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Greece: Anti-fascist murdered

From REVOLUTION, Germany, September 19th

Pavlos Fyssas, a 34-year old Greek anti-fascist, also known as rapper “Killah P”, was stabbed to death last night in Athens. He was walking with a few friends in the district of Piraeus when he was discovered by a group of fascists. They chased him down a street at the end of which more fascists were waiting who then surrounded Pavlos. Shortly after, a car pulled up beside them, the driver got out a knife and stabbed him in the heart and in the abdomen.

Throughout the attack, the DIAS (police motorcycle unit) were present, but only intervened when most of the attackers had already fled. Although the killer – a member of the fascist Golden Dawn party – was arrested and admitted his guilt, an ambulance did not arrive for 35 minutes, and the hospital of Nikea could do nothing but confirm that Pavlos Fyssas’ was already dead.

This incident shows one thing clearly: the Greek fascists will stop at nothing now – and the state, as they say, is blind in its right eye. That is no surprise, half of all police officers are open about their sympathies for Golden Dawn! In the same area, last week, members of the KKE (Communist Party) were brutally attacked, all with the approval of the police.

These are not “particularly bad, but isolated, cases” – this is now everyday life in Greece. On public transport, on the way to or from work, left-wing activists, trade unionists and especially migrants are threatened, attacked and terrorised.

Although it was already clear enough even before, Pavlos’ death shows how necessary it is to organise self-defence against the fascists. During our solidarity delegation from REVOLUTION in Athens last July, we participated in a 10,000 strong demonstration of Pakistani immigrants, whose district was subjected to fascist pogroms. Even then, the baseball bats and other means of self-defence that the demonstrators carried showed that they feared for their lives but were prepared to defend them.

But what is the Left doing in Greece? Opinions are divided. Some groups organise demonstrations and anti-racism conferences, while others claim that the fascists are losing influence and can hardly be taken seriously. We take a fascist party, which is the third most popular in the country according to polls, very seriously. But we take even more seriously the demands of all those who have suffered from them.

The time for moral outrage and symbolic demonstrations is over!

What is necessary is the organisation of self-defence groups by all the unions, the left and migrant organisations and political parties, especially SYRIZA which is the biggest force. In short, what is necessary is the building of a workers’ militia to defend against fascist and racist attacks!

The institutions of the bourgeois state offer no protection from such attacks. Often enough they themselves are involved in them. Even if some bourgeois politicians from the governing coalition are now calling for a ban on the fascists that is just a cynical manoeuvre to distance themselves.

We should not forget that only recently there was widespread speculation in the media over whether Golden Dawn would make a possible coalition partner for New Democracy – and that while our comrades were being murdered in the streets!

Since Wednesday morning, there have been demonstrations in Greece and, at the same time, there is a new wave of strikes. These must be taken forward and brought together into a general strike against the flood of cuts and sackings! That is what we must demand of the trades unions and all the workers’ parties! Such a general strike would need to be based on strike committees and self-defence groups against repression.

That could bring down the EU-dependent government of Samaras and put the question of a revolution to end the slavery of bourgeois rule on the agenda. All progressive and revolutionary forces must unleash the pent up energy and turn it into a real force. That is the only way to really help the people and open the way to a just, socialist future.

We stand in solidarity with the anti-fascists and anti-capitalists in Greece who are on the street to express their grief and anger !

We support you in your struggle to end this inhumane system!

ONE STRUGGLE! ONE FIGHT!

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