Well, I’m back in cold and wet Seattle now! I flew in from Athens to Portland, Oregon last Friday and went straight for the coast to attend the birthday party of a very dear friend. I have to admit, there is a certain cachet in dropping into a weekend beach party direct from Athens … it’s kind of fun to cause a little buzz among your friends by being a bit of a globe trotter. Anyway, suffice to say that it has taken me a couple of days to settle down and I am now feeling a bit more stable and able to dig into what’s next.
As most of you know, this was my third trip to Athens for the December 6th anniversary of the death of Alexi Grigoropoulos and Athens had a very different feel this year … on the surface everything seems normal: the streets are decorated for the holidays, people sitting and talking in cafes and traffic is insane. However, to me there was a subdued and slightly apprehensive tone underlying everything, as if on a sunny day there are some dark clouds out on the horizon and you are not quite sure if you are going to have to pack up your picnic and run for it; or not.
In past years, the December 6th anniversary has been a pretty big event with major demonstrations that end in violent clashes with the police. This year, the demonstrations were much smaller and the police purposely stayed well back which gave the more extreme factions few targets to vent their wrath on.
I will cover more of this dynamic and my personal take on the background of what is happening in Greece in the final publication.
And on that note, I am preparing an email blast to go out in a little bit with an update on the project as to where things stand and what the next steps are. If you are not already subscribed, click here to subscribe to the mailing list …
All the photos, writing and links to other material from Athens will come out in a single “magazine” style package towards the end of next month. Stay tuned here for the link, or join the mailing list and get the info directly!
A protestor hurls a stone at police in front of the parliament building in Athens, Greece on December 6th, 2011.
Update from Athens
6-December-2011 by David
Today is the big day in Athens and no one is really sure what is going to happen today. In 2009 and 2010 the demonstrations to commemorate the death of Alexis Grigoropoulos turned very violent very quickly. Everyone I have spoken with is unsure what will go down today. There are two main protests planned for the day, one at 12 PM and one at 6 PM. More than likely the 6 PM demonstration will devolve into violent confrontation.
Earlier this year, the Greek Parliament changed the law of “University Asylum” which barred all police and military from entering any building or campus of any university, without the express permission from the Rectors. This law created a condition where the more violent and extreme protestors could seek safe haven in the various university campuses around central Athens, thus prolonging the engagements with the police. Now that the law has been repealed, the circumstances and tactics of both the protestors and police will have to shift and and no one is really sure what that will mean in terms of the violence and length of any engagement.
I should be careful and not give the impression that the entire city of Athens is teaming with anarchists and nihilist smashing and burning everything insight! Urban Athens hosts over 3 million people, spread out over an area of 412 km2 (159 sq mi) and the vast majority of Athenians are workaday kind of folks. There are many political parties and activits of every stripe and only a fraction of a percentage are extreme in their actions.
That said, there is a general animosity towards the police who are seen as the instrument of a corrupt government and so displays of aggression towards police are largely tolerated among the citizenry … which of course has the effect of creating an “us vs. them” attitude among the police, further fueling the fires.
Since arriving this year there has been a noticeable lack of verve in the Athenians I have encountered. Speaking with my contacts here, they have all noticed similar. My personal pet theory is that the resignation of the former Prime Minister, Georgios Papandreou, has done a lot to depressurize the overall situation. Even though many see the new, interim Prime Minister, Lucas Papademos, as a tool of the European Union and the bankers who are holding all the Greek debt, it seems as if many Greeks are willing to give him a chance, until the next election in February. Papademos has a “no drama” air about him and seems serious about solving the complex problems Greece is facing. Papandreou was very much a lightning rod for all that was perceived as wrong and corrupt about Greek politics, even though as an individual he is a serious and dedicated man.
As well, there is a real fear in Europe now that the Euro and the common market may fail, which would have disastrous global consequences. While several other countries European countries are also experiencing serious debt issues, it is Greece which has been the prime source of crisis and there is now talk that Greece may have to leave the Euro and return to the drachma … a circumstance which no one can foresee the consequences. This fear, of loosing the Euro, I think has also caused a lot of uncertainty among the Greeks and that may take some of the force and violence out of what are normally combative situations.
So, the day is upon us and I will tweet and facebook as I can during the day. Follow along here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bror00
Hastags: #Athens #Greece #Exarcheia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.mark.erickson.photography
See you on the streets!
Posted in commentary, news | Tagged Alexis Grigoropoulos, Athens, demonstrations, Exarcheia, Greece, Occupy, OWS, police, riots | Leave a Comment »