The KKE, tools of the state & fascism.
A collection of instances of teh KKE’s repressive history against the anarchist movement, along with their collaboration with fascists and the police.
>>https://www.rizospastis.gr/story.do?id=12828478
Machine translated.
They were operating together with the fan armies for the dispersion of the rally in Syntagma
Continuing in the relevant report, it is confirmed that the groups that acted like an organized “army” in the center of Athens consisted mainly of hooligans associated with the largest clubs in the country.
We reveal today that according to reliable information, a key attack group were members of a specific link of a large club, and indeed from Patras, so that they are not “marked” or mapped, while their action was focused on throwing Molotov cocktails.
At the same time, other fan groups from associations of Attica, also from large clubs, had undertaken the throwing of marbles and other materials, such as smoke bombs and flares used in the stadiums.
The new information, which is also the most questions, is that concern the participation of police officers in the above groups.
Specific sources convey to “Rizospastis” that inside the organized groups of hooligans acted and police officers, wearing hoods and full face appeared as fans of teams and threw stones at the riot police squads!
Eurokinissis |
These police officers serve in Sub-Directorate for Combating Organized Sports Violence (YAOAB), which is subject to the Directorate for the Treatment of Organized Crime and is directly controlled by the Head of the Hellenic Police.
According to reports, because there was an outcry over this provocative action by junior police officers, some of the above participants in the incidents justified their presence as “necessary to identify the “leaders” of hooligans. The hooded policemen even claimed that “they were indeed throwing stones at the riot police, and this was necessary in order to become convincing to the hooligans, but they did so in a way that would not cause injuries”! As it conveys to us, of course, “they did not provide explanations if they themselves “drafted” as provocateurs the hooligans to the attacks or if they had to “follow” them after the start of the attacks.”
In any case, if something is confirmed, it is that in the various groups of hooded men who play the rigged game with the forces of repression, for the dismantling of rallies of the popular movement, police officers also participate in an ordered service, which – as it turned out again – have nothing to do with preventing such plans, but with their implementation.
It is recalled that around 1 p.m., and while speeches had been completed, groups such as the above, who from the morning gathered in and around the square, began to arm and unleash Molotov cocktails, smoke bombs and marbles to the riot police, giving the pretext to the government to disperse the assembled who had not yet left.
Thus, while the hooded men acted undisturbed, the riot police threw tons of chemicals “to the search” of hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, made arrests and arrests “in the pile” and terrorized the people and the youth who were protesting in Athens. It is characteristic that riot squads attempted to pass through dense blocks of protesters in L. Amalias, at the height of Zappeion, with people reacting and police officers throwing chemicals and stun grenades.
This misery was denounced by the thousands of protesters who, from the morning, with composure and determination isolated the hooded men who attempted to set up such scenes on various occasions.
Videos are also recorded on the internet and which confirm specific testimonies about the preparations of this rigged scene, when hooded people roaming riot police teams, exchanged objects between them, filled pockets and bags, until they finally took on this action “undisturbed”.
According to information, the formations that set up the scene of repression were also attended by goons who have their services to large businessmen in Greece and abroad.
A characteristic is, among other things, videos that captures a person in a black suit moving calmly amid chemicals in B. Sofias (at the height of the florals), holding in his hands equipment available only to the riot police, namely stun grenades, while he is also “accompanied” on his side.
>> https://libcom.org/article/greek-stalinists-welcome-fascist-involvement-workers-dispute
Last year I recall being disgusted at the coverage in the Morning Star regarding clashes between anarchists and Stalinists outside the Greek parliament.
The Greek Communist Party (KKE) had forcibly prevented anarchists from getting to the parliament and had been observed collaborating with the police and encouraging them to attack anarchist protestors. The Morning Star would have you believe the opposite.
If there was every any doubt regarding the KKE’s dubious politics that doubt has completely disappeared following their latest stunt.
Steelworkers in a factory on the outskirts of Athens have been in a dispute with management for several months. And have been on an indefinite strike following the bosses trying to implement a 40% pay cut.
PAME the trade union coalition of the Greek Communist Party (KKE) has played a key role throughout the dispute.
