[P2P-F] Fwd: Reuters on Greece

Sat Oct 29 04:43:32 CEST 2011

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: George Papanikolaou <georgepapani at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 10:45 PM
Subject: Reuters
To: Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>

Protesters disrupt Greece parade / Reuters

Last Updated: Friday, October 28, 2011, 14:29

Greeks protesting against austerity measures blocked a major national parade
to commemorate the country's resistance to Italy in  second World War today
forcing president Karolos Papoulias and other officials to leave.

The protest in Thessaloniki, echoed across Greece including in Athens where
marchers held black ribbons, showed the depth of anger at the higher taxes
and cuts to pay and pensions demanded by international lenders to help avert
a debt default.

The annual military parade in the northern city commemorates Greece's
rejection of Italy's ultimatum to surrender in 1940. It was the first time
it had been cancelled.

"The Greek people are fighting a big battle, they also fought one many years
ago today ... We must unite to overcome the crisis," said Mr Papoulias,
adding that he had fought the Germans as a 15-year-old boy. "So who is a
traitor? They should be ashamed!"

"I came to honour this historic city. There are some who want to prevent
this celebration. I am very sorry," said Mr Papoulias (82) appealing for
unity in the face of the country's economic plight.

Austerity measures demanded under an EU-IMF bailout of Greece have helped
push its economy into its worst recession in four decades, driving
unemployment to record levels about 16 per cent.

Incidents marred parades and celebrations in towns and cities throughout
Greece, held to commemorate the day when prime minister Ioannis Metaxas
rejected an ultimatum by Italy's leader Benito Mussolini to allow deployment
of Italian troops in Greece.

The national holiday known as Ohi Day, or "No Day" in Greek, is one of the
most important in Greece's national calendar.

In Athens, students paraded in front of government officials with raised
fists holding black ribbons as a sign of dissent at the austerity measures
adopted by prime minister George Papandreou's government.

The municipal band also marched with black ribbons tied to their instruments
and stopped playing when it reached the official podium where education
minister Anna Diamantopoulou was standing.

Some small groups of protesters scuffled with police and also shouted
"thieves" and "traitors" at officials, but there was no repeat of the
widespread rioting seen during last week's 48-hour general strike to protest
at the latest round of EU-IMF mandated austerity measures.

Despite a deal clinched at an EU summit this week to halve the value of
Greece's €200 billion debt in the hands of private bondholders, many Greeks
are deeply resentful of what they see as German-led meddling in their
affairs.

The leader of Greece's conservative main opposition party, New Democracy,
blamed the government's policies for sparking social unrest but he condemned
the marring of a day of national celebration. "Those who are glad to have
ruined our national holiday must know they have injured our national pride.
They have insulted the memory of our heroes," Antonis Samaras said in a
statement. "They should not confuse our national symbols and our history
with a catastrophic government."

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