Anarchism in Greece
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The evolution of Anarchism in Greece has shown a series of historical paradoxes which have to do with both the insufficient historical coverage of such events, as well as the distortion of historical facts due to ideological bias. It is also very difficult to trace the connections of the various Anarchist leagues and affinity groups, as they remain mostly anonymous. It's important to note that anarchists in Greece have emerged from occasionally overlapping but mostly diverse inclinations.
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[edit] History
[edit] 1860-1875
Starting in 1860, the first libertarian texts were being published in Greece, as well as organized anarchist actions in Athens. Much was written and published by anarchists and libertarian radicals of that time, deeply influenced by the activities of the corresponding European leagues.
Emanouil Dadaoglou, a merchant from Smyrna, had probably encountered anarchist ideas from Italian political refugees, first arriving in Patras in 1849 due to the War of the Two Sicilies. With the Italian anarchist Amilcare Cipriani, founder of "Democratic Club", they organized a group and took part in the revolution against King Othon in 1862. We know that they had a "roadblock" in the area of Kapnikarea [1]. From 1864 to 1867 he went to Italy in the area of Napoli and he became part of the International Working Men's Association (IWA) (he followed the ideas of Mikhail Bakunin) . At that time he met Maria Pantazi, who professes prostitution, who became his lifelong companion. In the late sixties he returned to Greece and died in 1870. After his death Maria Pantazi left Greece. She died along with thousands of others after the Paris Commune, at the hands of royal guards. The first Greek anarchist publication, can be found on 3 September 1861 in the daily newspaper "Φώς" (Light) issue 334. It is the main article of the paper, titled "Anarchy" part A by an anonymous writer. All the papers were confiscated a few hours after their release and a police raid was staged, "forcing" the owner of the paper to condemn the article, so part B was never published.
Movements are also done in the Eptanisa Islands, with the names of Mikelis Avlichos and Nikos Konemenos saved to us. Avlichos studied in Berne, Switzerland were he met M. Bakunin and afterwards he returned to Kefalonia where he was born. He published some articles. Konemenos, living in Corfu, was one of the first to use the term "communism" and one of the first to speak for women's rights. In 1893 he published a book in Italian called (Ladri ed omicidi} (Thieves and murderers).
[edit] 1875-1907
The character of the tradition spored during the last decade will flower giving "revolutionary" organizations in different areas of Greece, such as Athens, Syros, Messini, Aigio, Filiatra, Kefalonia and Patra. In G. Kordatos' Great Greek History, he writes: "the anarcho-socialist ideas found ground to spread in Patras in my opinion, due to the presence of 5,000 proletarians and bourgeois, the Eptanisians with the radicals and the through Europe communication of the City".
The anarchists from Patra in early 1876 formed a collective called "Democrative Association", which because of the city's favorable position and its port acquired close and constant relations not only with fellow anarchists from nearby Italy but with other European organizations. They tried to coordinate all the groups of the Greece and to form the first Greek chapter of the International Workers League. A league called "Democratic League of the People" was formed and in an article of the Italian paper Il Martello published in Bologna, Italy we can read along with the announcement of the league's existence: "...later on we will send you the general policies of the Democratic League of the People and the specific policies of the Company of Patra... Soon enough we will publish our socialist newspaper as an instrument of IWA ..." . The following repression from the Greek state, is in accord with a European state agreement, a fact that can be proved from several diplomatic papers. In the newspaper Bulletin of the Jura federation on 10 June 1877: Greece in its turn joins the agreement of civilized nations, those who are sleepless with energetic meters of pressure in keeping the "social order" . To prove that, we received the following letter : "Prisons of Patra, 15/27 May 1877 in the making of the leaflet: Dionisis Ampelopoulos, Konstantinos Mpompotis, Alexandros Evmorfopoulos, Konstantinos Grimanis. We are in jail because of the publication of the first issue of our paper Greek Democracy, of which you will receive copies. Greetings and solidarity. Konstantinos Grimanis." In 1896 two new associations are established: One is in Patras and the other in Pyrgos. The most active people were D. Badounas, D. Arnellos , D. Karabilias and the poet P. Tsekouras. [2]. They translated various anarchist articles and later the same year they published the anarchist newspaper Epi ta proso with Social anarchist inclinations around which gather Anarcho-christians, Anarcho-communists, Socialists, and even Individualists. [3] We also meet Marinos Antypas who was active in all of Greece.
