| Revision as of 23:36, 17 November 2006 editSpylab (talk | contribs)Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers25,139 edits →Illegal activities: deleted repetitive sentence← Previous edit | Revision as of 09:34, 18 November 2006 edit undoMitsos (talk | contribs)2,569 edits rv the article is very carefully sourced. Spylab, please use the talk pageNext edit → | ||
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| ==History== | ==History== | ||
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| In December 1980, Nikolaos Michaloliakos and a group of devotees started publishing the ''Hrisi Avgi'' magazine. Michaloliakos was known for assaulting journalists covering the 1976 trial of Mallios, a police officer who was later convicted for torturing prisoners during the ]. Michaloliakos was arrested for this, but was let go due to technical issues related to his arrest. He was arrested again in 1978 as a member of a far-right extremist group, and sentenced to one year imprisonment in 1979 for illegally carrying guns and explosives. <ref name="IosHist"> by the Iospress journalist team of ].</ref> | In December 1980, ] and a group of devotees started publishing the ''Hrisi Avgi'' magazine. Michaloliakos was known for assaulting journalists covering the 1976 trial of Mallios, a police officer who was later convicted for torturing prisoners during the ]. Michaloliakos was arrested for this, but was let go due to technical issues related to his arrest. He was arrested again in 1978 as a member of a far-right extremist group, and sentenced to one year imprisonment in 1979 for illegally carrying guns and explosives. <ref name="IosHist"> by the Iospress journalist team of ].</ref> | ||
| During this period, Michaloliakos laid the foundations of the Hrisi Avgi party. The characteristics of the magazine and the party were clearly ]. The magazine described the ] as the "Great Ideological War" — and at its constitutional charte, the newly formed party stated that Hrisi Avgi is "convinced that the truth and the right at the Great Ideological War lay with the party that was eventually defeated", and that the party is "trying to reveal the true nature of National Socialism despite the defamation and lies with which the winners of the war covered it".<ref name="IosHist"/> | During this period, Michaloliakos laid the foundations of the Hrisi Avgi party. The characteristics of the magazine and the party were clearly ]. The magazine described the ] as the "Great Ideological War" — and at its constitutional charte, the newly formed party stated that Hrisi Avgi is "convinced that the truth and the right at the Great Ideological War lay with the party that was eventually defeated", and that the party is "trying to reveal the true nature of National Socialism despite the defamation and lies with which the winners of the war covered it".<ref name="IosHist"/> | ||
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| ===From 1992 onwards=== | ===From 1992 onwards=== | ||
| After the events of 1991 and 1992, Hrisi Avgi had gained a stable membership of more than 200 members, and Giannopoulos rose in importance within the party hierarchy.{{fact}} In April 1996, Giannopoulos was the speaker on behalf of the party at a pan-European convention of nationalist parties in Moscow, where he presented ] with a bust of ] for his birthday.{{fact}} In October 1997, he published an article in Hrisi Avgi newspaper calling for nationalist vigilantism against illegal immigrants and leftists.<ref name="IosGiannopoulos"> by Eleftherotypia, contains parts of Giannopoulos' article.</ref> | After the events of 1991 and 1992, Hrisi Avgi had gained a stable membership of more than 200 members, and Giannopoulos rose in importance within the party hierarchy.{{fact}} In April 1996, Giannopoulos was the speaker on behalf of the party at a pan-European convention of nationalist parties in Moscow, where he presented ] with a bust of ] for his birthday.{{fact}} In October 1997, he published an article in Hrisi Avgi newspaper calling for nationalist vigilantism against illegal immigrants and leftists.<ref name="IosGiannopoulos"> by Eleftherotypia, contains parts of Giannopoulos' article.</ref> A year later, another prominent party member, ], known as ''Periandros'', assaulted the student ]. | ||
| ⚫ | ].]] | ||
| A few members of Hrisi Avgi took part in the ] in 1995 as members of the Greek Volunteer Guard (GVG), which was part of the Drina Corps of the ]. A few GVG volunteers were present in ] during the ], and raised a Greek flag at a ruined church after the fall of the town.<ref name="Michas">Michas, Takis;"Unholy Alliance", Texas A&M University Press: Eastern European Studies (College Station, Tex.) pp. 22 </ref> | A few members of Hrisi Avgi took part in the ] in 1995 as members of the Greek Volunteer Guard (GVG), which was part of the Drina Corps of the ]. A few GVG volunteers were present in ] during the ], and raised a Greek flag at a ruined church after the fall of the town.<ref name="Michas">Michas, Takis;"Unholy Alliance", Texas A&M University Press: Eastern European Studies (College Station, Tex.) pp. 22 </ref> | ||
| ⚫ | It is not clear whether the GVG participated in the massacres or not. Spiros Tzanopoulos, a GVG sargeant who took part in the attack against Srebrenica stated: "Myself, as well as many other Greek volunteers, belong to a particular political formation, we belong to Hrisi Avgi and that was the main reason we went up there".<ref name="srebr"> by Eleftherotypia.</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | ].]] | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | It is not clear whether the GVG participated in the massacres or not. Spiros Tzanopoulos, a GVG sargeant who took part in the attack against Srebrenica stated: "Myself, as well as many other Greek volunteers, belong to a particular political formation, we belong to Hrisi Avgi and that was the main reason we went up there".<ref name="srebr"> by Eleftherotypia.</ref> The cover of the June 2, 1995 issue of the party's newspaper featured the activities of its members alongside the ], and the July 28, 1995 issue quotes a GVG volunteer as saying Hrisi Avgi was represented more than any other organisation or party at the GVG.<ref name="srebr"/>. | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Members of Hrisi Avgi participating in the GVG were decorated by ], however according to former Hrisi Avgi member Charis Kousoumbris, those that were decorated later left Hrisi Avgi.<ref name="srebr"/> | ||
| ⚫ | The assault on Kousouris in 1998 brought mainstream media attention to Hrisi Avgi. This, along with internal conflicts led some of its most extremist elements, such as Giannopoulos, to gradually fade from official party affairs.<ref name="IosHist"/> The party continued participating in the far-right edge of the political spectrum, holding rallies and marches. | ||
| Hrisi Avgi participated in the ] under an electoral alliance with the ] party of Kostas Plevris, gaining 48,532 votes nationwide; 0.75% of the total votes.{{fact}} During a 2005 ] in Athens, the party distributed fliers with ] messages.<ref name="gayParade2006"> by ]</ref> | Hrisi Avgi participated in the ] under an electoral alliance with the ] party of Kostas Plevris, gaining 48,532 votes nationwide; 0.75% of the total votes.{{fact}} During a 2005 ] in Athens, the party distributed fliers with ] messages.<ref name="gayParade2006"> by ]</ref> | ||
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| Later the same day, members of Hrisi Avgi tried to protest by gathering inside the building of ], a state-owned television channel. They tried to stop normal broadcasting. <ref name="Thessalia"> by newspaper Thessalia</ref> The police surrounded the building and arrested 48 people. <ref name="48arrested"> from the ENF website</ref> They were found guilty of carrying arms (Greek flags according to Hrisi Avgi), and were fined €500.<ref name="HApress"> (in Greek)</ref> | Later the same day, members of Hrisi Avgi tried to protest by gathering inside the building of ], a state-owned television channel. They tried to stop normal broadcasting. <ref name="Thessalia"> by newspaper Thessalia</ref> The police surrounded the building and arrested 48 people. <ref name="48arrested"> from the ENF website</ref> They were found guilty of carrying arms (Greek flags according to Hrisi Avgi), and were fined €500.<ref name="HApress"> (in Greek)</ref> | ||
| ===Galazia Stratia=== | ===Galazia Stratia=== | ||
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| In January 1998 ]'s vocalist, Alexis Kalofolias, was attacked by members of Hrisi Avgi<ref name="Ios1.2.1998"/> According an article about Hrisi Avgi by the lifestyle magazine ''KLIK'', Kalofolias suffered permanent damage to his right eye, losing 2% of his eyesight. <ref name="KLIK">(in Greek)</ref> | In January 1998 ]'s vocalist, Alexis Kalofolias, was attacked by members of Hrisi Avgi<ref name="Ios1.2.1998"/> According an article about Hrisi Avgi by the lifestyle magazine ''KLIK'', Kalofolias suffered permanent damage to his right eye, losing 2% of his eyesight. <ref name="KLIK">(in Greek)</ref> | ||
