The attack of the MAT on the peaceful demonstrators

By Manolis Kapsis

The reporter of the state-owned ERT was on the air and was reporting on the events at Syntagma, on the way to the tragedy in Tempi. While she was referring to the well-known young people at the end of (each) march who systematically engage in the sport of throwing Molotov cocktails, a protester walked past her and started shouting in a furious tone. “Lies, lies, you’re lying,” obviously embarrassing the colleague. The episode lasted a few minutes, the protester didn’t seem willing to leave and wisely the host of the show stopped the live broadcast to avoid the worst.

After all, it is fashionable to accuse journalists of lying. Andreas Mikroutsikos also said it, sealing the accusation with his prestige and I do not dare to question him. But even if it hadn’t been for what had gone before with the Tempe crash, this particular report has always bothered left-wing protesters. Many of them insist on an improbable story, that there are no incidents in the marches, that the tension is caused by the police and the MAT, who are also solely responsible for the incidents and disasters. Unless they are the ones causing the disasters. The less fanatics argue that yes, there are, of course, brainless youths, but the MAT forces (at the behest of the government, of course) take advantage of their action and react with disproportionate violence in order to undermine and break up the demonstrations.

In yesterday’s march, the story was interspersed with a video shown by Avgi where MAT police officers are seen unnecessarily (apparently) attacking a group of peaceful protesters, while another video shows a police vehicle, a crane, dragging away bins garbage collectors and the protesters who were behind them. Almost seriously injured. What other proof do we need to be convinced that it is the “cops” – as the moderate Nikos Filis would say – that are causing the incidents.

Of course, the truth is a little different.

As the colleagues of the police reporter report, the attack of the MAT on the peaceful demonstrators – at the intersection of Philellinon and Mitropoleos streets – seems unnecessary, but the reality is that the police forces spotted the young men who had sent them, hidden in the march. planted” Molotov cocktails outside the Ministry of Labor and preemptively launched an attack to disperse them. And the episode with the crane, you don’t need to be a gunpowder-smoking police editor, nor Panos Sombolos, to interpret the incident. The driver panicked, because he was in a place without police protection, the hot-blooded youths with molotov cocktails tried to trap him with the garbage cans, he was afraid that they would take him out of the vehicle and rot him in the wood or burn him alive and he took a hoe that he was in front of him to escape. He didn’t show much composure, but he was just a simple driver… He wasn’t even a policeman.

History, however, regardless of the various reports in the left media and the thoughtful analyzes on twitter – where a photo of policemen in civilian clothes and belted with fire extinguishers (sic) went viral, as evidence of the provocateurs’ actions – is instructive about the way it is treated in Greece or at least from a part of public opinion, let’s call it anti-systemic, left-wing violence.

After all, it was preceded by the comedy with Yannis Varoufakis, who, although he was attacked by well-known anti-authoritarians of the Exarchia with a heavy past, insists even today that the perpetrators of the attack are people of the night. They beat him for the marquee maybe…

Is it possible for left-handed people to beat? implies the head of MeRA25. Even if one can understand the expediency of the position of Yannis Varoufakis, who hopes in the environment of anger and indignation created by the tragedy in Tempe, to win some votes from the public of the extreme left and even flirts with his delinquency , challenging leftist violence has many followers and a long history. Moreover, to confirm the words of the former finance minister, Mr. Balafas of SYRIZA also came, to establish that the young people were not simple anti-authoritarians. They were “stunned”, he ruled. Is it possible for left-handed people to spank? apparently it is from the Security, implies Mr. Tsipras’s deputy.

It would be ridiculous to even bother arguing about the existence and participation of left-wing violence in our daily lives. One only has to look at what is happening in the universities, in the Exarchias and in all the marches in which the young anti-authoritarians participate. He just needs to remember Marfin. It is enough to remember the deputation of the rector Bourandonis. It is enough to see what happens every time the Police attempt to free the occupied buildings in Athens and the region.

This perception of left-wing violence had and has natural consequences. Among other things, it delegitimizes the action of the police, every time they intervene to restore public order. It de-coordinates the administration of Justice for the crimes that the known anti-authoritarians may be accused of, especially since in every trial that takes place, there is also a demonstration of support. (If I am not mistaken, the perpetrators of the denunciation of Rector Burandonis still remain unpunished. As for consequences from the university, it sounds like a pun). Even this Mitsotakis government, which made the restoration of the law and academic freedom and freedom of expression at the university its motto, was finally forced to back down and capitulate.

And it is one of the reasons – not the only one – that explains why the Greek state took 30 years to discover the murderers of November 17. Is it possible for leftist people to murder? Impossible, they would probably be people of the night.