[edit] 1910-1945
During this period one can not find groups that are explicitly anarchist, but many anarchists participated in the Federacion and the Socialist Worker Party of Greece (which over the years became the Greek Communist Party. The most notable example was Constantinos Speras.
[edit] The Boatmen of Thessaloníki
The "boatmen" of Thessaloníki were anarchists, of Bulgaric origin. Their most noted actions were bombings: on 28 April 1903 they put bombs in the French steam boat Guadalquivir and the next day ,29 April they bombed the Imperial Ottoman Bank, the "express" train from Istanbul, the main pipe lines of gas and water, the bar Alambra, the Bank of Mitilini, the Post Office, the Grand Hotel, the Theater Eden, the Top Hane military camp and the German Club. The official death toll was 115 people.
[edit] 1960s to 1995
The Greek anarchist movement really started during the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. The first Greek anarchists after war (1973) were among the main actors in the student movement against the junta.[4]
The Greek movement really started here and it carried both the ads and pros of this. Greek anarchists in the light of May of '68 and the Italian autonomist movement opposed Anarcho-syndicalism in favor of direct class war. Their influences were the classics (Bakunin, Kropotkin) but also the Situationist Internationale and autonomist Marxism.
The Greek anarchist and autonomist movement got really strong in late '70s, when people from ultra-left parties (who were strong in the mid-'70s) left their political parties or groups and found themselves on the side of autonomists and anarchists [5]
The first wave of Greek anarchists were disappointed, and the great majority of them left the movement slowly, when the first socialist government was established in 1980 and with the alliance from the communist party almost ended "the social war" of the '70s. A new wave of young anarchists even more aggressive and violence-oriented than the first generation emerged in the mid-80s. Some reporters even claim that some of this generation of anarchists later became recruits of terrorist groups such as the Revolutionary Organization 17 November.[6]
In the years 1985-1986 almost daily demos and clashes took place[7]. Anarchists Mixalis Kaltezas (1970-1985) and Xristos Tsoutsouvis (?-1985) were killed during this period and their killings caused huge riots in Athens and Thessaloníki. The murder of a policeman in Thessaloníki and the occupation of Chemistry University in Athens made the oppression against anarchists almost unbearable, but an anarchist movement existed, and managed to stage demonstrations with thousands of participants in Athens. The attack by an anarchist demonstration on the hotel "Caravel" hosting a far-right conference (among them was Jean-Marie Le Pen) was also a peak in anarchist movement of '80s.
The 80s generation faded slowly, and a new wave of anarchists came in the heat of the 1991 high school student uprising. The '91 student movement was the most radical movement ever to be shown in Greece, carrying about 1500 school occupations and demonstrations of hundreds of thousands of participants. The murder of the ultra-left teacher Nikos Temponeras by members of the ruling right-wing New Democracy party, caused an almost general insurgency in all main Greek towns, with a 25,000 strong demonstration in Patra where Temponeras was killed, which was followed by the burning of the police station and the town hall. The same day in Athens four people were killed by a fire which occurred during a massive demonstration. The civil unrest stopped only after the Minister of Education resigned.
The anarchist movement of the '90s faced complete disaster in the anarchist occupation of the Polytechnic University in 1995. About 3,000 people occupied Polytechnic, when, the police got in and arrested 501 anarchists (all of those occupiers that were left in Polytechnic). The Polytechnic was almost completely destroyed during the anarchist occupation. The role of the media was a catalyst, ordering the police to arrest and hit "these hooligans, the known-unknown thugs" (the common name of anarchists used by the media). But instead of strengthening the anarchist movement, as oppression did before, it tore it apart.
[edit] 17th of November
17th of November is an annual school and universities holiday in Greece celebrating the Athens Polytechnic Uprising. Almost every year massive demonstrations take place in the large urban centers and almost every year riots occur. Anarchists have been fiercely criticized for these riots.
