Saturday, September 28, 2013 6:27:32 PM
Greece Arrests Senior Members of Far-Right Party
Nikos Michaloliakos, the Golden Dawn party's leader, was escorted on Saturday by police officers outside the Athens police headquarters.
Simela Pantzartzi/European Pressphoto Agency
Video [embedded]
Golden Dawn: Greece’s Right-Wing Fringe (2012)
By LIZ ALDERMAN
Published: September 28, 2013
ATHENS — Moving to drain power from one of the most violent rightist organizations in Europe, the Greek government conducted an extraordinary crackdown on the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party on Saturday, arresting 5 members of Parliament, including the leader of the group, and at least 15 other people.
A search was under way for another lawmaker and at least 10 more party members.
It is the first time that the leader of a political party and members of Parliament have been arrested in Greece since the fall of a military junta in 1974.
Less than two weeks ago, the murder of an anti-fascist Greek singer ignited an uproar throughout Greece after the suspect claimed to be a supporter of Golden Dawn.
Since 2012, when it gained seats in Parliament, Golden Dawn has engaged in a campaign of intimidation against immigrants, but reports linking its name and ideology to the death of a native Greek have generated a wider backlash against it. The killing, and the public outcry over it, put substantial pressure on the government to move ahead with an investigation of the party.
On Saturday, Nikos Michaloliakos, Golden Dawn’s leader and a member of Parliament, was taken into custody on charges of forming a criminal organization. The other arrests followed.
The police have not yet released details of the criminal charges, but they include murder, attempted murder and blackmail, according to a court official.
The move is likely to curb Golden Dawn’s influence, at least for now, especially in Parliament, where the party holds 18 seats after elections last year during a volatile moment when Greece was on the precipice of exiting the 17-member euro zone.
Nonetheless, the disenchantment stoked by the economic crisis that helped propel Golden Dawn’s rise is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
“As the country is mired in its worst economic crisis in modern history, support for extremist and anti-establishment parties is likely to remain high in the coming years, regardless of the future of Golden Dawn as a political party,” Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence, economic and political firm, said in an analysis.
Human rights groups say Golden Dawn, whose members perform Nazi salutes at rallies and meetings, has systematically terrorized immigrants, while the police have looked the other way. The aggressive acts include the beating of immigrants with clubs and shields bearing swastikalike symbols or with wooden poles draped in the Greek flag.
The sweep on Saturday caught the top leadership of Golden Dawn, which was established in 1987 but whose influence has grown in tandem with the country’s devastating economic hardship. Offering promises to restore jobs and order, the party’s members also espouse nationalistic and xenophobic stances, appealing to marginalized Greeks in rough areas populated by a rising number of unemployed immigrants, mostly from Pakistan and North Africa.
Ilias P. Kasidiaris, another Parliament member, who is the party’s chief spokesman, was among those arrested early Saturday, along with two other lawmakers, Ilias Panagiotaros and Yiannis Lagos. Also detained was Giorgos Patelis, the leader of the party’s local chapter in Nikaia, a gritty Athens suburb that is one of Golden Dawn’s biggest strongholds, and 12 other party officials.
The immunity usually enjoyed by Greek members of Parliament is automatically lifted in the case of felonies. For lesser charges, a vote has to be held in Parliament.
In addition, two police officers connected with the organization were caught up in the sweep, a sign that a parallel crackdown is intensifying against parts of the Greek police force long thought to have been infiltrated by members or sympathizers of the group.
The police are still seeking Christos Pappas, the sixth Golden Dawn lawmaker for whom an arrest warrant has been issued and the party’s second-in-command. A court official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that a report by the Greek prosecutor charged that the party had recruited young Greeks for its hit squads, in a manner similar to the Nazis, as part of a program named Centaur by the party — a reference to the half-human, half-horse warriors in ancient Greek mythology.
The party also had links to organized crime groups, particularly in Korydallos, southwest of Athens, close to the spot where the leftist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, 34, was killed last week. The police say a Golden Dawn supporter confessed to stabbing Mr. Fyssas.
“It’s a big deal that the chief of the political party got arrested; most people are glad that something was finally done,” said Aris Papaspyrou, 32, an Athens-based lawyer.
“But I’m not sure this will be the end, because we’ve seen in history something like this happen with Hitler and Nazi Germany,” Mr. Papaspyrou added. “They took him to jail, but when he came out he created the party that won the election and went on to become prime minister. I hope this will not come back as a boomerang for us.”
Mr. Michaloliakos, the party leader, and four other lawmakers were escorted from the Athens police headquarters in handcuffs, flanked by masked counterterrorism officers, and ushered into police vehicles for their transfer to the Athens court complex, where a magistrate was to announce the charges against them. Mr. Michaloliakos raised his cuffed hands in a defiant gesture, while Mr. Kasidiaris shouted to a scrum of reporters: “Nothing will bend us! Long live Greece!”
