Police in Athens has arrested a man suspected to have participated in the attacks on anti-fascist group KEERFA in Neo Iraklio on Sunday, where at least four people were injured. The 30-year-old man with a swastika tattoo on his arm was identified from a video on the incident and was posted on social media.
The Greek man is reportedly known as a supporter of the extreme right-wing nationalist “Propatria” organization and has a record for similar incidents in the past.
According to reports, the suspect was among a group of around 10-15 men who blitz attacked members of the Movement Against Racism and the Fascist Threat (KEERFA).
Νέα φασιστική επίθεση κατά της #ΚΕΕΡΦΑ στο Ν. Ηράκλειο. Στο βίντεο ακούγεται το παράγγελμα "τέλος" από τον επικεφαλής του τάγματος για τη ληξη της επίθεσης όπως ΑΚΡΙΒΩΣ και σε όλες τις δολοφονικες επιθέσεις της #ΧΑ.
Ωρα το αντιφασιστικό κίνημα να κάνει την κίνηση του pic.twitter.com/uzF7FVCfpZ
— Tony Rigopoulos (Αντώνης Ρηγόπουλος – طوني) (@tony_rgps) October 3, 2021
The attackers punched and kicked the KEERFA members for several minutes before running away. The attack by the so-called “raid squads of extreme far-rights” started with a kind o military order “Let’s go!” and ended with an order “End!” as recorded on the video.
KEERFA members were gathering at a public square in the suburb of Neo Iraklio in western Athens ahead of a rally to mark a year from the conviction of the neo-Nazi political party Golden Dawn on October 9.
A woman who was slightly injured in the head said that the three other injured were at the hospital.
Representative of KEERFA, Petros Konstantinou, told MEGA TV that “the fascists were armed with sticks and organized, they are well-known fascists”. He accused police that its intervention was 20 minutes late.
The suspect was arrested early morning Monday in Ano Liosia suburb of western Athens that is known for far-right extremists. He has admitted the attack, Skai TV reported at Monday noon.
The suspect had been reportedly arrested in 2019 over an attack on left-wing groups laying a wreath at a Heroes Memorial on the March 25th anniversary of Greek independence in the southern Athens suburb of Kallithea. Earlier this year, the man was again detained during violent incidents at an anti-vaccination protest rally in Athens in last July. According to Skai TV, the Propatria organization is an offshoot of Golden Dawn.
Ιούλιος 2021. «Αντιεμβολιαστική» συγκέντρωση, Σύνταγμα. Μπλοκ propatria. Στην εικόνα με το πανό, ο δεξιά με τη σημαία είναι ο συλληφθέντας για την επίθεση στο Ν. Ηράκλειο. Με πέρασμα από τη ΧΑ στην τ.ο. Λιοσίων ο συγκεκριμένος. Τα λέγαμε, τα ξέραμε. https://t.co/FagpKM9cbl
— ypopto_mousi (@ypopto_mousi) October 4, 2021
The attack in Neo Iraklio took place just a few hours after another organized attack at members of youth organization of the Communist party KNE in northern Greece.
The young communists were to stick posters for the 9 October rally in Ilioupoli suburb of Thessaloniki, when they were attacked by a “raid squad” o some 15 people armed with sticks and chains. four people were injured, 16 were detained.
via 902.gr
Neo-nazis and other extreme far-right groups started organized attacks against members of communist party and anti-fascist groups last week and even used a school in Stavroupoli, Thessaloniki, as a base of operations against members of KNE.
Democratic Greeks are waiting for the state to take measures against the new wave of violence by far-right extremists.
… I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent …