THIS WEEK THE LEADERS OF ONE THE WORLD’S MOST NOTORIOUS FASCIST PARTIES WERE SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF RUNNING A CRIMINAL ORGANISATION. VERONIKA MERKOVA WAS OUTSIDE THE COURT AS THOUSANDS CELEBRATED WHEN THEIR CONVICTION WAS READ OUT.
By Veronika Merkova & SC Cook
The threat posed to Wales from the far right and fascism goes beyond national borders.
On a recent Facebook group set up by the far right to coordinate anti-refugee actions in Penally, Pembrokeshire, members flooded in from Sweden, America and Australia. The group was filled with racist bile against asylum seekers, but an international coalition of the far right and fascist figures saw the situation in Penally as a key issue to organise around.
But their movement was dealt a hammer blow in Greece this week as the leaders of one of the world’s most notorious fascist parties were jailed for 13 years. Nikos Michaloliakos, a former MP and party leader, was sentenced along with seven associates for running what the court said was “a criminal organisation disguised as a political party.” Six ,including Michaloliakos, were jailed for over 13 years with a seventh facing 10 years in prison.
More than 30 party members were also found guilty and jailed for crimes including murder, attempted murder and membership of a criminal organsiation.
One of these was Giorgos Roupakias, a Golden Dawn member convicted of murdering popular anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013. He was jailed for life plus 14 years. Several other Golden Dawn members were sentenced to between 10 and 7 years for helping to carry out the killing.
At the time of Fyssas’ death, a member of the public called the police to report a gang of around 50 people armed with baseball bats patrolling the streets. They were a Golden Dawn unit planning to murder the rapper.
Golden Dawn was founded in 1985 by Michaloliakos but rose to real international prominence in 2012, winning 18 seats in the Greek parliament. After elections in 2015, they became the third largest party.
The party’s youth wing would stand guard at party rallies wearing their trademark black tops with a swastika-like symbol and holding burning torches.
They combined electoral politics with violence on the ground, where members regularly ‘patrolled’ the streets of working class neighbourhoods. Armed, they would attack leftwing activists, trade unionists and immigrants, claiming they were keeping residents of low-income districts safe from “criminals and communists”. The party sometimes gave out food, but only to Greek citizens and those who didn’t dissent.
In September 2013, a group of around 20 trade unionists who were out flyposting were set upon in a planned attack by a gang of 50 Golden Dawn stormtroopers (‘battalion squads’) carrying crow bars and knuckle dusters.
Nine trade unionists were hospitalised with one almost killed. Afterwards, Golden Dawn MP ringleader of the attack texted to those above him: “We massacred them!”
Some of those involved in the attack were sentenced to between 10 and 3 years in jail this week.
Another key part of the trial surrounded the attempted murder of 3 Egyptian fishermen in 2013, who were jumped in the middle of the night by a gang of Golden Dawn members and almost killed. The assault was ordered from the top of the party in a way typical of Nazi organisations. 5 members were given between 10 and 7 years in jail for the attack.
Through the course of the trial, the relationship between the police and Golden Dawn has repeatedly come to light.
“In many cases, the court is looking at incidents where there was a physical presence of police during attacks…” said Thanasis Kambagiannis, a prosecution lawyer in the Golden Dawn. “And there have been cases when police [were] arresting victims of racist violence and deporting them.”
It was also revealed in court that after the murder of Pavlos Fyssas, that Roupakias said to the police at the scene “ I did it, don’t tell anybody, I’m one of you,” “I asked him, ‘what do you mean?’ and he replied, ‘I belong to Golden Dawn.”
“In many cases, the court is looking at incidents where there was a physical presence of police during attacks…”
Thanasis Kambagiannis, a prosecution lawyer in the Golden Dawn trial.
Many human rights organisations have pointed out that the police were looking the other way as Golden Dawn was systematically terrorising immigrants and left wing activists, even informing them of their whereabouts.
The state dragged its heels for years before Golden Dawn were eventually brought to trial, and never would have faced justice if it hadn’t been for anti-fascist campaigners, lawyers and the victims and their families. The trial took over 5 years and was the longest such case since The Nuremberg Trials.
On the day the guilty verdicts were handed down – Wednesday 7th October – some 30,000 people gathered outside the court to celebrate a victory against those who had previously terrorised their communities.
“Police started breaking the peaceful gathering with water canons and teargas when the verdict was announced.”
One of those present was Veronika Merkova, a co-founder of voice.wales who now lives in Greece.
“Many were allowed to leave work with strike leave,” she said. “It is an historic victory for the families of those killed, campaigners who’ve brought them to justice and anti-fascists in Greece and the world over. Police started breaking the peaceful gathering with water canons and teargas when the verdict was announced.
“That didn’t stop many from celebrating and the streets of Athens city centre were filled with people as an impromptu demo was organised at Syntagma square.”
It is an important moment for the anti-racist movement everywhere. All images were taken by Veronika from outside the court on an historic day.
