A luta (mais que) estudantil que presentemente acontece na Grécia: «They [the Governing] make laws, we [the People] make History!!!»

Brothers and sisters in struggle,

the Greek Student Movement is reaching its highest moment: 346 departments are right now occupied and yesterday the national demo in Athens gathered 25.000 students, coming from every corner of the country.

The Federation of University Professors (POSDEP) is on a permanent strike and also now we have the Federations of Primary (DOE) and Secondary (OLME) Education Teachers with us! Yesterday these two Federations went on a 3-hour strike in order to participate in our national demonstration. Moreover, everyday we receive messages of solidarity from trade unions and Federations of all sectors.

Nevertheless, the neoliberal right-wing Government decided to show its teeth: they announced that the new laws will be brought in the Parliament in the Summer Session (probably in August) and they accuse us of being "a minority who wishes to destroy our Universities".
Yesterday at the demo we experienced the HARDEST repression I have ever seen in the last 8 years that I am politically active. In front of the Ministry of Education and in front of the Parliament some groups clashed with the Special Forces and, from that point, the Police began a blind attack against all blocks, which were full of 18 and 19-year old students, most of which participate in the movement for the first time in their life.
They turned the city centre into a gas chamber and even threw "panic bombs" (bombs that make a huge sound when they explode, in order to terrify the demonstrators). They even threw stones(!) against the blocks and, in one point, managed to brake the human chains we made, circle two blocks of unprotected students and suffocate them in tear gas, hit them on their face and body with globs and with their shields and arrest many of them.
The demo managed to march ahead and kick out many of the people that were trying to cause trouble, by braking stores and throwing molotv bombs (I will not even call them anarchists...).
Over 10.000 people reached and entered the occupied Polytechnic School, in order to be protected. We stayed in the School for at least four hours, guarding the doors and trying pushing the Black Block to clash with the Police outside the University. The Special Forces surrounded the School and started throwing tear gas bombs in the School, in order to suffocate us. We were medically well prepared and managed to help all people who faced breath problems.
Finally, after negotiations of Alekos Alavanos (the President of our Party) and the Federation of professors with the Minister of Public Order, the Police withdrew its forces and we left the Polytecnhic in a common big block, singing songs of freedom and slogans.

The Movement now demands not only the withdrawal of the new law, but also the resignation of the Ministers of Education and Public Order, as the main political responsible for what happened yesterday. This demand has been also expressed by the professors and Synaspismos: 42 people arrested, over 150 badly injured. Yesterday it was another day of disgrace for democracy and human dignity.
Nevertheless, it was one of those small moments in your life, when you realize that you make your duty towards yourself, the society and History. If one month ago all this could be a dream, today it's an unrefused reality.
Next Thursday we shall flood the streets again.
More decisive, more massive, more proud than ever before.

They make laws, We make History.
We continue. We shall win.

text emailed by Yiannis Bournous.

[Para além da ligação já disponibilizada (do IndyMedia grego, contendo bastante informação) no título deste texto, podem ainda consultar-se mais informações noutros centros IndyMedia (por exemplo: no geral e no britânico) e seguir-se o (incrível) mapa de ocupações de Departamentos Universitários na Grécia (presentemente já são 374, ultrapassando os 346 referidos pelo Yannis no seu texto).]