| In June 1998, members of Hrisi Avgi, among them prominent member ], attacked the leftist student ] and two other leftist students. Androutsopoulos was charged with attempted murder. | |||
| In 2000 the Monastirioton ] of ], the memorial for ] victims in Thessaloniki, and the Jewish cemeteries in Thessaloniki and ] were vandalized and desecrated by unknown culprits, according to the authorities. According to anti-fascist groups, at all four sites Hrisi Avgi's symbols were present. This caused the ''KIS'', the ] <ref name="KISnews"> (in Greek). Also contains photographs of the dececrations.</ref>, the left political party ]<ref name="KISnews"/> and the ] <ref name="GHM"> (in Greek)</ref>, among others, to issue statements condemning these acts. | In 2000 the Monastirioton ] of ], the memorial for ] victims in Thessaloniki, and the Jewish cemeteries in Thessaloniki and ] were vandalized and desecrated by unknown culprits, according to the authorities. According to anti-fascist groups, at all four sites Hrisi Avgi's symbols were present. This caused the ''KIS'', the ] <ref name="KISnews"> (in Greek). Also contains photographs of the dececrations.</ref>, the left political party ]<ref name="KISnews"/> and the ] <ref name="GHM"> (in Greek)</ref>, among others, to issue statements condemning these acts. | ||
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| ==Attacks against Hrisi Avgi== | ==Attacks against Hrisi Avgi== | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Hrisi Avgi's offices have been attacked several times, by ] and ]. | |||
| ⚫ | In November 2005 |
||
| ⚫ | In November 2005 their offices were attacked by a group of anti-fascists with ]s and stones. Unknown perpetrators responded to the anti-fascists with gun-shots and two people (who testified that they were just passing by) were injured. <ref name="Ingr20.11"> from in.gr (in Greek)</ref> According to Hrisi Avgi, three suspects were arrested and set free.<ref name="XApress"> (in Greek)</ref> In the consequent investigation by the police, molotov cocktails were discovered in Hrisi Avgi's offices. <ref name="Ingr20.11"/> This attack eventually was the reason for the organization's disbandment. <ref name="Ingr"> by (in Greek)</ref> <ref name="ENF_disbandment">, ENF website</ref> | ||
| In June 2006, three young members of Hrisi Avgi were attacked and |
In June 2006, three young members of Hrisi Avgi were attacked and injured heavily by anarchists in ], ].<ref name="ENF32">, ENF website</ref> <ref name="XApress2"></ref> According to Hrisi Avgi they were attacked simply because they were wearing a t-shirt with the ]. According to the police, at least one of them was known to the authorities as he had been involved in a similar event a month earlier. In that event he had injured a policeman who had tried to stop the violence. The same person is reported by the police as a suspect in several cases of attacks against immigrants and anarchists in the area.<ref name="XApress2"></ref> After the event, he became ] for three weeks.<ref name="XApress2"></ref> Clashes between members of Hrisi Avgi and anti-fascists are not unusual. <ref name="Ingr17.09"> by in.gr</ref> | ||
| ==Allegations of connections to the Greek Police== | ==Allegations of connections to the Greek Police== | ||
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Hrisi Avgi was a Greek neo-Nazi party, espousing an anti-semitic, anti-capitalist and anti-immigrant philosophy.
"Hrisi Avgi" was also the name of a newspaper and a magazine published by that party. In Greek the name is Χρυσή Αυγή (Golden Dawn in English) —and it is sometimes transliterated differently (eg Chrysi Aygi).
Hrisi Avgi described itself as "The Popular National Movement" with the ideology of Nation-Race central to its platform. The party claimed to be comprised of "young people, workers, students, professionals, farmers, day-laborers and the unemployed."
The party's symbol was a red flag bearing a black meander pattern (Greek key) with white trim. Other symbols adopted by Hrisi Avgi members were the national emblem of Greece, the labrys and the Celtic cross.
