Protests held in Greece after murder, as far right extremism attacks rise

Thousands of protesters took part in a string of anti-fascist rallies staged in central Athens and major cities across Greece on Wednesday evening, a week after the fatal stabbing of a Leftist activist by a far-Right extremist which has triggered strong reactions against the neo-fascist Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avgi) party. "Never again to fascism," read banners raised by demonstrators in front of the parliament and outside the headquarters of Golden Dawn in Athens (about four km away) during the main demonstration organized by the country's two umbrella trade unions ADEDY and GSEE. The mobilization was supported by most political parties represented in the parliament, while similar smaller rallies were held across the country. "Pavlos is alive, crush the neo-Nazis," protesters chanted, waving pictures of Pavlos Fyssas, the 34-year-old musician and Leftist activist who was killed during a brawl over politics at Piraeus port by a man who is believed to have close links to the Golden Dawn party. "We must cut off neo-Nazis breath. They are enemies of our nation, enemies of employees and the entire society," Pavlos Balassopoulos, a Greek protester told Xinhua during the march in Athens which attracted some 10,000 demonstrators, according to estimates. The protest ended in minor scuffles between hooded youth and anti riot police near Golden Dawn's headquarters. Dozens of protesters pelted rocks and petrol bombs at police forces which responded by firing tear gas. No serious injuries have been reported. Wednesday's mobilization was held amidst an unprecedented clampdown on the party since last Thursday, as Greek Ombudsman Kalliopi Spanou warned of a sharp rise in racist violence by far-Right extremists over the past two years, calling for drastic measures. According to a report submitted to parliament on Wednesday, in the period from January 2012 to May 2013 the watchdog accounted 281 cases, including four deaths. At least a third of the attacks have been directly linked to Golden Dawn members. There has been a 30-percent increase compared to the previous year since Golden Dawn entered the parliament for the first time in the 2012 general elections with a 7-percent of vote capitalizing on Greeks' frustration at three years of tough austerity imposed to overcome the debt crisis. The neo-fascist party still rejects any connection to the attacks, as in Fyssas' killing and recent attacks against Greek Communist Party members. The Ombudsman, along Left parties, human rights groups and migrants, attribute the mounting violence of the far-Right to a "disappointing" impunity of perpetrators due to "negligence on the part of state authorities, in particular police, to investigate incidents for months." Among the demonstrators in Athens on Wednesday evening, were also groups of immigrants who have been victims of racist attacks by members of the Golden Dawn. "We want to get rid of fascists. Many Pakistanis end up in hospitals after racist attacks. But when we go to the police station they tell us that they cannot do anything," Sayed, a Pakistani migrant, told Xinhua. In the aftermath of Fyssas' murder which has shocked Greece, the Greek state, government, opposition parties and society appear determined to counter the violence linked to far-Right extremism decisively. Within days a dozen Golden Dawn offices across Greece were raided by police in the context of investigations into the party's actions, Golden Dawn members were arrested for illegal weapons possession and prosecutors started re-examining older offenses attributed to party members. In addition, amidst allegations in local media that police and army forces have been infiltrated by Golden Dawn supporters leading to officers turning a blind eye on crimes, police stations have been raided and at least nine police officers have been suspended for failing to take action. Furthermore, the government pledges to eradicate neo-fascism by pushing through soon stricter legislation for hate crimes of racist or political motives, pointing to Golden Dawn. The party's spokesperson Elias Kassidiaris insisted on Wednesday that Golden Dawn is targeted because of its high popularity. However, after Fyssas' death public support has dipped by two percentage points, according to opinion surveys.