Greece: 1 May to the streets and clashes. On 5 May general strike against the IMF-EU social massacre weblog
Marco Santopadre *
May Day to the streets to Greek workers took to the streets in tens of thousands, for the umpteenth time, against the government and the cuts imposed from Brussels. Approximately 50 000 people demonstrated in Athens, resulting in three different parades that have joined in Syntagma Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The largest parade in the morning he left the Polytechnic behind the white banner "The crisis pay the banks." In the square, side by side with the anarchists from the neighborhood protenienti of Exarchia, mothers with prams, workers, port, the Bangladeshi community in Athens, the Iranian Communist Workers' Party and the anti-racist. 
Participation in the event was well above expectations. "We never went to the streets in our lives - to tell a news agency and Omonia Mikis Mikaloupolos Virginia, fresh married 28 years - but now we have reached a limit beyond which we can not go and we're here." He is a computer teacher in high school by the end of March and his salary has dropped by 15%, from 1,200 to 1,030 €. "It is not over - he adds - If Parliament approves the plan, Papandreou, from May take 850 euro. "What to do? Virginia, in a study of a dental assistant is discouraged:" So of course you can not go forward. Never thought I'd get to this point, but some weeks we are really thinking of trying to emigrate. "
Another march, the first to come before Parliament, was driven by retirees, women and workers called in the piazza by Pame, the union of the Communist Party.''enough, it's time for a large popular front''he said after today's demonstration, the secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Aleka Papariga, speaking to reporters in front Parliament said that the billions the EU and the IMF''does not mean anything for greek people, which will continue to be exploited by capital.'' E'''came forward to say enough is enough! added-we no longer 'wait, we must be a great People's Front of Workers and farmers to achieve a radical reversal''of the''rotten''greek political system.
''In autumn there will be social explosion,''said Liana Kanelli Instead, members of the greek communist party (KKE). ''What you see here today is just the beginning''says Kanelli, charismatic figure of the KKE and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the party. ''In four or five months, in autumn, there will be an explosion because social workers and pensioners can not stand una riduzione del 30% dei loro redditi in un paese già ben al di sotto della media europea''. Kanelli dice che ''il debito é l'unica ricchezza del popolo greco'' e aggiunge che il Kke non vuole rinunciare all'Europa, ma invoca ''un' Europa dei popoli e non del capitale''. Il Kke, insieme agli altri gruppi della sinistra riuniti nella coalizione Syriza, si oppone al ricorso agli aiuti dell'Europa e del Fmi. ''Possiamo farcela da soli tassando il grande capitale, riducendo le spese a cominciare da quelle militari, costringendo l'Europa a pagare per il controllo delle frontiere e facendo sacrifici'' dice Kanelli assicurando che la un numero sempre maggiore dei Greci comincia a pensarla cosi'.
Rabbia e paura sono i sentimenti predominanti tra i Greci oltre la metà dei quali sono pronti a scendere in piazza a protestare se saranno approvate i nuovi tagli che si aggiungono a quelli già imposti dai socialisti al governo nei mesi scorsi. Lo rivelano sondaggi pubblicati nelle ultime ore, secondo i quali solo il 50,6% dei cittadini riconosce che il sostegno internazionale é necessario per superare la crisi. Un'inchiesta pubblicata dal settimanale Proto Thema rivela che oltre il 51% dei cittadini é pronto a scendere in piazza il prossimo 5 maggio in occasione dello sciopero generale proclamato sia nel settore pubblico sia in quello privato, se il governo approverà, come scontato, le nuove misure che ridurranno del 30% il potere di acquisto dei lavoratori e ancor di più quello pensioners. According to another survey released by the socialist newspaper To Vima, 61.8% of Greeks have felt anger for the intervention of the IMF, or fear of a severe economic downturn as a result of the measures provided against the financial crisis: wage cuts, both in public and private sectors, taxes, government jobs and freezing the pension reform. 70.5% is opposed to cuts in the private sector. The majority of Greeks, according to the survey of Proto Thema, Papandreou wants to agree to form a national unity government with other parties, all opposed the intervention of the IMF, for the good of the country.
newspapers, about the events, talking to small groups of 'anarchists' that would have hired the usual, ritual clashes with the police. But looking at the images broadcast by the media on the day today and the events of Thursday and Friday you can see very well that to participate in the fighting are not only young hoods and prepared, participating in the anarchic, but also young workers and face uncovered .
Today at 12:00, when the bulk of the three marches had already reached their final destination, a group of protesters launched a pair of powerful firecrackers against the Ministry of Finance, which stands on one side of Syntagma Square and the Police in riot gear charged them exploding tear gas canisters. A few minutes after they began an anti-capitalist busy throwing stones and other objects at police and a van Ert's state television. Another of van Ert was attacked and burned down an hour earlier outside the headquarters of the old University, Viale Vanizelos. At that point you started a confrontation that continued for about an hour, with hundreds of protesters, armed with big sticks, they first threw some incendiary bombs against the strings placed in defense of the Ministry, and then they have even loaded. Stay away from Syntagma Square from the charges of anti-riot units, demonstrators continued to throw stones and firecrackers along Venizelos Avenue, trying to lock up the cops putting across bins on fire, benches, telephone booths uprooted, torn panels at bus stops. Even the steps of the Church of St. Denis were taken to obtain a hammer to throw stones at the police.
