Greek authorities have stepped up security after a leftist extremist group declared war on the “German capitalist machine.” The group has claimed responsibility for attacks on a Mercedes-Benz branch and on the German ambassador’s residence in Athens.
An anarchist group calling itself the Popular Fighters has come
forward, claiming to be behind a botched rocket attack on the
offices of German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz in the Greek
capital.
The attack itself was carried out on January 12. Investigators
found evidence this week that showed the rocket was fired from
the near vicinity of the factory, but veered off course and
landed in a field.
On Tuesday the group sent a 20-page manifesto to Greek satirical
magazine To Pontiki, explaining the attack was carried out in
solidarity with the Greek people against the “German
capitalist machine.”
The group also said it riddled the residence of the German
ambassador with bullets before dawn on December 30 last year.
They claimed it was a revenge attack in memory of 77-year-old
Dimitris Christoulas, who committed suicide in front of
parliament in the center of Athens in 2012.
Christoulas’ death became a symbol of the deepening despair over
the worsening financial situation in Greece.
"As we sprayed gunfire at the hyper-luxury home of the German
ambassador we imagined beside us the thousands of people who line
up at soup kitchens … the unemployed, those working for 400 euro
[a month]," the group said. The Popular Fighters also called
on their followers to step up attacks during Greece’s rotation of
the presidency of the European Union which started at the
beginning of this year.
As the situation continues to deteriorate in Greece, the country
has seen an increase in the popularity of both the far left and
the far fight. One of the country’s most infamous, far-right
parties the Golden Dawn is currently under investigation to
ascertain whether or not the party is a criminal organization.
Despite the controversy, the Golden Dawn has pledged to run in
the European elections in May.
Recent polls show that if the Golden Dawn were to run in the
elections now it would get between 8.9 and 10.3 percent of the
vote.
Currently six of the 18 lawmakers, including the Golden Dawn’s
leader, are in pre-trial detention pending an investigation into
a wave of attacks on immigrants and political opposition figures.
RT correspondent Maria Finoshina said that many Greeks blame
Germany for forcing the country to introduce harsh austerity
measures that have pushed up unemployment rates in the country.
The Hellenic Statistical Authority published figures on Thursday
that Greek unemployment reached a record high in November of last
year of 28 percent. The figure is still higher among young people
with over 60 percent of them out of work.
“People are tired, they don’t even have the energy to take to
the streets and protest. They no longer believe that they can
change the current situation,” said Finoshina, reporting
from Athens.
Robert Harneis, journalist and author, said that there was a lot of “ill-feeling” among the Greeks for the German people.
“They know that a lot of the money that is given to the Greek government to “help the Greeks” – 80 percent of that money goes straight back to the German and French banks that unwisely lent money to the Greek government,” Harneis told RT.