About 300 Golden Dawn supporters gathered in front of the main police station before being dispersed by the police.
The arrests are part of a rapidly widening campaign by the government to clamp down on what it says is a rising tide of extremism in Greece, fueled by the economic crisis. In addition, the government opened an investigation last week into whether sympathizers or members of the group — one of the most violent rightist organizations in Europe — had infiltrated Greece’s police forces and the armed forces.
The government replaced seven senior police officials to ensure that the investigation would take place with “absolute objectivity.” Two other police officials stepped down.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who leads the right-leaning New Democracy Party, has said he is determined to curb the influence of Golden Dawn, a group whose standing climbed in opinion polls in the past year.
Since the murder a week and a half ago of Mr. Fyssas, whose lyrics protested the rise of neo-fascism in the country, Golden Dawn’s standing in polls has declined. But it is still the third most popular party in Greece, behind New Democracy and Syriza, the leftist party led by a political maverick, Alexis Tsipras.
The crackdown is not without risks.
“If they are prosecuted, it might have a boomerang effect among Golden Dawn’s followers and voters,” Nikos Demertzis, a professor of political sociology at the University of Athens, said in an interview about the party before the arrests. “If you alienate them totally from the political system, alleging that everyone who has voted for Golden Dawn or who likes them should be stigmatized, it may marginalize politically thousands of people.”
Last week, Mr. Michaloliakos suggested that all 18 Golden Dawn lawmakers might resign from Parliament en masse, a move that could force a series of elections in areas where the party now holds seats.
A government spokesman said such a move would not force a new round of general elections. But the prospect of new elections for those seats could undermine political stability in Greece at a time when Mr. Samaras is negotiating with s creditors for continued financial aid as part of two multibillion-dollar bailouts Greece has already received — even as speculation about the possible need for a third bailout hangs over the talks.
Tensions have also risen recently between Golden Dawn and leftist groups. This month, thousands of Greeks protested in Athens after about 50 Golden Dawn members, armed with bats and crowbars, attacked members of the Communist Party, leaving nine people hospitalized with serious injuries.
The police seized two handguns and a hunting rifle from the home of Mr. Michaloliakos, the party leader, on Saturday, saying he did not have licenses for them.
Niki Kitsantonis contributed reporting.
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Related
Greek Killing Raises Fears of Extremism (September 20, 2013)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/world/europe/after-killing-of-activist-fears-of-rising-greek-extremism.html [(retitled version of) the first item in the post to which this is a reply]
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© 2013 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/world/europe/greece-cracks-down-on-golden-dawn-with-arrests.html [ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/world/europe/greece-cracks-down-on-golden-dawn-with-arrests.html?pagewanted=all ]
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Greek authorities arrest leader, others from extreme right party in escalating crackdown
September 28, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/greek-authorities-arrest-leader-of-extreme-right-party-warrants-for-more/2013/09/28/8fcdce40-2822-11e3-8ab3-b5aacc9e1165_story.html [with comment]
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Golden Dawn head, MPs arrested in unprecedented Greek crackdown
Guards escort Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos from Greek Police headquarters in central Athens on Saturday evening to the capital's central court complex where he and four fellow MPs faced a magistrate.
ekathimerini.com [ http://www.ekathimerini.com/ ], Saturday September 28, 2013 (18:46)
In an unprecedented crackdown over the weekend, police arrested the leader of the ultra-right Golden Dawn, Nikos Michaloliakos, as well as several lawmakers and party officials following an investigation by a Supreme Court prosecutor into criminal activities linked to the party, including the murder earlier this month of leftist hip-hop artist Pavlos Fyssas by a supporter of Golden Dawn. The lawmakers faced a magistrate later in the day.
The arrests – the first such crackdown since the fall of Greece’s military junta in 1974 – followed rumors over the weekend of mass resignations by deputies of the ultra-right party and speculation about the likely need to hold by-elections. There was speculation about the intense political upheaval such a development could trigger, though senior government officials ruled out the possibility of snap general elections.
Leading up to the police crackdown, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras convened two emergency meetings with key ministers, sources told Kathimerini – one on Thursday night and a second on Friday night – a few hours before counter-terrorism officers visited the homes of Golden Dawn officials. From the day of the arrests officials struck a decisive tone, with government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou insisting that “democracy has the institutions to protect itself,” while Samaras was quoted as telling reporters, shortly before flying to the US for an official visit on Saturday, that the government’s immediate goals were “justice, stability; not elections.”
