Nachrichten aus Griechenland #7 - 25. Mai 2013

Übersetzt von Real Democracy Now! Berlin/GR & @lamda

Nachrichten- Übersicht der vergangenen Woche:

• Das vorgeschlagene Gesetz gegen Rassismus begegnet politischen Hindernissen auf dem Weg zur Plenarversammlung in Parlament, nicht nur von der Goldenen Morgenröte, sondern auch von der Partei Nea Dimokratia (Neue Demokratie) 
• Die Verschlechterung der Menschenrechtssituation in Griechenland wurde diese Woche von Berichten verschiedener bedeutender Organisationen wie Amnesty International und UNICEF hervorgehoben 
• Polizeibeamte demonstrieren gegen die Bewachung einer Goldmine in Chalkidiki, während ihr Chef in einem die Mine betreffenden Gerichtstermin nicht auftritt. 
• Arbeitnehmer in den größten Unternehmen der Milchindustrie, MEVGAL und FAGE, streiken seit längerem 
• Die griechische Regierung plant die Privatisierung eines Denkmals aus der Widerstandszeit im 2. Weltkrieg 
• Nicht nur unter den linken Parteien wächst die Besorgnis wegen Schusswaffen der Chryssi Avgi- Abgeordneten, die sie im Parlament mit sich trugen. 

#rbnews weekly bulletin 18-24 May 2013

The text companion to this week's #rbnews international show is now online. You can read it after the jump.

Bulletin d'informations du 3 novembre 2012 en Grèce #4

Préparé par l'équipe de #rbnews international, traduit par @Krotkie

Dimanche, 28 octobre, et quelques heures avant que la procédure de délit flagrant soit périmée, le journaliste Kostas Vaxevanis a été arrêté, suite à la publication de la fameuse liste Lagarde par la revue qu’il dirige, Hot Doc.

Bulletin d'informations du 15 octobre 2012 en Grèce #1

Préparé par l'équipe de #rbnews international, traduit par @Krotkie

Εn vue de la visite de la Chancelière allemande à Athènes, mardi 9 octobre, les grands syndicats GSEE/ADEDY, PAME (le syndicat communiste) et les syndicats de base ont appelé à des manifestations le 8 et le 9 octobre.

L’après-midi du lundi 8 octobre, se sont rassemblés GSEE/ADEDY et les syndicats de base. Les manifestants de PAME les ont aussi rejoignent plus tard. Selon les estimations, le nombre des manifestants rapprochait les 6000, et la manifestation avait été appelée avant que la visite de Angela Merkel fut annoncée.

Lundi assez tôt, il a été annoncé par le Ministère de l’Ordre public que les rassemblements publics seraient suspendus mardi dans la plus grande partie de la ville. Il y a eu une confusion vu que la nouvelle n’est ni confirmée ni réfutée pour un certain temps. Après la confirmation, il reste pour assez de temps pas clair si la place Syntagma serait accessible. Au final, l’interdiction suspend les rassemblements publics dans une très grande partie de la ville, mais laisse Syntagma accessible, ainsi que certaines des rues voisines. Cette décision est basée sur l’article 11 de la Constitution, comme il est clarifié dans une loi de 1971 (période du régime des colonels).

"Corpus Christi" censoring attempts and the politics of faith in Greece

By @inflammatory_

 Protester’s jumper against “Corpus Christi” reads
“Orthodoxy or Death” via lifo.gr

Back in May of 1998, Manhattan Theater Club (MTC) in NY cancelled the scheduled production of the three-times Tony Award winner Terrence McNally’s Corpus Christi play, prompted by anonymous telephone threats to burn down the prolific theater and kill its staff and the playwright. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights that was already campaigning against the play for blasphemy, disavowed responsibility for the phone-calls.  Those developments swiftly sparked outrage in the artistic community over the religious group's intimidation and MTC's administration for backing off and not standing firm.

Apparently the play was set on schedule again, following talks among NYC Police and MTC's artistic director Lynne Meadow, who was seeking reassurance that security will be adequate. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's office also issued a statement, reading "Although the mayor doesn't agree with the tone of the play, threats of violence in New York City will not be tolerated." During opening day, there were two counter demos outside MTC, one supporting the play and another demanding to get banned. Police officers and journalists were on the spot and the audience had to pass through metal detectors.

#rbnews international show - 29 September 2012

The English-language news show on radiobubble, hosted this week by @IrateGreek and @Pexlibanis. We discuss

• the anti-austerity demonstration on 26 September and subsequent arrests (guest: Chrysa Petsimeri), 
• the Geron Pastitsios blasphemy arrest, 
• a massive case of money laudering involving several prominent Greek politicians (guest: @Okeanews), 
• news from Belgium and the rest of Europe (guest: @Krotkie).

You can listen to the podcast after the jump. 

Is there freedom of speech in Greece?

If it was not so scary, it would actually be hilarious. Greek Police arrested
(google translated) on Friday the administrator of a Facebook page, and charged him with the offenses of “Malevolent Blasphemy” and “Insulting Religion”.

Let us start at the beginning however: A few years back the Far Right (and not only them apparently) in Greece discovered a monk, Elder Paisios, that supposedly was a highly spiritual person, even a prophet and an (after death) performer of miracles.

Skeptics have dismissed these claims and have even started satirizing the fixation of people with Elder Paisios. One of the most recent and successful satires has been Elder Pastitsios. A quick explanation for those that do not speak Greek: Pastisio is a dish, similar to the more widely known Mousaka, that sounds approximately the same with the name of the monk.

A few days ago, on the 17th of September, an MP of Golden Dawn, mentioned the FB page of Elder Pastitsios (comparing it with Athens Indymedia), in the Parliament and asked for the intervention(google translated) of the Cyber Crime Squad of the Greek Police, which happened according to the press release, on the 21st of September and its 27 year old administrator got arrested.

We should note here, that the Greek Orthodox Church, has not yet made any comments regarding the issue.

These events raise serious questions about the freedom of speech in Greece, its limitations and the influence of the Golden Dawn over the state.