Dublin: Thessaloniki hunger strikers solidarity demonstration

dublin | anti-capitalism | feature

Sunday November 16, 2003 15:48

by Indymedia Kevin - IMC Éire

Coffin delivered to Greek embassy to protest abuse of Thessaloniki 7

greek diplomats look at coffin

The "Thessaloniki 7" were arrested in Thessalonika in June 2003 during the anti-EU summit demonstrations. They have been subject to a variety of denials of their rights including torture. Five of them have been on hunger strike for periods ranging from 39 to 56 days, and some refused water for a period of two days until they were given access to telephones, their lawyers and paper. Anarchists and anti-capitalists in Dublin called a demonstration at short notice to protest this critical situation.

On Friday Nov 14^th, a number of demonstrators gathered at the Greek Embassy in Dublin. They brought a large black coffin with them which they laid on the steps of the embassy as a symbol of the impending death of those on hunger strike. As one of the demonstrators put it, "Yeah this was a mock funeral but at the end of the day its not a joking matter. There are five people locked up and any of the five could die any day. Our action was sombre and a little morbid but when the situation is so serious there is little room to be upbeat. We will be back here again very soon if things do not improve."

The demonstrators on today's action carried a heavy black wooden coffin from the north east corner of FitzWilliam Square to Upper Pembroke Street in Dublin 2, where the Greek Embassy is located. They also carried five large black flags - each one a symbol of the five people on hunger strike who are close to death.

The first names of the five hunger strikers were painted on the coffin.

The coffin was brought to the doorstep of the embassy and placed in front of the door, blocking it and effectively closing it off to the public. A short speech was read out, giving an update on the current situation of the hunger strikers' health, looking at how hunger strike affects the body, and the reasons why it is important to continue with solidarity demonstrations such as this.

A banner was unfurled saying "No More State Terror". 350 leaflets were handed out to members of the public explaining the grave situation, and how Simon Chapman had been set up by the Greek Police. People stopped by and were inquisitive about what was going on.

After approximately 45 minutes the Gardai showed up. They demanded to know who owned the coffin and that it be taken away. The demonstrators then dispersed having run out of leaflets, and the wooden coffin was left on the doorstep.

Myself and a couple of other cameramen (and camerawomen) waited across the road for a while after the demonstrators had left. Even though everyone had gone, the Gardai were still there, and the coffin was not being taken inside into the embassy. We were waiting to get a photograph of the Greek diplomats picking up the coffin with the names of the hunger strikers painted on the side - no doubt very embarrassing publicity for them and their government.

The people inside the embassy kept on glancing outside through the windows. It was obvious that they were not going to come outside, and that the Garda were going to stay there as long as there were people around. One of the other cameramen confirmed this, so we left...

But your Indymedia operatives dont stop until the story is covered from all angles... so I hid down a laneway close to the embassy and peeked around the corner now and again to check what was going on. The door opened and one of the people from the embassy talked to the Gardai who were waiting outside. He then went back in.

After what seemed like an eternity in the pissing rain with little cover in the small alleyway, a Garda van pulled up outside the embassy. Obviously the Greek diplomats did not want to suffer the humiliation of dragging in a coffin. I ran back down Pembroke Street and surreptitiously squeezed off a couple of snaps of the Garda putting away the coffin into the back of the van.

If the Greek Government does not take positive action with regards to the hunger strikers very soon then they will be dealing with real coffins. As one demonstrator today said to me, "Yeah this was a mock funeral but at the end of the day its not a joking matter. There are five people locked up and any of the five could die any day. Our action was sombre and a little morbid but when the situation is so serious there is little room to be upbeat. We will be back here again very soon if things do not improve."

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Comments (17 of 17)

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Hunger Strikers medical report

by redflaremist - Magpie Anarchist Collective (personal capacity)

Mon Nov 17, 2003 21:11

Click on the link for a full medical report on their situation.

resorting to insults will get you nowhere gobshite

by you shoot my dog, i shoot you

Mon Nov 17, 2003 13:44

How were unarmed peaceful EU protestors trying to take your freedom away.

Peaceful protests don't infringe on anyones freedom, maybe a minority of rich powerful fat cat EU dictators can't stand to see dissent and people protesting against their tinpot policies.