Officers arrested Michaloliakos first, shortly after 5.30 a.m. on Saturday, before taking in party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris and Yiannis Lagos. Ilias Panagiotaros and Nikos Michos handed themselves in to police. Police also arrested more than 10 party officials, including Giorgos Patelis, the head of the local chapter of Golden Dawn in Nikaia, southwest of Athens, close to the run-down district of Keratsini where Fyssas was stabbed, as well as around 30 party members. A police raid on the home of Michaloliakos in Pefki, north of Athens, turned up three guns – a pistol, a revolver and a hunting rifle, all without licenses – as well as ammunition and more than 40,000 euros in cash, the origin of which was unclear.
The government is today due to submit in Parliament draft legislation that would suspend state funding to political parties whose leaders or lawmakers have had criminal charges brought against them. Government officials hope that depriving the party of funding will curb its activities, which are being probed by the judiciary and by the Greek Police.
The latter, meanwhile, has launched an internal affairs investigation into suspected links between the force and the party.
A nine-page report compiled by Supreme Court deputy prosecutor Haralambos Vourliotis just five days after a probe was launched into 33 offenses attributed to Golden Dawn, described the party as a criminal organization and Michaloliakos as its leader. It brought charges against party officials of membership of a criminal organization. The charge sheet is said to include 10 counts of murder and attempted murder as well as blackmail, while additional charges of money laundering are reportedly being considered. According to the prosecutor’s report, the organization operated under a strict hierarchy with Michaloliakos – nicknamed “Fuehrer” – overseeing all decisions and Christos Pappas his second-in-command.
Michaloliakos, along with his fellow MPs and senior party officials were held for several hours on Saturday on the twelfth floor of the Athens police headquarters before being transferred to the capital’s main court complex, in handcuffs, by counter-terrorism officers. Kasidiaris shouted out "Nothing will bend us, long live Greece" while Michaloliakos held up his handcuffed hands defiantly.
A member of the police force’s motorcycle-riding unit, DIAS, also was arrested over the weekend on charges of membership of a criminal organization, according to police sources.
Earlier in the day some 300 Golden Dawn supporters rallied outside the police headquarters in a vehement protest but there were no reports of violence. The party had sent an SMS to supporters but also to the media calling on backers to “support our moral and just struggle against the corrupt system.” The messages had called for rallies outside the police headquarters and outside Golden Dawn’s offices in Halandri, northeastern Athens.
Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou insisted over the weekend that all MPs and members of Golden Dawn facing criminal charges will get a fair trial. “Democracy in Greece is strong,” he said after talks on Saturday with Samaras and Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias.
Copyright © 2013, H KATHMEPINH
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_28/09/2013_520717
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A time for serious reflection
Giorgos Germenis, lawmaker of the extreme far-right Golden Dawn party speaks to reporters as he arrives at the headquarters of Greek Police, in Athens, on Saturday.
By Nikos Chrysoloras
Saturday September 28, 2013 (18:14)
The ongoing crackdown on Golden Dawn, Greece’s neo-Nazi gang, is convincing: several MPs, including its leader, and senior party members have been arrested on charges of homicide, attempted homicide, money laundering, blackmail, grievous bodily harm, and other serious crimes. Also, Greek Parliament is set to vote a law pulling state funding from Golden Dawn or any other party whose leaders have been involved in similar criminal activities.
However, it is too early to speak of a Golden Dawn ”twilight.” We need to bear in mind that we are not talking about a typical far-right party, even by the stretched standards of European extremism. Numerous members of “Chryssi Avgi,” as it is called in Greek, casually exchange Nazi salutes among themselves and have been involved in deadly attacks against immigrants and activists, with 34-year-old rapper Pavlos Fyssas being just the latest tragic casualty on a long list of victims. The judicial crackdown that has been unfolding over the last few days shows that the country’s authorities had enough incriminating evidence to go after Golden Dawn much earlier. The fact that it took the murder of a Greek citizen to motivate them while earlier incidents, mainly involving immigrants, went largely unpunished is a troubling observation.
The infiltration of extremists in the country’s police and military forces is even more alarming: several senior police officers, including two leadership-rank officials, have been forced to resign or were stripped of their duties over the last two weeks as a result of the investigation into Golden Dawn. The same happened with the head of the counter-espionage unit of the Greek Intelligence Agency, while two police officers were also arrested on Saturday, together with the Golden Dawn MPs. Extremists are also to be found in the ranks the Greek armed forces, with the union of the special forces' reservists essentially calling for a coup d’ etat a few days ago. The call seemed to be serious enough for the chief prosecutor of the country’s highest court to convene an emergency evening meeting. Due to the sensitivity of the issue, involving high-ranking echelons of the security establishment, we may never know how deep the cancer has spread. What is certain though is that this “anomaly” is almost unique in the EU, a corner of this planet where democracy and the rule of law were thought to be safe from “uniformed interventions.” Yet decisive action is only being taken now – and it is long overdue.
