The impending fire sale of historic treasures of the people of Greece to pay the billionaires bar bill at Club Euro has infuriated a broad cross section of the Greek people. People from as far away as the outer isles of Greece are converging at Syntagma square in front of the Greek Parliament to protest tomorrow and Wednesday.
The Greek government's plans to surrender the Palace of Corfu (Image: tourist's photo in public domain) to German bankers has infuriated the well to do as well as the working class.
Spiros Avramiotis. a local olive oil producer is furious at the idea of losing one of Corfu’s prime locations and angrily stated. “We have to stand up and send a message to the politicians in Athens that Corfu is not for sale, not one inch of it. Full stop.” He added, “Greece may be on the verge of bankruptcy, but surely it’s not a good idea to sell off the family silver,” a belief that is held by a great number of citizens in Greece.
Behind Spiros Avramiotis stands hoardes of islanders who are preparing to join mainland workers in protests against the government in their bid to raise €50 billion from the auctioning of state assets. The Palace is one of several state-owned properties said to be up for sale. Other locations are beaches, casinos, airports and marinas around Greece.
While the people of Europe dreamed of a peaceful united Europe with no more wars, the financiers, bankers and economists were working behind the scenes to put neoliberal economic principles that would be enforced by an unelected elite of technocrats ahead of democracy. Economic integration without political integration has opened the opportunity for the rich European financiers and bankers to use other peoples' money to buy up public assets at shock doctrine prices.
Only the common people stand in the way of the looting of Greece. The politicians have been bought off by the rich. Huge revenue streams of wealthy Greeks in shipping are protected in offshore tax havens. Austerity won't hurt them. There's always Monaco.
Austerity is like digging yourself out of a hole.
But the Greek people refuse to pick up the shovels.
They have declared a 2 day general strike to stop austerity and the looting of Greek treasures.
Two days like no other (either we make history, or we become history)
And it’s come down to this. The absolute stand-off. As of Tuesday morning, in a few hours, our humble tent camp in Syntagma square will be the frontline of the people’s struggle against power, against the bloodthirsty plexus of capital and state eating away our lives.
Talking heads on TV sets don’t seem to be listening to their own voices anymore. Like talentless actors on stage without a script, they mumble out what they guess would be the appropriate propaganda. But in their expressions, in their awkward hand signals you can see the certainty past has gone. It’s evaporated. The crescendo is only a few notes away; they know so and they wait around hopelessly, it seems, for the inevitable to come. ....
Out in the streets, the feeling is almost frighteningly exhilarating. The days when people would try veil their shame for their condition are long past. In Syntagma, day after day, assembly after assembly, someone will invariable take the microphone, hands shaking, and gazes flooded with lust for revenge. The teacher telling stories of her pupils asking her for food and of them losing focus in class from malnutrition. The endless array of unemployed, choking angry words; the girl who promised to fight for her friends who migrated already. The group of friends who had migrated themselves, but came back to Syntagma for a last fight.
All of us who came to take revenge for the lives they want to steal away from us. For our sisters and brothers rotting away in the cells of the democratic regime. For our migrant sisters and brothers, insulted, chased, stabbed in the dark corners of the city. For the helplessness of the teacher in seeing their pupils starve, for everyone’s helplessness in seeing and hearing a cataclysm of stories this. For the dignified silence of the old man, placard hanging from his neck, writing about the second Occupation he now lives through. For all these people, with all these people, we’ll take to the streets, once again.
48 hours on the streets-The whole of Greece at Syntagma Square: Our meetings to protest are on 28 and 29 June.
We are now only a few hours from the 48-hour nationwide mobilization of 28 and 29 June. Everything indicates that the 48-hour General Strike could form part of a nationwide uprising that would ultimately bury the notorious Medium Term Austerity Programme. This struggle is not only critical for our future, but also a beacon of hope for all the peoples of the world who want to take their lives into their own hands. The demonstration at Syntagma Square marks the beginning of a new direction.
On June 28 at 9:00 am we are gathering at Syntagma Square to protest and wait for the strike protesters to join us. At 6:00 pm a big popular concert will begin, which will last until late at night.
On June 29 we will coordinate all our forces in order to completely surround the Parliament. The People’s Assemblies from the northern suburbs will meet at 8:00 am at the Evangelismos metro station. Amongst others, the People’s Assemblies of Agia Paraskevi, Halandri, Holargos, Papagos, Zografos, Glyka Nera, Pallini, Galatsi, Maroussi, Heraklion, N. Ionia, Patisia, N. Philadelphia, Gizi, Piraeus and Ambelokipi-Erythros Stavros-Polygono will be there. The People’s Assemblies from the southern and eastern suburbs will gather at 8:00 am at Panathinaiko Stadium. These include, amongst others, the People’s Assemblies of N. Smyrni, Byron, Agios Dimitrios, Voula-Vari, Neos Kosmos, Petralona-Thissio-Koukaki and Hellenicon. The People’s Assemblies from the western suburbs are gathering at Syntagma Square (Amalias Street & V. Sofias Street). These include, amongst others, the People’s Assemblies of Petroupoli, Egaleo, Peristeri, Haidari and Ag. Anargyri-Kamatero. The primary unions and People’s Assemblies from all over Greece, are also gathering at various spots.
Accommodation for the people coming from across the country has been organized.
For all the people who, for whatever reason, can not be on foot at blockades, it is very important that you help the encirclement of the Parliament by participating in a peaceful traffic demonstration starting at 8am: several hundred cars running continuously at speeds of 10-20 kph on Kifissias Street, Mesogion Street and Michalakopoulou Street returning from alternative routes whenever the police divert them will create a huge difficulty for the Members of the Parliament to access the House.
Once again, just as we have done ever since May 25, we insist that the character of our struggle be massive and decisive. We call upon everyone to respect and guard our decision.
We warn the government and the commissioners of the troika to not even consider the possibility that repression can break our resistance.
To Mr. Pangalos’ dilemma "Mid-term Programme or tanks", we answer: "the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Be proud of your grandfather!"
We are not leaving unless they and their dilemmas leave first!
The squares belong to us. We have the right on our side. We assert the obvious:
FREEDOM-JUSTICE-DIGNITY!
Faith in our powers. It is us or them!
We are condemned to victory! The Mid-term Programme SHALL NOT PASS!
Direct Democracy Now!
The People’s Assembly of Syntagma Square, 26 June 2011
Moment of responsibility for all and especially those that stand in the way of the will of the people.
We call on the officers and mainly the simple employees of the Greek Police, this time, to respect the will of the people and their constitutionally patented popular sovereignty.
We warn them not to even think of applying illegal commands issued by a deposed government, that has shredded the Greek constitution, and has delivered our country to the Troika, the IMF and the world financial-banking system.
They should not dare, under any circumstance, to obstruct the people from protecting the constitution, as it is defined by its last article, in order to avert the sell out of Greece.
Otherwise, every police officer bears personal responsibility for his/her stance and behavior and he/she will suffer the consequences of his/her actions, as will the politicians that command him, that have delivered the country to foreign centers of power with loan agreements, memoranda and Μedium Term Austerity Programs. It’s the last big opportunity for the greek police and policemen and women, and we hope that many of them will act conscientiously and cross over to the side of the people.
The People’s Assembly of Syntagma Square-June 23rd, 2011