ACTIONS OF POLICE, NOT PROTESTERS, CONDEMNED AFTER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 001691

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ASEC SCUL GR
SUBJECT: ACTIONS OF POLICE, NOT PROTESTERS, CONDEMNED AFTER
DESTRUCTIVE STUDENT DEMONSTRATION

REF: A. ATHENS 1663


B. ATHENS 1556

C. ATHENS 1507

ATHENS 00001691 001.2 OF 002


SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Following months of demonstrations over
now-stalled reforms to Greek higher education, another angry
protest on June 27 left parts of central Athens damaged,
including the U.S.-affiliated Hellenic American Union and
University. Focusing on protesters' rights, media and
opposition parties condemned the riot police for use of
excessive force and tear gas. As in this latest
demonstration, Greek police still rarely arrest violent
demonstrators (or infiltrating anarchists) who freely destroy
property in Athens and Thessaloniki, then hide out in the
safe-zone of university campuses. Although teachers and
students have now suspended protests to take their summer
holidays, we are concerned that protests, when they resume in
the fall, might intentionally target U.S.-affiliated
universities. END SUMMARY.

June 27 Student Protest Turns Violent
--------------

2. (U) Student protests continued on the streets of Athens
June 27-29 over proposed legislation that would reform the
Greek university system (Refs B, C). On June 27, an
estimated 2000 protesters (8000 fewer than the previous
week's crowd) marched into downtown Athens. Some in the
crowd, including anarchist infiltrators, threw Molotov
cocktails and clashed with Athens riot police. News footage
showed cars burning, streets ablaze, and students, hooded
anarchists, and police caught up in the fray. A bank, two
stores, and five cars were reported damaged or destroyed.


3. (U) Riot police responded with teargas and, when the dust
settled, five citizens and six police officers were injured,
with just one student arrested. On June 28, a sworn
administrative inquiry and police internal affairs
investigation were ordered following charges made by a
journalist that she was injured by riot police during the
scuffle.

Hellenic American Union Building Attacked
--------------

4. (U) As reported Ref A, rioters also damaged the building
which houses the Hellenic American Union and part of the
Hellenic American University (both use the acronym HAU). HAU
was until a few years ago the bi-national center, and remains
strongly affiliated in the public mind to the U.S. Embassy.
After attacking HAU, rioters barricaded themselves in the
safe-haven of the nearby Athens University law faculty
building and set garbage dumpsters aflame. Central Athens
roads were shut down for hours. (Note: The Hellenic American
University, chartered in New Hampshire, is one university
that would benefit from the part of the reform package that
would allow and recognize private, non-profit universities.
It is not clear to what extent rioters may have been
motivated by their opposition to the potential recognition of
HAU degrees, or by the fact that, after being diverted by
police from one route, HAU was simply in their path. End
Note.)

Opposition Parties Condemn Police
--------------

5. (U) The main opposition PASOK party condemned the police
for "not managing to contain the anarchists" and for
"excessive" use of teargas against protesters. The pro-PASOK
media berated the police for using excessive force against
the hooded demonstrators. The Left Alliance party called the
police response to the student demonstration "unprovoked" and
"confrontational." The Greek Communist Party, KKE,
criticized the police behavior and the "authoritarian
attitude" of the New Democracy (ND) government in handling
the student mobilizations. Without referring specifically to
the protests, the Education Minister reiterated on June 28 at
the OECD ministerial, "We all agree on one thing, regardless
of the way one handles problems. That higher education needs
very many changes."

Students Ready to Take Summer Break from Protests
-------------- --------------

6. (U) Protests scheduled for Athens and the OECD
ministerial (which was attended by Secretary of Education
Spellings) had low turnouts on June 28 and 29. In Athens, no
more than 200 demonstrators turned out for one of the last
planned protests before students started their "summer break"
from protesting. At the ministerial, which was moved to a
suburb 40 miles south of Athens to avoid the demonstrators,

ATHENS 00001691 002.2 OF 002


busses transporting protesters were stopped by roadblocks and
kept from reaching the hotel.

Students Don't Actually Know What They're Protesting
-------------- --------------

7. (U) Polls results commissioned by Kathimerini newspaper
and Skai Radio, reported by the press on June 29, showed that
while 50 percent of Greeks polled said they "oppose" the
reform package presented by the government (detailed in Ref
B),53 percent do not know the specific proposals included.
Among college-aged Greeks (18-24 year olds) polled, 74
percent opposed the reforms, though 39 percent admit they
were unaware of the actual proposals. When asked their
opinion of specific proposals, such as time limits on
acquiring degrees and recognition of privately funded
universities the majority supported these changes.


8. (SBU) COMMENT: Not uncommonly for Greece, public
opinion has remained on the side of the demonstrators; nary a
voice has condemned the violent protests or questioned why
there are almost never arrests or convictions of destructive
anarchists. The fact that there are mass demonstrations over
reforms that most Greeks, even students, agree are necessary
is most likely due to the government's inability to clearly
and convincingly communicate the content of the reforms to
the public. In fact, the draft text was not even released
until late June, after months of protests had already taken
place. When the Education Minister backed down from putting
the reform package before Parliament on June 13, we saw that
as a step backwards. The move left the government looking
indecisive and weak, put them further behind schedule to
enact EU-required reforms, and did not stop protests which
continued for more than two weeks. While motivations of the
attack on the Hellenic American Union/University are not
clear, the action disturbs us. We are concerned that the
anti-American climate of Athens could encourage anarchists to
stage deliberate attacks on HAU or other U.S.-affiliated
universities in Athens.
RIES