Athens Racist Attack

Update 15 June: Attackers released!

At 3am in the morning of Tuesday, 12 June 2012, a horrific racist act of terror unfolded in a quiet Athens suburb. At 3am several motorbikes with passengers descended on a quiet street in the Perama neighbourhood of Pireaus. They began to vandalise vehicles belonging to some Egyptian fisherman staying in a house on the street. The racists then tried to force their way into the house throwing an explosive device through the broken glass of the front door. Inside the occupants managed to hold the attackers off by stopping them from forcing the doors and windows open.

Film Length: 1:39
Sadly one of the fishermen was asleep on the roof of the building when the assault happened. 24-year-old Abouz Mubarek was beaten almost to death where he lay. His keys, cigarettes and bloodstained bedding still lay where he had beaten when we arrived at the scene this afternoon. Despite this being a clear case of attempted murder there were no Police present or forensic specialists examining the scene. The Police have arrested six individuals though they are making the outrageous claim that this was not at ‘organised’ attack.

If that is the case then how do they explain how the three cars and vans that were smashed only belonged to the Egyptians? The use of explosives? The time of day? The fact that racist violence involving gangs using motorbikes bears all the hallmarks of well-documented actions by Golden Dawn activists?

Also on the same afternoon, Golden Dawn members threatened an Egyptian family in a square a few miles from the scene. They were told that “if the fishermen made a statement” then every Egyptian in the area “would be killed.“

Exactly where to these thugs get such detailed information on who is who in the migrant community? It also seems a staggering coincidence that one of the fishermen had taken part in an anti racist TV film. Anti fascists are planning some some kind of response to the attack this coming Saturday.


Update 15 June 2012:

We have been told that the 6 suspects who had been identified by the victims of the attack and arrested have now been released. Five of them were ordered to pay €2,000, stay in the country and report to a police station every 15 days and not leave the country. Apparently this is due to the police finding the witness statements contradictory. When we visited the scene of the attack, there was not a single officer, and as far as we know there was no proper investigation of the scene of a crime which, judging from visual evidence such as the amount of blood and witness accounts, could amount to attempted murder. The police have claimed that the attack was not organised. We were shown a video yesterday, filmed at a Golden Dawn meeting the evening of the attack, where a Golden Dawn speaker reportedly says that Egyptian fishermen should ask Golden Dawn for permission before taking any action. Hopefully we will have more on this soon.