Post date: Dec 15, 2012 6:52:32 PM
Demonstrators from all over Europe travel to Athens protest against an increase in racist attacks in Greece with a march to the Acropolis.
ATHENS, GREECE (DECEMBER 15, 2012)(REUTERS) - Hundreds of protesters from more than 20 countries gathered outside theGreek Parliament on Saturday (December 15) and marched to the Acropolis to demonstrate against an increase in race-based attacks in the country.
Demonstrators unfurled a huge banner reading "Europe Against Neo-Nazism" on the steps of central Athens Syntagma Square in front of Parliament and marched to the Acropolis, a cultural landmark and symbol of ancient Greece's reputation as the cradle of democracy.Members of the Paris-based European Grassroots Antiracist Movement organized the protest to over worries that Greece's political establishment was not acting fast enough to counter the rise in racism.
Violence against immigrants has surged in the last few months which non-governmental organizations accuse the far right Golden Dawn Party of instigating.
The latest opinion polls show the popularity of the Golden Dawn party - the first ultra-nationalist group to enter parliament since a military junta was overthrown in 1974 - has risen since the election.
The party denies it is neo-Nazi and frequently accuses critics of misrepresenting it.
Greece is a major gateway for illegal immigrants from the south and east trying to enter the European Union and the Golden Dawn's anti-immigrant message has gathered many supporters angry over a rise in crime and austerity.
Chairman of the Pakistani Community of Greece Javied Aslam said that immigrants inGreece were scared to leave their houses and living in a atmosphere of constant fear.
"This is an atmosphere of fear. When one simple worker is going outside from his house, he is thinking maybe I will not come back safely to this house. For me, because, I hope if we are not coming outside, if we are not saying to all over the world then nobody will take action and nobody - we are in fear," said Aslam holding a placard reading "800 racist attacks and nobody was punished."
A United Nations human rights expert responsible for migration expressed concern earlier this month for the situation concerning immigrants in Greece, highlighting the issue of violent attacks on immigrants.
The president of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement Benjamin Abtan said that the rise in racism in Greece was one of the largest in Europe, and that was why activists from more than 20 European countries came to demonstrate in Athens.
"We wanted to launch a simple and very clear anti-racist protestation here in Athensbecause we know that in Europe it is the worst scenario. It's a place where a neo-Nazi party is the strongest and where the rise in racism is the bigger. So we wanted to come here because fighting neo-nazism and racism here help us fight racism elsewhere inEurope," said Abtan.
"I'm coming to Greece in order to help Greece retain and maintain its status as the first country that spread democracy. Because if these things happen in Greece, what can we expect?" said 33-year-old Darko Ivanovic, who travelled from Montenegro to join the rally.
Among those who signed the call to march in Athens were former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, Nobel prize-winner Dario Fo and author and philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy.