The celebrations in downtown Athens on the New Year’s Eve triggered a racist rand against a 10-year-old girl and the waving of Palestinian flags by the audience.
Exciting little girl on stage during the countdown
The feast was organized by the new major of Greek capital Haris Doukas (PASOK) and was live broadcast by state broadcaster ERT.
Reason for the racist rand and a series of abusive comments were the dozens of Palestinian flags raised by members of community groups but also the fact that Doukas with a little girl that media described as “a Palestinian girl,” accusing the mayor of “political activism.”
Flags raised at new year's eve concert in #Athens #Greece in solidarity with #Palestine#FreePalestine#Gaza#Συνταγμα pic.twitter.com/c3eKIMjHal
— NoBorders (@Refugees_Gr) December 31, 2023
Some journalist and “liberal” magazines-websites went so far to spread fake news and claim that “Hamas celebrated the New Year in Athens.” A former Nd Minister and now just an MP claimed that the only flag allowed to be raised in Greece is “the flag of our homeland.”
Στον δήμο της Αθήνας μία σημαία υψώνεται και αυτή είναι της Πατρίδας μας της Ελλάδας. Τις σημαίες άλλων κρατών να τις υψώνει ο νέος δήμαρχος στο σπίτι του.
— Θάνος Πλεύρης (@thanosplevris) January 1, 2024
Facts are, however that:
- the Palestinian flags were waved by members of the Palestinian community in Athens
- the girl was the daughter of the event presenter and a veteran Greek athlete,
With shameful comments the racists targeted a little girl and lashed out at mayor Doukas that was on stage with a “foreign, refugee kid” and not a “Greek child.”
What was interesting is that also left-wing websites initially spoke of a “Palestinian girl” in an effort to praise Haris doukas for showing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The event was full of music, dance, lights and fireworks.
Beneath the stage, a crowd of people – of all ages, from each of the communities of Athens – enjoyed the night and used the opportunity to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The new mayor of Athens welcomed the new year with a sweet smiling child by his side counting down to welcome 2024,
The image gave hope. With his wishes, the mayor brought back to the public discourse the concepts of solidarity and community. He invited people to join forces for “a more humane Athens”, to “reduce the inequalities that plague society”, to “work together” to make dreams come true.”
“Multicultural Athens, we feel, sends a welcoming message of optimism throughout Greece and the rest of the world. Our joy, however, did not last long…,” wrote daily Efsyn the next day.
“Lurking in the corner is the racist gutter, bigotry, political revanchism and distortion of reality, even by media professionals – in addition to the anonymous right-wing and far-right trolls.
The dawn brought to the surface an unprecedented delirium of targeting the protagonists of the New Year’s event: the mayor, X. Doukas, who brought back the “criminalized” concept of solidarity for the Far Right – apparently also for the domestic Right -, singer Marina Satti whose repertoire included Arabic and Balkan – in addition to Greek – sounds and will represent Greece at Eurovision, even the young child next to the mayor on stage, that was mistakenly described as “from Palestine”, a mistake that was amplified by social media accounts networking in order to accuse the mayor of Athens of “political activism”, even “divisiveness”… – the truth is that the girl is the child of a well-known Greek presenter and a famous Greek veteran athlete.
It is clear that the reason for the above attacks was on the one hand the Palestinian flags that were being waved by some gathered, however it is also clear that the historic electoral victory of H. Doukas in the first municipality of the country will be “answered” by conservative circles with similar attacks as in New Year’s Celebration, noted efsyn.gr.
PS In this country inhabited by “blond & blue-eyed” Balkan peasants – common in Greek: βλαχοβαλκανιους – the lack of proper education is deafening.