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Greece: Is it time for the #GreekRevolution?

Categories: Western Europe, Greece, Politics, Protest, Youth

The peaceful mass popular protests in cities across Spain [1], calling for democracy and protesting bipartisanship on the eve of elections, caught Greeks by surprise after a year of fruitless protests in Greece against IMF/ECB imposed austerity measures [2]. Many Greek netizens reacted in solidarity to the sight and sounds of the “Spanish Revolution” and considered their own predicament.

Greece + Spain = Solidarity

Spanish protesters, reportedly influenced by the Greek student revolts of 2007-2008 [3], tweeted solidarity to Greece, being the first European Union country to taste the sting of IMF/ECB austerity since last year:

@GonChristopher [4]: GREECE from Spain we say to you WAKE UP!!! go out to the street and claim freedom!!!! THE TIME IS NOW!!! #greekrevolution #spanishrevolution

And solidarity was tweeted back:

@neopolitis [5]: Solidarity from Greece. #yeswecamp #acampadesol#spanishrevolution

"SOLIDARITY WITH GREECE" #greekrevolution, Valladolid (Spain). Twitpic photo by Christopher Gonzalez. [6]

"SOLIDARITY WITH GREECE" #greekrevolution, Valladolid (Spain). Twitpic photo by Christopher Gonzalez.

Greek exchange student and Global Voices Greek translator Nathalie Fytrou [7] attended the May 20 Puerta Del Sol rally, tweeting reports to this author via SMS, and posting a photoset on Flickr [8] when she returned home:

@asteris [9]: At Madrid's Puerta Del Sol subway station, they substituted ‘Sol’ with ‘Solucion’ on the sign (@NathalieFytrou [10] via SMS) #acampadasol

@asteris [11]: #acampadasol @NathalieFytrou [10]: “#15m movt comparable to #griots movt; talking abt reaching out to society, workplaces, schools, universities”

@NathalieFytrou [12]: Just came back from Puerta del Sol.. What an amazing night! More organized things tonight.#spanishrevolution

Giannis Nikolopoulos (@Xeirwn [13]) posted non-stop inside updates from Spain,

@Xeirwn [13]: η συντονιστική ομάδα της ΝτεμοκράσιαΡεάλ στην Μαδρίτη τονίζει:πρότυπό μας και η Ελλάδα του Δεκέμβρη 2008 #rbnews #spanishrevolution

@Xeirwn [13]: the DemocraciaRealYa! organizing committee stresses: Greece in December 2008 is our role model#rbnews #spanishrevolution
20,000 Greeks protest over new austerity measures in central Athens. Image by Mary Stamm-Clarke, copyright Demotix (11/05/11). [14]

20,000 Greeks protest over new austerity measures in central Athens. Image by Mary Stamm-Clarke, copyright Demotix (11/05/11).

While others Twitter users were also conveying messages and images from Spain to Greece:

@miawkoue [15]: another msg from spain: we have the solution! put the bankers in prison #spanishrevolution

And Brussels resident Krotkie tweeted and blogged revolutionary updates from across Europe [16] [el], as revolution fever gripped Greek Twitter users:

@krotkie [17]: http://tinyurl.com/68q8b92 [18] και οι Γερμανοί στο παιχνίδι #germanrevolution #rbnews

@krotkie [17]http://tinyurl.com/68q8b92 [18] Germans enter the game too #germanrevolution

@krotkie [19]: οι Ιταλοί καλουν αυριο στη Piazza Duomο στις 7.30 #rbnews

@krotkie [19]: Italians calling for a gathering at Piazza Duomo tomorrow at 7.30

@athensbynite [20]: Μπέστε εδώ #irishrevolution , μόνο εμείς λείπουμε #greekrevolution

@athensbynite [20]: Check this out #irishrevolution, we're the only ones missing #greekrevolution

@Cyberela [21]: I want to catch that Spanish revolutionary virus too! #SpanishRevolution #Greece

@Cyberela [22]: Where the f*ck is the #GreekRevolution. Are we PIIGS or what! #Greece #SpanishRevolution

From camp map: Greece greets Spain. #SpanishRevolution #solidarity. Twitpic screenshot by @Cyberela. [23]

From camp map: Greece greets Spain. #SpanishRevolution #solidarity. Twitpic screenshot by @Cyberela.

A “Greek revolution” in the making?

