Live updates from the General Strike, day one – October 19

17:52 PM Syntagma has been completely evacuated by the police. A huge, diverse crowd has attacked the Bank of Greece, trashing it inside. Large groups of demonstrators are trying to regroup in Syntagma. There is an urgent need for medical help at the square.

17:42 PM Cops try to “scoop clear” Syntagma, attacking from different sides. There is DELTA/DIAS at the Olympiou Dios columns, blocking off people from leaving.

16:55 PM Generalised clashes all around Syntagma at the moment. The bulk of the demo has been pushed away form the sq.

16:45 PM A huge black block is atatcked massively by police at the moment in front of the Ministry of Finance in Syntagma Sq.

16:22 PM Reltevely passive attitide of the police and reletevly calm situation now all around Syntagma. The masses of people remain there. banners of ‘I do not Pay’ movement and base unions are in front of the police in the Unkown Soldier.

16.09 PM Step by step police units are occupying the Unkown Soldier Square in front of the Parliament, pushing people back towards Syntagma Square but they meet strong opposition and do not manage to move much forward, demonstrators respond with stones and head to head clashes any time a police unit tries to move forwrad. Thousands still there, just a couple of metres away from the police cordons and attack to them.

15:44 PM Clashes all around the centre of Athens. Tear gases, shock grenades mainly on Akadimias st. but burning barricades are all around the centre. In Syntagma several hundernd of demonstrators attacked with stones and sticks in co-ordinated way against the cops, police uses chemical gases en mase there, but people do not retreat and hold their posiitions in front of the parliament defending themselves, however a part of the Unkown soldier is occupied by the police now. Thick black smoke can be seen in front of the University Refectory.

15:19 PM Police operation along Akadimias st. head to head clashes with the police there. Clashes on the Uknown Soldier Square on the bottom of the staircase leading to the parliament building. Police operation takes place there as well, as they are trying to push the people towards Syntagma Square, stones and molotov cocktails against the police and clashes in front of the parliament carries on.

15:05 PM Base Union and Anarchist blocks are enetring now Syntagma Square from the lower part, from Stadiou st.

14:56 PM Clashes in front of the parliament building still going on, on Panepistimiou stthere are clashes, taxi drivers union along fellow protesters hold a barricade on Akadimias st. and fighting with the cops, at the moment the only street leading to Syntagma is Stadiou st. Tear gases and chemical gases used by the police in Syntagma but people are not leaving the area.

14.44 PM Gas shot straight into crowd at Panepistimiou metro. Earlier on Patison, anarchists attached the government money-printing building.

14.43 PM In front of the parliament people now have reached the bottom of the staircases that leads to the main building of the Parliament. In front of the parliament again on the other side, stones, molotov cocktails and other items are thrown to the police units guarding the parliament. Tension goes high. Police does not dare to attack, while Syntagma and the Unkown Solider square are occupied by protesters-strikers.

14.34 PM The first burning barricades are up high on Akadimias. Riot police are blocking entrance to Syntagma from there.

14.31 PM Clashes in Akadimias st. and clashes in front of banks next the university Refectory in Panepistimiou st. People in Syntagma are moving, flooding the Unkown Soldier Monument, shock grenades sound all around Syntagma but people are not sure where exactly they come from.

A picture of Syntagma taken 2 hours ago

14.28 PM The stalinists have withdrawn from Syntagma. Taxi drivers are lined up on Panepistimiou. It’s their turn to take the square. Mood is getting angrier here.

14.18 PM The stalinists are withdrawing from Syntagma, beating small groups of other demonstrators on the way. Other people chant, ‘no pasaran’.

14.09 PM People still on the streets of Athens, cops used tear gases earlier, and at the moment rubbish bins are burning to diffuse the chemicals in Akadimias st. some people are movinga away from the gases but many more are mioving towards the parliament to fill the gaps. It is not possible to count the crowd as it is one of the very few times in recent history that so many people occupy so much urban space. According to corporate media people are flooding Syntagma square, Akadimias st, Othonos st, Amalias st, Mitropoleos st, Panepistimiou av, Stadiou st, Patision st, Omonoia st, Ermou st and every signle streets connecting these larger avenues. The crowd is really thick.

