We publish the statement of the Antifascist Coordination of Athens and Piraeus about the campaign to cancel the attempt for a pan-european neo-nazi gathering in Athens on November 1. Please contact Antifasistikos@gmail.com for details about the campaign.
To all Antifascists of Europe
All neo-fascist organizations in Greece have issued a call for a pan-European neo-Nazi rally in Athens, specifically in the Neo Heraklion area, scheduled for Wednesday, November 1st, at 6 pm Greek time.
The most prominent among these organizations is Golden Dawn, which was convicted in October 2020 as a criminal Nazi organization, resulting in extensive prison sentences for its leading members. In the Neo Heraklion area, a monument stands in memory of two young Golden Dawn members who were fatally shot a decade ago in a still-unresolved criminal case.
This call by the neo-Nazis was made public on August 13 but to date the Greek government and police have remained passive observers.
Several pressing questions arise:
-Who granted permission to a convicted neo-Nazi organization to host such a rally?
-What is the reasoning behind opening the borders to neo-Nazi thugs capable of committing criminal acts?
More recently, on August 7, 2023, a group of neo-Nazi fans affiliated with Dynamo Zagreb descended upon Athens. This occurred just one day before their football club’s match against AEK Athens in the Champions League qualifiers. They launched an attack on AEK fans and murdered Michalis Katsouris with a knife.
It’s not difficult to imagine the potential consequences if hundreds of neo-Nazis from neighboring countries and beyond are allowed to assemble and move freely within Neo Heraklion and Athens on November 1. Beyond the immediate threat to human lives, this will embolden them to organize similar rallies in other countries.
This marks the first pan-European attempt at a public gathering of neo-Nazis within a European country in several years. We firmly believe that unity and mass action is our best weapon against these fascist threats.
NO PASARAN!
The Antifascist Coordination of Athens and Piraeus has a decade-long history as a diverse and inclusive united front, comprising various political and social collectives, as well as unaffiliated activists. The Coordination has taken the initiative to organise an anti-fascist demonstration on November 1, at 4 pm Greek time. The demonstration will be held at the very location where the neo-Nazis have scheduled their rally, with the clear intention of preventing any neo-Nazi attempt to appear in public space.
We extend an invitation to all anti-fascist groups from different regions within Greece and from European countries, to join forces in this crucial battle against the pan-European neo-Nazi gathering.
Our rallying cry remains:
UNITY-SOLIDARITY-STRUGGLE!
Together, we shall work tirelessly to SMASH FASCISM ALL OVER THE WORLD!
ANTI-FASCIST COORDINATION OF ATHENS AND PIRAEUS
