[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:04.81,0:00:07.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,THIS IS ATHENS
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.76,0:00:20.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) Athens, June 2012. \NI'm here to witness a place I've been following since 2008.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.76,0:00:28.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The raw courage of the Greek anarchists fighting with cops \Ncaptured the imagination of people around the world, including mine.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.50,0:00:38.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In december of that year a cop murdered Alex Grigoropoulos, a teenage boy who lived in Exarchia, a neighbourhood home to a large anarchist population.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.98,0:00:43.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Antonis Vradis) These kids were basically hanging out on the pedestrian street in Exarchia.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.74,0:00:48.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A police patrolling car drove up to them, there was a bit of a quarrel,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.26,0:00:53.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the police shot Alex in cold blood, killing him on the spot.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.33,0:01:00.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what followed was kind of a spontaneous call for a response to this murder, people started gathering in Exarchia.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.96,0:01:11.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And very soon thereafter in most of central Athens, marched through the biggest part of the city and smashed up a lot of corporate and state targets.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.98,0:01:19.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And they quickly culminated in what was a full-on anti-state and anti-capital kind of revolt.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.75,0:01:28.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) But I didn't come here looking for riots, I wanted to find out how the Greek anarchists were organizing themselves in response to the financial crisis.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.27,0:01:36.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I wanted to learn how neighbourhoods had bypassed the state to provide services such as free meals, healthcare and community self-defence.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.23,0:01:43.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This task proved more challenging than I hoped. Few within the neighbourhood assemblies seen, agreed to be videotaped or photographed
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.51,0:01:48.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for fear of retaliation by the police, their employers and the fascists.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.02,0:01:51.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Yes, fascists, but we'll come back to that.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.50,0:01:56.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,During my time here, posters from the competing political parties were plastered all over the city
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.50,0:02:02.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just days prior to an election, signalling to the world that Greek democracy was still functioning.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.20,0:02:15.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Kristina, Commitee for a Workers' International) These elections are very important, because we have the chance to change the political scene. We have the chance to go left.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.04,0:02:19.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) The graffiti and anarchist posters told a different story,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.78,0:02:23.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they show Greece as a country that's in a state of civil war.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.07,0:02:32.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Antonis Vradis) This is a civil war, it already feels like a civil war, but this is not a capital C cival war, it's a small cap civil.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.46,0:02:37.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Civil, as in civilized, as in covered still, for the time being, under this veil of civility.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.83,0:02:49.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you have a society that's still post civil war. The kind of dichotomies, and the kind of tensions, and the antagonisms from a civil war are still here
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.00,0:02:58.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they are re-emerging now, but for the time-being they are being covered under the civility of a country that's still, just about, supposed to be part of the global West
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.75,0:03:05.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and aspiring to this idea of global progress, capitalist euphoria, and development and so on and so forth...
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.25,0:03:21.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Gelly, Solidarity activist) Here in Greece... it's the civil war syndrome I call it. Because our parents lived in the civil war of 1944-1949.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.60,0:03:29.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And they can remember and they have a fear that when the war comes we don't have [food] to eat.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.34,0:03:33.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) Gelly was one of the few anarchist who agreed to appear on camera.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.33,0:03:39.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She got involved in community organizing during the Syntagma square occupation of May 2011.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.48,0:03:47.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The action was inspired by the Spanish public square occupations, the same actions that inspired the North American Occupy movement.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.72,0:03:58.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Antonis Vradis) You definitely had a lot of anarchist groups and anarchist initiatives springing up, and trying to play a role, not of replacing the state in any way,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.02,0:04:05.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but actually filling a void in a different kind of way, in a way that will no longer be hierarchical or authoritarian,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.24,0:04:10.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a way contributing towards people's pre-conceptualization of their everyday life.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.74,0:04:20.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Gelly) We were gathering clothes, and food, and medicine. Everything that the person needs.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.27,0:04:24.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's too easy to find homeless these times in Greece.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.23,0:04:37.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) After the occupation was evicted by cops these groups continued in some more of it into neighborhood assemblies,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.24,0:04:40.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,focusing their energy in their localities
Dialogue: 0,0:04:40.01,0:04:46.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Others, like Gelly, chose to help those who have migrated here from faraway lands in search of a better life.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.96,0:04:52.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Gelly) The situation is awful for the immigrants.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.02,0:05:05.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If they have a house, in a very, very small house: 10 or 15 people. Sometimes they don't have [food] to eat. Most of them live in the streets.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:05.12,0:05:11.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The government signed the Dublin II, so nobody can leave the country.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.94,0:05:17.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) Dublin II is an agreement between European Union members, that states that an undocumented immigrant
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.98,0:05:23.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,found in any EU country, will be returned to the country where the person entered.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:23.26,0:05:31.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This essentially transforms Greece into a migration dam, since most of the undocumented immigrants that come to Europe, enter through here.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.24,0:05:36.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Aid to migrants in Greece is virtually non-existant and people are going hungry.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:39.40,0:05:46.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is the second time that Gelly's group delivers food to a community of Kurdish immigrants outside of Athens.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:46.01,0:05:51.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Kurds are a people without a state, whose homelands are in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.93,0:05:59.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some of the people I've met are escaping political repression due to their affiliation the the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:59.51,0:06:04.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,An armed rebel group fighting for autonomy within the Turkish territory.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:04.26,0:06:13.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Gelly) We don't care about their political beliefs. Kurds never had the country on their own,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.78,0:06:24.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the most of the people, who are 30-35 years lived and were born in the war, they don't know peace.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:25.35,0:06:29.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) Even though the situation in Greece has not officially been called a civil war,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.42,0:06:32.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's a low intensity conflict going on in the streets.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:33.03,0:06:41.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Nikolaos Michaloliakos, Golden Dawn leader) All the illegal immigration out! Out of my country! Out of my home!