Hrisi Avgi has been lumped in with various far right nationalist groups by its opponents, citing the fact that members of the group ran as candidates under the Front Line and later the Popular Orthodox Rally flag in several elections. However, unlike the Hellenic Front (which is more like the French Front National) and other traditionalist, patriotic and religious conservative movements, Hrisi Avgi openly espoused Nazi-like symbols and ideology, as well as putsch-style methods. The party also advocated much more radical policies in relation to immigration, irridenta and border issues.
History
In December 1980, Nikolaos Michaloliakos and a group of devotees started publishing the Hrisi Avgi magazine. Michaloliakos was known for assaulting journalists covering the 1976 trial of Mallios, a police officer who was later convicted for torturing prisoners during the Regime of the Colonels. Michaloliakos was arrested for this, but was let go due to technical issues related to his arrest. He was arrested again in 1978 as a member of a far-right extremist group, and sentenced to one year imprisonment in 1979 for illegally carrying guns and explosives.
During this period, Michaloliakos laid the foundations of the Hrisi Avgi party. The characteristics of the magazine and the party were clearly National Socialist. The magazine described the Second World War as the "Great Ideological War" — and at its constitutional charte, the newly formed party stated that Hrisi Avgi is "convinced that the truth and the right at the Great Ideological War lay with the party that was eventually defeated", and that the party is "trying to reveal the true nature of National Socialism despite the defamation and lies with which the winners of the war covered it".
According to the charte, "only Aryans in blood and Greeks in descent can be candidate members of Hrisi Avgi". The charte also said: "The Leader is unassailable and inviolete and is the supreme leader of the party. He stands above electoral procedures ... The national socialist Leader does not lie above or besides the People, he is not inside the People, he is the People itself, the People that has comprehended its historical destiny".
The charte defined a dress code and formalized the Roman salute for party members: "The national socialist salute at entering and leaving the party offices is mandatory. The salute must be given with vigour and vibrancy, never indolently or relaxed, as is behoved to the National Socialist Order". "Dress that denotes militant spirit is mandatory. As such the following are suggested: khaki or gray shirt, black or khaki jacket, combat boots or boots. The dress is complemented by a tie and a small national socialist symbol which the party member is free to chose on".
The party embraced neo-Pagan beliefs, believing them to be intermingled with National Socialism in accordance to Nazi mysticism: "Modern ideological carriers of the two religious currents are National Socialism as the ideological carrier of Paganism and Marxism and Liberalism as the ideological carriers of Judeo-Christianity"
Gaining momentum: 1991-1992
The party remained largely in the margins of far-right politics until the FYROM name dispute broke into mainstream Greek politics in 1991 and 1992. According to prominent party member Dimitrios Zaphiropoulos, "The first years of the 90s found the Greek nationalist movement at a quantitive increase never seen before, and also saw it enter the political mainstream. The agitation over national issues and the long ideological work, unseen to many, have borne fruit".
The party underwent ideological changes so as to reach into the mainstream, accepting Orthodox Christianity., Michaloliakos stated: "It is a historical truth and a certain fact that (for better or worse) after the imposition of the Christian religion in Greece, the dynamic interaction of Christianity and Hellenism (which for long functioned against the latter) led to the formation of Greek Orthodoxy".
During that period, the first major assaults against leftists and anarchists start occurring. In October 10 1992, about 30 party members attacked leftist students at the Athens University of Economics and Business. This occurred during a massive demonstration in Athens against the usage of the name Macedonia by FYROM. Around the same time, the first organized street teams appeared under Giannis Giannopoulos, a former military officer who was involved with the South African Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) during the 1980s.
From 1992 onwards
After the events of 1991 and 1992, Hrisi Avgi had gained a stable membership of more than 200 members, and Giannopoulos rose in importance within the party hierarchy. In April 1996, Giannopoulos was the speaker on behalf of the party at a pan-European convention of nationalist parties in Moscow, where he presented Vladimir Zhirinovsky with a bust of Alexander the Great for his birthday. In October 1997, he published an article in Hrisi Avgi newspaper calling for nationalist vigilantism against illegal immigrants and leftists. A year later, another prominent party member, Antonis Androutsopoulos, known as Periandros, assaulted the student Dimitris Kousouris.
