The spokesman for Greek neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party is wanted for arrest following a scuffle on Thursday that was broadcast on live TV. Ilias Ksidiaris was filmed throwing a glass of water at female MP Rena Douru from the left-wing Syriza party before striking another female MP, Liana Kanelli from the communist KKE party, three times.
The altercation was set off when Dourou questioned Kasidiaris on an ongoing court case against him for alleged involvement in an armed robbery in 2007. Proceedings in the case on Wednesday were adjourned until next week. When Kanelli intervened to defend her fellow female MP, throwing a newspaper at the far-right wing spokesman, he called her a “commie”, before standing up, pushing her and hitting her in the face.
Producers of the morning debate show on which he was appearing on private television station Antenna apparently locked him in a room at the TV studio to await the arrival of police investigating the incident, but after he broke down a door and escaped, prosecutors issued a warrant for his arrest.
Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avgi) received an unprecedented 7% share of the electoral vote in Greece’s parliamentary elections of May 6, earning the party its first ever parliamentary representation, with 21 seats out of 300. After no parties were able to form a coalition however, further elections were scheduled for June 17.
Golden Dawn are widely expected to poll less favourably in the next round of elections and their critics were quick to pounce on this latest controversy to deride the party’s politics:
“We are urging citizens who voted for Golden Dawn to reconsider,” said Fofi Gennimata, a spokeswoman for the Socialist PASOK, adding her party’s representatives refused to participate in any television debates with the controversial neo-Nazi party.
Golden Dawn responded to the criticism by defending their party spokesman, insisting his actions were justified as he was provoked. A statement on their website claimed: “If anybody wants us to condemn our party fellow over this, indeed unfortunate moment, they should first condemn Kanelli’s attack and slandering.”
Party leader Nikos Michaloliakos has previously claimed there were no gas chambers at Auschwitz and ha queried the reported numbers of Jews killed in the Holocaust. The leader of the staunchly nationalist party has also suggested laying land mines along the Greek-Turkish border to keep out illegal immigrants.
by: Shari Ryness
EJP
