Greece Orders Evacuations Near Athens as Wildfires Rage

Aug 12, 2024 | Greece ordered the evacuation of hospitals and homes near Athens as wildfires spread across the area, the fire brigade said. At least five more communities were told to flee by civil protection authorities on Monday, after hundreds of people evacuated the previous day from at least eight villages. “Civil protection forces battled hard throughout the night, but despite superhuman efforts, the fire evolved rapidly,” fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. The brigade deployed 510 firefighters, 152 vehicles and 29 aircraft, he added.

Climate Change: Europe's First Heat Officer | DW Documentary

Aug 8, 2022 Eleni Myrivili has the mammoth task of ensuring the survival of Athens. As the city's newly appointed "chief heat officer," she is working on ways to prepare the Greek capital for the consequences of climate change. That's no small feat: The city has 3 million residents — and is almost unbearable in summer.

One possible solution to the heat problem dates all the way back to antiquity: Hadrian's Aqueduct, a subterranean tunnel constructed under Roman rule stretches nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) under Athens. Water from this tunnel will be used to irrigate parks across the city, creating a cool green corridor. But Eleni Myrivili's tasks are not limited to city planning. She is also responsible for providing emergency aid for people directly affected by the heat. Despite the ever-worsening situation, she has observed a worrying trend: Many people in Athens still accept the heat and climate change as fate. Can Myrivili change people's perceptions? A report by Gunnar Köhne.

Large Wildfire Damages Homes Near Athens, Evokes Memories of Last Year's Devastation | DW News

Jun 5, 2022 • Wildfires near Greece's capital Athens have forced people to evacuate their homes. They were apparently sparked by a blaze at a power station, with strong winds then fanning the flames. Authorities expressed concerns this could be a repeat of last summer, when fires devastated more than 125,000 hectares.

President Obama: Trump and I "Could Not Be More Different"

Speaking in Athens, Greece, President Obama made it clear he's a very different type of leader than President-elect Donald Trump. CBS News' Margaret Brennan has more on his comments and the purpose of the president's overseas trip.

Live: Greeks Protest Obama’s Visit to Athens

Hundreds of citizens in the Greek capital marched to the US Embassy to protest US President Barack Obama’s visit to the city. He is the first US president to visit Greece since 1999, when severe rioting greeted the arrival of Bill Clinton.

Greeks Disillusioned with Austerity Measures

It’s a year since Greek voters overwhelmingly rejected austerity, and limits were put on how much people could take out of the bank. But in that time austerity measures have increased, and controls on banking remain. Greeks say they're not just exhausted by their economic crisis, they’re disillusioned, as Al Jazeera's John Psaropoulos reports.

Greek Debt Crisis: In Athens, Scavenging from Bins Has Become a Way to Survive

THE TELEGRAPH: As the country prepares to vote on continuing austerity on Sunday, in the streets of Athens some people have already resorted to searching the rubbish bins for food to eat and scrap metal to sell

Piled high with rubbish congealing in the summer heat, municipal dustbin R21 on Athens' Sofokleous Street does not look or smell like a treasure trove.

But for Greece's growing army of dustbin scavengers, its deposits of rubbish from nearby stores and grocery shops make it a regular point of call.

"Sometimes I'll find scrap metal that I can sell, although if I see something that looks reasonably safe to eat, I'll take it," said Nikos Polonos, 55, as he sifted through R21's contents on Tuesday morning. "Other times you might find paper, cans, and bottles that you can get money for if you take them back to the shops for recycling."

But many of those who now forage in such dustbins each day are simply ordinary working people - or were, at least, until Greece's economic meltdown shot unemployment up to 25 per cent.

Mr Polonos, a quietly spoken man of 55, is typical of the new class of respectably destitute. He lost his job as a construction worker three years ago, when Greece's building boom dried up, and in the current climate, cannot see himself finding paid work in the foreseeable future.

