▸ Coordinator of General Assemblies and Occupies in Athens: We are escalating the struggle
The mobilizations in the student associations have reached a large extent, with thousands of students taking to the streets in the sensational demonstration of March 8 across Greece. In Athens mass assemblies were held in almost all the schools where the process was called. Specifically, 19 assemblies were held which resulted in competitive decisions, with frameworks of various powers. In several schools, decisions were still made following board meetings. In Thessaloniki, there were 14 clubs that voted for match frames in their assemblies, while in Patras, eight. Similar decisions existed in universities in the rest of the country.
A special sensation was caused by the occupation of the Rector’s Office of the Greek Academy of Sciences on Wednesday morning, following the decisions of the assemblies of the Biology and Physics student associations. In fact, the occupation faced the wrath of the repression forces, who twice attempted to storm the interior, even throwing chemicals and stun grenades into the building, in a clearly murderous act! In the occupied rectory, a Struggle Assembly was held on Wednesday followingnoon, following the conclusion of the huge demonstration.
On Thursday, March 9, a new student demonstration took place and then the Coordinator of General Assemblies and Occupancies of Student Associations took place at the Polytechnic in Patision. The Coordinating Committee was initially attended by representatives of student associations with PKS frameworks, but they did not stay in the formulation of the final announcement. The Co-ordinator welcomed “the grandiose popular strike movements, the student occupations, the hundreds of thousands of workers, young people, students who demonstrated yesterday in Athens and throughout the country” and emphasizes that “popular anger overwhelmed the streets of Athens. The attendance of thousands of students at the general assemblies in hundreds of schools from Crete to Xanthi gives a message of hope!”
Then, he denounces the “repression and beating of strikers, demonstrators, students and youth in the grand mobilization of Sunday, as well as the police interventions once morest decisions of student associations to occupy (EKPA rectory, Law)”.
“The accident in Tempe was the last straw! The government is trying with its political hypocrisy, fake apologies and behind the backs of the media, in every way to abdicate its responsibilities, mocking the entire people to their faces. It speaks of human error, at a time when there were not even signalers on the lines. It is a crime to which the SYRIZA-PASOK governments have contributed, by privatizing OSE and letting it put the profits of capital above human lives. The policy of degrading public structures and goods and privatization, which is a memorandum commitment and direction of the EU, leads the people to impoverishment, with key examples being the auctions of first homes, the privatization of PPC, even with the most recent vulgar announcements regarding EYDAP and the Children’s oncology unit. This policy is not dangerous but murderous, costs lives and shatters the outlook of the entire people and the youth!”
From now on, the Coordinator of General Assemblies and Occupancies of Student Associations emphasizes that “the crime in Tempe will not be forgotten! Our generation is fighting for a decent life. We are escalating our struggle together with pupils-students-workers. They will find all the people once morest them! We require:
– Down with the government of murderers and all the exponents of this anti-popular policy!
– Nationalization of OSE now! No to privatization and the sale of public goods!
– No thought of repealing Article 16! Let the requests of the artists be justified! Overturning the laws of the ministry!
Next week there will be a new round of general assemblies and sit-ins, there is also a call for Sunday’s gathering at the Constitution, a new central mobilization, a press conference and various actions.
The wonderful competitive spring of the students
If something stands out in the recent mobilizations, it is the hopeful participation of the students, who with their massiveness, their imaginative slogans and their pulse have given another color to the demonstrations. It is impressive that on Wednesday March 8 all over Greece, from the small islands to the remote areas, students took to the streets, went down to the squares, took out their own placards. Many of these are ubiquitous and similar to internet hashtags, but others are locally inspired. However, profits, the government, privatizations have all been targeted. After the large mobilization in Athens on Friday 3rd March, there was an impressive demonstration in Piraeus on Monday 6th March, a demonstration that went viral in no time.
The Disobedient Student has an active participation in the mobilizations, as well as Student Initiatives created from below. Collectives highlight the need for student coordination in each neighborhood.
Hands down from the struggling youth! The two students in Patra are free