspaper, attacked a SYRIZA branch office in Kaisariani suburb, assaulted a criminology professor in her office in Pantion University, staged a protest and tried to raid the home of general secretary of Justice Ministry in Palaio Faliro. 15 people were reportedly detained in Faliro.
The anarchists’ raids have sparked a strong political dispute between Minister for Public Order, Nikos Toskas, opposition parties and the mayor of Athens, Giorgos Kaminis.
Minister Toskas is under attack for not protecting enough citizens in the center of the Greek capital. Mayor and political opposition demand deployment of more police forces, the minister responds, he does not want Athens to turn into a city under police control.
On Friday, Toskas blamed the police for the failure to protect citizens and properties, saying that “police officers refuse to go on patrol.”
The chairman of Special Police Forces expressed fear “escalation of violence can lead to a dead colleague or citizen.”
PASOK demands the resignation of the minister.
Some opposition parties go so far to claim that left-wing SYRIZA in tolerating the anarchists’ attacks.
To make the long blame-game short what is clear is that instead of finding solutions to take the anarchy spike under control, government, opposition, Athens mayor and police are attacking each other. Sadly, business as usual in Greece….
Funny how the date-stamp on the video shows tomorrow’s date 03/03/2018…