Greece – “scream NO to this inequality and injustice”
Photo of last nights riots in Athens by Michalis Kiriazis
We are proud to post this story by our friend and colleague, Maria Perifanou from Thessaloniki.
“Athens, 6/12/09 …a 15 years student is dead…a police officer killed Alexandros Grigoropoulos without any reason at all! As witnesses sustain it was a direct hit but the officer who fired contends it was a ricochet from a warning shot . The question raised is how this can be happen in the birth land of democracy in 2008??‘There is no excuse’…’we will take revenge’ ‘state has forgotten us’ are some of the messages students left at the place where the boy died….
Greece is mourning, students protest, we all do but there is another side too!! There are people who destroy, steal and burn everything! These are no students, are no people with ideologies but they are people desperate who have nothing to loose. They scream NO to this inequality and injustice! There is a serious social and economical crisis! The answer is not violence but well organised protests!!
Students show that they are here, they understand, they fight they want to change this bad situation, they have VOICE!!
In democracy there are no dead ends, no anger only dialogue and will to do changes! The solution will be given by the nation, by each of us! We must fight for a better future. New generation rebel and their message is clear PROTEST FOR DEMOCRACY AND RADICAL CHANGES WITH NO VANDALISMS!!
Today 9/12/09 at 15:00 we say goodbye to Alex…”
If I may, I would really like to comment on the situation in Greece,inspired by the article by (my teacher) Maria Perifanou.
Although the situation across our country may seem surreal, the fact that the youth of this hypnotized country fight back is fairly encouraging. The citizens of Greece have been thus far(from the very first day the governmental party was elected)witnesses of consecutive scandals,all of which incriminate members of the government. All of us students have endured the constant attempt toward the deterioration of our studies,of the value of our degrees and of our lives,consequently. We are watching peacefully as the unemployment increases and the governmental funds destined to be spent on education are becoming meager and meager. In addition to all of this, a 15-year-old is getting shot in cold blood by an incompetent police officer.
Subsequently, the reaction of the entire society is at least reasonable. What we are experiencing right now is the opposition to Police, the most conservative institution of our society. It is, moreover, an opposition to the incapability of the goverment to do the only thing they are supposed to, and that is to govern.
However,it is also the opportunity for some to destroy everything they can, proceeding to actions with absolutely no political meaning. Two of the saddest things that occurred during the riots was the fire that set ablaze the library of the Law School of Athens and the theater Aegeon(if i’m not mistaken). The destruction of places of cultural and artistic interest is probably the only thing that won’t justify Alex’s murder and simultaneously the only thing that will help disorientate the tv spectators (especially from abroad) from the real meaning of this revolution.
Anyway, goodbye to Alex, condolences to his family, but even more, to all of those who stand indifferent and wait for the tv program to return to normal…
Buonasera Maria e Romane
My comments to these destruction are many.Everything in our country have been demolished.Probably the cause of all these is the incapacity of our government to act.Meaning that they have done nothing for this country.People except many things and didn’t got nothing.Our economy go through difficult situation.Billion of euro had been spent from our politician to make their bellies bigger and their pockets heavier.At the same time families survive with low salaries and huge accounts.Ministers like Vouglarakis,Magginas etc,have gigantic bank accounts and live as kings .Of course in order to do that they steal the fonts from Europe that given for education ,agriculture ,economy,isurance.In the last 5 years Greece lived very difficult.It make sense these reaction from the people .Our people indignant.The depts are very heavy and our country can stand no more.We need change and need it right how
YK: Maria tuo amico sono pazzo .Ma che fa il uomo, non ne paura dei terroristi,non so.Ahh
per ieri ma che cosa era la secreteria telefona a me la sera per annullamento la classe.La notte avuto di telefono alla secreteria per completano.Finalle le lessione sara.
Hi Romanis and Kostis…thanks very much for your comments. It is a difficult situation for you. One thing that has encouraged me is to see so many young people prepared to go to the streets and protest and not just accept their situation.
Sadly in much of the English speaking press the protests are presented just as the actions of a small minority of anarchists. there have been very limited attempts to explain why the protests are happening. the more the voices of students are heard, the more such understanding may grow.
I also think it is important on an education based web site like this one, that we understand not just technology but how the social and political issues that young people are engaged in. For me learning is not just absorbing knowledge or adapting to our environment, but the ability to co-shape and change our environments, be that in school, in the workplace or in wider social spheres.
Thanks a lot, Graham! I appreciate your comments and your overall contribution and interest. I’m not sure if many people understand, but it’s crucial that we explain the world and clarify the situation. I can’t say we did not expect that the media around the globe would try to present the riots as the destruction-aimed action of a group of anarchists-terrorists. When a disruption similar to ours breaks out, governments, through their mouthpieces(radio,tv,newspapers) garble the situation intentionally to convince people that the culprit is some marginal minority.
Anyway, this is not the case here. What kind of a minority can that be, when riots and demonstrations are organized across Greece, even in small towns, just like the one I’m coming from?
I also agree to the last part of your comment and especially on our obligation to take part in the evolution of our societies and environments.
Thank you, finally, for providing us with the opportunity to express our feelings and thoughts and especially to communicate them to a well-educated audience, who can transmit the information to even more individuals, as well as families and classrooms all around Europe..