Students organization, citizens, leftist parties and collectives, some 3,000 people marched through from Syntagma Square in downtown Athens and to the US Embassy on Wednesday afternoon to express solidarity with protesters in USA and demand justice for George Floyd.
The main slogans to be heard in this anti-racism, anti-fascist rally was Floyd ‘s last words “I Can’t Breathe” and “Black Lives Matter.”
The rally was peaceful and ended outside the US Embassy.
Thousands protest #BlackLivesMatter in Athens, march to the #USA Embassy. #Greece pic.twitter.com/LLIo0UF1Cu
— Savvas Karmaniolas (@savvaskarma) June 3, 2020
However, short time later, some groups started to hurl stones, bottles and molotov cocktail bombs at riot police squads safeguarding the US embassy. They set a garbage bin on fire.
Police responded with tear gas and stun grenades.
Police closed metro stations <Evaggelismos> and <Megaro> and halted traffic around the embassy.
Two people have been detained, so far.
What has black lives matter got to do with Greece? They are a Democrat party funded movement doing their utmost to bring down the current US president. The riots and looting have to be condemned in the strongest way, not condoned.
The current US president is an ignorant, obnoxious, bullying fascist who is kept in place by a seriously misguided Republican Party. [edited by ktg..]
As for Black Lives Matter, this is a global issue and affects every country with minority black citizens who are denied respect and full legal rights. Admittedly, the USA is the worst country in the entire world for its abusive conduct, racist violent police, and complicit politicians. Nevertheless, the movement has relevance for decent people across the entire world. I presume, from your comments, that you exclude yourself from this category.
The minority resorted violence. The majority marched in protest at the horrible injustice and brutality of the racist murder of George Floyd and for all the other acts of injustice toward people of colour.
Just as the march was peaceful here in Greece where the great Greek people and others marched in solidarity against racism, ended in violent acts by a minority. People are the same the world over, majority good, and events spoiled by the few.
Well done Greece for supporting Black Lives Matter. Shame on any of us who need to be reminded that all human kind are equal.
I remember reading about Giannis Antetokoumbo being asked to “go back where he came from”. The fact that the Golden Dawn party rose into any prominence at all was disturbing. The fact that so many other “nationalistic” leaders have risen to prominence is still disturbing. I rationalize it by thinking that in times of crisis we go back to “take care of ourselves first”. The US, Great Britain, Hungary, some provinces in Canada and many others fall into this category.
The ancient Greeks also had the phrase “Πασαν μη Ελλην, Βαρβαρος”. Last time I was in Greece I had most interesting and illuminating discussions with relatives who couldn’t understand why Canada, for example, conferred citizenship on anyone born within its borders; who couldn’t understand that telling their children no to play with the (greek born) “alvanakia” was wrong; who couldn’t understand that the treatment of migrant workers as little more than slave labourers (a practice no much better in Ontario) was wrong.
It is good that demonstrations are happening all over the world, for the most part peacefully. This freedom of assembly is what is being removed in the US with the threat of using the military against its own people.