The events on Friday 17th February and the conduct of the KKE are beyond contempt:
http://www.leftcom.org/en/articles/2012-02-21/a-stalinist-welcome-to-a-nazi-intervention-into-a-workers-strike-in-greece
“On Friday 17 February a group of the notorious fascist party the ‘Golden Dawn’ visited the factory; they passed unmolested through the gate, took the microphone and made a speech to the strikers expressing their ‘solidarity’ in the presence of some members of the union. Then, the president of the factory trade union welcomed the fascists, saying that ‘all Greece is with us’.”
First you see the Nazis making a speech and then the president welcomes the Nazis. The union’s president, Giorgos Sifonios, is a member of PAME and he was a candidate of the KKE in the district elections in 1998. Until now PAME haven’t given any explanation, and they haven’t tried to dissociate themselves from that event. So, it is justified to assume that the president acted according to party policy. Otherwise, they would have expelled him immediately.
Doing this the Stalinist KKE have brought the fascists into the workers movement. For the time being I cannot explain their stance. I suppose that this is due to the active intervention of anarchists in that strike. As a matter of fact, many anarchist groups energetically supported the strikers and expressed their solidarity with them through many actions. As supporters of spontaneity they may idealize such a strike. So, maybe it will be a great discouragement on their part after that event.
‘Golden Dawn’ is a well-known fascist group. They started as pure ‘national socialists’ and later they mixed Nazism up with the traditions of the Greek far-right. But, anyway, they are famous as pro-Nazi. They are responsible for many attacks against immigrants. Clearly, it is a ‘para state’ group and they have close connections with the police and army. They have a growing influence especially in popular and workers areas and they are expected to win a good percentage (about 3-4%) in the upcoming elections.”
The Golden Dawn] is a Nazi group who have carried out who have well known links to the police and armed forces. The actions of the KKE in welcoming a fascist group into a workers dispute is a disgrace, and it should be condemned as widely as possible.
Surprisingly, the Morning Star has not reported on this.
Fascists speaking at the factory
Anarchists and communists clash in Athens — in pictures
One man died after clashes broke out between anarchists, communists and riot police while Greek Parliament pushed through a key austerity vote.
Edit: according to hospital officials, the man who died was not hit by a stone. He did die from a heart attack, as we initially reported.
As Parliament prepared for a crucial vote on additional austerity measures — including the most drastic cuts and reforms so far — renewed violence broke out on the streets of Athens. Without the vote, the Papandreou government would not have received the next installment of its EU/IMF bailout package and would have gone bankrupt next month.
In anticipation of the vote, a 48-hour strike brought the country to a complete standstill, while the single largest demonstration since the fall of the military junta sent hundreds of thousands of people into Syntagma Square and surrounding streets. For the first time, the communist party and union, KKE and PAME, joined the protests by blocking off Parliament so MPs would not be able to enter for the vote.
Carrying red flag sticks and wearing helmets, the unionists formed a human chain around Parliament. In the process, however, they ended up defending the state from the angry mob outside. Rather than turning their anger at the politicians, they protected them. Riot police were therefore happy to sit back and let the two sides fight each other. Dozens of people were injured in the clashes. One older man suffered a heart attack after being hit with a stone in the head. He died in hospital.
According to some rumors, police actually infiltrated the protests — either on the communist side or on the anarchist side, depending on whom you ask — to instigate the Leftist infighting. The truth, however, is that the Stalinist Left and the anti-authoritarian Left in Greece have a long history of antagonism. While this mutual distrust is understandable, the division itself remains a highly regrettable impediment to the creation of a united revolutionary front. Now, more than ever, we need to become and stay united.
Towards the end of the second video below, Stalinist union members can clearly be seen talking to police and telling them to attack anarchist protesters. There was a nauseating degree of collaboration between communists and police — a collaborative attempt to defend the last vestiges of the Greek state — that protesters were right to be angry about. But hurling stones and petrol bombs at fellow protesters? Following the death of three people in a bank arson last year and now the death of a communist union member, the time has come for the anarchists to revisit the use of escalating violence as a protest strategy.
For a massive photo gallery of the clashes, click here