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Residents chase away SYRIZA’s deputies, who are lobbying against the construction of a port in Crete

15 May 2013 / 18:05:23  GRReporter
2362 reads

An unpleasant surprise was awaiting SYRIZA’s deputies in Crete during the discussion in connection with the project for the construction of a distribution port in the region of the town of Timbaki, which is known for its significant agricultural production.

The opposition party opposed the project, arguing that such a closed-type port would harm the environment.

According to eyewitnesses, the discussion had started well but the spirits gradually rose. Then, Timbaki’s residents unpleasantly surprised the left-wing deputies Andreas Xanthos and Maria Diakaki by throwing cups of yogurt at them and by pushing them to force them to leave. The same sources say that the anger was caused by the fact that SYRIZA’s members did not propose any alternative solution to the investment project.

In a report by a local television station, the residents complain that the particular members are from different areas of Crete and ask them "not to interfere in the development plans of Timbaki." "SYRIZA says "no" to any investment proposal. Obviously, it does not want any development in Greece. We are tired of listening to it, of its opposing everything without offering any alternatives," state rebellious Cretans.

The deputies, in turn, argue that the development of the port trade centre, in which China is very interested, will only harm the environment, without contributing anything to the local and Greek economy as a whole. Their other main argument is that it will destroy any production unit not only in Timbaki, but also on the whole island.

The case has provoked sharp comments on the position of the main opposition party. In his comments on protagon.gr, Nikos Bistis, a deputy of Democratic Left, explains the paradoxical "logic" of the leftists in a very accurate way:

"Surely, we should not be kindly disposed to people who react in this way against any politician. But SYRIZA has to hang a picture of the events held in all party offices and every time they see it, they must write 50 times "You will reap what you sow" and "I was caught in my own trap." It is because this is what has happened to them. And this will continue to happen to them from now on if they do not state their position against violence, regardless of who exercises it. Because if you start to measure and define it depending on who the attacker is, you will inevitably find yourself in situations like that in Timbaki, in the role of the victim, because you have already been the attacker. Over the past three years, their political opponents, especially PASOK’s deputies, could not hold a political meeting or go to a cafeteria or restaurant. Discontented leftists, Golden Dawners and Confused Greeks were constantly attacking them. Depending on the scale and severity of the attacks, SYRIZA’s representatives either supported them or were silent. And when the circumstances obliged them to condemn the attacks, they always emphasized that the attackers were possessed by "righteous anger." So, gradually and imperceptibly, we were about to become a jungle, but the anger in Timbaki has changed the direction and they are not pleased with it. Obviously, they do not like the violence Golden Dawn exerts against immigrants, but when they exercised it along with Golden Dawn against their common enemies who support the memorandum or against the democratic state in Keratea, violence was not only tolerable, but also highly appreciated. When SYRIZA and the lawyers close to it supported the "I do not pay" movement and the drivers were happily tooting their horns because they had saved the toll of 2.80 euro, this was called "left disobedience." Now that Golden Dawn is the one that is lifting the barriers and the same idiots are honking again, what do you call this? They tolerated lawlessness, called it "left opposition" and now, they are seeing the same methods applied either by the right wing or by uncontrollable fellows. (...) The game against the system comes back like a boomerang and the neo-Nazis seem to be the appropriate players, because they are pure anti-democrats by ideology whereas SYRIZA wants to wink at the "lovers" of power from the good old days who filled the ranks of the party after their escape from PASOK. In addition, it must decide in connection with investments whether they are important for the regions and the country as one of the deputies said in Timbaki or if they are an issue that affects only local communities as the representatives of SYRIZA had stated in Skouries. And ultimately, the choice cannot depend on the ratios at a local level, because the port in Timbaki and the extraction of gold in Halkidiki are equally important for the country."

Tags: SocietyDeputiesSYRIZATimbakiPortInvestment
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