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Robin hoods hit Greek supermarket
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by Teacher Dude | September 5, 2008 at 10:26 am
548 views | 57 Recommendations | 14 comments
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Modern day Robin Hoods have robbed a supermarket belonging to the Masoutis chain, one the Greece's biggest, in the northern city of Thessaloniki and redistributed their loot to shoppers in a nearby street market. A group calling itself the Initiative Against Rising Prices claimed responsibility and said that the act was a protest against a" consumerist mechanism which places profits ahead of survival".
This is not the first time that Greek supermarkets have been targeted for such protests. Earlier this year supermarkets in Athens also suffered the same treatment by anarchist groups protesting against price hikes in the cost of basic goods.
Rising costs have long been eating into the income of the average Greek consumer and the inability of the government to break the power of cartels which control much the country's retail trade means that people often pay two or three times the price for everyday goods such as coffee, breakfast cereals and clothing that other Europeans do.
According to a report published by the Greek Trade Union Congress, GSEE Greek consumer power has fallen to levels last seen in the mid 80's. They also point out that with 21% of the country living below the poverty line, the country still remains poorer than virtually every other European Union member.
According to eye witnessed quoted in an Indymedia report passers-by responded positively to the latest robbery. The police made no arrests.
Crowd Power
Teacher Dude
Thessaloniki, Greece
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (14)
at 10:29 on September 5th, 2008
Teacher Dude, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 10:29 on September 5th, 2008
Teacher Dude, great story!
at 10:30 on September 5th, 2008
Teacher Dude, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Wow - good for them - I love this new take on a old classic.
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Terri Potratzat 10:32 on September 5th, 2008
I love that the police haven't made any arrests and the public is all nonchalant about it. I read that many of the robbers have been identified as women (most are masked, though) and the robberies haven't been violent at all.
at 10:36 on September 5th, 2008
No there has been no accounts of violence but if the police do catch them they are pretty much guaranteed a beating . The city is very tense at the moment as the prime minister is visiting and tomorrow there are going to be mass demos. Last year I got put in hospital by the cops for taking their picture during a peaceful march.
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Terri Potratzat 10:47 on September 5th, 2008
Do you think there would be mass public outcry if these vigilantes were caught and punished by police? I would imagine that if the political situation is quite tense there right now, and these people are stealing and giving back to people, there would be a considerable response from the community.
at 10:51 on September 5th, 2008
Teacher Dude, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 11:27 on September 5th, 2008
Teacher Dude, I like this story. It's good stuff.
That is a awesome idea, I hope they continue breaking these supermarket and distributing the food between the poor people.
at 11:40 on September 5th, 2008
Terri, I think public response depends on the way the local media spins the story. I doubt if those involved would get a sympathetic hearing. There is a huge amount of convergence between media ownership and other areas of the economy. Indeed many TV channels and newspapers are little more than the PR wings of such businesses.
at 13:26 on September 5th, 2008
Teacher Dude, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 14:10 on September 5th, 2008
Teacher Dude, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 15:28 on September 5th, 2008
sounds like our democrats with redistribution of wealth
at 18:17 on September 5th, 2008
Put the thieves in Jail. Theft is theft. What next? People don't want to pay for clothes so they rob clothing stores? Or people don't think the price of housing is affordable so they invade private homes?
at 18:36 on September 5th, 2008
Teacher Dude, I like this story. It's good stuff.