Greece Fears Resurgence of Terrorism After Athens Bomb Attack

One day after Saturday’s bomb explosion in the heart of Athens across the Ministry of Labor, authorities believe the act signifies a resurgence of terrorism in Greece.

Initially, Greek Police (ELAS) believed the bomb that exploded early in the morning was intended to destroy a bank on Stadiou Street. However, further investigation reveals that the actual target was the government building on the opposite side of the street.

Police experts now believe that the bombing is part of an organized and extensive plan to use urban guerrilla tactics in Greece’s capital. They also believe it was a symbolic act, not meant to have any victims.

Specifically, further investigation is under way to find similarities with a failed bombing attack against the riot police (MAT) headquarters in Goudi last December.

So far ELAS notes that the perpetrators seem to be experienced and determined terrorists, from the way they acted and that the goal of the organization was to cause material damage to the Ministry of Labor and not the bank across the street.

The particular area is constantly guarded as there are several security cameras around the ministry building and the bank.

The damages caused to the Ministry of Labor building – mainly the broken windows – have already been repaired so that ministry can operate on Monday.

Revolutionary Class Self-Defense

The bomb exploded at 1:29 am on Saturday. About 40 minutes earlier a man called leftist newspaper Efimerida ton Syntakton and claimed that the Revolutionary Class Self-Defense has put a bomb in front of the bank saying that, “it will explode in 40 minutes. This is not a farce.”

Police rushed to the spot and found a backpack on the sidewalk railings in front of the bank. They cordoned off the area and blocked traffic on Stadiou Street.

Authorities investigate further the similarities between the failed act of terrorism against the MAT headquarters in December and the Ministry of Labor bombing. In December, an organization called Armed Proletarian Justice had claimed responsibility for the previous act of terrorism in Greece.

They consider that it is the same organization and used a different name. In December, after the failed bombing of the MAT headquarters, they had posted a manifesto in an anarchist site saying that “This time you were lucky, it won’t be the same the next time.”

The group said that they dedicate their action “to all those who have been murdered, tortured, beaten, raped by the Greek Police”, while stressing that warning calls had been made for the safe removal of citizens from the spot because they don’t want to cause any harm to the innocent people.

The statement further said that, “We will strike again at the right time, targeting the defiant representatives of the rotten political and economic system and their uniformed henchmen. That is, the perpetrators of the most heinous crimes committed in the name of the State. Next time the uniformed bastards will be across the barrel of our guns. And this is not a threat. Not even a warning. It is a commitment.”

The connection of the two bombings lead ELAS to the suspicion that a new wave of terrorism in Greece is on the way.

“We Will Not Allow a Terrorism Resurgence”

Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said on Sunday that the government will not allow a terrorism resurgence in Greece.

“We are not going to let terrorism be revived, we will not allow it,” he stressed speaking to SKAI television.

“Some brazen and dangerous people did an act that could endanger the lives of our fellow citizens,” he said. “We will do everything we can so that the perpetrators of such criminal acts are brought to justice and punished,” Chrysochoidis stressed.