The poster on the right is about the Greek Socialist Worker Party (ΣΕΚ), which calls for solidarity with the Uprising in Turkey. This refers to the protests which found their genesis in Istanbul’s Gezi Park in late May 2013, initially as opposition on ecological grounds to the destruction of the park to make way for a shopping centre. This protest snowballed into an Occupy-style movement challenging the perceived authoritarianism of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, conservative and traditionalist attempts to restrict public behaviour (most notably restrictions on alcohol, and kissing in public), and wider opposition to governments and the Capitalist financial system.
This poster calls for solidarity between Istanbul and Athens, and for protesters to unite in a ‘Common Battle’ (n.b. this is not a call to violence). Featured on the poster are details for a talk by the Greek activist and writer Nikos Lountos, held by a Cultural Student Group of the University of Crete, Rethymno.
Also visible on this photo is a fragment of a poster for the Ε.ΠΑ.Μ ‘Democracy Now’ group, a grassroots movement which campaigns for widespread democratic and institutional reforms in Greece. It opposes the conditions of the ‘Troika’ (EU, IMF, ECB) sanctioned bailouts imposed on the Greek people, and calls for Greece to abandon both the EU and the Euro, and reinstate a national currency.
The increased prominence and rising popularity of groups and parties such as ΣΕΚ and Ε.ΠΑ.Μ comes as a direct response to the harsh conditions faced by the Greek people as their Government imposes cuts to the public sector and services, as well as large tax increases, in an attempt to balance Greece’s deficit. Both ΣΕΚ and Ε.ΠΑ.Μ, and other parties of similiar political affiliation have been extremely vocal in their opposition to the the far-right Golden Dawn group, whose links to violence and the recent murder of Pavlos Fyssas have led to the recent arrest of its leader Nikos Michaloliakos and other central members of the party on 28th September.
(Apologies to any Greek speakers for the quality of my translations, any corrections are welcomed)
Sources:
Guardian – ‘Turkey protests spread after violence in Istanbul over park demolition’
Socialist Worker Party (ΣΕΚ Online)
Anticapitalist Students (Μαθητές Anti Capitalista)
Democracy Now! – ‘Uprising in Greece: Protests, Riots, Strikes Enter 6th Day Following Fatal Police Shooting of Teen (Interview with Nikos Lountos)’
Ε.ΠΑ.Μ (Ενιαιο Παλλακïο Μετωπο) ‘Democracy Now’
Guardian – ‘Golden Dawn remains defiant amid Greek revulsion at musician’s murder’
Guardian – ‘Golden Dawn leader charged with heading a criminal gang’
RETURN TO PROJECT GALLERY
Digby Fullam 