City Haunted by an Accident

On December 6, 2008, the centre of Athens was on fire. People were demonstrating about almost anything that is nowadays part of our daily routine. Austerity, unemployment, poverty and all other social evil. The war-theatre staged in the usual areas in- and around Exarcheia. A traditional stronghold of anarchists, of anti-establishment activists, as per the beautified terminology of our days -in essence extreme members of society who could not care less about anything really- and who passionately indulged in any form of destruction of public and private property. For those who have no idea what a Molotov cocktail is and how it works there are plenty of Youtube videos showcasing the riots of Athens over the years. In those suspicious days around the end of November all through the end of each Greek year these neighbourhoods are nothing short of war zones like the ones seen on CNN when reporting about cities such as Aleppo or Arbil these days. War zones apparently by design and sustained by political choice. Academic immunity made the Polytechnic University of Athens the HQ of these groups and successive governments just seem to be lacking the force or will-power to convince the public domain to consent to the retraction of that immunity for the sake of fixing things once and for all.

A 15 year old boy hardly fits into this picture. Yet much to the country's detriment in the years since the accident he was in the centre of it all. Together with his friends like Nikos Romanos -meanwhile another imprisoned social hero- despite of the fact that he committed several capital crimes. If you ever wondered how social heroes are born things weren't always the same. Initially, mankind started out by celebrating the deeds of good people -to the best of my understanding and recollection- by outsourcing the assessment to our religious representatives, who eventually after observance of strict ceremonial aspects went-on to the sanctification of extraordinary humans and their extraordinary works or contributions to mankind.

We have rarely heard of people being idolised and declared heroes merely for being at the wrong age, at the wrong place at the wrong time. Plenty of speculation and public debate has followed that dreadful evening of December 6, 2008, as to the causes of this boys death, the motive of the member of the police force or the reason for this boy's choice to hang-out in Exarcheia during these troubled days. There is no satisfactory answer for any of these questions. But it was not only the bad moment to blame, that is for sure. People will always succumb to their fears and occasionally pull a triger, no matter what training they've got to deal with situations like the ones unfolding in Exarcheia every so often, and young boys and girls will continue taking unnecessary risks related to the choice of wrong locations at wrong times to live out their need of revolution. We will never be able to protect all children, especially not the "lost" ones, like we will never be able to prevent parents from instilling the wrong ideals to their kids or policemen to exercise better judgement in the firing of their weapons. This is the direct effect of our imperfect nature.

But is this reason enough to destroy our societies and to resort to violence at any given opportunity and in the name of accidents that are non-conducive to the build-up of productive and peaceful societies? Or, is it justified to express anger through complete disrespect for the property of the State or of private persons, who are passive and unprotected victims of ongoing rage, of the kind that simply sustains the lowest of human instinct and erases all form of civilisation and progress achieved throughout the centuries? Or is this country just a crossroad on the path from the future back into the past? We are definitely far from being perfect. We are imperfect as communities and as individuals. Alexandros Gregoropoulos was just a boy of 15, nothing more, nothing less. No hero, just a spoilt child of the prosperous northern suburbs of the city of Athens, one of those kids that experience social revolutions through the oyster of a protected family environment. With the exception of the evening of December 6, 2008. Yet, in the abuse of his name stories are fabricated and tensions are preserved glorifying the "noble" fight against the suppression of the system and the fight against capitalism and neo-liberalism. Imagine the abuse and destruction, if he were only 13 years of age...