Clashes Erupt in Athens Between Far-right, Leftist Groups

One woman was injured and 13 people were arrested on Wednesday night in clashes between far-right groups and leftist groups in central Athens, following gatherings on the 10th anniversary of the murder of two members of the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn.

A total of 60 people were detained.

Despite a police ban on gatherings that was in force until 6 a.m. on Thursday, a large number of people gathered in the areas of Neo Iraklio and Nea Ionia, with far-right groups and anti-fascists organizing their own rallies.

After the gatherings, members of far-right groups targeted anti-fascist protesters onboard a train in the metro station of Monastiraki. Videos posted on social media show them shouting slogans against black-clad youths and throwing a liquid into the train with one man shouting “burn them!”

#antireport
Στο Μοναστηράκι ΗΣΑΠ,
οι φασίστες έριξαν βενζίνη σε ένα βαγόνι γεμάτο κόσμο και προσπάθησαν να του βάλουν φωτιά.#Athens #Greece#antifagr #ACAB
In Athens, fascists poured gasoline into a train car full of people and tried to set it on fire. pic.twitter.com/JP9GbCG5cr

— V e l o c i t y 🏴 (@Sacco_69) November 1, 2023

Woman injured during the clashes in Athens

During the attack, a woman was injured after being hit by wooden sticks and was transferred to Gennimatas Hospital.

Police said on Thursday it had launched an inquiry into a possible incident of police brutality, following a video on social media that howed officers repeatedly beating a man they had pinned on the ground.

Authorities also deported a group of 21 Italian neo-fascists who had been held at Athens International Airport after flying into Greece to participate in the far-right rallies.

The rallies were called by far-right groups in Greece to commemorate the 2013 killing of two members of Golden Dawn outside the now-defunct party’s offices in Neo Iraklio.

2013 killings in Greece

On 1 November 2013, two men approached the headquarters of the Golden Dawn party in Neo Irakleio, a northern suburb of Athens, by motorcycle and fired at three Golden Dawn members located outside of the party building.

Golden Dawn members Giorgos Fountoulis and Manos Kapelonis were struck and killed, and a third man, Alexandros Gerontas, was seriously injured. At least 12 bullets were fired in the attack which reportedly lasted ten seconds.

A witness reported that a man got off a motorcycle, wearing a helmet, and fired at ‘close range’. The attack, which was described by police as a “terrorist attack” was caught on CCTV which has been released publicly.

Two weeks later, a previously unknown anarchist militant group, ‘The Fighting People’s Revolutionary Powers’ claimed responsibility for the attacks in a communication to a local news outlet, and said that the attacks were in retaliation for the two months earlier murder of anti-fascist activist and rapper Pavlos Fyssas.

Police were unable to verify the authenticity of this claim of responsibility.