Victoria Mindova
The movement “The indignant on Syntagma”, formed on Facebook, gathered 20,000 Greeks to the Parliament in the capital. They came to express their dissatisfaction with everything happening in the country during the last year and a half, and unlike previous rallies, this time the protesters were not representatives of certain parties, trade unions, business groups or government officials with reduced wages, organised by their branch unions.
Mothers with children, middle-aged and young people with a bottle of beer in hand, all united by the idea that the today’s politics is wrong and if politicians are not ready to change it, then people should take the matters into their own hands. There were people coming from everywhere and filling the square with the aim only to show the government that all the chaotic acts should end and the moment of truth has come. "The government should be overthrown today," told GRReporter a young journalist from a local media, who wished not to be named. Other people commented that even if the government of George Papandreou resigns, nothing better is expected to come to power.
The truth is that for a year and a half of strikes and protests no opposition party or trade union was able to gather as many people as the event announced in the social network Facebook. "We ask everyone who intends to cause problems and use violence to click 'Not Attending' and stay home." The organisers of the event were clear in their manifesto that the protest would be peaceful and its purpose is to show that the Greeks do not agree to be ruled by people who do not know what they do. For several days the invitation to attend the protest brought 25,000 people who confirmed that they would participate in the initiative. Over 12,000 people clicked "Attending" only between 10 am and 5 pm on the day of the protest. Their number exceeded 30,000 until the evening.
"In the past year and a half we wake up and hear about new measures every day. We all know that change and sacrifices are needed, but all done up to now not only does not work, but adversely affects the situation in the country and our position in Europe." This was the explanation of a young man who works as a driver in a private company and had come to the Parliament to support the initiative. He said that he is not related to many of those present, but the point at which all of them already had enough of the incompetence and corruption in the country had come. "Many of the people here are civil servants with thick pay or party members of New Democracy and PASOK, who have taken advantage of the systems in one way or another over the years. Basically, my problems are quite different from theirs, but now it is clear that the things can not go on as usual."
The time of the meeting on Syntagma Square was 6 pm. At 6:30 pm Syntagma was already full of people. According to information provided by the police, there were not more than 10,000 people at the beginning of the peaceful protest. However, their number has doubled until 9 pm. Groups of people were sitting on curbs and sidewalks, talking and laughing. They were discussing the political situation, how we got here, what could be done. Two young boys, probably 18 years old, also came to the protest of the desperate by their bikes. One of them said: "Well, we came but how long will we stay here?" And his friend replied: "Until something interesting happens."
It is unclear what something interesting is according to the young people, but the desire of all those who gathered was to hear their voice. The people booed facing the Parliament. There were slogans such as "Out thieves!" "Take your memoranda and get out!", "The Parliament to burn!". The special police forces closed off the area around the building of the National Assembly, but unlike other rallies there was no tension. As if the police themselves were part of the protest and of the discontented on Syntagma and not the hand of the law, which should hold the popular anger.
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