Posted by greydogg, 99GetSmart
El Barrio de Gracia
May 012013
Mar 142013
By Anthony Verias, WeAreChange GREECE
Live2 & Apset, “FaceArt”, Carpe Diem’s mural program during 15th Biennial, Polytechnic area, Thessaloniki, 2011
By now you have probably heard of a certain UK based graffiti artist who goes by the name of Banksy, who has gained enormous fame with his politically charged works. A movie loosely based on himself was even nominated for an Oscar! So what does this all prove? That there is an ENORMOUS market for graffiti tourism, so much so that maps are made to better locate that elusive Bansky piece. One such piece is rumored to be on the Greek island of Corfu. This island as well as others have seen a sharp decline in tourism since the start of the crisis. Tourism is right at the heart of the Greek economy with jobs in that sector accounting for 1 out of 5. The high season is of course in the summer, people come for the islands and to view the ancient art of Athens. Though, a movement of modern art could be a bright spot for the future of Greece’s economy. Carpe Diem is the team that is responsible for the urban treasures popping up all over Greece, creating an artistic revitalization; the likes of which the country has not seen for decades. Albert Einstein once said that “crises bring progress” and “creativity is born from anguish”. The anguish caused by the crisis has allowed the arts and creativity to flourish in the Northern port city of Thessaloniki.
I got to witness that anguish and creativity firsthand on the way home from intense riots which occurred after protests commemorating the 1973 fall of the military Junta. As I was leaving this scene of carnage; fire and smoke hanging in the air, with my eyes still stinging from the tear gas, it was this mural which gave me hope for Greece. Hope had so quickly grown from despair. In reality, there are reasons to be optimistic about Greece’s future everywhere you look; you just need to know where to look. Fragile bar is just one of the places which gives hope to a country so desperately in need of it. Media the world over have also stood up and took notice of the cultural and artistic revival in Greece, with the NYT noting “Salonika’s youth are embracing a do-it-yourself ethos resulting in a wave of arts and night-life venues that they hope will hold up in tough times”. Fragile Bar is a prime example of Greeks coping and even persevering in the face of great adversity.
It is clear that the work of graffiti artists gives the country an esthetic boost and the expansion of this art-form has certainly grown rapidly since the start of the crisis, but can it’s presence offer Greece anything more than a “face-lift”? For this answer I turned to Kiriakos Iosifidis, organizer and founding member of Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem is the team responsible for transforming dilapidated spaces into public works of art.
Kiriakos believes that bringing some “color” into a communities everyday life can go a long way as far as lifting it’s spirits and as a citizen of Thessaloniki where his work is prominently displayed I can firmly attest to that.
Carpe Diem mural
SEE MORE PUBLIC WORKS OF ART here and here
TO DONATE TO CARPE DIEM THROUGH PAYPAL USE EMAIL carpediemact@gmail.com
Mar 132013
Photography by Elias Theodoropoulos, 99GetSmart
Εξω τα ΜΑΤ απο την Ιερισσό – Η ζωή δεν αγοράζεται με χρυσό!Να απελευθερωθούν οι συλληφθέντες κάτοικοι και να σταματήσουν οι προσαγωγές,οι βασανισμοί,οι διώξεις και οι απειλές! Η Αλληλεγγύη το όπλο των λαών,πόλεμο στον πόλεμο των εταιριών!
και αλλες φωτο ( more photos @ ) ΕΔΩ
More information on the gold mining resistance in Northern Greece:
Halkidiki, Greece: Where neither numbers nor people thrive: Wednesday READ – 13 March 2013 @ http://99getsmart.com/wednesday-read-13-march-2013/
THE IERISSOS RESISTANCE: The Greek government dispatched local riot police to act as a private army against Ierissos residents in northern Greece to protect the business interests of Greek oligarch, George Bobolas and Canadian El Dorado Gold. VIDEOS @ http://99getsmart.com/?p=2883
For daily updates: follow local resident and journalist, Anthony Verias, on twitter @ https://twitter.com/VeriasA
Mar 032013
Photography by Elias Theodoropoulos, 99GetSmart
On Saturday in Athens, students, teachers and their supporters participated in a massive march and rally with demands for free and public education for all.
In contrast, the Ministry of Education has imposed deep austerity measures on education and has drastically cut funding for schools. The results of the draconian austerity policies have lead to multiple closing or merging of schools, cutting programs, and the elimination of bus service for school children.Clearly, austerity measures are slowly destroying the culture and society and only serves the financial interests of private colleges and schools.
Altogether we can fight for a better future for ourselves and our children – a future with free quality education for all people.
Feb 032013
Posted by Elias Theodoropoulos, 99GetSmart
The Greek rioting police blatantly tried to hide the fact that they tortured four arrested anarchists with ridiculously bad photoshopped photos:
Regarding Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos, one of the four arrested and tortured anarchists in Kozani via indymedia:
After contacting the parents of Bourzoukos Andreas-Dimitris, we wanted to inform you about the following:
All the detainees have been moved to the General Police Headquarters of Attica since Saturday February 2nd (very late in the evening).