A few members of Hrisi Avgi took part in the Bosnian War in 1995 as members of the Greek Volunteer Guard (GVG), which was part of the Drina Corps of the Army of Republika Srpska. A few GVG volunteers were present in Srebrenica during the Srebrenica massacre, and raised a Greek flag at a ruined church after the fall of the town.
It is not clear whether the GVG participated in the massacres or not. Spiros Tzanopoulos, a GVG sargeant who took part in the attack against Srebrenica stated: "Myself, as well as many other Greek volunteers, belong to a particular political formation, we belong to Hrisi Avgi and that was the main reason we went up there". The cover of the June 2, 1995 issue of the party's newspaper featured the activities of its members alongside the Chetniks, and the July 28, 1995 issue quotes a GVG volunteer as saying Hrisi Avgi was represented more than any other organisation or party at the GVG..
Members of Hrisi Avgi participating in the GVG were decorated by Radovan Karadžić, however according to former Hrisi Avgi member Charis Kousoumbris, those that were decorated later left Hrisi Avgi.
The assault on Kousouris in 1998 brought mainstream media attention to Hrisi Avgi. This, along with internal conflicts led some of its most extremist elements, such as Giannopoulos, to gradually fade from official party affairs. The party continued participating in the far-right edge of the political spectrum, holding rallies and marches.
Hrisi Avgi participated in the 1999 European Parliament election under an electoral alliance with the Front Line party of Kostas Plevris, gaining 48,532 votes nationwide; 0.75% of the total votes. During a 2005 gay pride parade in Athens, the party distributed fliers with homophobic messages.
Disbandment
According to the leader of the party, the organization ceased to exist after December 1, 2005, due to clashes with anti-fascists. However, its members, have been instructed to continue their activism within the Patriotic Alliance party. Despite the official disbandment of Hrisi Avgi, activities by Patriotiki Symmachia members are often attributed to Hrisi Avgi, even by themselves, creating confusion.
The newspaper and the magazine of the same name continue to be published. As of 2006, the organization's website continued to be updated, mainly to support the Patriotiki Symmachia-sponsored candidacy of Dimitrios Zaphiropoulos for the 2006 Athens municipal elections.
Ideology
In an interview with the nationalist newspaper Eleutheros Kosmos, party leader Michaloliakos stated that the members of Hrisi Avgi are "uncompromising Nationalists." He also said:
The ideology of our movement as is characteristically cited in our charter is Popular Nationalism. We believe in the Nation — the notion of the Nation first of all as a biological reality within the course of history — we believe in the grandeur and the superiority of Hellenic civilization. We want a just society that will be governed by the Worthy, and we are anti-Marxists as much as we are anti-capitalists.
Michaloliakos described Hrisi Avgi as
A movement that is firmly counter to the spirit of the French Revolution, the so-called "enlightenment", and those who generally created the industrial revolution. It is a 'revolt against the modern world', a revolution against all of the unfortunate things the industrial revolution created, which didn't have the intention of the people's welfare but rather profit.
The Who We Are section or the party's old website read:
The ideological and political character of our movement is without dispute Nationalism, but simultaneously Socialism as well. ... We campaign for a Greater Greece in a Free Europe, we campaign for the Fatherland and the People without remission and compromises.
The What We Want section of the website stated:
With only two words we believe in a New Policy, in a Policy truly National, that won't be dependent on big entrepreneurs and managers, who hold in bond the Political Parties of the establishment, that unfortunately direct the fortunes of our Nation. ... We believe in a Foreign Policy independent and proud, a Policy where Greece won't be a subordinate of America or any other foreigner..
