Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside Parliament
Only UN members may post. Go here to apply for membership.
| Announcements | Posted on | |
|---|---|---|
| Please change your TSR password | 23-05-2013 | |
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Exalted and Worshipped Member
- Posts: 1,028
Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside Parliamenthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17620421The BBC’s Mark Lowen: “As you walk around the streets of Athens and beyond you can see the social fabric tearing”
Protesters have clashed with riot police in the Greek capital, Athens, hours after a pensioner shot himself dead outside parliament.
The 77-year-old man killed himself in the city’s busy Syntagma Square on Wednesday morning.
Greek media reported he had left a suicide note accusing the government of cutting his pension to nothing.
Flowers have been laid at the spot where he died and tributes have been paid online.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the square outside parliament on Wednesday evening, the scene of many large protests in recent months.
Violence erupted, with petrol bombs hurled at police, who fired tear gas in response.
Depression and suicides are reported to have increased in Greece as the country introduces tough austerity measures to deal with huge debts.
‘Dignified end’
The man has not been officially identified but was named in Greek media as Dimitris Christoulas. He was said to be a retired chemist, with a wife and a daughter, who had sold his pharmacy in 1994.
He shot himself in the central square just before 09:00 (06:00 GMT), Athens News reports.
In the alleged suicide note, found by police and reported by Athens News, he said: “The government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state.
“And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting… I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don’t find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance.”
Dozens of people left handwritten messages and flowers at the spot where Mr Christoulas killed himself.
One of the notes, pinned to the tree, read “Enough is enough”, while another said “Who will be the next victim?”
Later, as night fell, the demonstrations degenerated into clashes as activists threw rocks and petrol bombs at police, who responded with tear gas and flash grenades.
Prime Minister Lucas Papademos issued a statement calling the death “tragic”.
“In these difficult hours for our society we must all - the state and the citizens - support the people among us who are desperate.”
Government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis called the suicide a “human tragedy” but said “the exact circumstances” were unknown.
Suicides rise
Evangelos Venizelos, head of the socialist Pasok party that holds a majority in the coalition government, called on colleagues to refrain from “political commentary” and “show solidarity and togetherness”.
Antonis Samaras, head of the conservative New Democracy party, said politicians must do more to “help Greeks escape from despair”.
Drastic austerity measures have been imposed on Greece to meet the terms of a huge eurozone financial bailout needed to save the country from bankruptcy.
Thousands of civil service jobs have been cut, taxes raised and there have been reductions in pay, benefits and pensions.
Suicides increased by 18% in 2010 from the previous year, according to Reuters news agency. The number of suicides in Athens alone rose over 25% last year.
Finland offers its condolences to the man, and is observing the general situation in Greece. -
- Reputation:
- Banned
- Location: Chișinău
- Posts: 781
- Warning points: 1000
Re: Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside ParliamentThe West likes to criticise the regime in Belarus for failing its people but we do not have people setting themselves on fire (Taiwan) or shooting themselves in the head (Greece). The West also likes to distract people from their own issues by highlighting 'problems' in other countries. Displays, such as this one, only remind people that the grass is not always greener, and that more needs to be done in their own countries before they have a legitimate right to criticise others.
-
- Reputation:
- Exalted Member
- Location: Scotland
- Posts: 255
Re: Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside ParliamentPoland joins Finland in offering condolences to the man and his family. Poland is continuing to observe the overall situation in Greece and is becoming slightly concerned although is encouraged by some of the progress being made.
Poland completely disagrees with Belarus and joins its fellow European countries in condemning the shocking human rights abuses in Belarus. -
- Reputation:
- Community Assistant
- Deputy Secretary General of the Model UN
- Location: South London
- Posts: 2,609
Re: Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside ParliamentQatar joins all other countries in offering their sympathy to the man and his family. Qatar is overseeing the current situation and is becoming increasingly concerned about the violence/distress taking place.
-
- Reputation:
- Full Member
- Posts: 123
Re: Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside ParliamentCyprus acknowledges the effects that the Greek economy is having on the Cypriot economy, but accepts that the situation is far worse in other European states.
Cyprus therefore offers its condolences to the man, and all of his family, and hopes to work with Greece to solve this issue in years to come. -
- Reputation:
- Peer Of The TSR Realm
- Location: London, England
- Posts: 1,409
Re: Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside ParliamentAlthough Switzerland, is not a member of the European Union we of course realise the full value of the economy and ever growing bilateral relations and of course we support the family of this man with the hope that he will be a symbolic figurehead for the EU and Switzerland to help its neighbour who has contributed so much historically, politically and culturally to Europe.
-
- Reputation:
- TSR Idol
- Location: Wellington
- Warning points: 10
Re: Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside Parliament[ooc] at least that we know about...(Original post by Infallible)
The West likes to criticise the regime in Belarus for failing its people but we do not have people setting themselves on fire (Taiwan) or shooting themselves in the head (Greece). The West also likes to distract people from their own issues by highlighting 'problems' in other countries. Displays, such as this one, only remind people that the grass is not always greener, and that more needs to be done in their own countries before they have a legitimate right to criticise others.
[/ooc]
-
- Reputation:
- TSR Idol
- Location: Wellington
- Warning points: 10
Re: Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside ParliamentNew Zealand is deeply saddened by this news and offer our condolences to his family.
we do, however, hoope that this tragic incident does not sway Greece from it current path of austerity for the good of her own people and the eu as a whole. -
- Reputation:
- Banned
- Location: Chișinău
- Posts: 781
- Warning points: 1000
Re: Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside ParliamentI believe Poland should focus on their own dodgy dealings before condemning other nations.(Original post by andrewmc96)
Poland joins Finland in offering condolences to the man and his family. Poland is continuing to observe the overall situation in Greece and is becoming slightly concerned although is encouraged by some of the progress being made.
Poland completely disagrees with Belarus and joins its fellow European countries in condemning the shocking human rights abuses in Belarus.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1393385.html -
- Reputation:
- Community Assistant
- PS Helper
- Wiki Support Team
- TSR Legend
- Posts: 13,119
Re: Greek Unrest after Pensioner Suicide Outside ParliamentThe MHoC is concerned by these reports, but can not see how reducing the cuts or exiting the euro would help the economic situation. We hope that calm can be restored to Greece swiftly.
[/ooc]
