Greece: Racist violence in 10 cities; 1 dead

by Greek Tue Sep 07, 2004 18:00

Left and antiracist groups are organizing antiracist demos in Thessaloniki today and in Athens on Thursday.

by shalom Tue Sep 07, 2004 18:41

Football huliganism and street violence in general is serious problem. However i think it is verry narrow-minded to imply that those who are involved are all right wing nationalists. This is not issue of left vs right. Football hooligans come usually from working class enviroment. The only thing they have common is that they enjoy creating disturbance and violence. This seems more like anarchist action, rather than true nationalist football fans who just want to support their team.

by Badman Tue Sep 07, 2004 19:24

Shalom, you've only just arrived and you've already managed to litter the site with some of the most closed-minded and uninformed prejudices that we've had the misfortune to read.

Anarchist football hooligans? Are you mad? I bet you're quite the authority on anarchism aren't you?

by paulc Tue Sep 07, 2004 19:51

i looked around the other indymedia there a small english translated feature on indymedia.org but it doesn't give very much background... obvioulsy there a back story to tension towards immigrant albanian workers that goes far beyond any sporting game

by shalom Tue Sep 07, 2004 21:05

Yes, why not. Their goals are the same, create as much chaos and disorder as possible. If you look at violent anticapitalist demonstrations or violent riots by football hooligans there is really not that much difference. Motivation is the same: to feel adrenalin in you veins. It's like a drug, you do it once, you always have to get some more. It's like a video game put into reality. All political claims are just delusion, a lie you tell yourself to justify your actions, just like football holigans justify their actions by saying we hate those supporters of another club. Why? It doesnt matter! Number one priority is to get that adreline streaming in your veins. You can fight either against police, supporters of another football club or anyone who comes into your vain. It doesnt really matter.

by xy Wed Sep 08, 2004 14:56

please stop your stupid comments - you compare hooligan-violence to anticapitalistic demonstrations!

By the way: in Greece it were not hooligans - there were hundreds from well known fascist organizations like e.g. "golden morning" on the streets who shouted "nationalism - now!" and "Foreigners: leave!". these are not hooligan-slogans. they were even protected by the police and the police arrested beaten albaniens!

if you use indymedia just for anarchist- or socialist - bashing: please leave it.

by Fergal Wed Sep 08, 2004 15:23

Belonging to a racist group and being a football hooligan aren't mutually exclusive, as anyone with a knowledge of english hooliganism will tell you. After all, do you think there are many politically correct hooloigans out there? And if so, does it make them any less loathesome?

People who enjoy violence also like a bit of racism to help them stoke their hate-frenzy. In that regard, what happened the other day is no different to other football-related violence.

And what Shalom says is true in theory, though I wouldn't venture to say if it's true in practice. Violent people like having someone to hate. If that someone happens to be the police and the representatives of capitalism, then so be it. There's nothing special about the anti-capitalism movement that immunises it from mindless thugs. The only difference is that at least it doen't cultivate a thug following, as does the far right. But one still has to resognise that a punch in the face hurts, whether it's thrown by a racist or by a protestor. Unless you're explicitly in favour of a violent class war, I don't think you can make a case for one being any more excusable than the other.

by salam Wed Sep 08, 2004 15:25

Why don't you look up the word anarchism in any encyclopaedia before you give your interpretation of it? (The Sun is not a legitimate source)

by David Mc Thu Sep 09, 2004 16:11

"This seems more like anarchist action, rather than true nationalist football fans who just want to support their team."


Anarchists are not well known for their love of football a sport that encourages nationalist agression and separatism. However Football hooligans are well known for their love of nationalism.