Post date: Oct 07, 2013 1:51:32 PM
Greek and international activists gather at the scene where a Golden Dawn party supporter stabbed to death a leftist rapper for a memorial in his honor and say they want the far-right party leader and other members to stay in jail for justice to be served.
ATHENS, GREECE (OCTOBER 5 2013)(REUTERS) - Greeks on Sunday (October 6) said they hope the arrests and imprisonment of the leader of the Golden Dawn and other MPs and members of the far right group are not just for show during a memorial rally for the left-wing rapper stabbed to death by a supporter of the far-right Golden Dawn party.
Hundreds of anti-fascist protesters from across Europe as well as local supporters closed off the street where Pavlos Fissas, also known as "Killah P," was killed and waved flags and chanted: "Pavlos Fissas lives, crush the fascists."Weyman Bennett, the secretary of Britain's Unite Against Fascism organization said he was very sad to be at the memorial, as he had gotten to know the musician when he had played during an anti-fascist rally in London.
"Pavlos came and played for us when we faced the British National Party, which is the sister organization of Golden Dawn, when they were growing in Britain. We had a big music festival and he came and supported us so I'm very sad to be here, they tried to murder our movement, they murdered a great man," said Bennett.
The leader of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party, Nikolaos Mihaloliakos, who has denied charges of founding and belonging to a criminal organization was sent to Greece's highest security jail on Thursday (October 3) after a court magistrate ordered he should remain in custody pending trial.
This was the first time an elected party chief has been put behind bars since a military coup in 1967.
Javed Aslam, the president of Greece's Pakistani community said he was sure there was enough evidence to keep Mihaloliakos and other Golden Dawn members in jail for a long time.
"There is so much, there is more than enough evidence. Two, three, five victims are enough to get them (the Golden Dawn party) there is so much that has happened. That is why I say, I hope this isn't a political show, because they definitely have enough evidence to lock them up and close all of their offices," said Aslam.
Spanish activist Marta Castillo said that pressure needs to be kept on the government so that the case against Golden Dawn is not forgotten.
"Of course they have enough evidence, but it's not a matter of that, it's a matter of what they want to do, so we don't have to let them do whatever they want. Because they want to use this. Now they are condemning Golden Dawn but they also want to use them at some point probably, the government I mean, so it's a matter of what we do, the people, the movement, the anti-fascist movement has to put pressure on them, to oblige them to make justice," said Castillo.
But local resident Yannis was not so hopeful.
"I believe all this will be forgotten and justice will not be served. Justice will be only partly served, as usual," said 62-year-old Yannis near the spot where Fissas was murdered. Flowers and candles have been placed at the site along with a note saying, "Pavlos we know that even up there you will be singing, RIP Killah P."