The Battle of Greece has begun

Greek economic crisis in pictures - video

Greek general strike - December 15th 2010

Remembering December 2008

Greek students mark second anniversary of death of Alexandros Grigoropoulos in December 2008, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

For most people the defining moments of their life usually come during youth when we still have the passion and energy to give a damn about the world around them rather than just sit on the sofa and curse at the TV screen.

For me, however that experience came to me in my forties, hardly an age given over to violent uncontrollable emotion, Yet something in me was woken by the news that police officers had gunned down a 15 year old for no apparent reason in central Athens. I cannot say what I expected when I joined a demonstration on the following morning, an uncharacteristically warm Sunday morning. perhaps a small march with a few hundred (if that) politically active students which would last about an hour before everyone went back home or grabbed a bit to eat.

Instead thousands of people of all ages appeared and then more and still more till the marcher numbered anywhere near 10,000. But as well as the larger than expected turn out I noticed other, more worrisome signs such as the guys rapidly stuffing the necks of beer bottles with cloth.

From the beginning there was a feeling of anger and rage from many in the march, an undefinable sense that some unwritten covenent had been broken and that it wasn't business as usual. That was confirmed when the march verred off its usual route and made its way to the central police station in Aristotelous Square. Moving a little ahead of the front of the crowd I witnessed the first wave of clashes between protesters and riot police, a scene that would be repeated endless times over the following month in Thessaloniki and every other Greek city.

The police responded with endless rounds of tear gas and baton charges yet, almost miraculously people scattered then reformed, determined not to be intimidated by them. The rage and anger towards the police then mutated as the protests went on day after day into a general sense of violent discontent with the authorities in general.

Witnessing these events reminded me of all the account I had read of the student revolts of the late Sixties including Paris in 1968. Yet these protesters were not just teens or college students but rather came from virtually every age group including pensioners who red with anger would hurl the most furious insults at police officers.

The other aspect of the events of December and January was the sense of unreality that came from listening to the mainstream Greek media's account of the events which ranged from clueless to perneciously misleading. At a loss to explain a revolt which owed nothing to traditional party politics they attempted to describe it either in terms of mindless hooliganism or shadowy conspiracy theories.

It was then that I realised the true power of internet tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and blogs as they quickly proved a far more reliable source of information than TV stations which lumbered through the crisis like a half-blind brontosauras.

Two years on the conditions which fuelled the massive protests of 2008 have worsened still further and the anger feel by many then has grown and intensified as people feel betrayed by their leaders. The ruling political caste seems even more cut off from its popular grassroots support than ever before and seem oblivious that they are standing in the middle of a pool of petrol flicking cigarette butts into the void.

Messages of solidarity from North Korea to David Cameron on the surpression of student dissent

Video from this morning's clashes between PASOK youth wing and other students on campus of Aristotelion University Thessaloniki, Greece

Student supporters of the ruling PASOK party clashed with other factions during a wreath laying ceremony this morining in the Aristotelion university of Thessaloniki. Wearing helmets and armed with clubs, rocks and batteries the PASOK students entered the university campus and fought with other students during a wreath laying ceremony to honour those who lost their lives in 1973 during the Rule of the Colonels.

Today is the 37th anniversary of the Athens Polyechnic uprising which was violently surpressed by the country's military rulers. The event eventaully led to the over throw of the Junta and restoration of democracy.

How to turn a problem into a crisis - Greek riot police storm the Acropolis

Today Greek riot police entered the grounds of the Acropolis this morning in order to expel protesting employees who were demonstrating over delays in payment of wages stretching back two years. In response the government sent in riot police units who used batons, shields and tear gas indiscriminately, attacking reporters covering the story as well as protesters (video from Skai News here - incident is 16 minutes in).

Junior minister for culture, Telemaxos Hiteris, speaking on Skai News defended the actions of the police saying that "the law was the law and 30 employees could not be allowed to close down the Acropolis."The permanent members of staff have gone on strike in support of colleagues on short term contracts.

