Suicide Protest in Greece

[MEZZANINE]

Greek unrest after pensioner suicide beside parliament

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17620421

Shocking & disturbing than a man who worked all his life felt this was the only course of action left to him

Protesters have clashed with riot police in the Greek capital, Athens, hours after a pensioner shot himself dead outside parliament.

The 77-year-old man killed himself in the city's busy Syntagma Square on Wednesday morning.

Greek media reported he had left a suicide note accusing the government of cutting his pension to nothing.

Flowers have been laid at the spot where he died and tributes have been paid online.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don't find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance”

Extract from reputed suicide letter

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the square outside parliament on Wednesday evening, the scene of many large protests in recent months.

Violence erupted, with petrol bombs hurled at police, who fired tear gas in response.

Depression and suicides are reported to have increased in Greece as the country introduces tough austerity measures to deal with huge debts.
'Dignified end'

The man has not been officially identified but was named in Greek media as Dimitris Christoulas. He was said to be a retired chemist, with a wife and a daughter, who had sold his pharmacy in 1994.

He shot himself in the central square just before 09:00 (06:00 GMT),
n the alleged suicide note, found by police and reported by Athens News, he said: "The government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state.

"And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting... I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don't find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance."

Dozens of people left handwritten messages and flowers at the spot where Mr Christoulas killed himself.

One of the notes, pinned to the tree, read "Enough is enough", while another said "Who will be the next victim?"

Later, as night fell, the demonstrations degenerated into clashes as activists threw rocks and petrol bombs at police, who responded with tear gas and flash grenades.

Prime Minister Lucas Papademos issued a statement calling the death "tragic".

"In these difficult hours for our society we must all - the state and the citizens - support the people among us who are desperate."

Government spokesman Pantelis Kapsis called the suicide a "human tragedy" but said "the exact circumstances" were unknown.

"And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting... I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don't find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance."

Thoughts, comments ????

[[KMA]Avenger]

It's so tragic that a person can work and pay taxes (pay taxes for no reason) most of their life only to kill themselves because of Govt and banker corruption, and to then have the Govt leader say crap they don't mean "it's so tragic" and couldn't careless if the whole nation committed suicide.

If this 1 suicide is so "tragic" why don't they do something to help the people like ...TELL THE EU, THE IMF AND THE BANKERS TO **Filtered** OFF!

I said it before, this situation will only get worse and worse. this suicide ( i would call it democide) is not even the tip of the proverbial iceberg.


If you think about it, 77 is nothing, that is not old at all. very sad indeed

[EbilCC]

greece has always been a actionable people quick to anger and demonstrate and prepare for war its in there nature. this will spark a revoultion in greece and you may not beleive me i have studied greek history from ancient times they will unite and overthrow there government like they have in the past and end up leaving the EU and say we aint paying any loans back i no people have said that that may happen but the people will actually rise up now against the government perhaps a military dictatorship will rise up i dont no but things will change

[Legendary Apophis]

Even though this is obviously a tragic event, one must not ignore the other side of how Greece behaves such as frauds, which also had its way on this week news. Like, the "island of the blinds".

The island of Zakynthos, long known for its Venetian ruins and turquoise waters, lately has new fame in Greece — as “the island of the blind.”
According to Dow Jones, the Greek health ministry is investigating on Zakynthos after local officials flagged records showing what they said is an implausibly high number of disability claims for blindness.

About 1.8% of the island΄s population of 39,000 claimed the benefit last year, according to the health ministry. That is around nine times the prevalence of blindness estimated for many European countries in a 2004 study published in a World Health Organization journal.

Among those who put in for the blindness benefit on Zakynthos, a local official said, were a taxi driver and a bird hunter.

Zakynthos has become a symbol for the widespread corruption that has played a part in the nation΄s financial downfall. “It appears the ΄blind΄ of Zakynthos saw only the color of money,” said an article in the Greek newspaper Ethnos.

But the island is hardly alone, according to health ministry officials, who say fraudulent disability claims are a problem across the nation, costing the government hundreds of millions of euros a year.

(...)

In an attempt to root out fraud, the Greek health ministry recently required disability claimants nationwide to register in a centralized database, appearing in person or sending a representative. The registration resulted in 36,000 fewer disability claims than in 2011, the health ministry said.

The ministry alleges these dropped claims were fraudulent, in many cases reflecting multiple claims for the same disability or payments in the name of dead beneficiaries. It also alleges that some doctors accepted money for false diagnoses and some local politicians signed off on the benefits to win support, and said it is giving public prosecutors information about areas where it suspects a high level of fraud. Only 190 of the nearly 700 people it says had been collecting the blindness benefit on Zakynthos participated in the registration, the ministry said.

(...)

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04 ... ek-public/

This isn't the only example of fraud caught. So let's stop with "only bankers and politicians are corrupt, people are innocent", it's intensively annoying. (not saying this particular person was a frauder, but talking generally about all the subjects related to Greece in this forum)

[MEZZANINE]

@ LA

When people think the government has taken / is taking to much and they cant do anything about it, black marketeering, tax evasion and fraud are a natural response in any nation.

The more the government tries to screw the people, the more people will say screw the government.

@ CC

I agree it's only a matter of time until a leader rises up that the people will unite behind, then the country will leave the EU, default on all debts. The EU and the current puppet government are only delaying the inevitable.

@ KMA

I agree the politicians dont care about the person who died, they only care about the publicity, I bet the spin doctors are already hard at work.

Reminds me of the Tibetan monks burning themselves in protest of their imperial rulers

[Lithium]

This is EU , lol a scam to European countries, now its Spain turn to bow. Eu is the Berlin-Paris axis the rest should be modern slave countries. Any country that can self sustain will be thrown in deep debits until some puppets will be place in thrown.

[[KMA]Avenger]

@ LA

When people think the government has taken / is taking to much and they cant do anything about it, black marketeering, tax evasion and fraud are a natural response in any nation.

The more the government tries to screw the people, the more people will say screw the government.

+1, You took the words out of my mouth!

[Legendary Apophis]

This is EU , lol a scam to European countries, now its Spain turn to bow. Eu is the Berlin-Paris axis the rest should be modern slave countries. Any country that can self sustain will be thrown in deep debits until some puppets will be place in thrown.

You forgot the puppets *must* be reptilians reticula living in underground cities and members of Illuminati who will takeover the world by December 22, 2012!

@ LA

When people think the government has taken / is taking to much and they cant do anything about it, black marketeering, tax evasion and fraud are a natural response in any nation.

The more the government tries to screw the people, the more people will say screw the government.

Greece is classified as one of the most corrupt European nations. It's convenient to blame the politicians and bankers alone, but it's just avoiding a part of the issue. I don't get fooled by such stuff (it's the fault of some, but the others might do it too but they have excuses blah blah), I'm not naive enough. Nice honest masses versus evil dishonest elites. Such a wonderful caricature or should I say "the oppressed proletarian masses vs the enslaving capitalist elite".

[[KMA]Avenger]

Jim, nobody has claimed that the "masses" are angels, but lets stick to the facts here...it wasn't the "masses" that stole the wealth of Greece and forced it's Govt to put the debt of the banks on to the people who then robbed the people of everything which drove this man to suicide....or have i missed something?

[Lithium]

few things to know about Greece.

First, their politic class and style is such a scum , greedy and expansionist in the region, accused of ethnic cleaning of its territories, usurpation of properties and not respecting minorities which they claim they don't exist.

Second, Greece last gov's clearly took an advantage of the debits they took, but let not forget the advantage that people had. More then half population is owner of a second house , a holiday house, or other properties. The ones that protest are students , which have always been toe to toe with all gov's, and a part of the society that never thought of tomorrow.

Third, the management? its clear how corrupt and evasiv it is but Where is the Church???? In Greece the church have a very important role and it was cought in the net of corruption.
Somehow people there have a right to protest because the Gov's now want the people to pay all the bills.
Greece is a country where the Gov owns all big companies like Energy , Telecom (later sold) etc.
This gave them a certain authority and independence unlike the EU style.

But lets not forget the fact that some years ago , at their economy peak , they were to burn US - UK flag in public just cuz they think they are better. they would pay one day and its payday.

[[KMA]Avenger]

Without cheating and using Google or any other search engine...has anyone here heard of a book called, Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins?

[Lithium]

I havent.

[[KMA]Avenger]

I'm surprised you haven't


Go read his bio and see what he used to do for a living. the clue is in the title of the book...and before anyone tries to be clever...no he was not an assassin of people.

[Lithium]

very interesting , didnt know about the book but i could see the politics.

nowadays the game are done , maybe not for china.