Hate chants inciting violence against migrants at the national military parade in the Athens centre

Alert DateMarch 25, 2010 Country: Greece Address: Syntagma square General Type: Racist discourse Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-migrant/xenophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Migrants Hate speech/Racist Discourse Medium: TV Media, Other

Related Case Studies

Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Albanian
Victims Gender N/A
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number N/A
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Greek
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number N/A
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

Marines from the Greek Coastal Guard Corps chanted racist and violence inciting slogans against foreigners in Greece during the official National Day parade on March 25 in Athens. A video shot on the very central Panepistimio Blvd shows marines shouting: “We will spill some blood you Albanian pig”. Additionally hate chants were heard for Turks and Macedonians.

Despite the wide reporting and reactions on the incident, no prosecutor initiated an ex officio investigation, as provided by the relevant law n.927/1979.

Nevertheless the Minister for the Protection of the Citizen (ex Public Order) ordered a disciplinary investigation for the incident. The leader of the right wing political party LAOS in defense of the marines, claimed that this is a wrong persecution against motos which were perceived until yesterday as ‘the flag of Greek nation’.

Source:

Eleftherotipia, 26.01.2010, http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.ellada&id=145379

Public Statement by the RAXEN NFP, 27.3.2010, http://hlhr.gr/press/hlhr-kemo-ired-intervention-parelasi25_27.3.2010.doc

Eleftherotipia, 30.3.2010, http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.ellada&id=146724