The most serious question, however, is why hundreds of thousands of Greeks wanted to vote for this party, which never made any effort to hide its true face. A few days before the national elections of June 17, 2012, the spokesperson of Golden Dawn had physically assaulted and harassed two leftists MPs, live on television. Polls showed that party support went up right after the event, not down. Nor can Greeks claim that they were not aware that the MPs they elected into Parliament are Nazis. After all, many have tattoos of the Swastika on their chests. In fact, even after the murder of Pavlos Fyssas, and despite the fact that there was compelling evidence that Golden Dawn was involved in the incident, the party was still polling in third place, albeit weakened. Before the murder, there were even analysts predicting that the fascists would get second place in next May’s European Parliament elections, since their party was already polling at 15 percent of the electoral body. Also, 22 percent of Golden Dawn supporters responded in a recent poll that they voted for it because of its Nazi ideology. Nowhere else in Europe do pollsters report a similar prevalence of fascist ideals.
Obviously, the crisis was instrumental in the resurgence of extremism. Next time they discuss Greece, EU leaders should be aware that there are limits to how much you can impose on a democratic society before it implodes. The events of the last weeks are a tragic reminder of the shadow of extremism gathering around us. Nevertheless, the fact that there are no popular parties of this magnitude of extremism in most other European states, even in countries like Spain where unemployment levels are comparable to Greece’s, shows that there is also something idiosyncratic, and deeply Greek, in the rise of the Golden Dawn. These thugs have built on pre-existing ideas, popular among segments of our society – namely homophobia, xenophobia, anti-semitism and intolerance. The fact that these ideas didn’t have “official” political representation before the crisis does not mean that they were not there nor that there was an overlapping consensus of Greek society against them. It just shows that they were subdued because of the clientelistic practices of the two largest parties, which kept them silent in exchange for perks. Now that there is no money left with which to bribe those extremists, they have turned to bite the hands they were feeding them.
Until recently, one million Greeks had said that they are going to vote for Golden Dawn in opinion polls. I despise them. No matter the hardships people are going through, there is no excuse for those who fall under the spell of Nazism. Just ask the Germans. As for the rest of the political system, the so-called mainstream parties of the “constitutional arc,” there is an urgent need to reflect on what can be done, especially in Greece’s educational system, to make sure that extremist discourse becomes marginalized. We have been tested on our democratic resolve, and some of us failed. Let’s face it. If we save the next generation from darkness, at least some of the shame may go away.
Copyright © 2013, H KATHMEPINH
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_1_28/09/2013_520706 [with comments]
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Golden Dawn arrests are just the beginning
By Nikos Konstandaras
Saturday September 28, 2013 (13:45)
When it finally acted against the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn group, the government of Antonis Samaras surprised everyone with its speed and determination. The head-on confrontation was a long time coming; until the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas on September 18 by a man who confessed to being a member of Golden Dawn, the group had appeared to enjoy absolute impunity.
Now, however, we see that state authorities have been keeping an eye on the group for some time, and that over the course of the months its leaders and members have been implicated in a growing number of crimes.
The delayed action against Golden Dawn has come at a very high cost, including several murders in which GD members are implicated and the blackening of Greece's name, because our society appeared to tolerate bigotry and violence. On the other hand, when they did act, the government, the police and judicial authorities did so with speed and confidence. This shows political courage, because there had been strong arguments in Samaras's conservative New Democracy party in favor of going easy on the extreme right in a bid to draw supporters away from it. The confrontation also went a long way toward restoring faith in the country's institutions and the state.
The stakes are high. Democracy has to show that when it defends itself against those who would undermine it, it does so with justice and transparency. The process must clearly show that it is crimes which are being prosecuted, not ideas (however foreign and distasteful they are to our society, as is the case here). It must also be clear that the authorities are doing the job well, that they will prove their case, otherwise the move against Golden Dawn may be seen as a political pogrom and work in favor of the group once its supporters' initial shock wears off. The law must be enforced in every situation, and must be seen to be enforced, without exception. This is what society needs at this time of great uncertainty.
The arrest of Golden Dawn's leadership is bound to trigger major developments in Greek politics. Regardless of its delay, the government acted with courage and competence; it shouldered its responsibilities and will have to deal with the consequences. It now remains to be seen how the opposition parties will act: will they show similar courage and responsibility, or will they do whatever they can for short-term political gain?
Greece's crisis has uncovered many problems in our society. The rise of Golden Dawn is one of the most serious among these, but, more importantly, it has also represented a major distraction from the fundamental problems faced by our economy, public administration and society.
Enforcing the law, restoring the credibility of institutions, creating a sense that a serious government is in charge, are most valuable steps toward the future. But this is only the beginning. Greece's restoration is everyone's responsibility, from each citizen to the country's political parties. There is no more time for sideshows.
