Kimberly  Focke    

Malcolm  Campbell  ENGL1103  

October  2013  

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�  Since  its  foundation  in  1985,  the  far  right  neo-­‐Nazi  Greek  political  party  Golden  Dawn  has  gradually  grown  both  in  supporters  and  in  acts  of  terrorism.  

�  Golden  Dawn  exploded  into  worldwide  recognition  after  the  murder  of  prominent  anti-­‐fascist  rapper  Pavlos  Fyssas  in  September  2012.    

�  Greek  officials  have  since  been  taking  action  against  the  group,  but  although  the  polls  have  dropped  slightly,  Golden  Dawn  support  remains  strong.  

             (Bistis)  

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�  Golden  Dawn’s  beliefs  and  actions  are  overtly  neo-­‐Nazi.    �  Golden  Dawn  members  espouse  Aryan  supremacy  (white  supremacy)  beliefs,  threatening  and  actively  attacking  non-­‐whites,  immigrants,  and  dissenters  (e.g.,  Pavlos  Fyssas).    

�  Nazi  symbolism  is  rampant  amongst  party  members,  with  many  German  Nazi  and  Golden  Dawn  symbols  bearing  strong  simile  to  one  another.    German  Nazi  paraphernalia  was  found  in  many  supporters  and  prominent  member’s  houses  during  raids.  

�  The  party  follows  a  hierarchy  similar  to  Hitler’s.                (Bistis)  

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Nazi  Swastika   Golden  Dawn  Meander  

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Nazi  Salute   Golden  Dawn  Salute  

�  Golden  Dawn  has  a  long  history  of  violence.    � Much  of  this  violence  is  directed  towards  immigrants,  non-­‐whites,  and  Jews;  but  the  party  also  viciously  targets  those  with  opposing  beliefs.    

�  This  violence  has  been  clear  for  the  past  two  years,  gaining  national  recognition  after  Kasadiaris  -­‐  a  high-­‐profile  member  of  Golden  Dawn  -­‐assaulted  two  women  during  a  nationally  televised  news  panel  (Smith).  

 

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�  Former  party  members  recount  receiving  military-­‐like  training,  and  being  led  on  violent  street  attacks  while  riding  motorbikes  and  wielding  sticks  and  chains.    

�  Beatings  and  stabbings  of  immigrants  and  Jews  are  common.  

                   (Greek  Thugs)    

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�  In  2009,  Golden  Dawn  only  pulled  0.29%  of  the  vote.  �  In  2010,  Michaloliakos,  the  founder  and  leader  of  Golden  Dawn,  was  elected  to  city  council.    

�  During  the  2012  elections,  Golden  Dawn  pulled  a  staggering  7%  of  the  vote,  securing  18  seats  in  the  Parliament  –  the  largest  number  of  seats  held  by  such  a  party  since  the  fall  of  the  military  dictatorship  in  1974.  

         (Babington  and  Behrakis)  

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�  Although  it  first  seems  strange  that  a  neo-­‐Nazi  party  would  surge  in  polls,  the  increase  follows  well  with  history.    Hitler  rose  to  power  primarily  due  to  the  economic  depression  in  Germany.    Similarly,  many  speculate  that  the  Greek  economic  crash  was  largely  responsible  for  the  increased  popularity.    Many  Greeks  felt  that  immigrants  were  responsible  for  unemployment  and  the  rise  in  crime,  and  Golden  Dawn’s  promise  to  ‘expel  all  legal  and  illegal  immigrants’  from  Greece  seemed  appealing.  

         (Babington  and  Behrakis)  

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�  Pavlos  Fyssas,  a  Greek  anti-­‐fascist  rapper,  was  brutally  stabbed  and  murdered  in  early  September.  His  killer,  Giorgos  Roupakias,    was  a  member  of  the  Golden  Dawn  party.    

�  Roupakias’  arrest  sparked  violent  riots  across  Greece.  �  In  the  midst  of  the  turmoil,  Golden  Dawn’s  leader  Michaloliakos  was  arrested  and  charged  with  running  a  criminal  organization.  This  was  the  first  time  since  1974  that  a  party  head  had  been  arrested.      

�     Six  Golden  Dawn  MPs  were  arrested  soon  after.  Additionally,  dozens  of  party  members  were  arrested  during  the  riots.  

             (Bistis)  

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�  The  Greek  government  has  cracked  down  harshly  on  Golden  Dawn.    On  October  16th,  parliament  voted  to  strip  the  six  MPs  of  immunity.    On  October  22nd,  parliament  also  voted  to  cut  funding  to  Golden  Dawn.    For  all  intents  and  purposes,  the  Greek  government  –  although  unable  to  explicitly  outlaw  any  political  party  -­‐  has  been  angling  to  eradicate  the  party.    

