The battle for Attica Square & the 'refugee crisis' in Greece

Another xenophobic attack on immigrants took place last night in Attica Square, Athens, amid increasing tensions and degrading conditions for migrants, as the Evros region has become one of the few remaining clandestine routes to Europe.

As reported by Eleftherotypia newspaper:

A night of terror took place yesterday at Attica Square, reminiscent of similar events at Agios Panteleimonas Square. A group of 'enraged citizens' attacked a mini market which belonged to a Bangladeshi immigrant, injuring the region's Imam and another migrant. The scuffles spread, causing injury to several immigrants and Greek locals.

The immigrants, in their effort to escape from the 'citizens'' rage, found shelter in a nearby underground mosque. The 'enraged' locals blocked the entrance of the mosque, which had been burnt down a year and a half ago, amid the tension caused by a riot policeman who ripped up an immigrant's Koran.

The locals then began to smash the mosque windows by throwing stones and blocks of wood, injuring five immigrants who were hiding inside. The immigrants were forced to come out and defend themselves using litter as weapons.

When the police arrived, the immigrants returned into the mosque, remaining there for over 1.5 hour. But the locals remained outside the mosque, shouting offensive slogans against the immigrants and asking the police to take them away. When the immigrants came out, more scuffles followed in Attica Square, with around 80 locals beating the immigrants as they were passing by. The attackers also turned against the riot police.

The scuffles began at 7.30 in the evening and continued until 3am.

Original article (in Greek)

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This attack follows a demonstration on 8 October at Attica Square organised by anti-authoritarian groups in collaboration with the migrants. The demonstration was reported as quite successful by Indymedia Athens, attracting around 1000 people. However, following the demonstration, the immigrants were again violently attacked by police as is evident from these photos.

The immigrants and their families often don't have a place to live and spend the nights in parks. After repeated complaints and physical attacks by local vigilantes in Agios Panteleimonas square, the immigrants were moved by police to Attica Square, where they have been subject to similar attacks.

This documentary for TV 2 Norway describes the situation rather lucidly:

The Battle for Attica Square