Greece

Fascist attack on Greek CWI member.

www.socialistworld.net, 10/10/2002
website of the committee for a workers' international, CWI

Last Thursday, 3 October 2002, our comrade, Alexandros Prandounas, was stabbed, on the lower part of the arm by a member of the neo-nazi organisation Chrysi Aygi. Alexandros is a student at one of the colleges of Athens (Athens TEI), one of the leading comrades in our student group there, Matseta. He was at the college when a group of about 10 nazis entered the college to advertise some "youth event" they were organising. When they began to destroy our banners and posters, our comrades intervened to stop them and Alexandros was stabbed. He was lucky in that the fascist tried to stab him in the belly, but he instinctively moved his arm to protect himself and the knife pierced through his arm. He had to have a small operation and stay in the hospital for one night.

Andros, Message from the comrades of Xekinima - CWI section in Greece.

We brought out a press statement, immediately, as an initial reaction, which got very good publicity. It got full coverage in the main radical middle class paper, "Eleftherotypia" (circulation 50-60 thousand daily) and with the rest of the media. They did not however mention that he is a member of Xekinima (they only mentioned Matseta and the YRE). His case was mentioned on most TV and radio news, and he also gave an interview to the main private TV station, MEGA, which was shown on last night’s main news. The incident will have a full coverage on the Sunday left papers, Avgi (Synaspismos paper), Epohi (left Eurocommunists), Prin (NAR paper) with a combined circulation of around 6,000.

Our plans are to call for a demo and an antifascist concert next week, in Athens. We are raising the issue over the next few days in all colleges where we have forces in Athens, and are in the process of building a common campaign with the CP youth and the EAAK (university students around NAR, a left split of the old CP youth, around 1990) whose members were also threatened by the fascists at the same college as Alexandros.

In Salonica we are also raising the issue through the Salonica Student Coordinating Committee, which is made up of 26 different left student groups, and was set up during last year’s university occupations (especially strong in Salonica, lasted about two months) and where we exert decisive political influence. We will also raise it in Volos, where we have a very good position at the university.

More, next week, especially as we see how the campaign develops.

Further message sent on Sunday 6 October:

WE are going ahead with a demo on Thursday in Athens.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we will be intervening at the Athens TEI calling for a general meeting to decide for the demo. In case the PASOK controlled student union try to sabotage it we shall call it in the name of our student organization.

Today we were able to get a resolution supporting an antifascist demo next Thursday through the Philosophy Department (includes literature, archaeology, history, etc) of Athens university, which is the biggest in the country, calling for an anti-fascist demo on Thursday.

It is acquiring momentum. Still a bit early to know for sure but things look quite optimistic.

From CWI:

More information will be sent about the demonstration which will probably be on Thursday at 12 noon. It would be good for messages of solidarity to be sent particularly through student bodies - campaigns, committees etc. Send via: grap@mland.gr

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