The #greekrevolution [24] hashtag was quickly adopted:

@Baracunda [25]: Οι Ισπανοι κανουν το αυτονοητο…μαζευονται στις πλατειες…δε κανουν πορειες…τοσο δυσκολο ειναι να το κανουμε και ‘μεις; #greekrevolution

@Baracunda [25]: The Spanish are doing the obvious… gathering in public squares, not going on marches. Why is it so hard for us to do the same? #greekrevolution

Only to be flooded by sceptics and cynics:

@fotek75 [26]: Αν γίνει κάτι παρόμοιο με την Ισπανία στην Ελλάδα βλέπω να καταργούνται οι πλατείες με νομο

@fotek75 [26]: If something similar to [the #SpanishRevolution] happens in Greece, they'll probably ban public squares by law

@Ali_ki [27]: Όταν αρχίσουν οι απολύσεις στο δημόσιο, τότε μάλλον θα αρχίσει και η #greekrevolution

@Ali_ki [27]: Probably the only way #greekrevolution will start will be with public sector layoffs

@2metrapalikari [28]: ΛΟΙΠΟΝ, είναι απλό. Όσοι θέλετε #greekrevolution σκάστε μύτη Κυριακή στο Σύνταγμα. Όσοι δε θέλετε #greekrevolution, σκάστε να κοιμηθούμε.

@2metrapalikari [28]: Ok, it's simple: those of you that want a #greekrevolution, show up at Syntagma on Sunday noon. Those of you that don't want a #greekrevolution, shut up and let us sleep.

But revolution advocates were adamant:

@miawkoue [29]: the domino already started with or without u #greece It's ur call. #greekrevolution

@amaradino [30]: Είμαστε επίτιμοι καλεσμένοι στο πάρτυ των λαών για δημοκρατία και αξιοπρέπεια και αργούμε.ας αφήσουμε για λίγο την πλάκα #greekrevolution

@amaradino [30]: We are honorary guests at the peoples’ party for democracy and dignity, and we're late to the party. Let's stop fooling around for a while #greekrevolution

An impromptu call went out for a gathering in Athens next Sunday, after heated discussions:

@tasos_hardcore [31]: Κυριακή 12 το μεσημέρι,στο Σύνταγμα.Ας έρθει όποιος θέλει να διαμαρτυρηθεί για την αδικία της Κυβέρνησης.Πόσοι μπορούμε να μαζευτούμε άραγε;

@tasos_hardcore [31]: Sunday 12 at noon, Syntagma square. Let everyone who wants to protest against government injustice be there. How many can we gather?

A Facebook group to promote protests inspired by the Spanish movement, titled “Democracia Real Ya, Grecia [32]” [el], was set up (numbering 4,884 users at the time this post was being written), and a meme made popular during the Arab Spring protests made an appearance:

@yns_x [33]: Instaling democracy 2.0 in Greece ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 5%

First solidarity camp

solidarity camp [34] was called by the group in front of the Spanish Embassy in Athens on Saturday, however attendance was reportedly low:

@Gangelakis [35]: At 19:00 starts a camp at Spanish embassy at Athens (Greece). #spanishrevolution #europeanrevolution #nonosvamos #acampadasol

Solidarity protest in front of the Spanish embassy in Athens. Photo by Gabriel Piperas on Facebook. [36]

Solidarity protest in front of the Spanish embassy in Athens. Photo by Gabriel Piperas on Facebook.

Solidarity protest in Athens: last rites for democracy administered by a corrupt priest. Twitpic photo by Cyberela. [37]

Solidarity protest in Athens: last rites for democracy administered by a corrupt priest. Twitpic photo by Cyberela.

Lamenting the apathy of Greeks about the chronic ills that plague the birthplace of democracy, Cyberela blogged [38] [el] in admiration of the Spanish revolution, pointing to the revolution camp map [39]:

Καθώς η Ελλάδα αδρανεί και κρύβεται πίσω από τις ωχαδερφικές δικαιολογίες δεκαετιών που δίνουν ασυλία στην καθολική κατάντια, η ιδέα για μία πραγματική δημοκρατία, μίας συμμετοχικής δημοκρατίας που δεν υποδουλώνεται και δεν διαστρεβλώνεται αρχίζει και παίρνει μορφή στις πλατείες [39] μας.

As Greece lingers in inertia and hides behind the indifferent excuses of decades gone by that shelter total misery, the idea of a true democracy, a participatory democracy that cannot be enslaved or twisted begins to take shape in our squares [39].

At the time of writing this post, there were 10 Greek pins on the camp map, but only the two events in Athens had been announced.