Greek riots | 93 comments (93 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

I'm having a hard time finding any discussions or news reports about what the protesters goals are.

I heard a bit on the BBC where they interviewed students in the streets and the best they could come up with was a desire for "change".

The riots that happened in the US in Detroit, Watts, Newark, etc. were a result of frustration and without explicit goals. They did get the attention of government officials and there were some minor changes in social policy as a result, but mostly those in these areas ended up worse than before since the stores and other parts of the neighborhoods were destroyed.

The media is also calling the protesters "anarchists" which is not helpful either. Even if they call themselves "anarchists" this means nothing without a vision for what they want.

If there are any (other) good discussions of the fundamental issues I'd like to hear about them.

Policies not Politics
---- Daily Landscape

by rdf (robert.feinman@gmail.com) on Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 09:38:24 AM EST

Re: Goals (4.00 / 6)

These are not protestors. These are rioters. This is the problem, that's why people don't see an end to this. A large part of the demonstrators are venting anger. The larger part of the kids that want to actually demand something can't do much better than "reform the police" or "disarm the police".

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake

by talos (mihalis at gmail dot com) on Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 10:15:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

A probably unuseful bit of hear-say (4.00 / 4)

I believe Norway has got violent deaths at the hands of the police, as well as violent deaths of police officers down by partially disarming. The guns are there all right, but not on the cops. Instead they are in some form of weapons locker in the squad car, and the protocol if weapons are needed is to fall back to the car, radio it in and only after that get the guns out. This gives them more time to think and - if that is needed - cool off.

Please note that this is all second hand information at best (though our norwegians might be able to confirm and improve). And I do not really expect you to be able to insert a program at the front of riots, though it would be cool if you could.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 03:16:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Goals (4.00 / 3)

In the USA, the Kent State massacre was a watershed for perception of how the police brutalized students.

Unfortunately, even though it was very easy to sympathize with murdered students (peaceful) people were quite fearful as to where the country was going, and the whole massacre only reinforced the attitude behind the thuggish tactics at Kent State. In other words, the people who committed the murders were vindicated.

by Upstate NY on Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 04:55:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Greek riots | 93 comments (93 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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