KKE condemns police attack on anti-fascist demonstration in Thessaloniki

The events took place on 28 October, Greece’s national anniversary, when the country commemorates its resistance to fascist Italy during the Second World War.

Workers’ unions, members of the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) and other anti-fascist groups gathered at the Venizelos statue in central Thessaloniki to protest against Kasidiaris’s planned speech at a local hotel. The demonstration was intended to proceed towards the venue, but riot police blocked the route along Egnatia Street and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Clashes followed, and police detained several people. Independent reports later confirmed that six people had been taken in for questioning; two demonstrators whose cases were highlighted by workers’ unions were subsequently released. 

KKE: Government restrictions protect fascist activity

In a statement published on 28 October, the KKE denounced “unprovoked and brutal attack” by riot police using tear gas against the workers’ unions’ anti-fascist demonstration. The party argued that the government’s prohibition of the gathering, followed by the police intervention, amounted to tolerance of—and potentially support for—Kasidiaris’s fascist activity.

The KKE emphasised the historical significance of the date. The confrontation occurred on 28 October and shortly before the anniversary of Thessaloniki’s liberation from Nazi occupation by the Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS). The party stated that the use of police force against anti-fascist demonstrators on this occasion represented a particularly stark contradiction.

The statement also connected the events to the government’s broader political course, arguing that its policy of military involvement and war preparations goes hand in hand with the activity of far-right groups. The KKE maintained that the working-class movement has the capacity to confront fascist forces through organised collective action.

The party demanded the immediate release of the two demonstrators whose detention it specifically raised. KKE parliamentary spokesperson Thanasis Pafilis intervened with Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis over the issue. 

Unions and left-wing organisations condemn the intervention

The protest was organised in response to Kasidiaris’s planned appearance at a hotel in Thessaloniki. Kasidiaris was a prominent figure in Golden Dawn, whose leadership was convicted of running a criminal organisation. The police justified the prohibition of public gatherings in parts of the city centre on public-safety grounds, citing the risk of serious disturbances.

However, the intervention drew criticism from workers’ organisations and other political forces. The Thessaloniki Private Employees’ Union and the union representing tourism and catering workers condemned the police action and the detention of demonstrators.