Clashes occurred simultaneously outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also in the capital of Greece. Here too, a large group of protesters bearing red flags attacked a police post to protect the department. Meanwhile, anti-capitalist groups took a hammer to the armored windows of the Hotel Grande Bretagne, the demonstrators held the seat of the "shadow government of the plutocrats" because it houses the troika of EU, IMF and ECB with which the Government must sign a plan for cuts draconian leaving intact the privileges of the propertied classes.
Even today, as well as a few days ago, clashes have occurred, however, to the edge and as a complement to large popular demonstrations that now run through Athens and the Hellenic major cities almost daily since last fall: according to some sources, there would be some prisoners. The 5th of May all the unions have called a general strike to block the country. But analysts say it is very difficult that the square can convince Papandreou to back down. The prime minister continues to stress that there is no alternative to his plan: "It is at stake the very survival as a nation of Greece, in negotiations that Athens is pursuing with the EU and IMF aid you requested. The survival of the nation is our red line. "
The conditions imposed by the IMF and the EU to provide aid - 120 billion in three years, nine within the next May 19 in order not to end the country into default - are very hard. Aid granted in installments only after the monthly checks on the implementation of the plan will be confirmed by inspectors from the EU-IMF, will be granted in exchange for a plan for a massive cut in the deficit equal to 10% in 2010-2011 to all expense of the working class. A plan that attacks the blood and tears, especially wages, hiring freezes and introduces more flexibility as the abolition of the contract the use of arbitration for layoffs in the private sector. In addition, the retirement age will reach age 67. These measures are to € 24 billion which include an increase in VAT from 21 to 23% (this is the second increase this year), the abolition of 13th and 14th for public use, the closure of about 800 unnecessary public defined (with corresponding dismissals), privatization, the sale of state enterprises and property. A social massacre which will hit like an ax already tried the greek people. But that does not satisfy the appetites of the governments and powers that the skin of the Greeks are trying to take advantage of the economic crisis to reshape international relations power in favor of the capital of the Central Powers and the European Union. Today, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in an interview with the weekly Bild am Sonntag, has returned to warn EU partners that from now on those who break the fiscal rules will lose the right to vote in the euro area, in the name of greater stability of the single currency. "In the end, in the future will be possible to remove the right to vote, at least temporarily, to those nations that do not meet their commitments - said Merkel in a new explicit threat against Athens, but also of other countries to which it could fall ax consolidation: Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy ....
* Director
Participation in the event was well above expectations. "We never went to the streets in our lives - to tell a news agency and Omonia Mikis Mikaloupolos Virginia, fresh married 28 years - but now we have reached a limit beyond which we can not go and we're here." He is a computer teacher in high school by the end of March and his salary has dropped by 15%, from 1,200 to 1,030 €. "It is not over - he adds - If Parliament approves the plan, Papandreou, from May take 850 euro. "What to do? Virginia, in a study of a dental assistant is discouraged:" So of course you can not go forward. Never thought I'd get to this point, but some weeks we are really thinking of trying to emigrate. "
Another march, the first to come before Parliament, was driven by retirees, women and workers called in the piazza by Pame, the union of the Communist Party.''enough, it's time for a large popular front''he said after today's demonstration, the secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Aleka Papariga, speaking to reporters in front Parliament said that the billions the EU and the IMF''does not mean anything for greek people, which will continue to be exploited by capital.'' E'''came forward to say enough is enough! added-we no longer 'wait, we must be a great People's Front of Workers and farmers to achieve a radical reversal''of the''rotten''greek political system.
''In autumn there will be social explosion,''said Liana Kanelli Instead, members of the greek communist party (KKE). ''What you see here today is just the beginning''says Kanelli, charismatic figure of the KKE and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the party. ''In four or five months, in autumn, there will be an explosion because social workers and pensioners can not stand una riduzione del 30% dei loro redditi in un paese già ben al di sotto della media europea''. Kanelli dice che ''il debito é l'unica ricchezza del popolo greco'' e aggiunge che il Kke non vuole rinunciare all'Europa, ma invoca ''un' Europa dei popoli e non del capitale''. Il Kke, insieme agli altri gruppi della sinistra riuniti nella coalizione Syriza, si oppone al ricorso agli aiuti dell'Europa e del Fmi. ''Possiamo farcela da soli tassando il grande capitale, riducendo le spese a cominciare da quelle militari, costringendo l'Europa a pagare per il controllo delle frontiere e facendo sacrifici'' dice Kanelli assicurando che la un numero sempre maggiore dei Greci comincia a pensarla cosi'.
