Composer Mikis Theodorakis on Wednesday staged a symbolic protest in Thessaloniki’s central Aristotelous Square after the city’s mayor, Yiannis Boutaris, refused to lend him the space for an anti-austerity speech.

Theodorakis, who has been a staunch supporter of the nationwide ‘Indignant’ movement that has drawn thousands of Greeks to city squares and spoke at a rally in Athens on May 31, expressed outrage at the mayor’s decision and delivered an anti-austerity speech in the Thessaloniki square regardless. Boutaris responded by accusing the 85-year-old composer, who has founded his own movement called Spitha (Spark), of “base populism.”

Prior to the event, Theodorakis had challenged the municipal authorities to “try throwing him out”, saying he is a “co-owner of the square, as is every Greek”. Asked about the composer’s statements, Boutaris said that he did not forbid the event, just asked for a different venue to be chosen, and that he is determined to use every legal mean available to stop the gathering from taking place in Aristotelous square, noting that public persons of the stature of Mikis Theodorakis should “show more respect for the law”.

Main opposition New Democracy MP for Thessaloniki Konstantinos Gioulekas publicly attacked the mayor’s decision, in a statement in support of Mikis Theodorakis. Spitha had held a similar event in Athens at the entrance of the old university (Propylaia) in May, where Theodorakis had drawn a crowd of over 50,000 people to his speech against the austerity measures.

Source: Kathimerini