Copyright © 2013, H KATHMEPINH
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_1_28/09/2013_520689 [with comments]
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Nikos Michaloliakos, the Golden Dawn party's leader, was escorted on Saturday by police officers outside the Athens police headquarters.
Simela Pantzartzi/European Pressphoto Agency
Video [embedded]
Golden Dawn: Greece’s Right-Wing Fringe (2012)
By LIZ ALDERMAN
Published: September 28, 2013
ATHENS — Moving to drain power from one of the most violent rightist organizations in Europe, the Greek government conducted an extraordinary crackdown on the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party on Saturday, arresting 5 members of Parliament, including the leader of the group, and at least 15 other people.
A search was under way for another lawmaker and at least 10 more party members.
It is the first time that the leader of a political party and members of Parliament have been arrested in Greece since the fall of a military junta in 1974.
Less than two weeks ago, the murder of an anti-fascist Greek singer ignited an uproar throughout Greece after the suspect claimed to be a supporter of Golden Dawn.
Since 2012, when it gained seats in Parliament, Golden Dawn has engaged in a campaign of intimidation against immigrants, but reports linking its name and ideology to the death of a native Greek have generated a wider backlash against it. The killing, and the public outcry over it, put substantial pressure on the government to move ahead with an investigation of the party.
On Saturday, Nikos Michaloliakos, Golden Dawn’s leader and a member of Parliament, was taken into custody on charges of forming a criminal organization. The other arrests followed.
The police have not yet released details of the criminal charges, but they include murder, attempted murder and blackmail, according to a court official.
The move is likely to curb Golden Dawn’s influence, at least for now, especially in Parliament, where the party holds 18 seats after elections last year during a volatile moment when Greece was on the precipice of exiting the 17-member euro zone.
Nonetheless, the disenchantment stoked by the economic crisis that helped propel Golden Dawn’s rise is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
“As the country is mired in its worst economic crisis in modern history, support for extremist and anti-establishment parties is likely to remain high in the coming years, regardless of the future of Golden Dawn as a political party,” Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence, economic and political firm, said in an analysis.
Human rights groups say Golden Dawn, whose members perform Nazi salutes at rallies and meetings, has systematically terrorized immigrants, while the police have looked the other way. The aggressive acts include the beating of immigrants with clubs and shields bearing swastikalike symbols or with wooden poles draped in the Greek flag.
The sweep on Saturday caught the top leadership of Golden Dawn, which was established in 1987 but whose influence has grown in tandem with the country’s devastating economic hardship. Offering promises to restore jobs and order, the party’s members also espouse nationalistic and xenophobic stances, appealing to marginalized Greeks in rough areas populated by a rising number of unemployed immigrants, mostly from Pakistan and North Africa.
Ilias P. Kasidiaris, another Parliament member, who is the party’s chief spokesman, was among those arrested early Saturday, along with two other lawmakers, Ilias Panagiotaros and Yiannis Lagos. Also detained was Giorgos Patelis, the leader of the party’s local chapter in Nikaia, a gritty Athens suburb that is one of Golden Dawn’s biggest strongholds, and 12 other party officials.
The immunity usually enjoyed by Greek members of Parliament is automatically lifted in the case of felonies. For lesser charges, a vote has to be held in Parliament.
In addition, two police officers connected with the organization were caught up in the sweep, a sign that a parallel crackdown is intensifying against parts of the Greek police force long thought to have been infiltrated by members or sympathizers of the group.
The police are still seeking Christos Pappas, the sixth Golden Dawn lawmaker for whom an arrest warrant has been issued and the party’s second-in-command. A court official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that a report by the Greek prosecutor charged that the party had recruited young Greeks for its hit squads, in a manner similar to the Nazis, as part of a program named Centaur by the party — a reference to the half-human, half-horse warriors in ancient Greek mythology.
The party also had links to organized crime groups, particularly in Korydallos, southwest of Athens, close to the spot where the leftist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, 34, was killed last week. The police say a Golden Dawn supporter confessed to stabbing Mr. Fyssas.
“It’s a big deal that the chief of the political party got arrested; most people are glad that something was finally done,” said Aris Papaspyrou, 32, an Athens-based lawyer.
“But I’m not sure this will be the end, because we’ve seen in history something like this happen with Hitler and Nazi Germany,” Mr. Papaspyrou added. “They took him to jail, but when he came out he created the party that won the election and went on to become prime minister. I hope this will not come back as a boomerang for us.”
Mr. Michaloliakos, the party leader, and four other lawmakers were escorted from the Athens police headquarters in handcuffs, flanked by masked counterterrorism officers, and ushered into police vehicles for their transfer to the Athens court complex, where a magistrate was to announce the charges against them. Mr. Michaloliakos raised his cuffed hands in a defiant gesture, while Mr. Kasidiaris shouted to a scrum of reporters: “Nothing will bend us! Long live Greece!”
