A video has been posted to Youtube of a vocal protest made during a concert held last night to celebrate the launch of Greece’s EU Presidency attended by about 2,000 people including EU diplomats and officials. The event took place at the BOZAR theater and featured music performed by the Greek baroque musicians of Armonia Atenea.
But before the performance got underway a handful of vocal protesters interrupted the opening remarks being made by Greek ambassador Konstantinos Chalastanis. Unravelling a banner that said in French, “Samaras Criminal – EU Complicit – Troika get lost! Solidarity with Greece” the protesters chanted in French repeatedly demanding the Greek government’s resignation before being ejected.
Outside of the concert hall protesters reportedly dressed up as Greek PM Antonis Samaras and Deputy PM Evangelos Venizelos pretended to flog the groups most affected by austerity policies such as workers, the unemployed and immigrants. The protesters also handed out flyers to the attendees.
Both Greeks and Belgians reportedly took part in the protests which included the Initiative of Solidarity with Greece (Initiative de Solidarité avec la Grèce qui resiste Bruxelles) a group founded founded in 2010 by Greeks living in Belgium, and the European Action Committees (Comites Action Europe) who describe themselves as, ‘initiatives involving union activists, associations and citizens protesting strongly against the adoption of such European laws that result in catastrophic consequences for European citizens.”