Exclusive coverage of Gaza demonstrations in Greece – with photo gallery
January 18, 2009
Muslims, anti-war organizations, students and the general Athens population came together daily to protest in support to free Gaza against this humanitarian tragedy.
Main Demonstrations – Saturday, January 10
We participated at a large demonstration brought forth by many organizations, political parties, syndicates and the Arab community at Syntagma square. It was very successful and peaceful although it was crowded and long. Walking from U.S. embassy to the Israeli embassy, people expressed their frustration and promised not to stop demonstrating until the attacks are stopped and the Israeli troops are withdrawn from Gaza Strip.
Children’s Demonstration – Sunday, January 11
In front of the Greek Parliament, Palestinian, Greek and Arab children up to 14 years old stood with their parents in unity to raise their voices in hopes to make a difference. Heading to the U.N. offices and stopping to the E.U. offices, this was the most successful protest, completely peaceful with small children.
Blood for Gaza
The Ministry of Health & Welfare along with the Minister Avramopoulos personally responded instantly to the request of the Muslim Association of Greece and organized a two-day blood collection for Gaza on Monday and Tuesday. Many people among Greeks and Arabs donated their blood and as soon as the blood reaches Gaza, they will hold another blood collection very soon, but the ministry needs to assure the route first because blood is a sensitive material and Gaza is a very difficult destination.
(click on image to view video)
Demonstration in Astakos, Greece
On Thursday, the authorities of the region of Etoloakarnania, the mayor of Astakos, political party Synaspismos, anti war coalition, Palestinian community and the Muslim Association in Greece all took part at the second demonstration at the Greek port in Astakos.
The speeches were at the center of Astakos, where the mayor was one of those who acted immediately and dynamically to stop this ship. Everyone spoke with flaming words about the war in Gaza who stood at the side of the Palestinians suffering but still enduring this slaughter.
Protests continued at the port facilities, but we were not allowed to enter because port police and special forces blocked the entrance. The citizens of Astakos were actively following the demonstration, conscious about what was about to happen in their laps.
Next demonstration on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Athens. The demonstrations continue until this brutality in Gaza is stopped.
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Notes: other coverage in Greece
Μετά την κινητοποίηση στον Αστακό που εμπόδισε την μεταφορά όπλων προς το Ισραήλ συνεχίζουμε με το αντιπολεμικό συλλαλητήριο το Σάββατο 17/1
03-01-2009 ΔΙΑΔΗΛΩΣΗ ΑΛΛΗΛΕΓΓΥΗΣ ΣΤΗ ΓΑΖΑ
Cypriots split over island’s future
October 12, 2008
Source: Al Jazeera English
Publication Date: September 24, 2008
Cyprus’ rival leaders have begun their first solid talks on reunification and power-sharing in what is seen as the best chance in years of resolving differences on the divided island.
Barnaby Phillips, Al Jazeera’s Europe correspondent, spoke to two Cypriots from either side of the island, one of whom believes that the two communities are slowly coming together, the other who fears they are drifting apart.
“Not a chance,” the café owner was emphatic, “not one chance”, he said, jabbing his finger at me to make the point, “this peace process will go nowhere”.
Phillips’ European diary
Part 1: A Balkan view
It was just one opinion, from the Greek side of the divided island of Cyprus, but it was depressing to hear, nonetheless.
After all, we had come to Cyprus to cover the start of formal reunification talks between the Greek and Turkish communities.
And, so we had been told, this is Cyprus’s best, maybe last, chance of bringing the two sides together.
In truth, my café owner, in the heart of the capital Nicosia, is not alone in his bleak assessment.
Bitter truths
One senior Western diplomat in the region told me, only half in jest, that “when it comes to the Cyprus problem, there are two kinds of people; pessimists, and those who haven’t been here long enough to be pessimists”.
It’s easy to list the reasons why this peace initiative might fail, like all the others before it in the 34 years since Turkish troops landed on Cyprus in response to a coup by officers of the Cypriot National Guard seeking unity with Greece.
There is the difficulty of restoring property and/or paying compensation to the many thousands who were displaced in the fighting in 1974.
Then there is the challenge of finding a workable power-sharing arrangement between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and of securing consensus on the withdrawal of Turkish soldiers, and so on.
The optimists, and there are a few, say that things might be different this time.
That’s because the respective leaders on Cyprus, Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, are serious about following these talks through to their conclusion. The friendship between the men goes back many years.
But that may not be enough.
If the Cyprus problem is to be solved, both leaders are going to have to tell their people some awkward facts.
For example, many of the displaced will not get their homes or land back, and the families of those listed as “missing” will have to come to terms with the fact that their loved ones are dead.
Cypriots have listened to nationalist rhetoric for decades, and now must accept some very bitter truths.
Awkward position
On the Turkish side of the island, I heard grumbling that Talat may not have the charisma or dynamism to convince his people to embrace reunification, especially after the disappointment of 2004, when Turkish Cypriots accepted a UN plan, but Greek Cypriots rejected it.
Talat is in an awkward position.