Yet he dresses as smartly as he can in second-hand trousers and shirt, and does not see himself as any kind of vagrant. » | Colin Freeman, and Alastair Good, Athens | Tuesday, June 30, 2015

SS Songs and Antisemitism: The Week Golden Dawn Turned Openly Nazi

Golden Dawn supporters wave party and Greek national flags
during rally outside parliament on 4 June.

THE OBSERVER: Supporters of the far-right party gave Hitler salutes and sang the Horst Wessel song outside parliament last week. Helena Smith reports from Athens on how Golden Dawn has taken on a sinister new tone

It has been a bad week for democracy in Athens. All around this great Greek city, the politics of hate now lurk. On Friday I got a taste of it in the tiny Italian-style cafe I frequent off Syntagma Square.

It arrived in the form of two middle-aged men, both supporters of the neo-fascist Golden Dawn – and, by their own account, the holders of university degrees, well-travelled and well-informed. Over espressos, they began to engage in an animated discussion about all that is wrong with Greece.

The first, a self-described businessman decked out in designer suit, brogues and silk tie, blamed the country's economic collapse on malfeasance, corruption and uncontrolled immigration. "The only way to teach our filthy politicians is to bring in Golden Dawn," he trilled, his eyes locked in a fierce glare. "These gentlemen are patriots, proud Greek nationalists, and they know how to deal with the scum, the foreigners who never pay taxes, who steal our jobs, who have taken over our streets."

Dismissing charges that Golden Dawn is a criminal gang masquerading as a political group, the second – a self-described government employee – said the far right was the best response yet to the great Jewish conspiracy of an interconnected banking system that has come with globalisation. "Let's not forget all the faggots and the Jews, the wankers who control the banks, the foreigners who are behind them, who came in and fucked Greece," he insisted. "The criminals who have governed us, who have robbed us of our future, of our dreams, need a big thwack." » | Helena Smith | Saturday, June 07, 2014

Car Bomb Explodes in Athens ahead of Merkel Visit

A car explosive has detonated outside a Bank of Greece building in central Athens. The blast smashed windows in shops, but left no injuries.

Golden Dawn MP Christos Pappas Surrenders to Greek Police

THE GUARDIAN: Far-right party's parliamentary spokesman walks into police headquarters 24 hours after arrests of key members

A Greek MP said to be the second in command of the far-right Golden Dawn party has surrendered after authorities arrested the organisation's leader and other key members on charges of running a criminal gang.

Christos Pappas, the party's parliamentary spokesman and unrepentant holder of many of its most hardline views, handed himself over to police more than 24 hours after an unprecedented crackdown on the neo-fascist group began.

Appearing at Athens's central police headquarters in a taxi, the politician insisted the vehemently anti-immigrant party would "survive … the political persecution" it was being subjected to.

"I present myself voluntarily. I have nothing to hide, nothing to fear," he told reporters waiting outside the building where five other Golden Dawn MPs, including Nikos Michaloliakos, its leader, were taken into custody on Saturday. "The truth will shine. Nationalism will win. We will wage a non-stop political struggle and we will survive."

Like other members who appeared in court in handcuffs hours after their arrest, Pappas faces charges of murder, money laundering, extortion and intent to commit crimes. » | Helena Smith in Athens | Sunday, September 29, 2013

Greece Crackdown: Golden Dawn Leader Michaloliakos Charged

BBC: The leader of the far-right Golden Dawn party, Nikolaos Michaloliakos, has been formally charged with belonging to a criminal organisation.

Four more Golden Dawn MPs, a party leader in an Athens suburb and 15 other people face the same charges.

They were arrested on Saturday amid anger over the murder on 18 September of anti-racist musician, Pavlos Fyssas.

A man held for the stabbing told police he was a Golden Dawn supporter, though the party strongly denies any link.

The MPs arrested on Saturday were party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, Ilias Panayiotaros, Nikos Michos and Ioannis Lagos. It is the first time since 1974 that a party leader and MPs have been arrested.

It was an extraordinary moment to see the five MPs being escorted in handcuffs by armed police in balaclavas, BBC Athens correspondent Mark Lowen reports.