The What We Believe section said:
Our prevalent Idea and Belief is Nation-Race. Above everything for us is Greek Blood and the National Legacy. Still yet we believe in a just State in which everyone will be equal next to the law and where the law will be held reverent by all. We campaign for the abolition of parliamentary immunity and for the prevalence of a just state and social peace in our Fatherland. We believe in a State where its rulers won't be composed of the clever who hold billions, who profligate at elections, but the genuinely Worthy and Accomplished. We believe in a new Hellenic Civilization rooted in the great and everlasting Legacy of our Race. We believe in a Hellenic Way of Life as opposed to the sordid and vulgar foreign-imported mores.
Activities
Hrisi Avgi (and the subsequent Patiotiki Symmachia) holds annual marches on January 28, in memory of the three Greek officers who died during the 1996 Imia military crisis. According to the European National Front website, the 2006 march was attended by 2,500 people.
Hrisi Avgi organized an annual rally on June 17 in Thessaloniki, in memory of Alexander The Great. The 2006 rally was attacked by police, who forced the members of Hrisi Avgi and Patriotiki Symmachia to leave the area. According to the European National Front website, the police acted without any order of the state attorney.
Later the same day, members of Hrisi Avgi tried to protest by gathering inside the building of ERT3, a state-owned television channel. They tried to stop normal broadcasting. The police surrounded the building and arrested 48 people. They were found guilty of carrying arms (Greek flags according to Hrisi Avgi), and were fined €500.
Galazia Stratia
In 2000, members of Hrisi Avgi formed the hooligan firm "Galazia Stratia" (Greek for "Blue Army"), which described itself as a "fan club of the Greek national teams." As of the party's official disbandment in 2005, Hrisi Avgi members have put most of their energy into promoting Galazia Stratia. Galazia Stratia has been involved in a series of violent acts.
Galazia Stratia has been involved in a series of acts of violence at sporting events in which the Greek national teams have competed. Galazia Stratia and Hrisi Avgi are very closely linked, using the same street address as offices. Hrisi Avgi has made no attempt to deny this, openly praising the actions of Galazia Stratia in its newspaper, and receiving back credit by the hooligan firm.
When the Greek national footbal team won the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, feverish celebrations took place all over the country. In the midst of the chaotic celebrations, Galazia Stratia attacked immigrants of various ethnicities. Later the same year, after a football mach between Greece and Albania in Tirane, in which Greece lost 2-1, Albanian hooligans set fire on a Greek flag and violence against Albanian immigrants erupted in various parts of Greece. Anti-fascists groups held Hrisi Avgi directly responsible for the attacks.
The celebrations following the success of the national basketbal team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship were also marred by violence on behalf of Galazia Stratia hooligans. A young Palestinian and an elderly Bangladeshi were severely beaten during the celebrations by members of Galazia Stratia.
Eurofest 2005
In September 2005, Hrisi Avgi attempted to organise a festival called "Eurofest 2005 - Nationalist Summer Camp" at the grounds of a Greek summer camp. The planned festival depended on the participation of the German NPD, the Italian Forza Nuova and the Romanian Noua Dreapta, as well as Spanish and American neo-Nazi groups. The festival was cancelled, largely because of the reaction of anti-fascist groups, which led the government to ban the gathering.
Illegal activities
Members of Hrisi Avgi have at times been accused of assaults against immigrants, leftists and anarchists.
In January 1998 The Last Drive's vocalist, Alexis Kalofolias, was attacked by members of Hrisi Avgi According an article about Hrisi Avgi by the lifestyle magazine KLIK, Kalofolias suffered permanent damage to his right eye, losing 2% of his eyesight.
In June 1998, members of Hrisi Avgi, among them prominent member Antonis Androutsopoulos, attacked the leftist student Dimitris Kousouris and two other leftist students. Androutsopoulos was charged with attempted murder.
In 2000 the Monastirioton synagogue of Thessaloniki, the memorial for Holocaust victims in Thessaloniki, and the Jewish cemeteries in Thessaloniki and Athens were vandalized and desecrated by unknown culprits, according to the authorities. According to anti-fascist groups, at all four sites Hrisi Avgi's symbols were present. This caused the KIS, the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece , the left political party Synaspismos and the Greek Helsinki Monitor , among others, to issue statements condemning these acts.