What has happened is a minor industrial dispute involving a few dozen employees has through the violent intervention of the police been turned into a story which has gone global with yet more images of police officers clashing with demonstrators inside Greece's most familiar landmark. Once again the authorities have mixed indifference, incompetence and violent over reaction into a volatile cocktail which confirms many Greek's worst opinion of the government (One Greek Twitter user said the "we really do have a junta).

Instead of negotiation and discussion batons and tear gas were used so inflaming a tense situation and sending the message to the outside world that Greece is racked by violent confrontation. Of course, this is not the case but by providing such images the authorities are doing everything in their power to promote this idea.

Santa was framed

Video by Rebels Viral Team

Santa had it coming. I mean the guy is part of front for the take over of the world by international communism. It's only because of the bravery of men like Jack Bauer that our country remains undefiled by his Red filth.

Five Reasons why Santa is, in fact a dirty Red.

1 - He is the spitting image of Karl Marx

2 - He has absolutely no respect for the sanctity of the home - Try entering my chimney any time over the holidays and then you'll meet my little friend, Mr M16.

3 - He believes in universal surveillance - How else does he know who's been naughty or nice?

4 - Giving away gifts to all and saundry? If that is not a direct attack on the very foundations of our economic system and by extention our way of life, I don't know what is.

5 - And he's a foreigner who seems to be able to enter US airspace at will. Who knows what military secrets he has divulged to his Red Hordes?

Viva Palestina - video from Greece

Finally got round to editing and uploading video footage of the Viva Palestina humanitarian convoy arriving in Thessaloniki, Greece last weekend. The convoy is part of an effort to get aid from Britain and other parts of the world to the Gaza Strip. Currently, they are in Turkey and will be travelling through Syria, Jordan and Egypt before arriving in Gaza on 27th December.

You can follow their progress via Twitter and find out more about the convoy at vivapalestina.org.

Photographer beaten, detained in London for being "cocky" to policeman who implies she is a terrorist

"While we are constantly controlled by the cctv, we do not have right to take photos or videos. I was stopped because I was filming and after a bit I had about 10 cops to deal with me. Even if I was not violent at all, they pushed me face down upon the floor. While they were bringing me to the van, with really tight handcuffs, they twisted my arm to give me more pain."

S. Bollicina

Remember, remember 5th November - EFL/ESL plan

I know it's a little late but I thought I'd post this anyway. It's aimed at advanced and upper - intermediate students.

1 - Write out this short poem on the board;

"Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot."

2 - Explain any words such as gunpowder, plot and treason then ask them in groups to speculate on the meaning. Click here for more background on the Gunpowder plot.

3 - Each groups writes up their opinion in just one sentence and puts in on the board.

4 - Students then use Youtube to find out what happened. Alternatively, you set this for homework.

5 - In order to avoid students simply copying and pasting from Wiki each group has to present the events in just 60 seconds without the aid of notes. Another idea is that the present a 2 minute slide show.

6 - When you feel that the students have understood the facts behind the Gunpowder Plot then tell them that they are going to pretend that they are journalists who are reporting the event as if it was happening now. To hep understand the idea direct them to the BBC's On This Day web page where historical events are reported as if they were breaking news.

7 - The easiest way to do this is find a similar news story from recent times and change the details in order to make it fit in the Guy Fawkes story.

8 - The students then produce a version that can be filmed. The students form groups in order to decide how to shot the story as a straight to camera news piece. Show them some examples from CNN and Reuters. They can use the video camera, mobile/cell phones, web cameras or digital cameras for this. The footage can be edited with Window Movie Maker or iMovie.

Alternatively, they can download footage from Youtube (Real Player will let you do that) and do the report as a voiceover. On a technical note videos from Youtube are .flv files whch cannot be used in Movie Maker, however Real Player does allow you to convert .flv to .wmv which are compatible.

I'm currently doing this with students though from a slightly different starting point. Instead of Guy Fawkes they choose a place and time in history they'd like to visit and report on that instead.