Eighteen names of known Golden Dawn parliamentarians and members have been sent to the immigration minister Brendan O’Connor so that he refuses their right to enter Australia.
The petition, organised by Greek Australian Alex Kakafikas and his affiliates – who are also responsible for the creation of Facebook group No to Golden Dawn in Melbourne has asked the immigration minister to refuse the visas to the following members of Golden Dawn on character grounds. The statement read: “this violent, racist, authoritarian movement has no place anywhere, but while Greece is unable or unwilling to prevent them from growing, the Australian government is in a position to prevent their members from spreading their fascist poison here.”
“Golden Dawn have more of a reason to be knocked back due to violence in Greece and what they stand for is an attack on multiculturalism in this country as well as the existence of migrants in Greece,” said Mr Kakafikas.
The names of Golden Dawn members include Nikos Michaloliakos; Eleni Zaroulia; Giorgos Germenis; Ilias Panagiotaros; Konstantinos Mparmparousis; Ioannis Lagos; Nikos Kouzilos; Ilias Kasidiaris; Nikos Michos; Antonis Gregos; Polyvios Zisimopoulos; Dimitris Koukoutsis; Panagiotis Iliopoulos; Efstathios Mpoukouras; Crysovalantis Alexopoulos; Nikitas Siois; Christos Pappas and Michalis Arvanitis.
“The most direct thing to do right now is to make sure they don’t get in to Australia, that any Golden Dawn parliamentarian or prominent members are prevented from entering into the country because of their movements and records of violence,” Mr Kakafikas told Neos Kosmos, adding that some Golden Dawn members were recently arrested for having weapons to which he said could add to the fear they are in “the process of building a militia style structure.
“I can see them pushing the Greek community in more right-wing position, creating links with the far-right in Australia,” said Mr Kakafikas, referring to the press release sent out by the Australia First Party welcoming Golden Dawn to Australia. He said that Golden Dawn may also create an exchange program with the young Greek Australians where they will “send people to Greece to learn and be involved in the movement there and pick up their methods, their street violence”.
The statement also said: “As their influence grows and their violence intensifies in Greece, Golden Dawn is now seeking to spread to the Greek diaspora by attempting to open an office in New York and in Nuremberg. Now reports have emerged that Golden Dawn are close to opening an office in Melbourne and that members of their Greek leadership plan to travel to Australia in order to “cut the ribbon” at their new office. This is what the petition aims to prevent.
Alongside this petition, the Facebook group No to Golden Dawn in Melbourne was created on Sunday and already has 105 followers. The group is used to raise awareness on Golden Dawn’s politics by posting media reports on the neo-nazi political group.
For more information on the petition visit www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/brendan-o-connor-minister-for-immigration…