Chronology of the Greece unrest

greece / turkey / cyprus | repression / prisoners | news report Monday December 15, 2008 18:23 by Blaumachen ngnm55 at gmail dot com

Mainly from Thessaloniki

Summary of events of the Greek riots in Thessaloniki from 6 December-11 December 2008 by council communist group Blaumachen. A first update on the recent upheaval in Thessaloniki.

This short presentation cannot satisfy the need for an in-depth account of the recent upheavals in Greece. It’s just a first attempt to inform comrades and proletarians abroad about the ongoing events from the perspective of people participating in them. This is an update for the events as we experienced them (or most of them) in Thessaloniki.

Saturday, 6th of December

Immediately after 15-year-old Alexis-Andreas Grigoropoulos was murdered by police special guard in Athens, 200-300 people, mainly anarchists and leftist students, gathered in Polytechnics School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), which is located near the commercial and cultural city centre. A spontaneous demonstration headed towards the police station at Aristotelous Sq (the most touristic square of the city), where fights with cops took place. At the same time, there were people fighting riot police with stones and Molotov cocktails around Syntrivani Sq, near AUTH. Clashes with cops continued throughout the night.

Sunday, 7th of December

A demonstration began from Kamara Sq (located in the students’ quarter near AUTH) at 12pm. 1500-2000 people (high school and university students, anarchists and leftists) marched via the commercial streets of the city centre (Egnatia, Agias Sofias, Tsimiski), destroying some bank and shop windows, to the police station at Aristotelous Sq. There, many protesters attacked the police with stones and some Molotov cocktails. A cop was set on fire. Police responded with tear gas. The demonstration continued to Ermou St and then through Venizelou St to the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace. Many stores and the Town Hall were destroyed at Venizelou St. After reaching the Ministry, the demonstration headed via Agiou Dimitriou St to the police station of Ano Poli, where riot policemen were attacked again. Heading to Kamara Sq., a supermarket was looted by young people. As the demo was finishing, some high school kids tried to loot a bookstore and new clashes with the riot police started.

Later in the evening, the Higher School of Drama and the offices of Thessaloniki’s Bar Association were occupied, the first by Drama students and anarchists and the second mainly by leftist students. Both these spots, located in the city centre, were going to be used as meeting points for people participating in the demonstrations. During the night, clashes with cops took place outside AUTH. A rioter was injured by a police rubber bullet. During the same night, the police station in the eastern district of Toumpa, the Town Hall of Agios Pavlos district and the party offices of Nea Demokratia (this is the government party in Greece) in 40 Ekklisies district were attacked.

Monday, 8th of December

At 10am, 400 high school students demonstrated in Toumpa district and attacked the police station once again. Road blockades took place in other districts of the city as well. Meanwhile, 1500 high school students erected barricades and clashed with riot police on Svolou and Ethnikis Amynis streets and Navarinou Sq., in the students’ quarter of the city centre. Stores at Tsimiski and Venizelou streets were attacked, too. Nine university faculties were occupied by students. During the same morning the police station in the western district of Sykies was attacked, too. A demonstration was called at 6.30pm at Kamara Sq. 6000 people marched through the city centre.

There were high school and university students, some immigrant kids, hooligans, a few workers, anarchists and leftists. A great number of banks and stores (mobile phone, electronics, clothing and fast food companies and jewelries) were destroyed, mainly in Tsimiski St, the city’s most commercial road, and Venizelou St. Some of them were looted too. Clashes with cops took place in front of the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace. Cops suffocated us with tear gas. Fights with cops continued around AUTH during the night.

Tuesday, 9th of December

This was the day when the funeral of Alexis took place in Palaio Faliro, Athens. Teachers of primary and secondary schools were on strike and there was a work stoppage after 12pm for all public sector workers. A demonstration was called at 12pm at Kamara Sq. 4000 people marched towards the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace, where limited clashes with the police took place. During the night there were some fights between young people and riot police in the university area. We have to mention that many university departments were looted by school kids coming from various suburbs during these days. During the same night, fascists appeared near the university.

The same happened in many cities all over Greece, especially in Patra, something that indicates that this was organised by the government. In some cases, like in Larisa, fascists attacked rioters together with undercover cops and “angry shop owners”.

Wednesday, 10th of December

This was a day of general strike, called much earlier by the General Labour Confederation of Greece (GSEE) and the Civil Servants’ Confederation (ADEDY) against the 2009 state budget. Due to the ongoing riots, the chief unionists announced on Tuesday that they would cancel the proclaimed demonstrations. In Thessaloniki, the local branches of GSEE and ADEDY tried to constrain strikers in a peaceful gathering in front of the city’s Trade Union Center. High school kids and university students appeared there determined to drag strikers in a demonstration and they succeeded. 4000 students and workers marched towards the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace.

There, a few high school kids attacked the cops who responded with tear gas. Fights continued for half an hour in an area of 500m between the Ministry and the Trade Union Center. A few kids fought police, but many workers and students supported them by remaining in the place and insulting the cops. Finally, cops were compelled to draw back. After that, 500 people blocked Egnatia St - a central avenue in the city centre - for more than an hour. In the evening, high school kids clashed with the riot police for a while on Ethnikis Amynis St. During the same evening, the occupation of Thessaloniki’s Bar Association offices ended.

Thursday, 11th of December

In early afternoon, 80 anarchists attacked the offices of the local Newspaper “Makedonia” at Monastiriou St. A demonstration was called by the School of Drama occupation at 5pm at Kamara Sq. 2000 people, mainly university students and anarchists and few high school students, marched peacefully towards the eastern heavily inhabited districts of the city. No clashes took place this day, as far as we know.