Here’s a quote that’ll stick in your head:

“Listen here, bitch, we are Greek Christian fascists! 90% of Greeks are Christian fascists, understand?  As a fascist, i have the right to tell you to get out of here.”

That comes from this blog, and here’s a Guardian article on the same event. (I found both links at Butterflies and Wheels.)

I’d heard of the Greek political party Golden Dawn before, but hadn’t realized they had actual seats on the Greek Parliament. I’m a little surprised by this. 

I spent some time in Europe during the mid-90s, and there were still scars on the land from the last time fascists got into power. I’m surprised anyone in Europe would support them.

The Wiki article says there’s dispute about whether or not GD is a “neo-nazi” group. I think that’s pretty much academic. They’re a fascist group who demonize immigration, communism, and pretty much anyone who isn’t sufficiently like them, and are violently opposing a play, a fucking musical play, because it offends their Christian sensibilities by imagining Jesus as a gay Texan.

When “A well-known Golden Dawn MP” started beating a journalist, the police turned their backs. It’s never a good sign anywhere in the world when a politician blatantly assaults people and the police do nothing. Police should not choose sides.

Golden Dawn MP and violent thug Ilias Kasidiaris had this to say:

“In any case where the religious sentiment of Greeks is insulted, the Golden Dawn will react dynamically,”

Perhaps there was a translation error and “dynamically” should be “violently”. Notice the hidden assumption there, that he defines “Greeks” by implication to be people who are insulted by the same things he is. Presumably if a Greek citizen insults him they aren’t “true Greeks” in his world.

We’ve seen this shit before, not even a century ago. Read those links, this isn’t even hyperbole. The attitude was “You’re different, so fuck you”, Members of the Greek Parliament assaulted people, and the police just let it happen. We know what comes next, the violence, the fear.

You know the refrain by now, it’s only a slight variation…

First they came for the immigrants,
but I didn’t speak out because I was not an immigrant.

Then they came for the homosexuals,
but I didn’t speak out because I was not a homosexual.

Then they came for the communists,
but I didn’t speak out because I was not a communist.

Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.

Speak out, Greece. Don’t let it happen again.