1.51 PM A few minutes ago, police used extensively tear gas and shock grenades in front of the plexiglass/metal wall that blockades Vas Sofias Av. the avenue next to th parliament, people were pushed away due to the chemical gas.

People shout ‘Down with PASOK’s junta’ and ‘Cops, Pigs Murderers’. The streets are flooded literally, actually there is no marching because the entire centre of the city is a vast rally, people walk from the side walks towards the parliament. On Zalokosta st. and Akadimias riot police attacked to the municipal workers and taxi drivers with chemicals.

1.50 PM First stun grenade in Syntagma. People here say there are clashes at the Polytechnic – the end of the demo is still there.

From the Greek Streets - Irregular updates and articles on the situation in Greece, in English
Occupied London on the General Strike of October 19-20 in Greece – full coverage
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Live updates, day 1 | Corporate media images from the General Strike, October 19 | Metro stop in Syntagma is closed off by the police

[ History in fast-forward | Government orders civil conscription of municipality workers | Transportation updates | Posters for the Strike ]
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Corporate media images from the General Strike, Athens October 19
Wednesday, October 19, 2011

(Continued)
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Live updates from the General Strike, day one – October 19
Wednesday, October 19, 2011

17:52 PM Syntagma has been completely evacuated by the police. A huge, diverse crowd has attacked the Bank of Greece, trashing it inside. Large groups of demonstrators are trying to regroup in Syntagma. There is an urgent need for medical help at the square.

17:42 PM Cops try to “scoop clear” Syntagma, attacking from different sides. There is DELTA/DIAS at the Olympiou Dios columns, blocking off people from leaving.

16:55 PM Generalised clashes all around Syntagma at the moment. The bulk of the demo has been pushed away form the sq.

16:45 PM A huge black block is atatcked massively by police at the moment in front of the Ministry of Finance in Syntagma Sq.

16:22 PM Reltevely passive attitide of the police and reletevly calm situation now all around Syntagma. The masses of people remain there. banners of ‘I do not Pay’ movement and base unions are in front of the police in the Unkown Soldier.

16.09 PM Step by step police units are occupying the Unkown Soldier Square in front of the Parliament, pushing people back towards Syntagma Square but they meet strong opposition and do not manage to move much forward, demonstrators respond with stones and head to head clashes any time a police unit tries to move forwrad. Thousands still there, just a couple of metres away from the police cordons and attack to them.

15:44 PM Clashes all around the centre of Athens. Tear gases, shock grenades mainly on Akadimias st. but burning barricades are all around the centre. In Syntagma several hundernd of demonstrators attacked with stones and sticks in co-ordinated way against the cops, police uses chemical gases en mase there, but people do not retreat and hold their posiitions in front of the parliament defending themselves, however a part of the Unkown soldier is occupied by the police now. Thick black smoke can be seen in front of the University Refectory.

15:19 PM Police operation along Akadimias st. head to head clashes with the police there. Clashes on the Uknown Soldier Square on the bottom of the staircase leading to the parliament building. Police operation takes place there as well, as they are trying to push the people towards Syntagma Square, stones and molotov cocktails against the police and clashes in front of the parliament carries on.

15:05 PM Base Union and Anarchist blocks are enetring now Syntagma Square from the lower part, from Stadiou st.

14:56 PM Clashes in front of the parliament building still going on, on Panepistimiou stthere are clashes, taxi drivers union along fellow protesters hold a barricade on Akadimias st. and fighting with the cops, at the moment the only street leading to Syntagma is Stadiou st. Tear gases and chemical gases used by the police in Syntagma but people are not leaving the area.

14.44 PM Gas shot straight into crowd at Panepistimiou metro. Earlier on Patison, anarchists attached the government money-printing building.

