Thessaloniki: Personal complaint on 20/20 – “Bastardaki, I will take you as a prosecutor for Molotov cocktails”
Thessaloniki: Personal complaint on 20/20 – “Bastardaki, I will take you as a prosecutor for Molotov cocktails”
THE Costas Konstantarasis the young man who, as seen in a video released on social media, seems to accept unnecessarily, sudden and in particular violently attack by a MAT man, in Navarinou Square, in Thessaloniki and shouting “it drowns me».
WRITES O KONSTANTINOS TACHTSIDIS
The 22-year-old Costaswho is an accounting student in the 4th year, contacted Magazine 20/20described what exactly happened that afternoon – that same morning, o 21-year-old Giannis was injured at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, by a direct shot with a tear gas canister– and explains how he “loaded” half the penal code.
MAT tactics were used throughout the demonstration. Hidden attacks from dark alleys, throwing chemicals with launchers and false accusations against protesters. Most of them were not recorded.
Costa, tell me briefly what preceded the attack received by the MAT man?
After morning episodes at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki that resulted in a bad injury of a student, we are the same afternoon, at 19:00, in Kamara.
It was a very big and peaceful course in Tsimiski and then Egnatia. At the AUTh later where we ended up, there were small clashes where MAT forces fired tear gas with tear gas canisters. straight shot to the protesters.
The episodes, however, were mild and from a long distance.
We went down again to Egnatia towards Kamara. Then a group of mats suddenly descended from the alley of the EYATH building and rushed to the hundreds of protesters who “broke” in two on Ethnikis Aminis and Ippodromiou streets. There was a response from a large number of protesters by throwing objects in order to stop the MAT attack and to protect the students.
Important to note that I personally saw not a single protester has a Molotov cocktail or any improvised explosive device
Then on Manousagiannaki Street, protesters set up makeshift bins with buckets to stop the MAT. At this point the chased protesters have “broken” into various micro-groups.
I was on Navarinou (Gounari) next to the ancient ones and I was walking a little behind the protesters loosely as I was doing nothing but marching and protesting against the unacceptable treatment of the student that morning.
Amnesty International: “Government to stop the use of illegal and excessive violence against peaceful protesters”
In the video that was released, you can hear him say “he is drowning me, he is drowning me”.
As can be clearly seen in the videos that were released, a MAT man, whom I did not notice, comes in a hurry, falls violently on me and throws me to the ground. I knew there was a MAT team behind me, but I did not feel threatened to run since I did not do anything wrong.
Matatzis (who later refused to give his name), with a sudden, violent grip, threw me down, causing a slight injury to my left eye when my head hit – by chance not badly – on the ground.
I, without having anything illegal on me or without having anything to hide, and as it appears in the videos that were released, I did not resist at all and the hitter, who had hitherto been rioting, calmed down.
Unnecessary extradition to Svolos. One of the Arrest Team started running alone, found one – perhaps a passerby – and after a violent grip passed the rap. The child shouted “you are drowning me”. In the end, the police told him “you will go to the prosecutor because you had a Molotov cocktail”. pic.twitter.com/XFmdK4BmvO
– Alexandros Litsardakis (@litsardakis) May 26, 2022
Here the police arrest team catches whoever is in front of it # Thessaloniki # απθ #police pic.twitter.com/0o321SVz4X
– CopWatchGR (@cop_gr) May 26, 2022
man of MAT, told me characteristically and with this exact logic: “Bastard, I will take you as a prosecutor for Molotov cocktails»
What followed?
As I was accompanying the patrol car, another unknown man from MAT said to me characteristically and with this exact logic: “Bastard, I will take you as a prosecutor for Molotov cocktails».
I must say that this accusation could not be more false.
Apart from the fact that I was not carrying any backpacks or anything to have Molotov cocktails, nor did I have anything in my possession and generally no one had (as far as I know) Molotov cocktails in the spread and course. At the same point they arrested a student who jumped to the ancients in order to avoid being beaten by MAT forces.
What the MAT man told me, that is I will often hear false accusations of Molotov cocktails from the prosecutor, I hear it often, but I still find it hard to believe that there really are such people.. I’m not so rubbish to lie about you, why would you say that about me?
video from https://t.co/lfInjny9zY on the other hand, it seems that the man of the Arrest Team is running alone without a challenge pic.twitter.com/20X3Hct9A1
– Alexandros Litsardakis (@litsardakis) May 26, 2022
We arrive at the department where 7 people have been brought in in total, 4 students, a female student, an irrelevant deliverer and a minor.
