Greek protest-Go Home Killer Clinton
ATHENS: Nov 19 (South News)- Leftist protesters hung a huge banner that
read "Killer Clinton"on the side of on a mountainside overlooking central
Athens Friday greeting US president Clinton with calls of ''Go Home.''
Another giant banner hanging from Athens' Panteion University across the
road from Clinton's downtown hotel was in full view with an American flag
bearing a large swastika and the names of the countries Iraq, Somalia,
Bosnia and Yugoslavia
Thousands of Greek leftists marched through central Athens on Friday in
protest against a visit by President Clinton highlighting America's
hegemonic role in the world. Many of Friday's protesters carried giant
banners with slogans such as "NATO, Americans, people killers," and
"Clinton, Killer, Go Home!" US flags were taken down from the Vouli square
near parliament and effigies of Clinton were burned.
Shouting anti-American slogans they were stopped by tear gas used by riot
police after a near total ban on demonstrations and protest marches was
imposed following the postponement of Clinton's visit by nearly one week
from security fears
Violence erupted after riot police fired tear gas to scatter 10,000
demonstrators in central Athens. The crowds scattered but 200 youths broke
windows in shops and banks in two nearby streets and threw stones at
police. Police banned demonstrations near the airport and along the seaside
boulevard linking the airport to the centre of the Greek capital.
Mr Clinton and his entourage plan to stay just 22 hours in Athens, after a
more elaborate trip was scrapped in the face of the threatened protests.
The President's original plan scheduled for Nov. 13-15 was for a three-day
stay to precede his visit to Turkey.
As riot police wearing gas masks faced off with more than 10,000 people in
front of the parliament building in central Syndagma Square, hundreds of
other protesters angered by the U.S. role in NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia
began assembling in two other downtown locations.
Greek Communist Party leader Aleka Papariga and other protest leaders
negotiated to no avail with police, who refused to allow the marchers to
press on to the U.S. Embassy. More rallies were planned in other cities.
Protesters filed a legal challenge to have the march restrictions declared
illegal.
On Wednesday, more than 10,000 marchers chanted "Clinton, Fascist,
Murderer" and other anti-American slogans in front of the U.S. Embassy. "In
essence, they have imposed martial law on Athens. We will not accept this,"
said senior Communist official Stratis Korakas.
The Communists and two other small left-wing opposition parties all have
urged demonstrators to test police barriers and march to the U.S. were
hoping to revive a wave of public anger witnessed during the 78-day bombing
campaign against Yugoslavia, when daily street rallies were held in
Athens. Rallies were also planned in other Greek cities.
Many people in Greece, which is a NATO member, sympathized with
fellow-Orthodox Serbs that dominate the Yugoslav government and remained
bitter at Washington for its widely perceived support of a Greek
dictatorship that imposed military rule from 1967-74.
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