They will now return to police headquarters and are likely to be refused bail before their trial, our correspondent says.

Mr Panayiotaros told reporters before giving himself up: "Shame on them, the people will lift Golden Dawn higher." » | Saturday, September 28, 2013

Golden Dawn Leader Charged with Heading a Criminal Gang »

Anti-Fascist Fury: Protest against Golden Dawn Turns Violent in Greece

A mass anti-fascist rally has turned violent in Athens after furious protesters tried to storm the headquarters of the far-right Golden Dawn party. The anger was sparked by the murder of a left-wing rapper last week by a sympathizer of the neo-Nazi party. It's not going to be easy for the government to crack down on the neo-Nazis as we've been hearing from the author of 'The Greek Crisis in the Media'.

Athens Battlefield as Police Clash with Anti-fascist Protesters

Police have clashed with anti-fascist protesters in Athens during a rally turned violent, triggered by the murder of a musician at the hands of a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi.

Greeks Take to the Streets over Teenager's Death

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hundreds protested in Athens on Friday to vent their anger over the death of a 19-year-old fare-dodger during a trolleybus ticket inspection, with the opposition blaming the accident on Greece's harsh austerity measures.

The Greek government said it would open a probe into the death of Thanassis Kanaoutis, who apparently fell from a moving trolleybus during a dispute with a ticket inspector. The teenager died of his injuries in hospital on Wednesday.

"The death of a young man at the age of 19 has upset us all and the causes will be fully examined," said Simos Kedikoglou, a government spokesman. Greece's main opposition party, the Syriza coalition of the radical Left, blamed the incident on Greece's economic woes and the government's austerity policies as well as on the behaviour of ticket inspectors.

The group said in a statement that the victim died because he could not afford the 1.20 euro (£1) fare, which "reflects the miserable situation of a large part of Greek society". The government spokesman hit back at the criticism, accusing Syriza of exploiting a tragic incident for political gain. » | AFP | Friday, August 16, 2013

New Dark Age Alert! Thug Politics - Greece

Related »

Anger in Athens as Greek Austerity Measures Passed

THE GUARDIAN: Petrol bombs thrown and teargas and water cannons used during protests as draconian cuts pass narrowly

It came after a night of rain, tear gas and clashes. But after four months of tortuous negotiations and a rancorous parliamentary debate, the Greek parliament finally announced late on Wednesday night that it had passed the most draconian package yet of austerity measures needed to keep Europe's weakest economy afloat.

Following heady scenes inside and outside the 300-seat house, 153 MPs supported the €13.5bn (£10.8bn) package in a vote that will be remembered as perhaps the most electrifying in the history of the three-year Greek debt crisis.

Approval of the spending cuts, tax rises and labour reforms was given with a weakened majority – seven rebels voted against the measures – but on trade markets around the world there were signs of relief. Mandarins in Brussels said the ballot would pave the way to the release of €31.5bn in EU and IMF sponsored rescue funds – desperately needed to keep bankruptcy at bay.

"Greece today has taken a big, decisive and optimistic step. A step towards recovery," said prime minister Antonis Samaras after the cliffhanger vote. "I am very pleased," he told reporters before emphasising that the "next step" was passage of the 2013 budget in a vote on Sunday. » | Helena Smith in Athens | Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Verwandtes Video »

Golden Dawn Takes Advantage of Recession Ravaged Greece
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Fascist gangs are turning Athens into a city of shifting front lines, seizing on crimes and local protests to promote their own movement, by claiming to be the defenders of recession ravaged Greece.

Thugs wearing the black T-shirts of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party are carrying out attacks on immigrant markets and in public squares, according to the United Nations, with victims speaking of areas in the capital which are now strictly off limits.

Malik Abdulbasset, an Egyptian-born shopkeeper, found himself the target of one of the mobs on Wednesday night after the barber across the road was stabbed during a robbery.

