Griechenlandkrise: Medien pushen gegen #GreekRevolution - Gekommen um zu bleiben [Teil 4]

Der letzte Interviewbeitrag mit der jungen Anwältin Evi Papa aus Athen. Demonstriert wird bis zum Ende und von dem medialen Boykott wird man sich weiterhin nicht einschüchtern lassen.

Humanrightaustria: In Spain we had some few article about their movement but you can hardly find any positive or explaining article about your protest movement in Greece. Why?

Evi Papa: The media in Greece treat the movement as a group of indignant people, full of rage, that have no political issues on the table. This may be the case for a minority of the people. A big part of the problem: due to the fact that media owners are also owners of construction companies, football clubs etc and made extremely profitable contracts with all governments the previous years-olympic games, the new Athens airport, national roads etc.

Humanrightaustria: To keep it simple: what can you really expect of demonstrating against the government?

Evi Papa: When we first started protesting, our main ‘’demand’’ was that our debt is declared burdensome and illegal, and a referendum about the new loan deal should be scheduled . If not, then a general election again in order for the people’s voice, about the new situation, to be heard.

Humanrightaustria: How do you want to achieve this?

Evi Papa: Our goal is a direct democracy, a real democracy that will allow people’s voices to be heard on every major or minor issue that has a direct effect to our lives. This is why people of this movement are organizing Public Assemblies in every neighborhood and square of the country, with the Public Assembly of Syntagma Square being the ‘’mother’’, the Real Democracy Site being the independent tech-voice that gathers all movements around the country and acts as an online umbrella, social media groups like ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ΤΩΡΑ!! giving people a place to discuss online and organize.

There are about 21 volunteer-based groups in Syntagma square, from a Time Exchange Bank to Legal Support, Translators, a Cleaning Team, First-Aiders, Multimedia and many more, all equally supporting and showcasing what solidarity, participation and real democracy should be.

Humanrightaustria: Beside the dreadful pictures of the demonstrations covered all around the world, have the politicians reacted to any demand of yours?

Evi Papa: Some of the ‘’demands’’ (a change of the law that allows all parliament members to avoid justice, even if they are implicated to major financial scandals, due to a ridiculous parliament-member’s immunity) seem to be have taken seriously, considering that the greek prime-minister stated that a referendum will probably take place this fall, with the issue of a major change of the greek constitution.

Humanrightaustria: What is your strategy for the next weeks?

Evi Papa: For the time being, and mainly because this movement is a few months old, it works as an extremely effective tool of pressure for the political parties, that are just starting to realize that we are here to stay. A political agenda is slowly but steadily being builded, but it seems that there are no thoughts of formatting another political party, that would-in my opinion-be easily delt with from the excisting political dinosaurs. Surely the goal of taking people out of their apathy and having them claiming, fighting and hoping again for a better, more democratic country is succeeding, and this is a great first step.

Links

1.#GreekRevolution: Schluss mit Populismus und Neustart für die Aganaktismenoi [Teil 1]

2. Griechenland versinkt im Protest #GreekRevolution [Teil 2]

3. Auslöser der Griechenlandkrise: Billige Kredite und Korruption #GreekRevolution [Teil 3]

4. Blog der Protestbewegung

5. Generation 700: aufschlussreiche Arte Dokumentation über die junge Generation

6. Le Monde diplomatique: Mass uprising of Greece’s youth