14.43 PM In front of the parliament people now have reached the bottom of the staircases that leads to the main building of the Parliament. In front of the parliament again on the other side, stones, molotov cocktails and other items are thrown to the police units guarding the parliament. Tension goes high. Police does not dare to attack, while Syntagma and the Unkown Solider square are occupied by protesters-strikers.

14.34 PM The first burning barricades are up high on Akadimias. Riot police are blocking entrance to Syntagma from there.

14.31 PM Clashes in Akadimias st. and clashes in front of banks next the university Refectory in Panepistimiou st. People in Syntagma are moving, flooding the Unkown Soldier Monument, shock grenades sound all around Syntagma but people are not sure where exactly they come from.

A picture of Syntagma taken 2 hours ago



14.28 PM The stalinists have withdrawn from Syntagma. Taxi drivers are lined up on Panepistimiou. It’s their turn to take the square. Mood is getting angrier here.

14.18 PM The stalinists are withdrawing from Syntagma, beating small groups of other demonstrators on the way. Other people chant, ‘no pasaran’.

14.09 PM People still on the streets of Athens, cops used tear gases earlier, and at the moment rubbish bins are burning to diffuse the chemicals in Akadimias st. some people are movinga away from the gases but many more are mioving towards the parliament to fill the gaps. It is not possible to count the crowd as it is one of the very few times in recent history that so many people occupy so much urban space. According to corporate media people are flooding Syntagma square, Akadimias st, Othonos st, Amalias st, Mitropoleos st, Panepistimiou av, Stadiou st, Patision st, Omonoia st, Ermou st and every signle streets connecting these larger avenues. The crowd is really thick.

1.51 PM A few minutes ago, police used extensively tear gas and shock grenades in front of the plexiglass/metal wall that blockades Vas Sofias Av. the avenue next to th parliament, people were pushed away due to the chemical gas.

People shout ‘Down with PASOK’s junta’ and ‘Cops, Pigs Murderers’. The streets are flooded literally, actually there is no marching because the entire centre of the city is a vast rally, people walk from the side walks towards the parliament. On Zalokosta st. and Akadimias riot police attacked to the municipal workers and taxi drivers with chemicals.

1.50 PM First stun grenade in Syntagma. People here say there are clashes at the Polytechnic – the end of the demo is still there.



1.50 PM This is the ONLY store open on the demo route on a strike day only yards from marfin bank.

1.41PM People are trying to move the police wall on Vas. Sofias (next to the parliament) cops are wearing their helmets and new police units are moving from the back of the parlieament towards the wall, shock grenadesare being thrown to the demonstrators.

1.30 PM Tension at corner of Panepistimiou and Patison as groups of youth clash with trade union block.

1.20 PM People are walking up both Stadiou and Panepistimiou because the crowd is too huge for the usual demo route to be followed.

1.05 PM Very few police around. Most of them seem to be gathered around the parliament.

1.00 PM Demonstration is halted as Syntagma square is entirely full.

12.45 AM The PAME union demo is still pouring into Syntagma. Their size is impressive. Meanwhile, the main demo extends from Syntagma to the Polytechnic but will take a while to move – it’s just too big. I’ve walked around the entire demonstration route now, The crowd is unprecedented.

12.25 AM The Stalinist PAME union is now heading up Stadiou, toward Syntagma. Thousands are already there, as well as in Omonia, and at the Polytechnic. It’s already difficult to distinguish demos from one another. More like a huge popular flow running through Athens.

12.06 AM The demonstrations haven’t started yet but Panepistimiou and Stadiou Ave are already filling with thousands of people. The decision to close down the Syntagma metro is a potentially murderous one.

11.28 AM Police formations across Athens: 10 riot police units have blocked off Vasilissis Sofias by the parliament. There are 20 units on Akadimias Str, at least 10,000 police in total across the centre. The district of Kolonaki is also reportedly blocked off.

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