The surge in extreme-right hate crimes has caused heightened concern among Greek officials.

The latest attack was on 1 May, when persons unknown vandalized a school that had once served as a prison for left-wing icon Nikos Bellogiannis, a top KKE Greek Communist Party cadre who was executed by the state in March, 1952. His portrait was drawn by Picasso, who was moved by the case.

The walls of the school were covered with nationalist slogans and Nazi symbols, including Swastika-like meanders used as a symbol by the fascist Golden Dawn party.

Local residents have reported similar attacks at three other schools in the area.

The resurgence of such attacks comes after a long lull, which may be connected to the Golden Dawn trial, as a criminal organisation.

Instead of their customary storm troop-style attacks against migrants and other vulnerable groups, they appear to have reverted to mobilising local communities’ protests against refugee and migrants, and parents organisations against migrant children at Greek schools.

Attacks following peaceful protests

In Lesvos, which has borne the brunt of the refugee crisis, leading to protests by local residents demanding that the burden be shared nationwide, a group of about 80 extreme right-wing protesters attacked journalists and reporters who were there covering PM Alexis Tsipras’ visit to the island.

The attack occurred after hundreds of locals marched on the General Secretariat for the Aegean and Island Policy.

Macedonian naming issue as cover

The same tactic was used after the huge protests earlier this year on the Macedonian naming issue.
In Thessaloniki, Golden Dawn members and supporters defiled the Holocaust monument, and ultra-rightists burned down a social space.

The Favela Attack

The most serious attack was on 25 February at the Piraeus social space Favela, popular among local leftists and autonomous anarchist elements.

About 10 Golden Dawn members with torches who left the party’s Piraeus offices and descended on the space, attacked with metal rods, helmets, and flares. They attacked a lawyer (Eleftheria Tombatzoglou), for the family of slain rapper Pavlos Fyssas, who was murdered by Golden Dawn member Yorgios Roupakias. The lawyer was taken to hospital with head injuries.