In light of the recent visibility of black blocs at the RNC, the G20, and other US demos, it would do us well to pay heed to the trial and error of the Greek police apparatius against such street tactics and custom. Each and every region or situation is uniquely its own but there are lessons to be learned and encouragement to be taken from this last week in Greece:

:The Greek courts attempted to give the "hood law" legs and teeth at the expense of 4 of the "Nikea Eight" - eight individuals nabbed in street confontations during an Anti Torture/Anti-PoliceMurder demo in Nikea, an industrial suburb of Athens on Oct. 17th. ( http://libcom.org/news/athens-anti-torture-demo-leads-clashes-occupation-city-hall-17102009 ). Even though it poses to be an 'enhancement' statute to stiffen penalties for other criminal offences, two of the four were charged with no criminal offence other than transgressing the "hood law" itself.


- - - - - - - - - - - - Background on the Anti Torture Demo - - - - - - - -
(10/17/09 - http://libcom.org/news/athens-anti-torture-demo-leads-clashes-occupation-city-hall-17102009
"Anti-torture demo, over death of electroshocked immigrant, leads to clashes with riot police, arrests and occupation of city hall, in Nikea, an industrial suburb of Athens.

The city hall of Nikea, an industrial and prominently communist suburb of Athens, is under occupation since Saturday 17/10 afternoon by anarchists demanding the release of people arrested during clashes with riot police outside the police department where a Pakistani immigrant, Mohamed Karman Atif, was tortured by beating and electric shocks ileading to his death last week
The demo, organised by several anarchist collectives, marched to the police station, where it was confronted by strong riot police forces. The protesters tried to break through the blockade by throwing stones to the police. In the clashes that ensued several people were detained, out of which some are being reported as arrested and charged.
The protesters then regathered and occupied the city hall in a surprise move. The mayor of the suburb, a Communist Party (KKE) cadre, has visited the occupied city hall and has declared that the police should by no means attempt to evacuate the 300 protesters who remain in it, nor arrest anyone leaving the premises." )
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Widely held to be a egregious violation of the bourgeois constitution by much of the Greek public at large, pressure and resistance to the "democracy and strength" police state tactics was garnered and pressure applied across a broad spread of forums and avenues including, notably, direct action in the streets resulting in the occupation of Nikea's City Hall, the occupation of the Univ. of Athens Rector's Hdqs., a linked solidarity occupation in Thessaloniki, and the occupation of the Province Headquarters in Chania,Crete.

As of 10/22, the state has retreated and dropped charges and released all but 2 of the Nikea 8.
The occupation of City Hall has been successfully dissolved by the occupying anarchist collectives on their own initiative.


Further links:
http://www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/
http://libcom.org/news/4-nikea-marchers-released-pressure-mounts-against-hood-law-21102009
http://www.wombles.org.uk/images/2327