Golden Dawn members led a crowd of enraged locals in a protest on Mikhail Voda St that turned violent despite the presence of riot police.

While no one witnessed the attack on the barber, residents were adamant the assailant was black.

After battering his Egyptian assistant, the mob turned on Mr Abdulbasset, who had defied police to keep his shop open.

"I had to turn and point to my Greek children and my Greek wife and say, look I am Greek, we are Greek, if you want to kill us we cannot stop you but you are killing your own."

The riot police watched on but did not intervene and threats of more protests were pasted on nearby doors. » | Damien McElroy, Athens | Friday, November 02, 2012

Fear and Loathing in Athens: The Rise of Golden Dawn and the Far Right

THE GUARDIAN: In austerity-ravaged Greece, neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn is on the rise. Their MPs give fascist salutes, while on the streets black-shirted vigilantes beat up immigrants. And some of their most enthusiastic supporters are in the police

You can hear it from blocks away: the deafening beat of Pogrom,Golden Dawn's favourite band, blasting out of huge speakers by a makeshift stage. "Rock for the fatherland, this is our music, we don't want parasites and foreigners on our land…" It's a warm October evening and children on bicycles are riding up and down among the young men with crew cuts, the sleeves of their black T-shirts tight over pumped-up biceps, strolling with the stiff swagger of the muscle-bound. They look relaxed, off-duty. Two of them slap a handshake: "Hey, fascist! How's it going?"

Trestle tables are stacked with Golden Dawn merchandise: black T-shirts bearing the party's name in Greek, Chrysi Avgi, the sigma shaped like the S on SS armbands; mugs with the party symbol, a Greek meander drawn to resemble a swastika; Greek flags and black lanyards, lighters and baseball caps. I lean over to talk to one woman stallholder, dressed in Golden Dawn black with thickly kohl-rimmed eyes, but as soon as she opens her mouth a man in a suit strides up: "What are you writing? Are you a journalist? Tear that page out of your notebook. No, no, you can't talk to anyone."

Tonight is the opening of the Golden Dawn office in Megara, a once prosperous farming town between Athens and Corinth. The Greek national socialist party polled more than 15% here – double the national average – in the June election, when it won 18 seats in parliament. (One was taken up by the former bassist with Pogrom, whose hits include Auschwitz and Speak Greek Or Die.)

Legitimised by democracy and by the media, Golden Dawn is opening branches in towns all over Greece and regularly coming third in national opinion polls. Its black-shirted vigilantes have been beating up immigrants for more than three years, unmolested by the police; lately they've taken to attacking Greeks they suspect of being gay or on the left. MPs participate proudly in the violence. In September, three of them led gangs of black-shirted heavies through street fairs in the towns of Rafina and Messolonghi, smashing up immigrant traders' stalls with Greek flags on thick poles. » | Maria Margaronis | Friday, October 26, 2012

Athens Police Fire Tear Gas in Crackdown Clashes at Anti-Merkel Protest
Demonstrators, dressed as Nazis, wave a Greek and a swastika flag as they ride in an open-top car in Syntagma Square in Athens as they protest against the visit of Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, October 9, 2012

Greek Election Favors Pro-Bailout Party
THE NEW YORK TIMES: ATHENS — Greek voters narrowly favored a pro-bailout party in parliamentary elections on Sunday, a result that is likely to calm world markets and ease fears that the country will leave the euro zone.

Official projections showed the conservative New Democracy party as coming in first, giving it the chance to collect enough support to form a pro-bailout coalition and keep Greece in the euro zone.

Late Sunday night, Alexis Tsipras, the leader of the leftist Syriza party, conceded the election and congratulated the conservative leader of New Democracy, Antonis Samaras. Syriza had called for a rejection of the loan deal that Greece had made with foreign creditors.

Though no party is expected to earn enough seats in the 300-member Parliament to form a government, official projections show that the two traditional parties — New Democracy and the socialist Pasok — would get enough seats to form a coalition. » | Rachel Donadio | Sunday, June 17, 2012