The Periandros case
From 1998 to September 14, 2005, when he surrendered to the authorities, Antonios Androutsopoulos, a prominent member of Hrisi Avgi better known under his alias Periandros, was on the run for the June 16, 1998 attempted murder of three leftist students, including Dimitris Kousouris.
Meanwhile, Androutsopoulos had been convicted in abstentia to four years of imprisonment, for illegal weapon possession, while the charges against him for the attempted murders were still standing.
The authorities' failure to apprehend "Periandros" for seven years raised criticisms by the media. An article on the Greek newspaper Ta Nea claimed that Periandros remained in Greece and evaded arrest owing to his connections with the police. However, in a 2004 interview, the former Minister of Public Order of PASOK, Michalis Chrysochoidis, claimed that such accusations were unfounded and blamed the inefficiency of the Greek Police instead.
Until 2005, when Androutsopoulos surrendered, it was estimated that he had evaded arrest because he had been residing in Venezuela, where he fled after charges against him were pressed. His trial began in 20 September 2006 and on 25 September, and he was convicted to 21 years in prison.
Attacks against Hrisi Avgi
Hrisi Avgi's offices have been attacked several times, by anarchists and anti-fascists.
In November 2005 their offices were attacked by a group of anti-fascists with molotov cocktails and stones. Unknown perpetrators responded to the anti-fascists with gun-shots and two people (who testified that they were just passing by) were injured. According to Hrisi Avgi, three suspects were arrested and set free. In the consequent investigation by the police, molotov cocktails were discovered in Hrisi Avgi's offices. This attack eventually was the reason for the organization's disbandment.
In June 2006, three young members of Hrisi Avgi were attacked and injured heavily by anarchists in Galatsi, Athens. According to Hrisi Avgi they were attacked simply because they were wearing a t-shirt with the Greek Flag. According to the police, at least one of them was known to the authorities as he had been involved in a similar event a month earlier. In that event he had injured a policeman who had tried to stop the violence. The same person is reported by the police as a suspect in several cases of attacks against immigrants and anarchists in the area. After the event, he became comatose for three weeks. Clashes between members of Hrisi Avgi and anti-fascists are not unusual.
Allegations of connections to the Greek Police
There have been numerous times when possible connections between the Greek Police and Hrisi Avgi have troubled the Greek media.
In 1998 in an interview to the newspaper Eleftherotypia about the Periandros case, then Minister of Public Order, Georgios Romaios, alleged the existence of "fascist elements in the Greek police", and vowed to suppress them. In a TV interview, Romaios again claimed the existence of a group inside the police, though not organized and in isolated cases.
The same year, the Iospress journalist team of Eleftherotypia published a lengthy article under the name The lower limbs of the police (Greek:"Τα κάτω άκρα της αστυνομίας") , in which various indications of such connections were presented. In the same article, then PASOK MP, Paraskevas Paraskevopoulos was quoted from a speech at the Hellenic Parliament referring to a riot caused by far right extremists in Thessaloniki in 30/10/97: "In Thessaloniki it is widely discussed that far-right organisations are active in the security forces. Members of such organisations were the planners and chief executioners of the riot and nobody was arrested. A Special Forces officer, speaking at a briefing of Special Forces policemen that where to be on duty that day, told the policemen not to arrest anyone because the rioters were not enemies and threatened that should this be overlooked there would be penalties. How is the minister of Public Order planning to deal with this?" The article also referred to conflicting statements by the PASOK government's government spokesman Dimitris Reppas strongly denying any such connections.
Before the surrender of Androutsopoulos, an article by the newspaper Ta Nea claimed that the group had close relationships with some parts of the Greek police force. In relation to the "Periandros case", the article reported the opinion of an unspecified police officer that "half the force wanted Periandros arrested and the other half didn't". The article also claimed knowledge of a confidential internal police investigation which concluded that :
- The group had very good relations and contacts with officers of the force -on and off duty- as well as with common policemen.
- The police provided the group with batons and radio communications equipment during mass demonstrations, mainly during celebrations of the Athens Polytechnic uprising and during rallies by leftist and anarchist groups so as to provoke riots.
- The connections of the group with the force as well as the connections of "Periandros" himself largely delayed his arrest.
