Violent attack by Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) against the Tanzanian Community in the Kipseli district of Athens on the evening of Tuesday 25 September.
On the evening of Tuesday 25 September the community of Tanzania, which has its offices in Lemesou street in the Kipseli district for over three years, and is active as a community from 1999, was violently attacked by a group of 80 members of Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) during a meeting among its members.
There had been threats by residents and shopowners the night before, many of which were among those who attacked the centre. From its official foundation in 2002, the community organization of Tanzania has organized creative activities, e.g. a lending library, creative games and artistic and cultural activities for youngsters, so as to strengthen its ties with the local community.
The incident happened as follows:
On the evening of Monday 24 September, between 10 and 11.30 in the evening, a group of shop owners and residents of the area visited the communitys centre and asked those present to leave. Once it was established by those gathered at the centre that the centre was a cultural centre, and once the relevant documents were presented, two among the 30 visitors threatened the community organization, should they refuse to close. On the following evening, 10 members of the Tanzanian community were gathered in the building, and around 1 past midnight, a group of 80 members of Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) visited the premises. Those gathered called the police, which promptly arrived. They then summoned the President of the community as well as the former president. The police led those gathered in the centre out of the building. A while later, at around 2.30-3.00 at night, the Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) returned and ransacked the place. The following video clearly shows a man smashing the community centres sign with a stick.
On that same evening, two stores owned by migrants were also attacked.
We condemn this criminal act and demand of the authorities that they take every necessary measure to locate the guilty parties, so as to hold them accountable to justice. As active citizens of this country we feel that such hideous acts in no way represent the majority of Greeks and that society as a whole ought to condemn them so that our country does not slip into a state of lawlessness and barbarity.