[edit] 1970s
The first elections after the military Junta were planned for the 17th of November 1974 and the celebrations were to be postponed to the 24th of November. Many people were opposed to that (including leftists and the communist party). In the end two demonstrations occurred on the 15th and the other as planned on the 24th. on the 15th a text was distributed to the people arriving at the demonstration, which among other things says :"Comrades paid slaves, the completion of a year since the riot of November is sealed by the zenith of anti-revolution, elections... Comrades, the riot of November made the owners and the aspiring owners of authority to shake. Comrades, all together the lackeys of state and capital ask us to be productive robots, pathetic receptors of our lives...", and it was signed by the "anarchist team Extremists ". The demonstration committee said that their positions were different from the text and asked the people who where present to isolate the anarchists.
1976 saw the first organized anarchist bloc take part in the demonstrations.
In 1978, the assembly for the demonstration was in the Polytechnic. There police had a very strong presence and before the demonstration started minor conflicts occurred. EFEE (the national student union (of) Greece) declared that the demonstration was to be cancelled due to the large police force. Despite the declaration, the demonstration and clashes with the police occurred.
[edit] 1980s
In 1980 the situation was very charged due to the murder of the assistant commander of the riot squad by the Revolutionary Organization 17 November. The demonstration wasn't allowed to take place. Even though a demonstration happened on the 16th and anarchists took part, but not from the start of the demonstration [8].
Banks, shops and public buildings were attacked and some destroyed and roadblocks were made. The police attacked back. The conclusion was several injured and two dead, I. Koumis and S. Kanelopoulou. The next day another demonstration occurred.
In 1982, anarchists burned Greek flags and the wreaths laid in the memorial of the riot by politicians. Some clashes occurred.
On November 16th 1983, the offices of Rizospastis were destroyed, the main motto was : "The Party kills Polish workers". After the demonstration on the 17th the offices of the Technical Chamber were attacked.
On November 17th 1984, a concert against state repression was planned but was prohibited at the last moment by the Polytechnics Rector. Massive riots started outside the Polytechnics. A text that was published after the event read: "This gave food to the rags and those who think that the university is their kingdom. In us depends if they will taste this food for a life and then burp happily or if they will vomit it and then crawl in their dirty anti-orgasmic party offices."
In 1985 clashes with the police could be witnessed from the beginning, something which could be explained the following events: Few anarchists took part in this year's demonstration but when it ends they break the offices of South Africa Airlines. The clashes continue in Exarheia Square and M. Kaltezas is killed. The polytechnics school is squatted and the clashes continued until the police breaks in. The same day the school is re-squatted and Stournari street is blocked. Demonstrations and further clashes occur with the police but in the night everything stops. Leftists criticized the clashes and said that if the anarchists didn't riot more people would demonstrate for the death of M. Kaltezas.
Probably the most massive anarchist demonstration for the 17th of November occurred in 1986.
In 1987, clashes started when officials tried to place wreaths in the memorial of the riot and escalate to a riot that lasted three days. Clashes also occurred outside of the U.S. embassy.
The anarchist block of 1989 was probably the smallest for a decade and after an attack by the police in the middle of the demonstration it disbanded after some small clashes.
[edit] 1990s
In 1990, anarchists gathered at the rear of the demonstration and attacked banks and public buildings. Minor clashes with the police occurred as well.
In the midday of November 16th 1992 the Ministry of Labor was attacked with Molotov cocktails and in the evening a demonstration for solidarity to the imprisoned N. Maziotis, N. Skiftoulis, K. Mazokopos and B. Tsouris who was hunger striking. It ended in the polytechnics where clashes with the police start. On the 17th the office of New Democracy and two bus booking offices were burned. 26 people were arrested.
In 1993, during 15, 16 and 17 of November anarchists handed out leaflets, made banners for the occasion and wrote with spray paint on the walls around the Polytechnics school. On the 16th about 30 people attacked a police bus on Kanigos Square and two Mercedes cars parked outside the General Accountant Building with Molotov cocktails. On the 17th at the same time officials were giving their speeches for the holiday, a group attacked the riot police stationed outside the polytechnics with Molotovs, rocks and flares. Later that evening a van of the T.V. station Skai was destroyed.
