Forward from mart. A Victory for people everywhere! - Fw: Powell Cancels Athens Visit Amid Protests
Despite the fact that this news item was reported even by the corporate biased and very pro-U.S., Associated Press 'news' service, it naturally received very little coverage by the U.S so-called 'mainstream' news outlets. By the way, while the AP claim, that - quote- "more than 2000 demonstrators" took part in the anti-Powel protests, may be somewhat factually correct, because they did say it was "more than" 2000, other reports claim upwards of ten times that number taking part. Special thanks to Rick Rozoff for forwarding this item. mart ========================================= ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Rozoff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 9:56 AM Subject: Powell Cancels Athens Visit Amid Protests 1) Powell Visit Sparks Athens Protest 2) Powell Cancels Athens Visit Amid Protests =========================================== 1) http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/cj/Ayb56155844.RO26_ElR.html Associated Press August 27, 2004 Powell Visit Sparks Violent Athens Protest ATHENS - Police used tear gas Friday night to disperse more than 2,000 demonstrators who lit fires, smashed windows and beat up journalists while marching through downtown Athens to protest the weekend visit of Secretary of State Colin Powell. The demonstrators, who scuffled with police in front of the Parliament, fought running battles with riot squads trying to prevent them from reaching the U.S. Embassy. The embassy is not near any Olympic venues, but it is near the hotel being used by the International Olympic Committee and located on a major Olympic traffic lane. The protesters shouted slogans against the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. Powell was expected to arrive Saturday to meet Premier Costas Caramanlis and attend the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics on Sunday night. Earlier, hundreds of riot police with shields prevented the protesters from heading toward the embassy, and the two sides faced off in front of the Greek Parliament building. The protesters marched in front of Athens University, beating drums, spraying graffiti on the walls and unfurling banners criticizing President Bush. "Powell is the man who peddled Bush's lies on Iraq," said protest organizer, Yiannis Sifahakis. "He is a murderer and we don't want him here." Some of the demonstrators shouted slogans in English, taking advantage of the international TV crews covering the event. They called on passers-by to join them on a march to the U.S. Embassy. Among those who joined in before the violence broke out was Andrea Murray, 22, who graduated from Duke University in North Carolina. She said she was looking for Athens' National Museum and instead found the demonstration. "I found this and I thought, like wow! I am participating because I am American and I want Greeks to know that not all Americans are drones or idiots," Murray said. A spectacular, moonlit Acropolis served as a backdrop to more than 500 riot police who were positioned in the central Syntagma Square in front of the Parliament building and elsewhere in central Athens. One Olympics volunteer in the trademark Athens 2004 polo shirt and shorts held up a sign that read: "Any volunteers against U.S. policy?" Another demonstration by 200 people in Thessaloniki, a northern port and Greece's second-largest city, dispersed peacefully after protesters marched by the U.S. consulate to complain about Powell's visit. Greece's top law enforcement official said the demonstrators had a right to protest but asked them not to cause any trouble. "We organized games in an environment of security and discretion. Everyone recognizes this," Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis said. "I want to believe that the events that have been planned will respect what with great effort all Greeks have accomplished." Some Greeks worried that Powell's visit could destroy the festive atmosphere that has been present in Syntagma Square and the rest of the capital in recent days. "I hope it won't spoil the party because the city is buzzing and everyone's pro-Olympics," said Marissa Daras, 26, a human resources specialist, as she walked through the square. The right to demonstrate is cherished by Greeks, following harsh restrictions imposed during a 1967-74 military dictatorship. Protest groups have said they would oppose any police attempt to prevent them from marching on the U.S. Embassy. Greece's small but influential Communist Party also said it was organizing a protest march on Saturday from central Athens to the embassy. ------------------------------------------------------ 2) http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040828/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/powell_protest&cid=542&ncid=716 Associated Press August 28, 2004 Powell Cancels Athens Visit Amid Protests ATHENS - Secretary of State Colin Powell on Saturday canceled a weekend visit to attend the closing ceremony of the Olympics, just hours after demonstrators marched through central Athens. Powell couldn't attend because of "urgent responsibilities," the foreign ministry said. In a letter, Powell thanked Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis "for the especially successful and secure organization of the games." In Washington, State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said the anti-American protests in Athens played no role in Powell's decision. "The secretary considered a number of factors. The press of business in Washington made him decide he could not visit at this time," Cooper said. "What's going on in Iraq and Sudan require the secretary's close attention," he said. The Greek foreign ministry said Powell would visit Athens in October. Many Greeks had wondered why Powell planned to visit this weekend, knowing his presence would likely provoke protests. Until Powell announced his visit, there had been none of the anti-American demonstrations that were feared in the run-up to the games. On Friday, riot police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who took part in a protest against the Powell visit. About 1,500 people who took part in the march were prevented from reaching the U.S. Embassy to protest Powell's trip. "It is an enormous victory of the anti-war movement that managed to cancel the visit of the arch-killer Powell," protest organizer Yiannis Sifahakis told The Associated Press. Just hours before Powell was to arrive, Greece's Communist Party displayed a large banner at the site of the ancient Acropolis to protest his trip. "Powell killer go home. Don't forget that civilians are being slaughtered in Najaf and a wall is being built in Palestine," read the banner, which was raised on one of the sides of the Acropolis Hill. It was removed after Powell's visit was canceled. Communist Party member Aristotelis Gontikas said Powell's cancelation was a victory for those opposed to American policies and was not targeted at Americans. "I believe that the reaction of the Greek people still counts. It is not by chance that Greeks measure in polls as the most anti-American," Gontikas told the AP at the Acropolis. The party said a protest rally that was to begin in front of the old campus of Athens University and end at the U.S. Embassy would still be held. "The protest will now be transformed into a festival," Gontikas said. Greeks harbor anti-American feelings primarily over U.S. support of the 1967-74 military junta, which persecuted its leftist opponents. Many Greeks also believe Washington ignores the concerns of smaller and weaker countries. In 1999, during a visit by then-President Clinton, battles between protesters and police turned downtown Athens into a riot zone. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. 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