Demonstrations

Sorry I haven't been writing for the last few days.
Our team from International Headquarters has grown smaller as there are only two of us left now: Major Rick Shirran from Canada and myself.

Paul and Miri, two of the Athens corps members worked hard to prepare a flat so that  Rick and I could move and stay there for the next 5 weeks.

The Canadian Major gave a hand as well together with Rik and Polis to clean and prepare the place.

There is no wifi in the flat yet, which makes it rather difficult to carry on business as usual and making blog entries had to take second place, unfortunately. I do hope that in the near future we'll get back into our routine.

Last week there has been a ferry strike which has left refugees stranded in the islands and the Victoria square has been rather quiet.

On Friday after the refugees started appearing back at the square they were confronted by a group of local residents and the neo-Nazi organisation Golden Dawn. They were expressing their displeasure of the refugees' presence back in the square.

Thank God, very soon another group of people appeared in support of the refugees. I couldn't quite tell who they were but most seem to be university students.

Both were crying out slogans, the music was loud, anger was rising and the situations was tensed.
The police had to form a barrier between the two groups.


The refugees seemed confused and helpless.

The residents were shouting: "Give us back our life and our dignity." Obviously the great number of refugees in their square has left some residents upset and angry. What can one say to them?

We can try to understand the local residents who have been inconvenienced in recent months. Yet these people who have come to our country have been more than inconvenienced.  They have travelled over sea and land in search of a place of refuge for them and their families.

If we could only put ourselves in the other person's shoes we will not be so quick to condemn and protest. Thankfully no incidents of violence were reported and the square is continuing to be a transit route for many refugees.

I believe that soon I'll have some good news to share about a project that we will be starting. Watch this space....