 Nationwide report from the General Strike in Greece, December 15th 2010
No doubt remains, not even for the most naive, that the State – in
close cooperation with all its supporters and mechanisms – has decided
to wage a full-scale war against society. They are afraid of the natural
social rage, that expressed so far, but also the rage to come. The
repressive role of the State, as expressed through the murderous
mechanism of the Greek Police – and not only them – has now began to
spread its tentacles, in an attempt to spread and repress any
generalized outbreak in the future. Fascists, undercover cops,
peace-loving citizens, obedient householders and other social dregs have
been recruited to act like a natural extension of this murderous
formation.
It is a fact that it should concern us all, something that was
happening before, but is now fully-fledged, in the most indiscriminate,
naked and shameless way. It happens right before our very own eyes!
Athens: In a city full of police officers of all
kinds in every corner, sample of the transparent effort to terrorize
people and to present the city as an inaccessible place, controlled by
them. Nevertheless…
Since the early morning of December 15th, huge numbers of people
started to flock to the pre-gathering points in the center of Athens.
Every part of Patission Avenue, from Areos’ Field to Omonia Square, was
full of people, while the sidewalks were becoming increasingly crowded
too. It may not be of great value to talk about exact numbers, but some
rough estimates talk of about 200.000 people, a number that can only
compare to the seminal May 5th General Strike.
Before the demonstration started, there where at least three cases in
which undercover cops were expelled from the demonstration after the
dynamic intervention of comrades. In one case, they attempted to arrest
four comrades who were heading to the  gathering point with spears and banners, but the forceful intervention of 50-60 people stopped them from doing so.
The demo started in a passionate manner, with slogans vibrating the
center of the city. A sample of the size of the demo is that when the
first blocks were close to Syntagma square, the latest were still in
Patission Avenue. During the march, and before this arrived at Syntagma,
slogans were written, paints were thrown at governmental buildings,
while it became clear that the spirit and the choice of the
demonstrators wasn’t to attack during the march, but to give their
battle outside the Parliament, with lots of people properly prepared
(masks, malox and various self-protection materials), a fact strongly
reflecting the confrontational mood of a fairly large part of the demo.
 The
clashes began when the main part of the demo arrived at Syntagma
square. Large numbers of the demonstrators attacked the patrons of the
local ruling class and Capital. For a long period of time, explosions
could be heard throughout the area around Syntagma square. There were
attacks with molotov cocktails, stones, dynamite, fire extinguishers,
etc. against several squads around Syntagma, while in many cases there
were melee collisions with the MAT forces (riot police) and the thugs of
the DIAS motorcycle police force. The MAT forces responded with tear
gas and flash-bang grenades, in this way achieving to cut the demo in
various parts and locations – yet in so doing, they spread the conflicts
that were now extended in various areas of the city center.
 A
large part of the demo was directed to Propylaea, attacking the MAT
forces, banks and luxury cars, while riot police and undercover cops
violated (once more) the university asylum, making arrests. At the same
time, a large number of protesters that had been cut from the demo
because of the cops’ attacks, were attacking the riot squads up to
Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, where in one of them the protesters
managed to repel the cops and set on fire a police paddy-wagon. At
various parts of the center, people successfully faced the brutal raids
of the police while at Alexandra Avenue sub-humans of DIAS motorcycle
police force were beaten by angry demonstrators that burned both their
bikes.
cute politician face
Meanwhile, demonstrators attacked the
former minister of the conservative New Democracy government Hatzidakis,
who escaped thanks to the intervention of his henchmen that accompany
him at all times (photo).
All these were taking place while several
blocks of the demo had not yet reached Syntagma square. The attacks of
the MAT forces were indiscriminate and violent, beating badly
unsuspected passers-by and everyone they felt like. At various parts of
the center there were vans from which undercover cops were pouring out,
hooded and dressed in black.
A spontaneous march by the Primary Unions
and the AK (Antiauthoritarian Movement), moved toward the main building
of GSEE (General Confederation of Greek Workers) in order to occupy it.
There were melee clashes with the police, however the police’s
superiority in numbers managed to deter them. Some cops didn’t hesitate
to pull their guns.
protester "arrests" a cop
Clashes continued around the
Polytechnic School for several hours, while scores of people remained
inside it, not able to leave since they were trapped there by riot
police (MAT) forces.