[edit] Imprisoned Greek anarchists
- G. Dimitrakis, arrested in Athens on 16 November, 2007 for armed bank robbery. Sentenced to 35 years in prison.[9]
- Ch. Tonidou, arrested inside Aristotle University of Thessaloniki on 8 September, 2007, following conflicts between anarchists and police forces. Has been released awaiting trial.[10]
- M. Tsourapas, H. Kontorebithakis, arrested in Athens on 5 June, 2006 for trying to burn a car of the municipal police. Both remain in prison awaiting trial. [11]
- Up to date Greek activist prisoner list: www.geocities.com/anarcores/krat [12]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notable Greek anarchists
[edit] Greek Anarchist organisations
[edit] Notes
- ^ Page 412, "History of late and modern Greece- Volume A'" Tasos Bournas. Kastaniotis ,1997 Athens ISBN 960-600-524-0
- ^ The History of the Greek Workers Movement, G. Kordatos
- ^ The History of the Greek Workers Movement , G. Kordatos.
- ^ One can find many references in S. Katsaros's book "I the provocateur,the terrorist": "The slogans of the anarchists like "Destroy the State" were not adopted by no-one. They sounded a bit strange as the anarchist movement had no tradition in Greece" (p.219) or "The only people who took initiative were "leftists" or anarchists, who had only to offer in tactics was demonstrations to the region that the people would clash with the police." (p. 238) and "The speakers stopped but from the radio station the spokesmen started chanting the national anthem(...). A group of anarchists started singing the Internationale and heading towards the Polytechnic School but an Avra (armored police vehicle) stopped this quickly..." (p.243)
- ^ An article from the Communist Review, issue 4, 2004.
- ^ Το ΒΗΜΑ, 25/08/2002, pg.: A04 Article code: B13646A041
- ^ Riksi magazine 19-20
- ^ Chris Bratakos,MAT. The Helmet-wearers (Athens 1984, pub. Capricorn(Αιγόκερως)
- ^ Åëåõèåñïôõðßá - ÁðïãåõìáôéíÞ ÁäÝóìåõôç Åöçìåñßäá
- ^ Åëåõèåñïôõðßá - ÁðïãåõìáôéíÞ ÁäÝóìåõôç Åöçìåñßäá
- ^ news in.gr - Αρνούνται να μιλήσουν οι συλληφθέντες για την απόπειρα εμπρησμού στο Π.Φάληρο
- ^ Êñáôïõìåíïé Toy Eëëçíéêïõ Êñáôïõó - Prisoners Of The Greek State
[edit] Further reading - Bibliography
[edit] Books
- A brief history of anarchism in Greece.Anarchist Gallery (1986).
- Early Days of Greek Anarchism: The Democratic Club of Patras & Social Radicalism in Greece Edited and translated by Paul Pomonis. ISBN 1-873605-68-4
- Stergios Katsaros-I the provocateur, the terrorist. The charm of violence , S. Katsaros . Mayri Lista (1999). ISBN 960-8044-02-2
- The Boatmen of Thesalloniki. The Bulgarian anarchist goup and the bomb attacks of 1903, G. Megas .Troxalia, 1994 ISBN 960-7022-47-5
- Great History of Greece,Kordatos G. Athens,20th Century Publishing
- The History of the Greek Workers Movement , G. Kordatos.Athens, Mpoukomanis Publications(1972)
- The Greek Speaking Anarchist and Revolutionary Movement (1830-1940) Writings for a History, James Sotros. No God-No Masters, December 2004
- The Strike of Serifos ,K. Speras .Bibliopelagos (2001) ISBN 960-7280-14-8.
[edit] Magazines-Newspapers
- Solidarity - monthly anarchist newspaper - issues n.1 (15/11/1983)
- The Arena - monthly anarchist newspaper issue n. 1 (?/11/1984)
- Test -anti-authoritarian newspaper issue n. 8 (14/11/1986)
- Against-monthly anarchist newsletter issues n. 1,2,6 (1988-1990)
- Riot - anarchist newspaper - issues n. 3,9,13,14,18,21,24,28
- Anarchist bulletin - Special edition November 2005
- [Diadromi Eleftherias - Route for Freedom - Panhellenic Monthly Anarchist Newspaper since March 2002 http://www.anarchy.gr]
[edit] External links
In Greek:
- Athens Independent Media Center
- Lelas Karagiani Squat
- Anarchist Archive (Anarhiki Arxeiothiki)
- Anarchist Bulletin (Anarxiko Deltio)
- Greek Anarchist archive page (some texts in English)
- Anarchist Archive of Thessaloniki
In English:
- Insurrection v.s. Organization: Reflections from Greece on a Pointless Schism - Analysis by Peter Gelderloos
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