About 300 Golden Dawn supporters gathered in front of the main police station before being dispersed by the police.
The arrests are part of a rapidly widening campaign by the government to clamp down on what it says is a rising tide of extremism in Greece, fueled by the economic crisis. In addition, the government opened an investigation last week into whether sympathizers or members of the group — one of the most violent rightist organizations in Europe — had infiltrated Greece’s police forces and the armed forces.
The government replaced seven senior police officials to ensure that the investigation would take place with “absolute objectivity.” Two other police officials stepped down.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who leads the right-leaning New Democracy Party, has said he is determined to curb the influence of Golden Dawn, a group whose standing climbed in opinion polls in the past year.
Since the murder a week and a half ago of Mr. Fyssas, whose lyrics protested the rise of neo-fascism in the country, Golden Dawn’s standing in polls has declined. But it is still the third most popular party in Greece, behind New Democracy and Syriza, the leftist party led by a political maverick, Alexis Tsipras.
The crackdown is not without risks.
“If they are prosecuted, it might have a boomerang effect among Golden Dawn’s followers and voters,” Nikos Demertzis, a professor of political sociology at the University of Athens, said in an interview about the party before the arrests. “If you alienate them totally from the political system, alleging that everyone who has voted for Golden Dawn or who likes them should be stigmatized, it may marginalize politically thousands of people.”
Last week, Mr. Michaloliakos suggested that all 18 Golden Dawn lawmakers might resign from Parliament en masse, a move that could force a series of elections in areas where the party now holds seats.
A government spokesman said such a move would not force a new round of general elections. But the prospect of new elections for those seats could undermine political stability in Greece at a time when Mr. Samaras is negotiating with s creditors for continued financial aid as part of two multibillion-dollar bailouts Greece has already received — even as speculation about the possible need for a third bailout hangs over the talks.
Tensions have also risen recently between Golden Dawn and leftist groups. This month, thousands of Greeks protested in Athens after about 50 Golden Dawn members, armed with bats and crowbars, attacked members of the Communist Party, leaving nine people hospitalized with serious injuries.
The police seized two handguns and a hunting rifle from the home of Mr. Michaloliakos, the party leader, on Saturday, saying he did not have licenses for them.
Niki Kitsantonis contributed reporting.
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Related
Greek Killing Raises Fears of Extremism (September 20, 2013)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/world/europe/after-killing-of-activist-fears-of-rising-greek-extremism.html [(retitled version of) the first item in the post to which this is a reply]
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© 2013 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/world/europe/greece-cracks-down-on-golden-dawn-with-arrests.html [ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/world/europe/greece-cracks-down-on-golden-dawn-with-arrests.html?pagewanted=all ]
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Greek authorities arrest leader, others from extreme right party in escalating crackdown
September 28, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/greek-authorities-arrest-leader-of-extreme-right-party-warrants-for-more/2013/09/28/8fcdce40-2822-11e3-8ab3-b5aacc9e1165_story.html [with comment]
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Golden Dawn head, MPs arrested in unprecedented Greek crackdown
Guards escort Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos from Greek Police headquarters in central Athens on Saturday evening to the capital's central court complex where he and four fellow MPs faced a magistrate.
ekathimerini.com [ http://www.ekathimerini.com/ ], Saturday September 28, 2013 (18:46)
In an unprecedented crackdown over the weekend, police arrested the leader of the ultra-right Golden Dawn, Nikos Michaloliakos, as well as several lawmakers and party officials following an investigation by a Supreme Court prosecutor into criminal activities linked to the party, including the murder earlier this month of leftist hip-hop artist Pavlos Fyssas by a supporter of Golden Dawn. The lawmakers faced a magistrate later in the day.
The arrests – the first such crackdown since the fall of Greece’s military junta in 1974 – followed rumors over the weekend of mass resignations by deputies of the ultra-right party and speculation about the likely need to hold by-elections. There was speculation about the intense political upheaval such a development could trigger, though senior government officials ruled out the possibility of snap general elections.
Leading up to the police crackdown, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras convened two emergency meetings with key ministers, sources told Kathimerini – one on Thursday night and a second on Friday night – a few hours before counter-terrorism officers visited the homes of Golden Dawn officials. From the day of the arrests officials struck a decisive tone, with government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou insisting that “democracy has the institutions to protect itself,” while Samaras was quoted as telling reporters, shortly before flying to the US for an official visit on Saturday, that the government’s immediate goals were “justice, stability; not elections.”
