Greece protests target government’s NATO-EU military ties, Israeli ops
Dimitris Koutsoumpas of the Greek communist party vehemently opposes Greece’s military alliances with NATO and EU, criticizing the Israeli military operations supported by these organizations
On March 11, the Greek Communist Party (KKE) led a significant protest in Athens’ Syntagma Square against Greece’s involvement in NATO and EU military operations.
Demonstrators gathered to express their opposition to the deployment of Greek troops in foreign operations, particularly those led by NATO and the EU.
The Greek government, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, decided on Feb. 26 to join the EU’s Aspides mission in the Red Sea to ensure navigation freedom.
This decision involved sending the Hellenic Navy’s frigate HYDRA to the area. Left-wing parties criticized the decision, arguing that it would put Greece in a risky geopolitical position.
General Secretary of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumpas addressed the rally with a strong message: “We break the ‘omerta’ (code of silence) that the ND government and all the other parties want to impose around our country’s involvement in the imperialist wars raging in the region, the involvement in all the dangerous plans of the USA and NATO.”
In his speech, Koutsoumpas also denounced the “five-month colossal military operation of Israel with the backing of the USA and the EU.”
He explained, “We made it clear from the outset that there is a vast ideological and political chasm between us and Hamas. However, today, with over 30,000 dead in Gaza, it has been clearly proven what we said back then that Israel’s so-called ‘self-defense’ is nothing but a crude pretext. The unprecedented brutality it has unleashed has violated every written and unwritten rule of war, bombarding hospitals, homes, schools, mosques, and churches.”
He condemned the ongoing military operation in Israel, backed by the U.S. and European Union, arguing that it was against the interests of both the Greek and Palestinian people.
The Athens protest was part of a series of similar demonstrations across Greece. Koutsoumpas emphasized the need to prevent Greece’s participation in these wars and called for solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. He urged the public to voice their opposition in the upcoming elections, challenging the current government’s foreign policy.
Source: Newsroom