Dialogue: 0,0:06:41.95,0:06:53.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Anonymous) Greece has a problem with neo-nazi groups such as Chrysi Avgui, Golden Dawn, which plans to enter the parliament
Dialogue: 0,0:06:53.98,0:07:03.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and organise armed groups so that they can assault immigrants, students, workers on strike.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:07.98,0:07:16.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) Racists affiliated with the neo-nazi political party Golden Dawn routinely attack immigrants, sometimes with the aid of the cops.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:16.20,0:07:21.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,According to our Greek daily about half of Greece's cops voted for Golden Dawn,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:21.24,0:07:26.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,helping it capture a handful of parliamentary seats in the may 2012 election.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:26.39,0:07:32.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,During a televised debate a member of Golden Dawn assaulted a member of the Communist Party.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:32.85,0:07:35.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The man was never arrested.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:35.85,0:07:42.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Botsi Chryssa, Act Up Athens) We already know them for a very long time, what happens now is that they became legal,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:42.24,0:07:52.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they have been elected in the parliament, so now they are a legal party, so they can be more of use, and in fact they will get money from the state.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:03.24,0:08:10.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) The following day immigrants and thousands of their supporters took part in a rally denouncing Golden Dawn's violent attacks.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.03,0:08:14.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But even with this large show of outrage, many people who support immigrants
Dialogue: 0,0:08:14.02,0:08:18.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,face real dangers and can not count on the protection of the police.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:18.74,0:08:27.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Botsi Chryssa) Our home is quite known because there are people coming and going, we collect money and clothes for the refugees, for migrants,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:27.49,0:08:34.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so we have a visibility in the neighborhood I mean, so we have been warned to stop our action
Dialogue: 0,0:08:34.69,0:08:41.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we had a bombing now placed at 3 o'clock in the morning, it was june 2008. The police say they can not protect us.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:42.14,0:08:46.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) Anarchists have provided a counter-power to this fascist menace.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:46.02,0:08:52.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Antonis Vradis) There has always been a huge level of street fighting, the anarchists basically trying
Dialogue: 0,0:08:52.72,0:09:02.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make sure that the Golden Dawn doesn't have a visible organized mass presence on the streets, way before the crisis, for many years.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:02.99,0:09:10.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this has continued and kind of even become more intense after their electoral succes.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:11.42,0:09:14.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) Anarchists have also secured public spaces for the gay community.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:14.98,0:09:25.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Botsi Chryssa) It was the first open Gaypride, in an open place I mean. So they have warned that people in case you are going to parade, we will attack.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:26.20,0:09:33.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there was an anarchist reaction, the anarchists came over and said: "We'll be by you, don't be afraid." And they didn't show up.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:33.78,0:09:37.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And even today they didn't show up, as you have probably seen.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:38.46,0:09:44.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Filmmaker) With about 500 undocumented immigrants entering into Greece everyday, and with the economic situation
Dialogue: 0,0:09:44.52,0:09:50.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,showing no signs of improvement, it's safe to say the tensions in Greece are likely to get worse.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:50.66,0:09:54.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Many people on the left have put their hopes in a Syriza win,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:54.45,0:10:01.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but with the narrow victory by New Democracy, the right wing party, and with Golden Dawn winning 18 parliamentary seats,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:01.75,0:10:05.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the false illusion of Greek democracy was shathered once again
Dialogue: 0,0:10:05.45,0:10:09.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Following the election, attacks on immigrants increased
Dialogue: 0,0:10:09.25,0:10:14.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it was revealed that once again nearly 50% of Greek cops voted for Golden Dawn.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:14.97,0:10:18.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the past has not been forgotten by folks here.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:18.24,0:10:24.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The nazi occupation and brutal dictatorships of the 20th century have not been erased from peoples memories.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:24.88,0:10:33.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To many people here it's becoming increasingly clear that the security and well-being of their territory will not come by the state and their police,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:33.73,0:10:40.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but by the long term efforts and solidarity of autonomous organizers and their communities of resistance.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:40.95,0:10:45.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,TO SUPPORT OUR WORK VISIT SUBMEDIA.TV
Dialogue: 0,0:10:45.82,0:10:49.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,WRITTEN, PRODUCED, SHOT AND EDITED BY FRANKLIN LOPEZ
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