Greece: Is it time for the #GreekRevolution?
The peaceful mass popular protests in cities across Spain, calling for democracy and protesting bipartisanship on the eve of elections, caught Greeks by surprise after a year of fruitless protests in Greece against IMF/ECB imposed austerity measures. Many Greek netizens reacted in solidarity to the sight and sounds of the “Spanish Revolution” and considered their own predicament.
Greece + Spain = Solidarity
Spanish protesters, reportedly influenced by the Greek student revolts of 2007-2008, tweeted solidarity to Greece, being the first European Union country to taste the sting of IMF/ECB austerity since last year:
@GonChristopher: GREECE from Spain we say to you WAKE UP!!! go out to the street and claim freedom!!!! THE TIME IS NOW!!! #greekrevolution #spanishrevolution
And solidarity was tweeted back:
@neopolitis: Solidarity from Greece. #yeswecamp #acampadesol#spanishrevolution
"SOLIDARITY WITH GREECE" #greekrevolution, Valladolid (Spain). Twitpic photo by Christopher Gonzalez.
Greek exchange student and Global Voices Greek translator Nathalie Fytrou attended the May 20 Puerta Del Sol rally, tweeting reports to this author via SMS, and posting a photoset on Flickr when she returned home:
@asteris: At Madrid's Puerta Del Sol subway station, they substituted ‘Sol’ with ‘Solucion’ on the sign (@NathalieFytrou via SMS) #acampadasol
@asteris: #acampadasol @NathalieFytrou: “#15m movt comparable to #griots movt; talking abt reaching out to society, workplaces, schools, universities”
@NathalieFytrou: Just came back from Puerta del Sol.. What an amazing night! More organized things tonight.#spanishrevolution
Giannis Nikolopoulos (@Xeirwn) posted non-stop inside updates from Spain,
@Xeirwn: η συντονιστική ομάδα της ΝτεμοκράσιαΡεάλ στην Μαδρίτη τονίζει:πρότυπό μας και η Ελλάδα του Δεκέμβρη 2008 #rbnews #spanishrevolution
20,000 Greeks protest over new austerity measures in central Athens. Image by Mary Stamm-Clarke, copyright Demotix (11/05/11).
While others Twitter users were also conveying messages and images from Spain to Greece:
@miawkoue: another msg from spain: we have the solution! put the bankers in prison #spanishrevolution
And Brussels resident Krotkie tweeted and blogged revolutionary updates from across Europe [el], as revolution fever gripped Greek Twitter users:
@krotkie: http://tinyurl.com/68q8b92 και οι Γερμανοί στο παιχνίδι #germanrevolution #rbnews
@krotkie: οι Ιταλοί καλουν αυριο στη Piazza Duomο στις 7.30 #rbnews
@athensbynite: Μπέστε εδώ #irishrevolution , μόνο εμείς λείπουμε #greekrevolution
@Cyberela: I want to catch that Spanish revolutionary virus too! #SpanishRevolution #Greece
@Cyberela: Where the f*ck is the #GreekRevolution. Are we PIIGS or what! #Greece #SpanishRevolution
From camp map: Greece greets Spain. #SpanishRevolution #solidarity. Twitpic screenshot by @Cyberela.
A “Greek revolution” in the making?
The #greekrevolution hashtag was quickly adopted:
@Baracunda: Οι Ισπανοι κανουν το αυτονοητο…μαζευονται στις πλατειες…δε κανουν πορειες…τοσο δυσκολο ειναι να το κανουμε και ‘μεις; #greekrevolution
Only to be flooded by sceptics and cynics:
@fotek75: Αν γίνει κάτι παρόμοιο με την Ισπανία στην Ελλάδα βλέπω να καταργούνται οι πλατείες με νομο
@Ali_ki: Όταν αρχίσουν οι απολύσεις στο δημόσιο, τότε μάλλον θα αρχίσει και η #greekrevolution
@2metrapalikari: ΛΟΙΠΟΝ, είναι απλό. Όσοι θέλετε #greekrevolution σκάστε μύτη Κυριακή στο Σύνταγμα. Όσοι δε θέλετε #greekrevolution, σκάστε να κοιμηθούμε.
But revolution advocates were adamant:
@miawkoue: the domino already started with or without u #greece It's ur call. #greekrevolution
@amaradino: Είμαστε επίτιμοι καλεσμένοι στο πάρτυ των λαών για δημοκρατία και αξιοπρέπεια και αργούμε.ας αφήσουμε για λίγο την πλάκα #greekrevolution
An impromptu call went out for a gathering in Athens next Sunday, after heated discussions:
@tasos_hardcore: Κυριακή 12 το μεσημέρι,στο Σύνταγμα.Ας έρθει όποιος θέλει να διαμαρτυρηθεί για την αδικία της Κυβέρνησης.Πόσοι μπορούμε να μαζευτούμε άραγε;
A Facebook group to promote protests inspired by the Spanish movement, titled “Democracia Real Ya, Grecia” [el], was set up (numbering 4,884 users at the time this post was being written), and a meme made popular during the Arab Spring protests made an appearance:
@yns_x: Instaling democracy 2.0 in Greece ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 5%
First solidarity camp
A solidarity camp was called by the group in front of the Spanish Embassy in Athens on Saturday, however attendance was reportedly low:
@Gangelakis: At 19:00 starts a camp at Spanish embassy at Athens (Greece). #spanishrevolution #europeanrevolution #nonosvamos #acampadasol
Solidarity protest in front of the Spanish embassy in Athens. Photo by Gabriel Piperas on Facebook.
Solidarity protest in Athens: last rites for democracy administered by a corrupt priest. Twitpic photo by Cyberela.
Lamenting the apathy of Greeks about the chronic ills that plague the birthplace of democracy, Cyberela blogged [el] in admiration of the Spanish revolution, pointing to the revolution camp map:
Καθώς η Ελλάδα αδρανεί και κρύβεται πίσω από τις ωχαδερφικές δικαιολογίες δεκαετιών που δίνουν ασυλία στην καθολική κατάντια, η ιδέα για μία πραγματική δημοκρατία, μίας συμμετοχικής δημοκρατίας που δεν υποδουλώνεται και δεν διαστρεβλώνεται αρχίζει και παίρνει μορφή στις πλατείες μας.
At the time of writing this post, there were 10 Greek pins on the camp map, but only the two events in Athens had been announced.
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