Wednesday 11 July 2012

16th Anti-Racist Festival in Goudi


 

We went to the anti-racist festival in Goudi on Sunday, the second we have attended.




Lots of stalls around




with lots of literature




with some old favourites


 


including Ursula Le Guin.


 



Interesting banners: this one is asking for the closure of the immigrant/asylum seeker detention centres - the ones in Greece are a real disgrace





The passion for freedom is much stronger than any prison cells - let's fight for prisoners' rights

 


We do not live in order to work - we will not die while working





The whole world is our country




Immigrants are the damned of the earth - in the world of the bosses we are all foreigners






An end to fascist gangs - neighbourhoods of compassion not of racist hatred




some didn't need any words





and some were beautifully designed




Amnesty International were there





as well as Medicins du Monde and Medicins Sans Frontieres





As well as various anti-fascist organisations





There was a radical priests' stall: panclerical, panpopular fighting organisation - it is unthinkable that the pets of the rich lead better lives than the children of the poor, reads the placard.

I was very pleased to see that such an organisation exists given the conservatism of the Greek Orthodox Church and I really liked the priest who was giving out leaflets. He did not bat an eyelid when I told him I was an atheist - his response was: 'it does not matter'.




there was a children's corner




lots of workshops that were very well attended




food from various cultures: I had chicken from the Kongo stall and it was delicious





Unfortunately and unexpectedly we had to leave early, before the bands started playing. The festival is a three day affair and we chose Sunday because Maria Farandouri would be singing. So we were very disappointed to be leaving before the party started - there were masses of people arriving as we left and by the time the festival was  in full flow there must have been thousands of people there.



2 comments:

  1. Hi Eirene. It was good to read this post. The growth of the Golden Dawn should be a real concern for all progressives across Europe. But there's hope that they can be isolated if the rally is a reflection of a strong anti-racist movement in Greece - Priests included!.

    Interesting to see the Ursula K Le Guin books on display. (Her novel "The Dispossesed" is a favourite of mine). Was it an anarchist bookstall?

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  2. I read Ursula Le Guin's novels in the 70s and loved them but have not thought of her since so it was a nice surprise seeing them at the (yes, you are right) anarchist stall.

    As for the fascist group I hope you are right and that they can be isolated. They have recently released a video. I could only watch 3 of the 45 minutes of it, but was chilled: the 3 minutes I watched were all about Hitler, the marches, the rallies. So blatant.

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