Nikos Karageorgis, president of the Greek Actors' Union (SEI), has taken to social media to condemn an incident of police misconduct that occurred on 10 May involving members of the Athens Municipal Band.

In his post, Karageorgis explains that the incident took place after the conclusion of the National Philharmonic Festival held in Syntagma Square.

“After finishing their performance at Syntagma Square and waiting for the service bus, a police officer on duty in the area aggressively intervened to prevent the musicians from boarding the vehicle,” he describes.

“When a fellow union member from the Philharmonic responded verbally to the officer’s behaviour, the policeman moved towards him in a threatening manner and attempted to arrest him by force. A large number of police officers arrived at the scene and tried to forcibly detain the musician, who was at the time working, in full uniform!” he further emphasises.

Karageorgis also notes that “this incident clearly shows that the government’s attempt to escalate state repression affects everyone,” but he acknowledges that “it is encouraging that this attempt at intimidation was resisted by the many colleagues and passers-by who intervened in this unprecedented prosecution.”

He concludes by condemning the government and police leadership for these unacceptable actions, where workers are dragged to the police station while on duty for a trivial reason.

______________________________________________

Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective? Subscribe monthly or annually to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.

Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.