Anarchy in Athens

[alanjjohnstone]

An interesting Al Jazeera article on the anarchist movement in Greece

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/11/anarchy-future-greece-151122113214286.html

In regards to what are described as social projects such as language lessons for refugees

Quote:

"For the social revolution to happen, you need a big part of society that agrees with you and sees you providing solutions," said one anarchist on condition of anonymity. "In the past we offered only our ideology. That didn't change things for people in everyday life. But now we're changing that."

Quote:

the country's economic crisis has helped to generate momentum for the movement as more Greeks grow fed up with the capitalist system. "Seven years ago people were living inside the capitalist dream. Now they've opened their eyes. They're listening more. They're looking for solutions”.

A critical view from the Left

Quote:

"I don't think throwing stones at the police will help anyone," said Panayotis Skoklis, a young communist, in Exarchia square one evening when I asked him what ordinary people thought about anarchists. "They don't do anything to change the system. If they had a political party I would vote for them, but everything is just a game for them."

And a very telling observation from the journalist

Quote:

When I came back that evening to address the group I found around 20 members of the project sitting around a long table in the basement. A mixture of stony glares and encouraging smiles greeted me as I made my case, but after conferring briefly a figure at the end of the table, who appeared to hold an unspoken position of some authority, decided they couldn't offer an interview to a journalist who might publish it in a profit-making, capitalist publication.

 

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