They searched us, I personally had on me an antique Swiss multi-tool, a gift from my father who is no longer alive, an object of emotional value which also contains a small 6 cm blade, sharp and slightly curled, completely unsuitable for use. .
Two but children had one small amount of cannabis, while the other only balaclava and gloves.
The 3 of us were arrested, the rest were released.
Up to that point I was expecting to leave the same night as I did not do anything wrong, nor did I have something on me that I should not have.
No matter how much evidence you have when you are being tried by the state itself, this is not often
On what charges were you arrested and detained?
Yes, it is important to mention that when we read our accusations, we find that on the occasion of what was found in our possession we uploaded about six accusations each, which surprised me a lot. These allegations were not specific and required evidence to prove to someone, such as resistance to authority (as seen on video) or bodily harm to a police officer (as there would be physical evidence of trauma).
MAT attack at AUTh – Seriously injured student (video-images)
After all, what were the charges that “loaded” you?
Instead of what I said above, they have charged us with as general and vague accusations as possible, because they do not need proof.
Indicatively I mention some of them, such as “disturbance of the common peace“,”attempted bodily harm“, and “fierce group attack against police officers“.
We were detained in a really miserable cell, and the next morning we were in the courthouse at the prosecutor’s office. Our trial has been postponed for the time being, in order to prepare all the evidence.
We contacted again the minor who was released, who had received a punch from an eyeball in the left eye, as a result of which the piercing on his eyebrow went deep into the skin.
Fortunately, there are witnesses – victims (such as the child I mentioned above) and visual material that help us in our trial. However, it is no secret that no matter how much evidence you do not have when you are judged by the same, this is often not a state.
The voice of power has more power and only together we can defeat it.
MAT tactics were used throughout the demonstration, with covert attacks from dark alleys, hurling chemicals and false accusations against protesters. Most of them were not recorded.
When you are a good police officer you should be the first to be occupied by your colleagues who make a bad name and you who do your job properly. Your name gets dirty
What were the conditions like inside the police station?
In general, they treated us very well and humanely in the department. But if they want to load something on someone, they will do it anyway. We know that.
It is also important to mention that when we were in the department, I talked to an employee who specifically told me that if they wanted to catch people for anything, they would find a reason to do so.. For example, if they are asked to make two arrests for drugs, to look for them all and find a reason than you can imagine. That is, if they find a gram of cannabis, they will go inside to say that they have done something. So even on the routes, even peaceful, they always gather people. We knew it, but it has another significance for a police officer to say.
I replied that this is bad and useless because you are wasting valuable resources of the police force that could be used to fight real crime and the real protection of citizens.
He answered me “you are right, but what can we do?».
He is neither right nor wrong. In the past, if he asked me, I would tell you that there are good and bad police officers and I still believe it, but on the other hand I can not say that you are a good police officer when you are not trying to change the system you are in. When you are a good police officer you should be the first to be occupied by your colleagues who make a bad name and you who do your job properly. Your name gets dirty.
After arresting him and with the young man not resisting, not reacting, just being in a question about what will happen now, the policeman tells him in front of me “you will go to the prosecutor for a Molotov cocktail”.
The journalist, Alexandros Litsardakiswho was an eyewitness and even took a video of the incident, spoke to 20/20 Magazine and confirmed what he told us Costas Konstantaras.
The statement of Alexandros Litsardakis:
«After minor incidents in Kamara on Egnatia, and after clashes inside the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, MAT forces pushed the protesters to the beach. This led them to Svolou where the three arrests took place.
At some point while there is calm, a man from the Arrest Team, who was running from Egnatia – sometimes alone to make arrests – starts to move away from his squad. She watches him point upwards and suddenly run. At that moment I understand that goes to arrest someone without any illegal act from that portion of the crowd. Here is what is recorded in the two videos. After arresting him and with the young man not resisting, not reacting, just being in a question about what will happen now, the policeman tells him in front of me “you will go to the prosecutor for a Molotov cocktail”.
There were incidents in the area, but nowhere does it appear from what I saw that these people committed a crime. The arrests are made in the context of committing spontaneous offenses. The only documented crime of these children was that they participated in this widespread dissent against the police.».