- The brother of "Periandros", also a member of Hrisi Avgi, was a security escort of an unnamed New Democracy MP.
- Most Hrisi Avgi members were illegally carrying weapons.
The newspaper produced a single photograph of a typewritten paragraph with no identifiable insignia as evidence for the secret investigation in question. In the article, the then Minister of Public Order, Michalis Chrysochoidis, to whom the alleged investigation was addressed, responded that he did not recollect such a probe. Chrysochoidis also denied accusations about far-right connections within the police stalling the arrest of Periandros, reminding journalists that leftist terrorist groups such as the Revolutionary Organization 17 November similarly evaded the police for decades. In both cases, he attributed the failures to "stupidity and incompetence" on behalf of the force.
Hrisi Avgi claims that rumours about the organization having connections to the Greek Police and the government can't be true, because the Police has attacked Hrisi Avgi's rallies and arrested some it's members many times, during the time the conservative party of New Democracy was ruling the country (for example, during the rally in Thessaloniki, in June 2006 and in the rally for the anniversary of the Pontian Greek Genocide, in Athens, again in 2006).
Notes and references
- ^ From the old website of Hrisi Avgi Cite error: The named reference "oldsite" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ 2/07/1998 article by the Iospress journalist team of Eleftherotypia.
- "Our ideology: God Religion" ("Η ιδεολογία μας: Θεός-θρησκεία"), Hrisi Avgi's newspaper, issue 57, October 1990
- Hrisi Avgi's newspaper, 25/7/97
- 18/6/2000 article by Eleftherotypia's Iospress
- "Proposals for a New Policy" ("Προτάσεις για μια Νέα Πολιτική"), Nikolaos Michaloliakos, 1992
- 27/9/1998 article by Iospress.
- article by Eleftherotypia, contains parts of Giannopoulos' article.
- Michas, Takis;"Unholy Alliance", Texas A&M University Press: Eastern European Studies (College Station, Tex.) pp. 22
- ^ 16/07/2005 article by Eleftherotypia.
- 27/06/2005 article by Eleftherotypia
- ^ 01/12/05 article by www.in.gr (in Greek)
- ^ Golden Dawn stops their activities, ENF website
- 06/08/06 interview of Patriotiki Symmachia's municipal candidate posted 9 months after H.A.'s disbandment
- ENF gathers in Athens from the European National Front website.
- ^ 48 Greek nationalists arrested from the ENF website
- 18/6/06 article by newspaper Thessalia
- Hrisi Avgi's press release (in Greek)
- ^ 10/9/2006 article by Eleftherotypia
- Nazis dressed up as fans, Eleftherotypia 1/12/2001
- Galazia Stratia thanking Hrisi Avgi for the support
- A-Infos: Greece, Anarchist block at antiracist demo in Athens
- ^ Iospress article about attacks by the H.A. (in Greek)
- Article by the magazine KLIK(in Greek)
- ^ Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece press release (in Greek). Also contains photographs of the dececrations.
- Greek Helsinki Monitor press release (in Greek)
- ^ 17/04/2004 article by Ta Nea (in Greek)
- 14/09/2005 article by Kathimerini
- 14/09/2005 article by Eleftherotypia (in Greek)
- 27/04/2004 article by Kathimerini (in Greek)
- 14/09/2005 article by Kathimerini (in Greek)
- 25/09/06 article by in.gr (in Greek)
- ^ 20/11/05 article from in.gr (in Greek)
- ^ Hrisi Avgi press release (in Greek)
- Assassination attempt against 3 young nationalists in Athens, ENF website
- ^ 04/08/06 Hrisi Avgi press release
- 17/09/05 article by in.gr
- Athens News Agency: Press Review in Greek, 98-06-29
- ^ Iospress article part 3 (in Greek)
- Iospress article part 1 (in Greek)
- Image from the article of Ta Nea
See also
External links
- Template:Gr icon Official site of Hrisi Avgi
- Template:Gr icon Official site of Patriotiki Symmachia
- Template:Gr icon Official site of Hrisi Avgi's Youth Front
- Template:Gr icon Greek Far-Right website