Greeks commemorate musician's murder by neo-Nazis

Greeks on Friday commemorated anti-fascist musician Pavlos Fyssas in an Athens rally, a month after his murder by a neo-Nazi supporter prompted a huge backlash against the far-right Golden Dawn party. Around a thousand people gathered in the working-class neighbourhood of Keratsini in west Athens where the 34-year-old was fatally stabbed by a self-confessed neo-Nazi supporter on September 18, following a brawl outside a cafeteria. The ensuing outcry forced authorities to take a closer look at the activities of Golden Dawn, which had long been suspected of orchestrating assaults, mainly against migrants, that police failed to properly investigate. Mourners left candles and carnations on the spot where Fyssas fell, outside a private education centre, and the word "Revenge" was written on the wall above. "In the past month, since Pavlos' murder, more people have been taking to the streets over issues of anti-fascism," Constantina, a university student studying law, told AFP. "They have placed these issues first on their agenda because they understand that in a society living in misery, the fight against (austerity) and the system that feeds them is a fight against fascism," she said. A Supreme Court report has linked Golden Dawn, which had 18 MPs in parliament since last year's elections, to two murders, including the stabbing death of Fyssas, three attempted murders and numerous assaults. Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos, his deputy Christos Pappas and lawmaker Yiannis Lagos have been indicted over the violence and are being held in Athens's high security Korydallos prison to face trial. Six other Golden lawmakers have also been tied to the case. The revelations have halted Golden Dawn's meteoric rise in opinion polls, which had been boosted by the party's strong stance on political corruption, austerity and illegal immigration.