Rabbia e paura sono i sentimenti predominanti tra i Greci oltre la metà dei quali sono pronti a scendere in piazza a protestare se saranno approvate i nuovi tagli che si aggiungono a quelli già imposti dai socialisti al governo nei mesi scorsi. Lo rivelano sondaggi pubblicati nelle ultime ore, secondo i quali solo il 50,6% dei cittadini riconosce che il sostegno internazionale é necessario per superare la crisi. Un'inchiesta pubblicata dal settimanale Proto Thema rivela che oltre il 51% dei cittadini é pronto a scendere in piazza il prossimo 5 maggio in occasione dello sciopero generale proclamato sia nel settore pubblico sia in quello privato, se il governo approverà, come scontato, le nuove misure che ridurranno del 30% il potere di acquisto dei lavoratori e ancor di più quello pensioners. According to another survey released by the socialist newspaper To Vima, 61.8% of Greeks have felt anger for the intervention of the IMF, or fear of a severe economic downturn as a result of the measures provided against the financial crisis: wage cuts, both in public and private sectors, taxes, government jobs and freezing the pension reform. 70.5% is opposed to cuts in the private sector. The majority of Greeks, according to the survey of Proto Thema, Papandreou wants to agree to form a national unity government with other parties, all opposed the intervention of the IMF, for the good of the country.
newspapers, about the events, talking to small groups of 'anarchists' that would have hired the usual, ritual clashes with the police. But looking at the images broadcast by the media on the day today and the events of Thursday and Friday you can see very well that to participate in the fighting are not only young hoods and prepared, participating in the anarchic, but also young workers and face uncovered .
Today at 12:00, when the bulk of the three marches had already reached their final destination, a group of protesters launched a pair of powerful firecrackers against the Ministry of Finance, which stands on one side of Syntagma Square and the Police in riot gear charged them exploding tear gas canisters. A few minutes after they began an anti-capitalist busy throwing stones and other objects at police and a van Ert's state television. Another of van Ert was attacked and burned down an hour earlier outside the headquarters of the old University, Viale Vanizelos. At that point you started a confrontation that continued for about an hour, with hundreds of protesters, armed with big sticks, they first threw some incendiary bombs against the strings placed in defense of the Ministry, and then they have even loaded. Stay away from Syntagma Square from the charges of anti-riot units, demonstrators continued to throw stones and firecrackers along Venizelos Avenue, trying to lock up the cops putting across bins on fire, benches, telephone booths uprooted, torn panels at bus stops. Even the steps of the Church of St. Denis were taken to obtain a hammer to throw stones at the police.
Clashes occurred simultaneously outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also in the capital of Greece. Here too, a large group of protesters bearing red flags attacked a police post to protect the department. Meanwhile, anti-capitalist groups took a hammer to the armored windows of the Hotel Grande Bretagne, the demonstrators held the seat of the "shadow government of the plutocrats" because it houses the troika of EU, IMF and ECB with which the Government must sign a plan for cuts draconian leaving intact the privileges of the propertied classes.
Even today, as well as a few days ago, clashes have occurred, however, to the edge and as a complement to large popular demonstrations that now run through Athens and the Hellenic major cities almost daily since last fall: according to some sources, there would be some prisoners. The 5th of May all the unions have called a general strike to block the country. But analysts say it is very difficult that the square can convince Papandreou to back down. The prime minister continues to stress that there is no alternative to his plan: "It is at stake the very survival as a nation of Greece, in negotiations that Athens is pursuing with the EU and IMF aid you requested. The survival of the nation is our red line. "
The conditions imposed by the IMF and the EU to provide aid - 120 billion in three years, nine within the next May 19 in order not to end the country into default - are very hard. Aid granted in installments only after the monthly checks on the implementation of the plan will be confirmed by inspectors from the EU-IMF, will be granted in exchange for a plan for a massive cut in the deficit equal to 10% in 2010-2011 to all expense of the working class. A plan that attacks the blood and tears, especially wages, hiring freezes and introduces more flexibility as the abolition of the contract the use of arbitration for layoffs in the private sector. In addition, the retirement age will reach age 67. These measures are to € 24 billion which include an increase in VAT from 21 to 23% (this is the second increase this year), the abolition of 13th and 14th for public use, the closure of about 800 unnecessary public defined (with corresponding dismissals), privatization, the sale of state enterprises and property. A social massacre which will hit like an ax already tried the greek people. But that does not satisfy the appetites of the governments and powers that the skin of the Greeks are trying to take advantage of the economic crisis to reshape international relations power in favor of the capital of the Central Powers and the European Union. Today, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in an interview with the weekly Bild am Sonntag, has returned to warn EU partners that from now on those who break the fiscal rules will lose the right to vote in the euro area, in the name of greater stability of the single currency. "In the end, in the future will be possible to remove the right to vote, at least temporarily, to those nations that do not meet their commitments - said Merkel in a new explicit threat against Athens, but also of other countries to which it could fall ax consolidation: Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy ....
* Director
Radio Citta 'Aperta
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