Greek-Australians celebrate fall of fascism as sun sets on Golden Dawn

Golden Dawn is declared a criminal organisation in Greece but continues to exist in Australia

Thousands of people gathered in Athens, Thessaloniki and other cities in Greece and around the world as they waited for the courts to publish the verdict against the far-right Golden Dawn. Photo:Nik Oiko/AAP

Alex Economou
8 October 2020 7:32pm

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After a marathon five-year long trial of 68 defendants, 18 of whom were former members of parliament, a Greek court found this week that the far-right Golden Dawn had acted more as criminal organisation of gang members rather than as a political party.

The 7 October decision, which found Golden Dawn founder Nikolaos Michaliolakos and six of the organisation’s 18 former members of parliament guilty of leading a criminal organisation, was greeted with delight by Greek Australians.

In Australia, a long-time campaigner against Golden Dawn activities in this country and former Neos Kosmos journalist Kostas Karamarkos said that the Greek court’s finding was an important legal decision that would set a precedent for other European countries responses to the activities of extremist organisations.

“There has always been a far right in Greece but it has not resorted to violence. The question is whether they argued their ideas and worked through the ballot box. The members of the Golden Dawn were found guilty not because of their ideology but because of their actions,” said Mr Karamarkos. “People were killed, beaten up and threatened. They were not found guilty because of their ideology.”

He added that it had been the first time in recent Greek history that members of all the political parties in Greece had formed a common front in condemning Golden Dawn.

Greek Community of Melbourne President Bill Papastergiadis said that the court finding against Golden Dawn brought to an end a dark chapter in Greek history.

“We need to respect the (Greek) court and judiciary – the considered the evidence for over a five-year period and made a determination on the party and individuals,” said Mr Papastergiadis.

He said the Greece’s economic crisis had played a crucial role in the formation of Golden Dawn as Greek people looked for answers to their problems beyond the traditional parties and processes to the either end of the political spectrum. However, the situation had changed in recent years.

“In the last election, Golden Dawn did not win one seat in parliament. The voters abandoned the party and turned to the established political parties,” he said.

“I have no idea what support Golden Dawn had in Australia. I never saw them at any function or event. They were not a visible force in my mind,” said Mr Papastergiadis.

Another Greek Australian campaigner against the activities of Golden Dawn sympathisers, Theo Markos, said that the verdict had proved that the Greek legal system had worked successfully and had exposed Golden Dawn for what it truly was.

“Their actions were deliberate and more criminal than political,” Mr Markos said.

He added that he hoped that the Greek court decision would put an end to the organisation’s presence in Australia.

“I also want to thank everyone who signed the statement which condemned Golden Dawn. It shows that the majority of Australia’s Greeks have a democratic background,” Mr Markos said.

Golden Dawn came to Australia to seek supporters in 2012 despite the fact that the majority of Greek Australians had vowed, at the time, to stop the neo-fascist party from spreading hate as the extremist group stepped up efforts to tap the diaspora for support. These days, they are a scattered group, mainly dispersed but they still operate a blog calling for donations.

Ignatios Gavrilidis, who is a Golden Dawn supporter in Australia, told Neos Kosmos that the court decision was a set up by the Greek state to discredit the organisation whose members in Greece have been known to randomly attack migrants in the street, and who murdered anti-facist rapper Pavlos Fyssas.

“Golden Dawn has been infiltrated. It did well in the (2012) elections without financial support but the party became divided and was conquered,” Mr Gavrilidis said, adding that Greek Australian members of the group “have good values and respect the laws” regardless of the lawlessness and murders committed by the criminal organisation in Greece.

“In eight years, we have caused no grief here,” he said.

Mr Karamarkos, however, said that there had been incidents in which Golden Dawn supporters had disrupted 25 March celebrations at the Malvern Town Hall and at the Shrine of Remembrance.