Chemical Flowers – A Few Words on Fridays Assault

On Friday October 19, around 11 am, police forces assaulted once more without provocation the immigrant street vendors stationed on the outside of the Economical University. 30 motorcycle units of the delta force, a riot police unit and a bunch of undercover cops stormed to the central entrance of the building, while another 30 motorcycles were ready to “assist” on the side of Mavromateon Str. The assault, apart from the clubs and the beatings, also consisted of tear gas, 7 stun grenades and a flare shot in the courtyard of the Economical University, while two delta force cops entered inside the university premises. During the assault, they destroyed some of the vendor’s merchandise and arrested one of them, as the cops were not able to get their hands on any rocks lying around to throw to the immigrants, they ripped off the flowers that were planted by the University Authorities in order to remove the vendors and threw them towards the immigrants.
This assault, the first grand enterprise of the year against the immigrant street vendors of the Economical University area, is an extension of the assaults we received on an almost daily basis last year. Minor assaults are also very common in the area. For example, on Saturday, October 13 at noon, the police arrested six people from Bangladesh. Three of them were taken by delta force cops to the Police Station of Kypseli, who later returned to the station, 350 euros was stolen from the vendors, they destroyed their cell phones and isolated them in the bathroom where they kept beating them for 15 minutes.
The Economical University, one of the last places where immigrant street vendors can make a living selling their goods for a little money, is a target of vast oppression and police brutality due to the existence of a community of struggles made of locals and immigrants, which has kept on resisting for some time now.

Assembly of immigrants and solidarious

A letter for the greek society

Firstly, we would like to greet all these people who help us live in freedom in Greece, since we face a difficult situation having the police on one side and fascists on the other, chasing us all the time. We come face to face with fascists every time we’re on the street. The same happens with the police who without any bother, is torturing us and taking our money. We don’t know what to do, we are scared and we’re suffering, Every immigrant is terrified with this situation.

Everyday we come up against a rising, aggressive racism, expressed from a part of society, but most­ly from the police. Cops intrude upon our houses, take our money and things. Along with the fascists, they are chasing us every moment. Especially in the night, fascists are wandering around the neigh­borhoods, looking for immigrants to beat up. Most of the times, they are presenting themselves as cops,«showing their civil identity, asking for our papers and after tearing them up, they begin to beat us. We fail to recognize, really, if the ones we face every time are fascists or cops.

Due to economic reasons or due to a war, we were forced to abandon our countries and come to live in Europe, particularly in Greece, so that we would be able to live in dignity, peace and freedom. Our only activity is peddlering, wandering off in the streets. This allows us to pay for our rent, our food, etc.

Therefore, we demand from the greek society and authorities to let us live with dignity, with freedom and respect. We thank all these people who understand us and stand next to us with solidarity.