[MGSA-L] Greek TV attack deals blow to rightist party image

June Samaras june.samaras at gmail.com
Fri Jun 8 14:17:01 PDT 2012


Greek TV attack deals blow to rightist party image

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/08/us-greece-dawn-idUSBRE8570Y820120608

By Karolina Tagaris

ATHENS | Fri Jun 8, 2012 12:14pm EDT

(Reuters) - Slapping a woman on live television has tarnished the
image of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party, and its spokesman's
attack may cost the anti-immigrant movement votes as well.

"You saw right in front of you the full brutality and ugly behavior of
a young neo-Nazi man beating up a defenseless woman," political
analyst Theodore Couloumbis said after Thursday's live TV shocker.
"It's a simple as that."

Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris provided the most dramatic
image of the campaign so far for Greece's critical June 17 election
during a live television debate when he hurled a glass of water at one
female politician and surged from his seat to slap another in the
face.

"My first reaction is that it will hurt their chances, especially with
women," Couloumbis said.

Golden Dawn came from nowhere to win 7 percent in a May election and
entered parliament for the first time on a wave of hostility towards
illegal immigrants in austerity-ridden Greece.

With the new vote looming, the last polls produced before a
pre-election blackout showed support had dropped but still remained
comfortably above the 3 percent threshold needed to enter parliament.

An arrest order was issued for Kasidiaris but he remains at large and
could still run in the election if he is not apprehended and convicted
before a 48-hour deadline expires at midnight on Friday.

Under Greek law, suspects arrested within 48 hours, face immediate
trial. If they are not, they face a regular court date that does not
prevent running for office.

"TRUE COLOURS"

The daily Ethnos newspaper ran with the headline "Black Dawn", while
daily Ta Nea wrote "No to Violence."

"With his punch, the Golden Dawn deputy ripped off the mask of this
neo-Nazi organization. Greeks can no longer claim ignorance - these
people have shown their true colours," it wrote in a front-page
editorial.

Golden Dawn caused a major upset in the May election, winning
unprecedented support by building an image as the protector of
vulnerable Greeks, including the elderly, who have suffered heavily in
the savage economic downturn.

In a country that resisted Nazi occupation in World War II, it has
been at pains to reject the label of a neo Nazi party but it uses an
ancient Greek symbol resembling the swastika as its logo and books on
Aryan supremacy line shelves at its offices.

Kasidiaris, who was elected to parliament in May despite a previous
assault charge which he denies, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years
in jail if convicted. He dismissed the incident on Friday, saying he
had been provoked.

"She (Communist party member Liana Kanelli) raised her hand and hit me
first and since I respect my honor and my name, I had to defend
myself. The police ought to arrest her," he told Star TV by phone from
an undisclosed location, according to a recording broadcast by the
channel.

He is already due to stand trial on June 11 on separate charges -
which he denies - of helping assailants attack a university professor
in 2007.

Women's groups decried the attack as sexism against female politicians
and journalist unions asked the National Council for Radio and
Television to ban Golden Dawn members from news shows despite legal
requirements that all parties in parliament are given equal air time.

The Council said the election law must be upheld but Golden Dawn said
it was pulling out of TV shows on its own anyway.

Its members appeared undaunted by the incident that may cost them
their place in parliament and gathered at several rallies near Athens
late on Thursday, making anti-immigrant speeches and chanting, with
fists raised: "Blood, Honor, Golden Dawn!"

Leftist groups are organizing demonstrations across the country,
including central Athens late on Friday, to protest against the
extreme-right group.

(Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Michael Roddy)

-- 
June Samaras
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Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
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E-mail : june.samaras at gmail.com



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