Anarchism in Greece
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Introduction
The evolution of anarchism in Greece, shows a series of historical paradoxes which have to do with in one hand in the insufficient historical coverage and in the other hand the distortion of historical facts due to ideological bias. We also have a difficulty tracing the connection and paths of the various teams and leagues.
1860-1875
It is from 1860 that we meet in the "Greek" territories the first libertarian texts and organized anarchist action mainly at Athens .Much was written and publicized from anarchists and libertarians-radicals of that time, deeply influenced from the activities from the activities of the corresponding European leagues.
Emanouil Dadaoglou, a merchant from Smyrni , had propably met with anarchist ideas from Italian political refugees. With the Italian anarchist Cipriani , founder of " Democratic Club" , they will organize a team and take part of the revolution against king Otho in 1862.We know that they had a "roadblock" in the area of Kapnikarea. From 1864 to 1867 he will go to Italy in the area of Napoli and he will be part of the Workers International League (WIL) (a organization deeply influenced by the ideas of M. Bakunin) . In that time he meets Maria Pantazi ,who professes prostitution, which will be his companion till his life's end. In the late sixties he returns to Greece and he dies at 1870. After his death Maria Pantazi leaves Greece. She will die along with thousands of others after the Commune of Paris , from the hands of royal guards.. The first Greek anarchist publication, can be found at 3/9/1861 in the daily newspaper "Φώς" (Light) issue 334. It is the main article of the paper, titled "Anarchy" part A and the writer remains anonymous. All the papers were confiscated few hours after their release and a police raid was staged , "forcing" the owner of the paper to codemn the article ,so part B was never publicized .
Movements are also done in the Eptanisa Islands, with the names of Mikelis Iamvlixos and N. Konemenos saved to us. Iavlixos studied in Vern, Switzerland were he met M. Bacunin and after he returned to Kefalonia where he was born he will publicize some articles. Konemenos, living in Corfu , was one of the first who use the term "communism" and one of the first who spoke for women rights.In 1893 he will publish a book in Italian called "Thieves and murderers" .
1875- 1880
The character of the tradition spored during the last decade will flower giving "revolutionary" organizations in different areas of the "Grecian" space like Athens, Syros , Messini, Agio, Filiatra, Kefalonia and Patra. The anarchists from Patra in early 1876 form a collective called "Democrative Association" , which because of the city's favorable position and it's port will acquire close and constant relations not only with fellow anarchists from close Italy but with other European organizations. They will try to coordinate all the groups of the "Grecian" space and to form the first greek department of the International Workers League . A league called "Democratic League of the People" will be made and in an article of the Italian paper Il Martello published in Bolonia , Italy we can read along with the announcement of the league's existence: "...later on we will send you the general policies of the Democratic League of the People and the specific policies of the Company of Patra... Soon enough we will publish our socialist newspaper as an instrument of WIL ..." . The following repression from the Greek state , is in accord with a European state agreement , a fact that can be proved from several diplomatic papers. In the newspaper "Bulletin of the League of Yura" in the 10th of June 1877 : Greece in it's turn joins the agreement of civilised nations, those who are sleepless with energetic meters of pressure in keeping the "social order" . To prove that , we received the following letter : "Prisons of Patra, 15/27 May 1877 in the making of the leaflet : Dionisis Ampelopoulos, Konstantinos Mpompotis , Alexandros Evmorfopoulos , Konstantinos Grimanis. We are in jail because of the publication of the first issue of our paper " Greek Democracy" , from which you will receive copies. Greetings and solidarity. Konstantinos Grimanis .
The Boatmen of Thessaloníki
The "boatmen" of Thessaloníki are anarchists , with Bulgaric origin ( Greek people were a minority in Thessaloníki then) . Their recorded actions consist solely in their bombings : In 28th of April they put bombs the French Steam Boat Guadalquivir and in the next day 29th of April 1903 they blow the Imperial Ottoman Bank , the "express" train from Instambul and the main pipe lines of gas and Water , the bar Alambra, the Bank of Mitilini , the Post Office, the Grand Hotel , the Theater Eden, the Top Hane military camp and the German Club.The official death rate will be 115 people killed. It is supposed that the members of this group where apprehended and subsequently caught and hanged.
60's to 90's
The Greek anarchist movement really started during the junta (1967-1974). The first Greek anarchists after war (1973) were among the main actors in student movement against junta. The Greek movement really started here and it carried both the ads and pros of this. Greek anarchists in the light of May of '68 and the Italian autonomist movement opposed anarchosyndicalism in favor of direct class war. Their influences were the classics (Bakunin, Kropotkin) but also Situationist International, Panekouk and autonomist Marxism.
