The Far Right News: Greece Witnesses the Rise of a Dangerous New Far Right Movement Post Golden Dawn’s Disintegration

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Far-right activists and neo-Nazi organizations in Greece have recently called for a pan-European memorial in Athens to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the deaths of two members of the self-proclaimed Nazi organization, Golden Dawn. The individuals, Manolis Kapelonis and Giorgos Fountoulis, were fatally shot in a drive-by attack outside the party’s office in apparent retaliation for the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas by a Golden Dawn member. In response to this call, numerous anti-fascist groups organized counterprotests at metro stations and squares in Athens. The situation became more intense when 21 members of an Italian neo-fascist group were arrested at the Athens airport the night before the planned events. On the scheduled evening, chaos erupted in parts of the Greek capital, with clashes between anti-authoritarian protesters and police, as well as violent attacks by neo-Nazis against counterprotestors. Although Golden Dawn was officially labeled a criminal organization in 2020, the recent events demonstrate that its ideals and followers have not vanished, and that the far-right in Greece is regrouping. The rise of far-right parties in recent elections and the replication of Golden Dawn’s use of street violence are further evidence of the re-emergence of extremist elements in Greek society. However, experts note that these new groups are not as organized or as powerful as Golden Dawn was during its heyday. While they imitate Golden Dawn’s tactics, they lack the same level of strength and appeal.

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