{"id":266,"date":"2017-06-25T14:23:25","date_gmt":"2017-06-25T18:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/globalreporting2017\/?p=266"},"modified":"2022-03-25T14:28:41","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T18:28:41","slug":"the-block-party-athens-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/globalreporting2017\/the-block-party-athens-style\/","title":{"rendered":"The Block Party, Athens Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Chiara Ficarelli<\/em><\/p>\n

ATHENS, Greece –<\/strong>– A bee stung Lefteris Stefanis on Syntagma Square Tuesday, at a rally aimed at convincing the Greek prime minister to resign. The sharp pain in the 34-year-old\u2019s right index finger caught him by surprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a new tactic of the regime,\u201d said Stefanis, joking that Alexis Tsipras\u2019s government had released bees to discourage his opponents.<\/p>\n

Stefanis was sharing a Mythos beer with his friend from college, Petros Papalianos. Vendors sold roasted corn on the square, which was filled with milling crowds. Occasionally someone began chanting or picked up a microphone to demand that Tsipras step down. But mostly, the air was filled with upbeat music.<\/p>\n

Police stood on the steps of the Parliament nearby, resembling parents watching children on a playground, indifferent to the unfolding scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlexis will be laughing until tomorrow,\u201d said Stefanis, referring to the small and quiet turnout.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Three days later, another political rally gathered a few blocks away. This time the site was just outside the Greek Ministry of Migration. The gathering was aimed at encouraging officials to allow refugees to continue living in \u201csquats,\u201d a common term used in Athens for abandoned buildings occupied illegally. The laid-back atmosphere resembled the tone at the earlier rally.<\/p>\n

Adults danced to Middle Eastern party music. Refugee children waved handmade flags, some chanting Azadi, <\/em>Persian for freedom.<\/p>\n

\u201cSummertime is not a good time for demonstrations,\u201d said Olga Lafazani, who works with refugees at the City Plaza Hotel, the best-known of Athens\u2019 many squats.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Demonstrators dancing in front of the Ministry of Migration. Photo by Chiara Ficarelli.<\/p><\/div>\n

A plastic bottle flew near the entrance to the Ministry, spraying a bit of water. Nearby a police officer sipped his frappe, a popular Greek coffee drink, showing no interest in the scene.<\/p>\n

Over previous days, Athens trash collectors had been on strike. Garbage cans around the ministry overflowed with uncollected rubbish. The air hung with a putrid stench. While the rally resembled a tranquil block party with a political twist, the problems facing Greece are serious: an economy in deep recession and thousands of unemployed refugees. The trash seemed to provide a foreboding reminder that things can turn rancid quickly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Chiara Ficarelli ATHENS, Greece –– A bee stung Lefteris Stefanis on Syntagma Square Tuesday, at a rally aimed at convincing the Greek prime minister to resign. The sharp pain in the 34-year-old\u2019s right index finger caught him by surprise. \u201cIt is a new tactic of the regime,\u201d said Stefanis, joking that Alexis Tsipras\u2019s government<\/p>\n

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