Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-02-02

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] 'Greener' policy for PASOK

[02] Violence in central Athens

[01] 'Greener' policy for PASOK

"We bring green into this grey landscape inhabited by the Greek people," Papandreou said at the gathering organised by the Local Authority Network of the PASOK Conference central organisational committee in conjunction with the Local Union of Municipalities and Communities of the Attica Prefecture (TEDKNA).

Papandreou said that green spaces and protection of the environment had now become a dominant issue on a Europe-wide level. He slammed the policy of the present government, both in general and on environmental issues, as being essentially summed up in the phrase "concrete everywhere".

He called on the government to "wake from the torpor of environmental insensitivity" and accused it of treating environmental issues in the same way that it treated current affairs, with the foremost concern being to benefit the party and serve the interests of a favoured few.

According to PASOK's president, the country was undergoing a political crisis that threatened to engulf the political system in a quagmire, while he accused the government of trying to cover up the truth about a string of alleged scandals currently occupied the headlines.

Papandreou referred to a green economy and stressed that this was a new economic theory that was also a way out for the country, underlining that PASOK had the political will to make the necessary changes.

He further accused the government of lying about environmental issues and claimed that Greece was an environmental straggler in the EU because the government lacked a plan for renewable energy sources and was handing out licences at will.

On a more local level, he underlined the need to preserve open spaces within Athens, saying that the government's policy of selling off land was further undermining quality of life in the capital, and emphasised that the former airport at Elliniko must be converted into a major metropolitan park.

In other parts of his speech, PASOK's leader underlined the importance given to local government's role by his party and hailed the adoption of PASOK's proposal for the future structure of local government by the conferences of the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece (KEDKE), by TEDKNA and by the Union of Prefecture Authorities of Greece (ENAE).

Caption: Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou addressing an event on "Attica and the Environment" organised by TEDKNA on Saturday. ANA-MPA/ Katerina Mavrona

[02] Violence in central Athens

Two injured in clash between far-right and Leftist groups

Two people were injured in clashes between rival demonstrations organised by ultra-right-wing supporters and extreme Left and anti-establishment groups on Saturday. Members of the two rallies came to blows on Stadiou Street in central Athens at around 11:00 in the morning.

Police said the far-right groups had gathered at Kolokotroni Square, while the opposing Leftists groups had gathered at nearby Klathmonos Square. At one point, both groups were making their way down Stadiou Street and started attacking each other with stones, lengths of wood and other objects.

The police intervened and dispersed the rival groups by using teargas, while two people were injured and taken to hospital. Police did not specify whether the injured belonged to either of the two rival factions or were unlucky passers-by.

At around midday, the far-right supporters were still at Kolokotroni Square and the Leftist supporters at Klathmonos but the situation had calmed down.

The far-right group had originally planned a rally at Kolokotroni Square at 19:00 on Saturday to mark the "anniversary of Imia". At the same time, the Leftist and anti-establishment groups had planned an anti-racism rally in the same place at 14:00 in the afternoon, possibly in order to prevent the later rally by the far-right groups.

Both groups gathered earlier, however, leading to the violence. Police remain on alert in the area.

CAPTION: Police were forced to use tear gas on Saturday to disperse anti-establishment youths that had set up road blocks in central Athens. ANA-MPA/ Pantelis Saitas.

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