Police brace for upheaval on anniversary of Fyssas killing

Police chiefs are bracing for upheaval over the next few days ahead of the fifth anniversary of the killing of the 34-year-old rapper Pavlos Fyssas by a member of the neofascist Golden Dawn party. 

Authorities are said to be preparing for intense clashes between members of extreme-right and anti-fascist groups such as those that erupted in the German city of Chemnitz last month following an attack on a Jewish-owned restaurant. 

The policing of a series of events being organized in memory of Fyssas was the focus of a meeting between top police officials on Wednesday while another meeting has been planned for Friday, Kathimerini understands. 

The first major event for which police are preparing is a rally being organized by the Movement Against Racism and the Fascist Threat (KEERFA) and other leftist groups in Omonia Square at 5 p.m. on Saturday. A concert is to follow two hours later at Syntagma Square. 

Then on Tuesday – the anniversary of Fyssas’s death – anti-fascist protesters are to gather at the spot of the stabbing in Keratsini at 5.30 p.m. before marching to Golden Dawn’s offices in Piraeus.

Police are planning a large-scale operation in the area, fearing vehement clashes between leftists and members of far-right groups. 

Police fear more upheaval this year, partly because members of far-right groups have been more visible, notably at protests against the Macedonia name deal. Authorities plan to take all possible action to keep rival protests separate.

The killing of Fyssas sparked a judicial investigation that culminated in a criminal trial against Golden Dawn and dozens of the party’s followers. In its fourth year, the trial is expected to run until 2020 or even 2021.

Judges are still in the phase of examining the thousands of documents and videos that have been submitted in connection with the case. The testimonies of around 200 witnesses have yet to be heard.