In the morning the parents managed to get in contact with their children, as did their lawyers. Until then, the police denied all their requests.
They were given only 15 minutes at the 12th floor of the General Police Headquarters of Attica.
Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos was handcuffed to the chair during the whole time.
He informed us that in the cells where he was detained in Kozani he was handcuffed with his hands behind his waist. They placed a hood on his face, made him kneel and beat him for four hours on his head, his face and his stomach, and his hair was pulled out by force. This happened without any resistance from his part. They also threatened him and insulted him in a vulgar way. The consequences of these tortures were the following: blood in the urine, severe dizziness, headaches, swellings on his whole face, contusions on both eyes, bruises and ecchymoses everywhere.
His parents report that his face was non-recognizable and his voice altered from all the beatings at his jaw.
During the last three days he has only drunk bottled water, while his parents were not allowed to give him packaged food and juices.
All the above are not published in order to victimize the detainees, but in order to publicize the tortures and the “legal” violence of the state apparatus.
Despite everything, Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos is strong, has kept his dignity and his morale is not shaken.
Power to the detainees.
Anarchist brought to police headquarters after being beaten by rioting police:
See more on this subject:
Letter From the Anti-Fascist Militants Arrested in Athens on 03/9 and 1/10 @ http://99getsmart.com/?p=5123
For more news on Greece:
THE TERRORISM OF ‘LAW AND ORDER’: READ / PHOTOS @ http://a-place-called-space.blogspot.gr/2013/02/the-terrorism-of-law-and-order.html
Jan 302013
Photography by Elias Theodoropoulos, DEMOTIX
Today in Athens, the government-of-the-regime showed their real face against the Greek people, the workers and the unions. Within the last couple of weeks, the rioting police and SWAT teams attacked the metro workers, the municipality workers and now the union PAME. Thirty-five workers, who were engaged in a symbolic occupation of the MInistry of Labor, were arrested and are being held at Police Headquarters.
Oct 182012
Sep 282012
Aug 152012
Posted by Eirene, A Place Called Space
Shame on the new coalition government in Greece and its ‘Xenios Zeus’ operation aimed at arresting and detaining immigrants of Asian and African origin. Over a thousand illegal immigrants have been arrested and detained in the last two days. Busloads are transported to makeshift detention centres and kept there in appalling conditions.
Of the 4,900 people that were arrested on Saturday, 1,300 were detained and the rest released, presumably because they had legal papers. There are rumours that even tourists have been arrested (and subsequently released) as the initial criterion for arrests seems to be the colour of one’s skin.
Public Order and Citizen’s Protection Minister Nikos Dendias defended the campaign by claiming that: ‘Our social fabric is in danger of unraveling. The immigration problem is perhaps bigger than the financial one’.
The irony is that Xenios Zeus was the ancient god who was patron of hospitality and guests! What kind of a sick mind came up with this name for such an operation?
Cheap, clandestine labour, provided by the country’s immigrant labour partly fuelled the economic growth of the previous years. Many of the projects for the 2004 Olympic games were ready in time largely to migrant labour.
Who looks after the ageing parents that the social security system is unable to care for? Who has been boosting the country’s demographics as Greeks are leaving the country in droves escaping the economic situation? Who has been bringing new life to dying villages? All questions conveniently forgotten.
All this is happening in the context of the other big shame that occured last Wednesday in the biggest square of the city, outside the Greek Parliament, where the fascist party (I will not soil my blog by mentioning them by name) handed out free food to passers-by as long as they could prove they were Greek. Those who wanted to receive this ‘generosity’ were asked to produce their I.D. cards (a document that Greek citizens are legally bound to show only to representatives of the state) and the details were then recorded by the members of the fascist group.
The fact that we have reached the situation where Greek people are willing to give up their rights and to lose all dignity in order to receive a bag of potatoes shows how bad, how desperate things have become – it does not bode well for the future.
The two main political parties (what is the Democratic Left doing in this coalition? Do they need to change their name?) must start realising the part they have played in creating this mess and must start taking responsibility for the chaos the country is in.
It’s a disgrace
(Sources and the first 4 photographs: Kathimerini)
Jul 242012
Photography and Captions by Giorgos Panagakis, 99GetSmart
Greek Unions organized a demonstration to show their support for the heroic steel workers from the Hellenic Halyvourgias Steel Mill in Aspropyrgos, Elsfsina, who were forced to abandon their occupation of the stell mill, after the brutal intervention of riot police.
Thousands of demonstrators gather in Omonia Square.
Members of the Steelworkers Union demonstrate.
The Greek Federation of Women (OGE) showing support to the steelworkers.
Giorgos Sifonios, President of the Greek Steelworkers Union, raises his fist, hailing the people gathered in solidarity.
Giorgos Sifonios, President of the Steel Workers Union, said that they will continue the struggle against the company's plans.
The demonstrators march by Stadiou Street on on the way to Syntagma Square and the Greek Parliament.
Demonstrators passing the Greek Parliament Building in Syntagma Square, shouting slogans against the government.
Slogan: "Victory to the steel workers - strike-breakers go away!"