Greece: Nationwide Protests on Saturday 6th of September
A series of mobilizations were called for this Saturday 6 of September. The Communist Party of Greece (marxist-leninist) [KKE (m-l)] called to take to the streets and protest against the “Tempi” politics.
The Tempi massacre, where 57 people died in a train collision on February 28, 2023 have after two years of impunity, made millions of Greeks take to the streets, making it one of the biggest mobilizations in the last years in Greece. Massive marches took place and fierce clashes between protesters and the repressive forces were witnessed in Athens. Among the participants the presence of KKE (m-l) in many cities of the country stood out. We published a report with many pictures and videos of these protests:
Now, after two and a half years, the KKE (m-l) reports that “2.5 years after the crime, the system of dependence and exploitation continues to commit crimes against our lives! And it uses all its mechanisms to legitimize it.
With express procedures, the state, judicial mechanisms, and the media, closed the investigative process for Tempi, bypassing even the results of the analyses of the General State Chemistry Laboratory, and ended up “confirming” the government propaganda of the entire previous period.” [Translator’s note: this excerpt as all the others that we will quote, are unofficially translated by us].
The KKE (m-l) link this protest not only to the impunity of the Tempi massacre, but also to other policies which are “bringing Tempi back to their lives and work”. The KKE (m-l) points out several anti-people’s policies carried out by the current government:
“1) The new anti-labor bill that is coming up for vote in the near future, which circumvents the 8-hour workday and imposes a 13-hour workday.
2) The widespread impoverishment of the people. Wages are not even enough to live on, while the cost of living has skyrocketed.
3) The right to free healthcare, education and studies being violated.
4) The imposing of a harsh, terroristic, idiosyncratic framework on public sector workers, which imposes silencing, persecution and dismissals on people who struggle.
5) war becoming a daily occurrence and possibility. With all states preparing for it.
6) Palestine bleeding and being massacred, while the government provides all kinds of facilities to the murderous state of Israel.”
All in all, there are many measures against the people and the working class in Greece. A point of special importance is the new anti-labor law, which is extensively explained by the KKE (m-l) and has sparked concerns due to the allowing of working up to 13 hours per day, as legal overtime is increased to 4 hours per day, and it being enforced as mandatory, among many other measures.
On Saturday 6 of September many protests across the country erupted:
Thousands gathered in Syntagma Square in Athens, protesting against the impunity in the massacre of Tempi and against the exploitative system, State and administrators. Even tough the call was made two days before the mobilization, the call was successful and the square was completely filled by protesters. Among the protesters there was a KKE (m-l) bloc. Antigeitnonies reports that there was heavy police presence, and they, despite many arrests made after the end of the speeches in the rally, were not able to disperse the mobilization.
A massive march took place in Thessaloniki against the “International Fair”, an event used by the government to try to spread their propaganda and defend their anti-people’s measures.
Antigeitonies reports that “Anti-government and anti-imperialist slogans were shouted, the policies of class collaboration promoted by the reformist forces were denounced and the direction of resistance and assertion, of confrontation with the system and its forces, was put forward as the only real and promising valid one for the interests of the working class, the workers, the youth, and our people.” There was a strong pro-Palestine presence which joined forces with the protest and put forward the protest against the massacres and genocide perpetrated by the State of Israel.
More than 7,000 people filled the streets of Patra, where the KKE (m-l) organized a bloc and distributing leaflets massively:
Other cities such as Igoumenitsa or Herakleion witnessed mobilizations were KKE (m-l) bloc were seen:
The website Antigeitonies is the source of all the pictures used in this article.
