Thursday, May 2, 2013

Giving Food to Greeks Only Sparks Athens Protest; Greece's Golden Dawn Party Opposes Immigrants

An attempt by Greece's extremist Golden Dawn party to hand out food to Greeks only -- in defiance of a municipal ban -- resulted in chaos today (May 2, 2012) with the mayor of Athens saying a party lawmaker tried to punch him, according to the Telegraph (British) website.

The punch missed its target, landing instead on a 12-year-old girl's forehead. Fortunately, she was not seriously injured. Security guards restrained the legislator, Giorgos Germenis.

The Golden Dawn party -- whose members have been repeatedly linked with violent attacks on Greece's large immigrant population -- had said it would give food to needy Greeks in Athens' Syntagma Square, opposite Parliament, ahead of the Greek Orthodox Easter being celebrated this Sunday (May 5).

Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis had banned such events in the city's central square and vowed not to allow the "soup kitchen of hate" to take place. Party members arrived at the square more than two hours earlier than announced, and began handing out bags of food after checking recipients' identity cards.


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