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Tuesday, 26 November 2024 | ||
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-02-17Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Gov't, parties and ESHEA condemn attack against ALTERAt least four armed gunmen sprayed an Athens television station's parking lot on Tuesday afternoon with gunfire before also tossing what was described as a homemade explosive device through a backdoor of the station. The device reportedly failed to detonate. According to an employee of the "Alter" station in the west Athens district of Peristeri, the four suspects wore helmets and ordered him to flee the area, when he confronted them at around 7 p.m. local time (17.00 GMT). The perpetrators fled aboard two motorcycles, reports state.The government, opposition parties and the Athens journalist union strongly condemned on Tuesday night the attack. Government Spokesman Evangelos Antonaros termed the attack a "criminal act against information, social peace, security of citizens and of course against democracy," expressing at the same time the government's solidarity with the station's employers and pledging full investigation into the affair. Deputy Interior Minister Costas Gioulekas also strongly denounced the attack. Main opposition PASOK Spokesman George Papaconstantinou condemned that attack saying it was "a violent, criminal attack from which could have ended with victims." "It is an attack against pluralism and freedom of expression," he added. On his part, Makis Mailis, speaking on behalf of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said that "such repeated attacks point to the existence of a provocative plan which helps designs against the popular movement." Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) party also condemned the attack in an announcement, noting that it was "an attack against freedom of expression," while a spokesman from the Popular Orthodox Rally (LA.OS) expressed his party's "abhorrence". The board of the Athens Journalists Union (ESHEA) said in a statement it condemned "in the most categorical manner the terrorist, murderous attack" against the TV station, expressing at the same time its concern over what it called "increasing violence and attacks, recently, against people working at the mass media and the mass media itself." [02] KKE begins 18th congress WednesdayThe proceedings of the 18th congress of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) begin on Wednesday morning with a much awaited speech by the party's General Secretary Aleka Papariga.Papariga, in many of her recent statements, termed the 18th congress as "one of the most important in the party's history" because KKE "has steadily increased its influence in Greek society and also because it will discuss and decide on a deeply debated, during the pre-congress party deliberations, text proposed by the central committee regarding the struggle for Socialism." The text also refers in depth to the Soviet socialism and analyses the reasons for its fall. Delegates from 90 communist, workers' parties and national liberation movements from 72 countries will attend the congress, the biggest number of delegations ever registered in the latest KKE congresess. The foreign delegations will also participate in an international solidarity rally on Tuesday in Athens and other events in the Attica region, Larissa, central Greece and Halkida. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |