Anti-Immigrant Sentiment In Greece Is Growing Steadily Worse
Sep. 1, 2012, 11:33 AM |
The news highlights one worrying trend in Greece — In the past year, Greece’s Golden Dawn party’s rise in popularity, along with a rise in violence against immigrants, have followed each other step by step. The stories about violence against immigrants are alarming, sometimes gruesome, and growing in number.
Golden Dawn Supporters
Golden Dawn appeals to a country hit by tough times. At one event, Golden Dawn members and supporters handed out food in front of the Parliament. There was a catch, however — they only gave out food after people showed ID cards proving they were citizens. Regardless, events like these have helped to combine their messages and in effect, soften the anti-immigration policy into the mainstream. Critics argue that these events are only a smokescreen for the more violent acts carried out by Golden Dawn members.
Golden Dawn party has handed out free food to hundreds of struggling people in central Athens, but only to Greek nationals
Op-Ed: Poll – Greece’s Golden Dawn gains support as other parties fall
Sep 2, 2012
Athens - A new political poll published in Greece shows that support for each of the main political parties has fallen since the June 17 election. The only party to make a significant gain is Golden Dawn, increasing its share of the vote from 6.92 to 8.6 percent.
The latest poll shows that support for the far-left has declined over the summer, whilst the far-right has gained support. Golden Dawn (Chrysi Avgi) has come out of nowhere to become the fourth largest political party in Greece, with a larger support base than the Democratic Left which forms part of the coalition government.
This is in spite of concerted efforts in the international press to depict Golden Dawn as neo-Nazi, while supporters view it as nationalistic rather than extreme. The party maintains the attempts to malign them are not only ridiculous slander but libelous, noting the Greek people now understand correctly that they are a Nationalistic movement. Their continued distribution of food to needy Greeks suffering under austerity measures, has gained them support, though their efforts have been criticized as they only provide food to Greek citizens.
The contrasting figures are published below (election results from Keep Talking Greece)
New Democracy June 17 election results 29.66 Current 24.8, SYRIZA 26.89 (22.8), PASOK 12.28 (9.8), Golden Dawn 6.92 (8.6 ), Independent Greeks 7.51 (6.8), Democratic Left 6.26(5.2), Communists KKE 4.50 (4.7 percent.)
Supporters of Golden Dawn clash with riot police in the Corinth. EPA Photo
Greece ‘battling’ with racism-fuelled crimes
Greece’s public order minister said that Greece was now grappling with a “new phenomenon” of racism-fuelled crimes, but insisted that sweeps against illegal migrants should expand.
Racist violence is a “new phenomenon,” the minister Nikos Dendias told Kathimerini newspaper in an interview published Sept. 2. “For the police, this ‘field’ is terra incognita [unknown land]. Racist crime is a complex issue,” he said.
As Greece struggles with a fifth year of recession, a crippling economic crisis and austerity measures, the country has recorded a rise in social tensions and racist attacks, prompting international concern. In mid-August, a young Iraqi was knifed to death in Athens by five men in a hate attack after a police sweep to clear the capital of illegal immigrants. Police have arrested thousands of undocumented immigrants in a series of sweeps, sparking protests by human rights groups.
‘Question of survival’
Dendias, who has said in the past that ridding Greece of illegal immigrants was a “question of national survival,” underlined anew the importance of expanding the sweeps to the rest of the country. He added that an evaluation of the operation would be made on Dec. 31 and will set up next steps on the issue.
thank you Brian
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