Demonstrations in Greek Capital Denounce Fascism, Nazism

Today, Wednesday, the Greek capital, Athens, witnessed massive demonstrations estimated in the hundreds of thousands in its streets and other Greek cities by supporters of all Greek political parties.

The protesters took to the streets to denounce Fascism and Nazism in the country.

Meanwhile, hundreds of police officers were deployed on the streets of Athens in preparation for the verdict in one of the most important trials in the modern political history of Greece against the leaders of the "Golden Dawn" neo-Nazi party accused of forming a "criminal organization."

Greece and Europe are awaiting this ruling, which will be issued by the Court of Justice today after hearings that lasted five and a half years to determine whether the party was a "criminal organization" that launched violent attacks on opponents on the orders of its founder Nikos Mikhalolyakos and his close circle.

Demonstrators from trade unions, left-wing trade unions, and Greek political parties gathered in their anti-fascist demonstration, in front of the seat of the court located a few kilometers from the historic center of the capital.

The prosecutions began after the 34-year-old anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Vesas, who was chased by a group from the New Golden party, was stabbed to death in front of a cafe in Keratsini, the western suburb of Athens, in September 2013.

The attack sparked widespread condemnation and accusations that the "New Dawn" party constitutes an organization operating in a paramilitary manner and resorting to the tactics of beatings, intimidation, and murder and that the party leaders knew this.

In a later development, and during the massive demonstrations, the court decided that the "Golden Dawn" party is a terrorist party and a criminal organization.

It is noteworthy that the small "Golden Dawn" organization, founded by Nikos Mikhalolyakos in the 1990s, is a supporter of extreme nationalism and is considered a neo-Nazi.

Also, a number of demonstrators in Greece organized an anti-fascist march on the occasion of the announcement of the decision to prosecute the Golden Dawn in central Thessaloniki, to demand justice to end fascism and the final condemnation of the Golden Dawn assassins.

Moments of intense tension reigned just minutes after the announcement of the indictment of Nikos Michelulyakos, one of the leaders of Golden Dawn, and its regional members for leading and participating in a criminal organization.

The gathering was attended by groups, left-wing organizations, unions, unions, student societies, students, and members of the left outside parliament, as well as inpiduals from the wider anti-authoritarian space.

Protesters held banners like "Your time has come, "the Nazis are in prison" and chanted slogans unequivocally condemning the fascist violence and its followers while saying that the golden dawn punishment in light of today's trial should be exemplary.

It is noteworthy that upon the end of the gathering, it is expected that the march will follow in the main streets of the city, and a group of demonstrators clashed with the security forces, with the police using chemicals on a large scale, and the protesters stormed two places on Alexandra Street with the transfer of riots to the alleys surrounding the Court of Appeal in the Jizy region.

A Greek appeals court on Wednesday indicted the leaders of the far-right Golden Dawn party, the third-largest party in parliament during the debt crisis, of running a criminal group.

The murder of left-wing rapper Pavlos Vesas, 34, by a party supporter in 2013 triggered a security crackdown on the party, which led prosecutors to arrest and investigate party leaders and lawmakers for a series of crimes.

Earlier, the court had convicted Yorgos Robakias, a supporter of the party, of killing Vesas.

Witnesses said police fired tear gas into crowds that gathered in front of the Athens Court of Appeal after the verdict was passed against the party leaders.