The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) took part in mobilisations in the Athens metropolitan area on 1 November, as trade unions, mass organisations and anti-fascist groups organised demonstrations against the reappearance of neo-Nazi activity and the policies of the government.
KKE joins mobilisations against fascism and government policies in Athens
KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas attended a mobilisation in Nea Ionia, where residents and organisations from several north-western Athens districts gathered under the slogan “No sacrifices for their profits and their wars! We fight fascism and the system that breeds it!”
The mobilisation brought together trade unions and mass organisations from Nea Ionia, Metamorfosi, Nea Heraklion and Nea Filadelfeia. In his statement, Koutsoumbas said that people from these districts had taken to the streets to oppose the government’s policies on war and Greece’s involvement in imperialist conflicts, as well as rising prices, anti-popular measures and repression of the workers’ and popular movement.
He also condemned attempts by far-right and neo-Nazi organisations to return to political life. Koutsoumbas stressed that the people would once again push these forces to the margins. He connected the mobilisation with the broader struggle against the social and political conditions that foster fascism, arguing that opposition to neo-Nazism must also involve resistance to the policies that undermine workers’ and popular rights.
Koutsoumbas used the occasion to call for continued mobilisation by the organised labour movement. He said that preparations were under way for the nationwide workers’ rally and strike scheduled for 25 November, as well as for the intervening actions planned by trade unions and mass organisations.
Separate anti-fascist demonstrations also took place in Nea Ionia and Nea Heraklion on Sunday evening. The actions were organised amid efforts by far-right groups to hold public gatherings in Nea Heraklion marking the anniversary of the 2013 killing of two members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn organisation. Anti-fascist groups and organisations called for demonstrations to prevent the far right from establishing a public presence in the neighbourhood.
The march in Nea Heraklion, called by the Anti-Fascist Coordination of Athens–Piraeus, began near the ISAP railway station and proceeded through surrounding streets. Contemporary media reports described hundreds of people taking part. Police had deployed substantial forces in the area, and clashes occurred between some demonstrators and police, who used crowd-control measures. The main demonstration subsequently continued and dispersed.
The KKE’s participation in the Nea Ionia mobilisation placed the party alongside trade unions and community organisations opposing fascism, militarisation, rising living costs and repression. Its message linked the immediate anti-fascist actions with the need for sustained working-class organisation and the preparation of the 25 November nationwide strike.