The Greek anarchist and autonomist movement got really strong in late '70s, when people from ultra-left parties (who were strong in mid-'70s) got sick of the party lines and found themselves in the side of autonomists and anarchists. The student movement of 1978-1979 was influenced very much from anarchism and autonomy and on these years fightings in the streets made by workers, students etc. was a common situation.
The first wave of Greek anarchists got disappointed, and the great majority of them left the movement slowly, when the first socialist government was established in 1980 and with the alliance from the communist party almost ended the social war of the '70s. A new wave of young anarchists even more angry than the first one were to be found in the mid-80's. In the years 1985-1986 almost daily demos and clashes shook the establishment. Anarchists Mixalis Kaltezas (1970-1985) and Xristos Tsoutsouvis (?-1985) were killed of this period and their killings caused huge riots in Athens and Thessaloníki . The killing of a cop in Thessaloníki and the occupation of Chemistry University in Athens made the oppression against anarchists almost unbearable, but a real anarchist resistance existed, managed to make even 10.000 strong demonstrations in Athens. The attack of a 4.000 anarchist demonstration on a hotel hosting a neofascist conference (among them was the far-right "star" Lepen) was also a peak in anarchist movement of '80s.
This generation was faded slowly, and a new wave of anarchists came in the heat of '91 high school student uprising. The '91 student movement was the most radical movement even to be shown in Greece, carrying about 1500 wild strike school occupations and demonstrations of hundred thousands. The killing of an ultra-left teacher (Nikos Temponeras) from fascist gangs made up by the ruling right-wing party, made an almost general insurgency in all main Greek towns, with a 25.000 (in a population of 100.000) strong demonstration in Patra were Temponeras was killed burning the police station and the town hall. The same day in Athens 4 people were killed by the police, in a middle of an almost uncontrollable situation. The civil unrest stopped only when the minister of education resigned. The role of anarchists both in student organizing and radicalizing the movement was a catalyst.
The anarchist movement of '90s faced the complete disaster in the anarchist occupation of Polytechnic University in 1995. About 3.000 people occupied Polytechnic but for the first time until junta the police got in and arrested finally 501 anarchists (all occupiers that were left in Polytechnic). The role of the media was a catalyst, ordering the police to arrest and hit "these hooligans, the known-unknown thugs"(the common name of anarchists for media in mid-90s). But instead of strengthening the anarchist movement, as oppression did before, it really made it apart. The insurrectionist papers told about "a great occupation that is similar to this one against military junta of 1973" but the common people of Greece really disliked anarchist movement from this situation, and this was a result both of the "independent" private media propaganda (who didn't exist in '80s so they couldn't play their role) and the serious anarchist mistakes (the almost complete destruction of Polytechnic, even if part of that was made during the clashes with police).
Another generation was lost and for about 5 years anarchist activity was on its lowest ever peak, even failing influencing their main power, the high school movement, which ended defeated in 1998, guided by Communist Party. For 5 years even the presence of an anarchist block in the 17th November demonstration against American backing of junta in Athens, the greatest yearly demonstration in Greece couldn't be achieved.
For a first time in 5 years a 800+ participants strong anarchist block made its presence visible in front of all people of Greece attacking the riot police protecting the American embassy in 17th November 2001 demonstration in Athens. A common demonstration organized by all anarchists in Athens in January 2002 was the first after many years of depression, internal fights and lack of self-confidence for the anarchist movement. The signs are positive but they are because of the wake of the international movement, not by the anarchist activity in Greece which is very poor right now.
Anarchists in Greece are generally insurrectionists and anarchosyndicalists really don't exist or if they exist they are hidden in leftist opposition in labor unions. Presence of anarchist activity were to be found in main cities like Athens, Thessaloníki and Patra but it is very weakened comparing to late-'70s, mid-80's and early-90's.
Notable Greek anarchists
Greek Anarchist organisations
Further reading - Bibliography
- Anarchist Gallery (1986). A brief history of anarchism in Greece. (Oakland: Barricade Books).
- Early Days of Greek Anarchism: The Democratic Club of Patras & Social Radicalism in Greece Edited and translated by Paul Pomonis. ISBN 1-873605-68-4
- Mayri Lista (1999). Stergios Katsaros-I the provocateur, the terrorist. The charm of Violence
ISBN 960-8044-02-2
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