Officers arrested Michaloliakos first, shortly after 5.30 a.m. on Saturday, before taking in party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris and Yiannis Lagos. Ilias Panagiotaros and Nikos Michos handed themselves in to police. Police also arrested more than 10 party officials, including Giorgos Patelis, the head of the local chapter of Golden Dawn in Nikaia, southwest of Athens, close to the run-down district of Keratsini where Fyssas was stabbed, as well as around 30 party members. A police raid on the home of Michaloliakos in Pefki, north of Athens, turned up three guns – a pistol, a revolver and a hunting rifle, all without licenses – as well as ammunition and more than 40,000 euros in cash, the origin of which was unclear.
The government is today due to submit in Parliament draft legislation that would suspend state funding to political parties whose leaders or lawmakers have had criminal charges brought against them. Government officials hope that depriving the party of funding will curb its activities, which are being probed by the judiciary and by the Greek Police.
The latter, meanwhile, has launched an internal affairs investigation into suspected links between the force and the party.
A nine-page report compiled by Supreme Court deputy prosecutor Haralambos Vourliotis just five days after a probe was launched into 33 offenses attributed to Golden Dawn, described the party as a criminal organization and Michaloliakos as its leader. It brought charges against party officials of membership of a criminal organization. The charge sheet is said to include 10 counts of murder and attempted murder as well as blackmail, while additional charges of money laundering are reportedly being considered. According to the prosecutor’s report, the organization operated under a strict hierarchy with Michaloliakos – nicknamed “Fuehrer” – overseeing all decisions and Christos Pappas his second-in-command.
Michaloliakos, along with his fellow MPs and senior party officials were held for several hours on Saturday on the twelfth floor of the Athens police headquarters before being transferred to the capital’s main court complex, in handcuffs, by counter-terrorism officers. Kasidiaris shouted out "Nothing will bend us, long live Greece" while Michaloliakos held up his handcuffed hands defiantly.
A member of the police force’s motorcycle-riding unit, DIAS, also was arrested over the weekend on charges of membership of a criminal organization, according to police sources.
Earlier in the day some 300 Golden Dawn supporters rallied outside the police headquarters in a vehement protest but there were no reports of violence. The party had sent an SMS to supporters but also to the media calling on backers to “support our moral and just struggle against the corrupt system.” The messages had called for rallies outside the police headquarters and outside Golden Dawn’s offices in Halandri, northeastern Athens.
Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou insisted over the weekend that all MPs and members of Golden Dawn facing criminal charges will get a fair trial. “Democracy in Greece is strong,” he said after talks on Saturday with Samaras and Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias.
Copyright © 2013, H KATHMEPINH
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_28/09/2013_520717
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A time for serious reflection
Giorgos Germenis, lawmaker of the extreme far-right Golden Dawn party speaks to reporters as he arrives at the headquarters of Greek Police, in Athens, on Saturday.
By Nikos Chrysoloras
Saturday September 28, 2013 (18:14)
The ongoing crackdown on Golden Dawn, Greece’s neo-Nazi gang, is convincing: several MPs, including its leader, and senior party members have been arrested on charges of homicide, attempted homicide, money laundering, blackmail, grievous bodily harm, and other serious crimes. Also, Greek Parliament is set to vote a law pulling state funding from Golden Dawn or any other party whose leaders have been involved in similar criminal activities.
However, it is too early to speak of a Golden Dawn ”twilight.” We need to bear in mind that we are not talking about a typical far-right party, even by the stretched standards of European extremism. Numerous members of “Chryssi Avgi,” as it is called in Greek, casually exchange Nazi salutes among themselves and have been involved in deadly attacks against immigrants and activists, with 34-year-old rapper Pavlos Fyssas being just the latest tragic casualty on a long list of victims. The judicial crackdown that has been unfolding over the last few days shows that the country’s authorities had enough incriminating evidence to go after Golden Dawn much earlier. The fact that it took the murder of a Greek citizen to motivate them while earlier incidents, mainly involving immigrants, went largely unpunished is a troubling observation.
The infiltration of extremists in the country’s police and military forces is even more alarming: several senior police officers, including two leadership-rank officials, have been forced to resign or were stripped of their duties over the last two weeks as a result of the investigation into Golden Dawn. The same happened with the head of the counter-espionage unit of the Greek Intelligence Agency, while two police officers were also arrested on Saturday, together with the Golden Dawn MPs. Extremists are also to be found in the ranks the Greek armed forces, with the union of the special forces' reservists essentially calling for a coup d’ etat a few days ago. The call seemed to be serious enough for the chief prosecutor of the country’s highest court to convene an emergency evening meeting. Due to the sensitivity of the issue, involving high-ranking echelons of the security establishment, we may never know how deep the cancer has spread. What is certain though is that this “anomaly” is almost unique in the EU, a corner of this planet where democracy and the rule of law were thought to be safe from “uniformed interventions.” Yet decisive action is only being taken now – and it is long overdue.