       (Gatopoulos  and  Paphitis)  

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�  The  key  concept  to  understand  in  the  prosecution  of  Golden  Dawn  members  is  the  fact  that  it  is  a  prosecution  of  the  crimes  and  not  of  the  party  in  and  of  itself.  Although  Golden  Dawn  claims  that  the  prosecution  is  politically  driven,  the  government  has  only  targeted  the  actions  of  the  party.    The  government  has,  however,  named  Golden  Dawn  a  criminal  organization.    This,  in  many  respects,  was  a  wise  choice  –  it  gave  the  prosecution  an  upper  hand,  and  may  result  in  a  subtle  but  thorough  decimation  of  the  party.    On  the  other  hand,  the  government  now  has  to  present  a  strong,  backed  case  against  Golden  Dawn.    Considering  the  past  criminal  actions  and  witness  testimony,  this  should  not  prove  difficult.    

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�  Since  the  murder  of  Fyssas  and  the  subsequent  arrests  of  the  Golden  Dawn  leader  and  MPs,  support  has  dropped  by  only  4%  -­‐  and  Golden  Dawn  remains  the  third  most  popular  party  in  Greece.    (Tagaras)  

�  51%  report  satisfaction  with  the  handling  of  the  murder  case,  while  35%  report  dissatisfaction.  (Tagaras)  

�  Doctors  and  tattoo  artists  are  reporting  numerous  patients  requesting  to  have  neo-­‐Nazi  tattoos  removed  or  covered  up.  (Chatzistefanou)  

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� With  the  rise  of  Golden  Dawn  came  also  a  rise  in  domestic  violence  and  crime  rates,  which  is  indicative  of  a  shredding  of  social  cohesion.    

�  Greece’s  governmental  crackdown  on  Golden  Dawn  has  received  decent  support.    Continuing  this  pursuit  will  help  offset  the  party’s  influence,  and  may  help  bring  its  downfall.  

�  Fixing  the  economy  would  make  a  drastic  difference.    This  could  be  the  most  ideal  and  effective  approach.  

             (Bistis)  

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�  This  is  a  constantly  developing  case,  with  new  information  and  questions  rising  daily.    As  it  stands,  Greece  is  taking  a  strong  stance  against  neo-­‐Nazism.    This  gives  hope  to  other  countries  dealing  with  similar  growth  in  extremist  political  groups.    I  am  interested  to  see  how  Golden  Dawn  members  will  defend  themselves  in  court,  and  I  am  also  interested  in  watching  how  Greece  continues  to  handle  the  affront.    Unfortunately,  only  time  will  satisfy  these  curiosities.    

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Babington,  Deepa  and  Behrakis,  Yannis.    “Greek  far-­‐right    leader  savors  electoral  success.”    Reuters.com.      Reuteurs.    6  May  2012.    Web.    20  October  2013.    

Bistis,  G.  "Golden  Dawn  or  Democratic  Sunset:  the  Rise    of  the  Far  Right  in  Greece."  Mediterranean    Quarterly.  24.3  (2013):  35-­‐55.  Print.  

Chatzistefanou,  Aris.    “Neo-­‐Nazi  tattoos  fall  out  of    fashion  in  Greece  after  Golden  Dawn  crackdown.”      Theguardian.com.    The  Guardian.    21  October  2013.      Web.    22  October  2013.  

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Gatopoulos,  Derek  and  Paphitis,  Nicholas.    “Greek    lawmakers  freeze  state  funding  for  Nazi-­‐inspired    Golden  Dawn  Party.”    Washingtonpost.com.    The    Washington  Post.    22  October  2013.    Web.    22  October    2013.    

"Greek  Thugs:  the  Golden  Dawn  Party  Has  Openly    Targeted  Immigrants  to  Greece-­‐Not  Just  Verbally,    but  Physically."  Maclean's.  125.40  (2012):  52-­‐53.    Print.  

Smith,  Helena.    Golden  Dawn’s  MP’s  live  TV  assault    shocks  Greece.    Theguardian.com.    The  Guardian.      7  June  2012.    Web.    22  October  2013.  

Tagaras,  Karolina.    “Most  Greeks  support  crackdown  on    far-­‐right  Golden  Dawn:  poll.”    Reuters.com      Reuters.    12  October  2013.    Web.    20  October  2013.  

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