 Behind
the University of Economics and around the Polytechnic school in Athens
there were scattered clashes with cops in the street and barricades,
as well down other streets of Exarchia, with people playing cat and
mouse with the police after the end of the main demo. There were reports
that the neighborhood of Exarchia has been completely militarized and
that the police were stopping people there, arresting them, and
harassing whoever they found on the street. One caller to the 98
anarchist radio station reported witnessing the police stop two people
walking down the street in Exarchia, and beat them badly before
arresting them. Ten people have been arrested in Victoria square, with
reports of other sporadic arrests around the center of Athens throughout
the day.
Fresh attacks by MAT caused multiple injuries to
demonstrators. Rumors circulated concerning an attempt to violate the
university asylum, something that did not eventually happen.
updated: There are 23 people detained, of which 10 have been arrested and charged.
***
In provincial cities there was
some powerful atmosphere too, with most people expressing their anger
against the corrupt syndicalists and state partner unions. In some
cities there were clashes between cops and protesters, while in most
there were scores of cops and especially undercovers. P.A.M.E (the
syndicalist union of Greek “Communist” Party) organized separate demos
in each city, separating itself from the people’s wrath.
 Thessaloniki:
Massive demonstration by more than 10,000 workers, unemployed,
students, grassroot unions, leftists, anarchists and angry people in
general! A large part of demonstrators marched from the gathering point
of Kamara toward the Labor Center where there was gathering point and
speech by the corrupted unions of GSEE (General Confederation of Greek
Workers) and others. Anarchists shouted slogans against these
unions,water was thrown to the speakers-representatives, mics and
speakers were disconnected, and demonstrators called for a “wild
strike”. Along the route of this “intervention demo” texts were
distributed to store workers that were not on strike – their bosses had
threatened some with dismissal should they strike.
During the powerful demonstration that started at around 11a.m. ATMs,
banks, large chain stores, post offices, McDonalds restaurants and bank
CCTV cameras were smashed while goods from a supermarket and a
patisserie were expropriated. When the demonstration arrived at the
former ministry of Macedonia-Thrace (and still the region’s main
administrative building), cops came out and attacked the demo using tear
gas and flash bang grenades with no provocation from the side of the
protesters.  The
demo continued in several pieces while riot cops and undercovers
detained around 20 people from the demo’s body but also from building
entrances, using an unmarked van. Two or three of those detained were
injured were in need of hospital treatment and so the cops turned their
detentions into arrests in order to justify the injuries… their usual
tactic.
Patras: More than 4,000 people marched through the
streets of Patras in massive student, grassroot union, leftist and
anarchist blocks. There were attacks with stones and molotov cocktails
against the local Courthouse, several banks and a police van. A march of
a similar size was also organized by P.A.M.E. (the syndicalist union of
Greek Communist Party).
“They're bringing us the Axis Occupation, '40-44”
Heraklion (Crete):
Massive demonstration in the morning with around 2000 people; various
grassroot unions, unemployed, immigrants, leftists, anarchists etc. Some
leftists blocked the speeches of the Labor Center’s president and other
corrupt labour representatives. During the demo ATMs, bank CCTV cameras
and windows were smashed, slogans against the corrupted unions were
shouted and written on walls while cops and undercovers followed the
demo, without any clashes. In the afternoon an anarchist march was also
held in the city’s neighborhoods.
Chania (Crete): Around 1,500 people marched in the
city. Blocks of workers, unemployed, students, anarchists and leftist
groups but also a block of immigrants that had managed to go on strike
participated in the demo. During the demo, slogans were written on the
walls, leaflets were thrown and some superstores were sabotaged by
throwing “smelly capsules” inside. Demonstrators verbally attacked the
local puppet-syndicalists, just like in other cities.
Volos: Very massive demo of about 2,500 people.
Before the march begun, speeches of local parties representatives and
corrupted syndicalist were blocked. Symbolic attacks against banks and
the Prefecture building.
 Xanthi:
One of the most massive demonstrations the city has seen. 1,500 people
marched downtown, slogans were written on walls and paint was thrown at
banks.
Ioannina: Powerful demo of about 2000 people with
awesome pulse and numerous slogans in the city center. Agricultural
tractors also joined in the demonstration.
Similar demonstrations/marches by hundreds of people were held in many other cities and islands of Greece, such as Kavala, Veria, Aigio, Zakynthos, Larissa, Corfu, Lesvos, Naxos, Rethymnon, Serres, and Sparta.
FREEDOM TO ALL HOSTAGES
 
more photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
more videos: 1, 2
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