Το φιτρί αγόρι (colourful life)

September the 16th, 2008. One would think that in 2008, in the city centre of a big urban area, you won’t be attacked by men handling tables and chairs and covered with motorbike helmets. But add in a mix Athens, Greece, University and Brainless people and everything is possible (with the consent of people, police and government).

Let’s go to the juicy story. 16/09/2008 around 7 o’clock in the afternoon, I witnessed a brutal attack with chairs and tables against a car with diplomatic plate parked in Stournari St. (in front of Papasotiriou bookshop). There was at least a woman inside shouting loudly and asking for help while the assailants were attacking her car. But a second one (her daughter) appeared seconds after. I don’t know if she was inside or she just arrived.

After the aggression the attackers hid inside the university because Greek laws don’t allow police to get inside the university and it doesn’t matter what you do: you’re safe there. I did not try to stop the attack (sorry 4 vs 1 ), I only checked that the woman wasn’t injured (then I saw the second girl calling the police). I left after I checked on them.

Some minutes latter I returned and saw some young people provoking and addressing both women in a really rude way to both women. They were saying things like:

• “I didn’t know that Cyprus had diplomats now”.
• “Don’t worry your government will buy you a new (car) one”.
• “Let’s go for some gas to burn it all, HAHAHAHAHA”.
• “Look at the poor woman, HAHAHAHAHA” (yes the same guy).
• “That’s because you put your diplomatic car near the university”.

I couldn’t stop myself and I asked what happened. But I didn’t receive a clear answer. It was something related to a “diplomatic car”, and I don’t remember more. Perhaps my mind couldn’t assimilate such spoon of irrational behaviour.

It happened that ther car had a diplomatic plate from Cyprus. And the woman was waiting for her daughter to come out from the university. Also the woman and her daughter were Greeks. The mother claimed that she also studied when she was trying to get an explanation for what happened.

My opinion.

-1 point rate to:

• People who didn’t move a finger to help. Or even just to check if the woman was right. You can die in the middle of Athens and these ones will not help you.
• The police for his fast reaction times. I saw a car latter when I was arriving to Omonia square, it was running towards the place of the incident. I also found 4 policeman in Omonia with their motorbikes having a talk about the weather.
• The government, because policemen are not guilty for the bad organization in their systems.
• The students, because they protect these violent people. They do not kick them from the university, but at the same time they fight against anyone who dares to say about removing the “no police in the university”. Hey folks!, or you clean your house, or the “cleaning lady” will come inside and will make a mess (I prefer to my business and do not wait for others).
• The passivity of the typical Athens citizen. Shame on you who didn’t even check if the woman was bleeding or needed medical assistance.

I can understand a guy who needs money for drugs and asks/steals the money from me. Buy drugs -> money. But my mind cannot understand how 4 young guys can attack a woman, a mother, in front of her daughter. And I cannot understand how people can make fun of that latter.

I felt powerless, and I still have some anger inside me after that incident.

Notes

• The rear glass and rear left car windows were broken. The picture doesn’t show that.
• Perhaps it better for you to hear the poor woman shouting because the panic while I was approaching to car to check on her. Here it is