The National Gallery in Athens released on Thursday a video showing ultra-orthodox MP Nikolaos Papadopoulos and one co-worker how they bring down paintings the two considered as “blasphemous” to Greek Orthodoxy and Religion.
The video shows how the two approach the area of the “The Allure of the Strange ” exhibition and bring down the artworks, while two museum workers try to stop them.
The MP of ultra-religious and nationalist party Niki entered the National Gallery on Monday morning, March 10. (KTG reported in detail HERE). His action raised a wave of support by arch-conservative crises including high-ranking clergy of the Church of Greece and triggering an outrage among progressive forces.
Protests: Religion vs Freedom
On Tuesday evening, a group of ultra-orthodox protesters clashed with cultural workers who had staged a peaceful demonstration in support of freedom of expression, outside the Gallery in downtown Athens.
The protestors, holding a banner reading “Freedom of Art is nonnegotiable” were met with chants of “Greece means Orthodoxy” and “Shame on you, anti-Christians” from the opposing group, some of whom approached aggressively.
Despite the verbal attacks, the demonstrators did not retaliate and proceeded into the gallery to view artworks that had been damaged during a previous incident earlier in the week.
Bold move by the National Gallery
When asked why she chose to leave the artworks broken in the exhibition area, she replied: “A condemnable act of violence and vandalism occurred, which I believe, with the artist’s agreement, should be recorded in the public sphere as an event that should be condemned by all of us.”
Now the cowards who run the National Gallery have backed down, removing the exhibits. Greek fascists and religious nutters have won the day, again.
Show the threats or they didn’t happen and this is pure theater for the blue haired cause.
You think that fascist supporters do not send anonymous threats? And no, the threats do not belong in the public sphere: this is the job of the police and security service. Although in Greece, probably they do nothing…