[fse-esf] Photos from the clashes

[Anne McShane]

Some clarification is necessary regarding the final photograph - this is of
members of the SWP's international organisation, not an independent
delegation. They were protesting in solidarity with their SEK comrades. To
make it appear as though this was an independent international protest in
support of the SEK  is simply wrong.


I was also present at the meeting the night before the demonstration when it
was announced that there had been an agreement in the Greek Organising
Committee that the international delegations be at the front and the Greek
comrades at the back. As has been said before SEK and SWP members were
present and did not object or say that this agreement had not been made.
There was no problem with the SWP from Britain and other countries outside
of Greece being at the front. The problem was that the SEK decided - or was
told by their international leadership - to push up to the front with them
in defiance of a decision already made. This is what created the problem and
the angry scenes.

I saw the incident from very close by and it is not as described by Alex
Callinicos and others from the SWP/SEK. The SEK were pushing and shoving as
much as those who were trying to stop them moving forward. This was
obviously a narrow and ill-considered sectarian move to dominate the
demonstration. Comrades in the SEK and their international organisation
should stop to consider why it is that they are being criticised so
fiercely.

Anne McShane

  -----Original Message-----
  From: fse-esf-bounces at lists.fse-esf.org
[mailto:fse-esf-bounces at lists.fse-esf.org]On Behalf Of Sotiris Kontogiannis
  Sent: 10 May 2006 18:15
  To: ESF LIST
  Subject: [fse-esf] Photos from the clashes


  An appeal to the comrades of the Greek Social Forum:  A small
self-restrain on your insults and invectives against Petros would not hurt
anyone...

  Petros has been BADLY hurt during the demonstration. He WAS there when the
Greek Social Forum "safeguards" attacked the antiwar block and he tried to
defend it -not by force, he is to fragile to try something like that- but by
appealing to the "comrades". The answer was a vicious physical attack.

  In the first picture I have attached, you can see Petros (from the back,
wearing an orange jacket and carrying a small bag on his back). In front of
him is standing a well known member of the Greek Social Forum  (N.Tavris)
who is the one who actually attacked Petros.

  I did not participate in the "events" since I was making pictures for the
Stop-The-War Coalition webpage -and I have made a lot of them during the
attack. When Tavris realised that I had made a picture during his attack on
my comrades, he attacked me, hitting first the camera (and threatening to
smash it) and then myself in the face, destroying my glasses. The
international guests who were present at the scene (George Martin from
"United For Peace and Justice" among them) helped me gather the pieces of my
glasses from the ground. During the attack I pressed the button on my
camera -this is the second picture I am sending. George Martin and others
from the international delegation staged a protest (3rd picture) against
these brutalities -they sat on the ground behind the lines of the
"safeguards" with handmade signs against violence. Unfortunately, in vain.

  About the events itself.

  The Greek Social Forum people are insisting that there had been an
agreement about the demontsration in the organizing commitee. Genoa 2001 and
  the Stop The War Coalition did participate in the organizing commitee and
as anyone knows decisions in the ESF are not beeing taken by majority
  but by concencus. Do the comrades mean that Petros and Giannis Sifakakis,
who participated in the last meetings on the demonstration, were stupid and
mad to accept an agreement and deny it the next day? Which meeting decided
what is going to happen in the demo? Another, secret, meeting?

  But there is a second, more important, question: If there had been an
aggreement and a group (any group) had decided not to observe it, is
physical violence the way to make it "obey"? Is this what the European
Social Forum is about?

  The Greek Social Forum used all kinds of violence against us: using the
microphones in order to anounce an aggreement that did not exist. Sending
  troops of "safegurads" to attack our comrades, tear apart our banners and
deny us the right to march. During the march, long after the "clashes" our
block has been repeatedly stopped by lines of "safeguards" standing
provocative in our way while the front part of the demonsteration was
marching away. Whom have this people been protecting the "demonstration"
from? From Kate Hudson and the CND? Is George Martin the enemy? Maybe
  Yildiz Onen and BAK?



  Shame "comrades". This is, for sure, not the way to go forward!


  Sotiris Kontogiannis




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