More like the authortarian Greek government are violating and drastically curtailing EU citizens human rights and freedom.

oh but to live under "democracy" and universal "human rights"

by chris loughlin - sp

Mon Nov 17, 2003 11:55

i just want to express my solidarity with those on strike. a strike against one and in this case five is a strike against all. where everyday our so called inalienable rights are trampled under foot by the forces of world dis-order and perpetual war. what we really can see is that capitalism and all its adherents in every country dont believe in human rights, they believed in them when the Soviets locked up dissidents or when china massacred students and workers in tianamen (sorry dont know the correct spelling) but not for the citizens of there own country whenever they so please to chose.

the hipocrisy of the societies we live in across europe amazes me again and again. when we live in a society that gives full economic and political rights to people, where we all have a say in the planning and running of our society only then will human culture even begin to start florishing.

free the thasalonika 7
la lutta continua

EU Totalitarian States????

by Uncle Bulgaria

Mon Nov 17, 2003 03:36

Gee, I love my freedom, that's why I allow to lock up anybody who tries to take it away from me.

Well done to the Greek government.

Listen, if you really want to raise awareness of this ridiculous protest, why don't some of you Irish sympathisers go on a Solidarity Hunger Strike??

Go on, put your money where your mouth is.

I know a better world is possible, and it's without the likes of you gobshites in it.

Don't let them get away with mistreating anarchists

by tears in my beer

Mon Nov 17, 2003 00:38

Don't let EU totalitarian states get away with beating, torturing, framing and imprisoning anarchists without evidence or a fair trial.

Greek state terror running amok

by no fair trial/justice for anarchists

Mon Nov 17, 2003 00:34

Simon Chapman and the rest of the thesselonika 7, have clearly been beaten, framed, arrested on trumped up charges, at the behest of faceless powerful Greek/EU government totalitarian beurocrats. No wonder they're on hunger strike. You can understand why they're on hunger strike now, who wants to spend 25 years in prison on trumped up false charges for something they haven't done.

Novena to St Theresa on behalf of the thesselonika 7

by shame and scandal

Sun Nov 16, 2003 23:51

O glorious St Theresa whom almighty God has raised up to aid and counsel mankind, I implore your miraculous intercession. So powerful are you in obtaining every need of body and soul, our Holy Mother Church proclaims you a "Prodigy of Miracles, the Greatest Saint of modern times". Now I fervently beseech you to answer my petition,
TO FREE the Thesselonika 7 anarchists and restore them to good health,
and to carry out your promise of spending your time in heaven doing good on earth...of letting fall from heaven a shower of Roses. Henceforth dear little flower, I fullfill your plea, to be made known everywhere" and I shall never cease to lead others to Jesus through you Amen.
St Theresa Little flower pick me a rose from the heavenly garden, and send it to me with a message of love.
Ask God to grant the favour I implore and tell him I will love him more each day forever more.

...analitical medical tests report for the 5 hunger strikers of Thessaloniki

by wdm

Sun Nov 16, 2003 16:07

+one exclusive photo
please click herehttp://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=158480
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=158480

doctors public petition-alarm call about the 5 hunger strikes of Thessaloniki

Sun Nov 16, 2003 15:40

......the three doctors released at the press a warning towards the responsible greek goverment...
.....the petition shows clear who is responsible for the dying 5,and how the goverment uses furthermore the 5 srikers in order to force the solidarity movement in extra violent acts and demos,in order to arrest more.
The hunger-strikers' doctors' alert

áðü LA (translation) 7:05ðì, ÊõñéáêÞ 16 Íïåìâñßïõ 2003
(ÔñïðïðïéÞèçêå 7:13ðì, ÊõñéáêÞ 16 Íïåìâñßïõ 2003)
Any violent (either spontaneous or on-spontaneous) reaction to the challenges of power and any idealization of the violence which could be used from the life-guards for the facilitation of their plans, seems as an accomplice with the death and it is turned straightly against the health, the life and the freedom of the five hung

ÔÇÅ DOCTORS OF ÔÇÅ FIVE HUNGER-STRIKERS ALERT FOR THE DEFENCE OF
HEALTH, LIFE AND THEIR FREEDOM

We, Kleanthis Grivas, Alexandra Efthimiadou Griva and Maria-Mirto Griva, doctors of the five political detainees, Simon Chapman, Carlos Martin-Martinez, Fernando Perrez-Gorraiz, Solaiman Dakdouk and Spyros Tsitsas, ADDRESS PUBLIC CALL in all those that intend they take part in the events of 30th anniversary of revolt of Technical university.

It is necessary that the following critical question can be answered by all active citizens
"WHY DID THEY TRANFER 5 STRIKERS of HUNGER FROM THESSALONIKI TO ATHENS, A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE 30th ANIVERSARY of TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY REVOLT":

1) According to the orders of minister of Justice F. Petsalnikos, towards the administrative director of Papanjkolaou Hospital in Thessaloniki,
Thrasivoulos Ventouris (as it is also marked in relative papers of the patients).
2) While their familiar persons, their lawyers and their personal doctor knew nothing
3) Following western type enterprise of five patients from the hospital in the 2.30 night 10th to 11 November 2003 (unprecedented action, according to the nursing chronicles of country, that is sure that could expose them to the Greek and international common sence).

The "ARGUMENTS" the cooperating repressive and administrative mechanisms, according to which the transport became for reasons of "better
hospitalisation" and "safety" are obviously false and fools, because they presuppose:

1) That in a city, as modern as Thessaloniki can be, they could not be kept in "conditions of safety" 5 young men that are between life and death, due to the hunger-strike which lasts 39-56 days (individually).

2) That in the completely manned and equipped hospitals and the academic clinics of Thessaloniki, satisfactory hospitalisation could not be provided to five patients (!) and this could exist in the Hospital of Koridalos Prisons that exists only in the papers and as building structure (as it is proved by the fact that all the serious incidents are transfered immediately to the State Hospital of Nikaea).

CONSEQUENTLY, there's no other explanation left, that the autonomous parallel departments of repressive mechanisms (that are
organised, checked and guided by the American factor) with the transport of 5 hunger-strikers to Athens CREATED a "point of
peak" based on which they will attempt to cause extensive violent actions in the centre of city (by exploiting the Fair INDIGNATION of common opinion for the revealed brutal violation of each significance of right, humanism and culture in the case of 5 hunger-strikers ), in
the frame of a strategy that aims at:

1) the DISORIENTATION of common opinion from a sociopolitical economic situation, unfavourable for the administrators of power.
2) the WEAKENING of SUPPORT of common opinion in the five hunger-strikers .
3) In the A POSTERIORI COMPURGATION of SAVAGERY by the repressive mechanisms (that are in place of defendant and apologizer).
And, mainly,
4) FINALLY, CANCELLATION of the TEMPORARY RELEASE of the five hunger strikers (that seems forecoming). It is obvious that, if somebodies are an accessory in the drawings of repressive mechanisms in the creation of episodes, NO JURIDICIAL BEGINNING is not to pronounce positively in the demand for temporary release of the detainees.
As doctors of five hunger-strikers , interested mainly for their life, the health and their freedom, WE MAKE PUBLIC CALL to everyone not to comply with any challengers trying to promote the plans of the autonomous parallel departments of the repressive mechanisms and their dark instructors, harming the five hunger strikers that are in the verge of life and death.

Any violent (either spontaneous or on-spontaneous) reaction to the challenges of power and any idealization of the violence which could be used from the life-guards for the facilitation of their plans, seems as an accomplice with the death and it is turned straightly against the health, the life and the freedom of the five hunger-strikers.

Thessaloniki, 15 November 2003

ðñïóèÝóôå ôá ó÷üëéÜ óáò óå áõôü ôï Üñèñï

there are many things said and written about Greece which are not very helpful.

by ipse- watch your tongue!

Sat Nov 15, 2003 13:05

There are serious problems with rights in Greece.
Civil - Human - Worker - Political _ urban.

the people are poor.
And they have many of them been pushed to extremes from which they must be brought back for the betterment of all, not only in Greece but in the wider European context.

The accusations of "greek imc is anarchist" have long been made by right wing politicians and were examined by Argentinian imc at the link, following several attacks on the servers at both Athens and Thessalonika indymedia.

Many very different groups invited supporters to Greece in the last year. Many very different groups sought to use the mobilisations and to gain advantage from the situation since.

& now Some young people are very close to death and in what is obviously a very desperate situation and one that does not appear to have gained sufficient interest in the more affluent countries of the EU or in left wing groups used to more "civil" demonstatration of their concerns.

Solidarity with the Thess. 7.

other demo's

by another

Sat Nov 15, 2003 12:47

Uk indymedia is carying a list of demo's over the last couple of days, the Greek Media seems to be in the hands of anarchists at one time or another.
goto http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/11/280501.html
to see, what is an impressive list

Thanks to everyone Involved

by @ps

Fri Nov 14, 2003 22:40

Once again Thanks to everyone who turned out in the wind and rain to show solidarity with the Thessaloniki Hunger strikers.

Great

by Precision Man

Fri Nov 14, 2003 22:29

Nice one Kevin.
Have just been to the Thessalonika Indymedia site intending to put a link there, but you got there before me.
Excellent report too, redflaremist.

text of speech given at Greek Embassy today

Fri Nov 14, 2003 19:57

for those that are interested.
apologies to Indymedia Kevin for stealing his image.

here is the speech that was read out today at the Greek Embassy demo. some of it is straight from various websites with info, other stuff is original.

Why are we here today? We are here to show our support for the Thessaloniki Seven – five of whom are currently on hunger strike. As of today, Friday the 14th of November, Spiros Tsitsas has been fasting for 38 days. Simon Chapman, Carlos Martin Martinez, and Fernando Perez for 41 days. And Suleiman Dakduk Castro for 55 days.

