GREECE: Greeks rally against racism in Athens and call for ban on far right Golden Dawn party

Record ID: 214496

  • Title: GREECE: Greeks rally against racism in Athens and call for ban on far right Golden Dawn party
  • Date: 22nd March 2014
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (MARCH 22, 2014) (REUTERS) DEMONSTRATORS GATHERED IN ATHENS CENTRE AS PART OF PROTEST AGAINST RACISM AND FAR RIGHT GOLDEN DAWN PARTY VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CARRYING BANNERS AND COLOURFUL PLACARDS MEMBERS OF UNION OF IMMIGRANT WORKERS HOLDING BANNER READING (Greek) 'Legalize the immigrants' PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS AND PLACARDS WAVING IN AIR / PLACARDS READING (Greek) 'Out with the Neo-nazis' MORE OF IMMIGRANT WORKERS CHANTING AND WAVING PLACARDS AND BANNERS (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PRESIDENT OF MOVEMENT AGAINST RACISM AND FASCIST THREAT, "KEERFA", PETROS COSTANTINOU, SAYING: "It is time to put an end once and for all to the neo-nazis. The lawmakers of Golden Dawn that were in charge of the attack groups must be put in prison. Immigrants must be legalised - there must be an end to the racist policies that create Farmakonisi and Lampedusa (Greek and Italian islands that are gateways for immigrants into Europe)." (SOUNDBITE) (English) IMMIGRANT PROTESTER FROM ZIMBABWE, CLICK, SAYING: "We are here to demonstrate for our rights. For the immigrants." (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PROTESTER, VASSILIS SPYROPOULOS, SAYING: "We're here against racism. For brotherhood, solidarity, peace - never again fascism." VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS WITH BANNERS AND FLAGS IN PROTEST OVERHEAD VIEW OF PROTESTERS CARRYING HUGE WHITE BANNER READING (Greek) "International Day against racism and fascism' VARIOUS OF SEA OF PROTESTERS FILLING STREETS AS THEY MARCH TOWARDS PARLIAMENT MORE OF PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CARRYING HUGE WHITE BANNER IMMIGRANTS' CHILDREN HOLDING BANNER VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS PLAYING DRUMS AS THEY MARCH IMMIGRANTS FROM AFRICA MARCHING AND CARRYING BANNER READING (French) 'Legalization des tous les Immigres' MORE OF AFRICAN COMMUNITY IMMIGRANTS MARCHING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WITH BANNERS, FLAGS AND PLACARDS MARCHING IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT
  • Embargoed: 6th April 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9TSG21FKE8LRHIOFZJG7PAKUJ
  • Story Text: Some 3,000 Greeks and immigrants staged a protest in Athens on Saturday (March 22) against racism and called on the government to ban the far-right Golden Dawn party.
    The rally was organised by the activist group 'Movement Against Racism and Fascist Threat', or KEERFA, and similar actions were to planned in more that 30 cities around Europe.
    "It is time to put an end once and for all to the neo-nazis. The lawmakers of Golden Dawn that were in charge of the attack groups must be put in prison. Immigrants must be legalised - there must be an end to the racist policies that create Farmakonisi and Lampedusa (Greek and Italian islands that are gateways for immigrants into Europe)," said Petros Costantinou, president of KEERFA, referring to the drowning of immigrants seeking asylum on those two islands.
    The protesters, including students, laid off state workers, supporters of human rights groups and immigrants working and living in Greece, carried colourful banners and placards as they marched to parliament through the centre of Athens chanting: ''Fascists out of our neighbourhoods'.
    "We are here to demonstrate for our rights. For the immigrants," said Click, a female protester from Zimbabwe who has been living and working in Greece for the past two years.
    "We're here against racism. For brotherhood, solidarity, peace - never again fascism," said 29-year-old Greek protester Vassilis Spyropoulos.
    Racism has become an issue in Greece during the economic crisis and rose in the last two years resulting in a series of attacks on immigrants blamed on right wing extremists.
    Two members of Golden Dawn were killed in retaliation to the killing of a left wing rapper in 2013. Both killings sent shockwaves across the country as it struggles through difficult economic conditions that have sparked frustration.
    Nine of its 18 lawmakers, including the leader of Golden Dawn, have been charged with participating or leading a criminal organisation, part of a legal investigation by the government over criminal actions by Golden Dawn party supporters and members.
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