Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The Revolution Will Be Televised

The anarchist rioters in Greece are taking a page out of Lenin’s playbook, only updated for the television age.

According to this Breitbart article, they took over the state television studios, forced the Prime Minister off the air, and replaced him with themselves.

If that’s not revolution, then what is?

Greek youths take over TV, radio stations

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek protesters pushed their way into television and radio studios Tuesday, forcing broadcasters to put out anti-government messages in a change of tactics after days of violent street protests.

A group of about 10 youths got into the studio of NET state television and turned off a broadcast of a speech by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, station officials said. The protesters forced studio cameras to instead show them holding up banners that read: “Stop watching, get out onto the streets,” and “Free everyone who has been arrested.” No one was hurt, and no arrests were reported.

Notice that the young revolutionaries just happened to know how to run a TV studio. Coincidence?

NET chairman Christos Panagopoulos said the protesters appeared to know how to operate cameras and studio controls.

“This goes beyond any limit,” he said.

In the northern city of Thessaloniki, protesters made their way into three local radio stations, agreeing to leave only when a protest message was read out on the air.

Violence also broke out again after a two-day lull as masked youths attacked riot police headquarters in Athens and protesters clashed with police in Thessaloniki.
- - - - - - - - -
Police said 30 youths threw petrol bombs and stones at the riot police building, damaging seven cars and a police bus parked outside.

In Thessaloniki, riot police fired tear gas to disperse 300 youths throwing fruit and stones outside the city’s main court complex. The disturbance followed a court decision that found eight police officers guilty of abusing a student following riots two years ago.

Overnight, arsonists attacked three Athens banks with petrol bombs, causing extensive damage.

The fatal police shooting of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos on Dec. 6 set off violence that led to more than 300 arrested and left hundreds of stores smashed and looted. Retailers say the damage will cost them euro1.5 billion ($2 billion) in lost income.

[…].

Higher education in Greece has come to a standstill. Lessons have stopped at more than 100 secondary schools that are under occupation by students, according to the Education Ministry. Scores of university buildings across Greece are also occupied.

Greece’s opposition Socialists, who are calling for early elections, accused Karamanlis of mishandling the crisis which they said had worsened the effects of the international economic downturn.

“Greeks are losing their patience. Their salary is running out before the end of the month as they endure a major economic crisis, and at the same time can see the state collapsing,” Socialist spokesman Giorgos Papaconstantinou said.

“People want answers to their problems, not speeches.”


Hat tip: Paul Green.

3 comments:

Fortress said...

One reaps what they sow. Looks like they're finally reaping the great whirlwind from the seeds of that Marxist breeze they allowed to germinate so long ago.

I wonder if I should feel sorry for them. Then I consider the bigger picture...I feel sorry for us all.

Tuan Jim said...

Mentioned this on another site. I don't care how many stones or eggs or garbage they want to throw, but the very first molotov/firebomb that someone tossed (way back 2 weeks ago) and I would have brought the cops down on them - and hard.

Once you start playing with fire things can get out of control and threaten civilians lives a lot more. You see how much the people are criticizing the gov't for failing to act while the protesters are criticizing the gov't for over-reacting - who are you going to listen to? The protesters won't support you on a good day of the week while you have to earn the trust of the people (and keep it).

Whatever happened to common sense and a good old-fashioned baton charge?

I did get a good laugh out of a quote from an article a few days ago: "“We found tear gas canister dated from 1981,” said one demonstrator, calling himself only GK. “The old chemicals make us sick, people have fainted and have trouble breathing,” he said."

'ya think? That's the whole point of CS or tear gas. Good gravy - what do they teach anarchists in school these days?

article link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5331547.ece

Czechmade said...

The quality of the Greek anarchists did not match the quality of the tear gas either. The tear gas should be from 1912........