The Thessaloniki 7 were arrested on Saturday June 21st at the anti-EU demonstration in Thessaloniki, Greece. They were part of an anti-authoritarian block which left the occupied university at around 5.00pm. Initial scuffles broke out between the police and part of the march with the police responding with hundreds of cannisters of CS gas and other chemical weapons.

They are temporarily imprisoned, and charged with resisting authority, construction and possession of molotovs, arson, serious damage to property, and riot. This could theoretically mean a prison sentence of between 7 and 25 years. Their cases could take up to 18 months to come to trial. All seven have so far had 3 bail appeals rejected by the prosecutor, who has refused to look at the video and photographic evidence.

Their demands are: bail for all seven, and that one of the prisoners, Suleiman "Castro" Dakduk be allowed to remain in Greece. Suleiman is a Syrian who has been living in exile in Crete for 18 years, and who is now threatened with deportation back to Syria where he faces torture and imprisonment for trade union activity. The five have been on strike collectively since 5th October, and are in an extremely weakened physical condition.

On Tuesday, after an enormous police mobilisation, the transport of the 5 hunger-strikers from the Hospital Papanjkola'oy to the Hospital of Prisons Korydaloy' began at 2 o' clock , as a result of a directive by the Ministry of Justice. Their lawyer says "It was like a state conspiracy" as they were whisked away at night without their lawyers knowledge.

Despite it being an unusually cold night, and the hugely deteriorated medical condition of the five, they were refused blankets and were not provided with beds. Fernando was so frail that he was immediately transferred to a civilian hospital where he remains unable to move at all. The current situation is that they are taking liquids again but still refusing food. All are now in hospital.

So why are we really here then? What is the point of this demonstration?

Before I answer this lets just take a look at what it means to go on hunger strike. It is an extremely dangerous tactic to adopt – with potentially fatal consequences. It is the tactic of the desperate. It is the last attempt of the prisoner without hope to achieve justice.

What happens to your body when you go on hunger strike? When food is first denied, the body feeds on a starchy substance called glycogen, which is stored in the liver. As less food is taken in, energy drops. Heartbeat, pulse and blood pressure fall.

The body begins to lose water and starts to feed on fat and muscle. Weight lost is composed of 50% water, 25% muscle and 25% fat. As water is depleted from the cells, the body shrinks. Fasters take on a gaunt, hollow-cheeked look.

The human body can withstand a loss of 25% of its normal weight and still survive. Beyond that, life expectancy is 30 to 50 days. The body's organs begin to waste away. Intestines wither, making it impossible for the body to digest food. Starvation has a devastating effect on mental health. There is fatigue and a loss of awareness of hunger. The person becomes confused, disoriented and irritable.

The body slows down as it tries to conserve protein. But there will come a point where slowing down is not enough and the situation will become serious. The body will start to break down the protein in vital organs and the heart, respiratory organs and liver will start to fail.

The normal upper limit for people surviving on hunger strike is 60 days.

Hunger strikers are fully aware that their actions may lead to their deaths. The Greek state has done nothing except treat the five with contempt. They have denied them their basic civil, legal and human rights. It seems that they will be quite content to let the five die in their prison hospitals.

As you all know, Ireland is the host of the EU presidency next year. There may be similar demonstrations in Dublin during a possible EU summit. Like the people in Thessaloniki, if we choose to take to the streets to confront the state head on, then we risk a similar fate to them. What has happened to them could very easily happen to us.

The reason we are here today is to give the hunger strikers a message of hope. The state, in all its evil forms, tries to kill hope. The state imprisons people who dare to speak out against it. It crushes any form of opposition with police brutality and oppression. It attempts to instil an atmosphere of fear and paranoia among us so that we are afraid to speak out against injustices. It allies itself with corporations who exploit us for profit. It suppresses our desires so we conform to their rules. It offers nothing but pain, misery, and alienation.

It would be easy to give in. It would be easy to give up, to go back to our homes and sit in front of the TV, and pretend that the world is perfect. But we are here today because we still have hope. We hope that we can change the world around us for the better. We have not succumbed to apathy and indifference. We hope that this situation can be resolved without any of the hunger strikers dying.

We call on the Greek Government to free the Thessaloniki 7 immediately and unconditionally. We call on the Irish Government to put pressure on Greece to grant them freedom now. Our solidarity action is sending a message to those on the inside of those prison hospital walls that we have not forgotten them. We support them in their hunger strike, and want to see them walk free from prison, fully recovered from their terrifying ordeal. Our action here will let them know that even on the verge of death there is still hope.