The most serious question, however, is why hundreds of thousands of Greeks wanted to vote for this party, which never made any effort to hide its true face. A few days before the national elections of June 17, 2012, the spokesperson of Golden Dawn had physically assaulted and harassed two leftists MPs, live on television. Polls showed that party support went up right after the event, not down. Nor can Greeks claim that they were not aware that the MPs they elected into Parliament are Nazis. After all, many have tattoos of the Swastika on their chests. In fact, even after the murder of Pavlos Fyssas, and despite the fact that there was compelling evidence that Golden Dawn was involved in the incident, the party was still polling in third place, albeit weakened. Before the murder, there were even analysts predicting that the fascists would get second place in next May’s European Parliament elections, since their party was already polling at 15 percent of the electoral body. Also, 22 percent of Golden Dawn supporters responded in a recent poll that they voted for it because of its Nazi ideology. Nowhere else in Europe do pollsters report a similar prevalence of fascist ideals.
Obviously, the crisis was instrumental in the resurgence of extremism. Next time they discuss Greece, EU leaders should be aware that there are limits to how much you can impose on a democratic society before it implodes. The events of the last weeks are a tragic reminder of the shadow of extremism gathering around us. Nevertheless, the fact that there are no popular parties of this magnitude of extremism in most other European states, even in countries like Spain where unemployment levels are comparable to Greece’s, shows that there is also something idiosyncratic, and deeply Greek, in the rise of the Golden Dawn. These thugs have built on pre-existing ideas, popular among segments of our society – namely homophobia, xenophobia, anti-semitism and intolerance. The fact that these ideas didn’t have “official” political representation before the crisis does not mean that they were not there nor that there was an overlapping consensus of Greek society against them. It just shows that they were subdued because of the clientelistic practices of the two largest parties, which kept them silent in exchange for perks. Now that there is no money left with which to bribe those extremists, they have turned to bite the hands they were feeding them.
Until recently, one million Greeks had said that they are going to vote for Golden Dawn in opinion polls. I despise them. No matter the hardships people are going through, there is no excuse for those who fall under the spell of Nazism. Just ask the Germans. As for the rest of the political system, the so-called mainstream parties of the “constitutional arc,” there is an urgent need to reflect on what can be done, especially in Greece’s educational system, to make sure that extremist discourse becomes marginalized. We have been tested on our democratic resolve, and some of us failed. Let’s face it. If we save the next generation from darkness, at least some of the shame may go away.
Copyright © 2013, H KATHMEPINH
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_1_28/09/2013_520706 [with comments]
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Golden Dawn arrests are just the beginning
By Nikos Konstandaras
Saturday September 28, 2013 (13:45)
When it finally acted against the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn group, the government of Antonis Samaras surprised everyone with its speed and determination. The head-on confrontation was a long time coming; until the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas on September 18 by a man who confessed to being a member of Golden Dawn, the group had appeared to enjoy absolute impunity.
Now, however, we see that state authorities have been keeping an eye on the group for some time, and that over the course of the months its leaders and members have been implicated in a growing number of crimes.
The delayed action against Golden Dawn has come at a very high cost, including several murders in which GD members are implicated and the blackening of Greece's name, because our society appeared to tolerate bigotry and violence. On the other hand, when they did act, the government, the police and judicial authorities did so with speed and confidence. This shows political courage, because there had been strong arguments in Samaras's conservative New Democracy party in favor of going easy on the extreme right in a bid to draw supporters away from it. The confrontation also went a long way toward restoring faith in the country's institutions and the state.
The stakes are high. Democracy has to show that when it defends itself against those who would undermine it, it does so with justice and transparency. The process must clearly show that it is crimes which are being prosecuted, not ideas (however foreign and distasteful they are to our society, as is the case here). It must also be clear that the authorities are doing the job well, that they will prove their case, otherwise the move against Golden Dawn may be seen as a political pogrom and work in favor of the group once its supporters' initial shock wears off. The law must be enforced in every situation, and must be seen to be enforced, without exception. This is what society needs at this time of great uncertainty.
The arrest of Golden Dawn's leadership is bound to trigger major developments in Greek politics. Regardless of its delay, the government acted with courage and competence; it shouldered its responsibilities and will have to deal with the consequences. It now remains to be seen how the opposition parties will act: will they show similar courage and responsibility, or will they do whatever they can for short-term political gain?
Greece's crisis has uncovered many problems in our society. The rise of Golden Dawn is one of the most serious among these, but, more importantly, it has also represented a major distraction from the fundamental problems faced by our economy, public administration and society.
Enforcing the law, restoring the credibility of institutions, creating a sense that a serious government is in charge, are most valuable steps toward the future. But this is only the beginning. Greece's restoration is everyone's responsibility, from each citizen to the country's political parties. There is no more time for sideshows.
Copyright © 2013, H KATHMEPINH
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_1_28/09/2013_520689 [with comments]
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upon the Right of Election, 1790
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