Foreign riot police now operating in Greece
14 October 2011, by Golem XIV
http://www.golemxiv.co.uk/2011/10/foreign-riot-police-now-operating-in-greece/Did you know that the EU has its own riot police that can operate in any European country but is answerable directly to none of them? No I didn’t either.
They are called the European Gendarmerie Force (Eurogendfor) . They are based in Italy but funded and staffed by six signatory nations who are France, Italy, Holland, Spain, Portugal and Romania. However, according to the Treaty* which established Eurogendfor they can operate in any EU country and are available to others who invite them to do so. The country which invites them in is refered to as the ‘Host’.
The Gendarmerie are specifically set up to deal with riots and civil unrest and as the treaty spells out they are to be "…exclusively comprising elements of police forces with military status".
Here is a picture of the force. How many police forces or even riot police do you know who drill with bayonet?
The force is 3000 strong based in Italy composed of two rapid deployment brigades. Since Greece is not a member of Eurogendfor few if any of its troops/officers(?) will speak Greek. Yet they are now operating in Greece. I have ckecked with friends in Athens and they tell me it is true.
I have also contacted – or tried to contact – Eurogendfor directly to double check the facts. However the email contact on their web site does not work. You can fill out the form but for the last 4 and a half hours when I press send I get this reply,
“Server is unable to send your request.Please try later”.
Should you phone the HQ directly, you will find an automated system. There is a Press Office option but it cycles you back to the main ‘Welcome” menu as does EVERY single other option as well. This has been how it is all day.
Thus is isn’t how it is over lunch this is just how it has been set up. In other words there is the facade of contact but the operational reality is “Piss Off you commoner!”
What does it say that the Greek government has ‘invited’ a quasi militray riot police made of personel from other nations to operate in Greece against its own citizens. Greek police not enough? Greek military not willing to crack heads? Got to get some foreigners to do it for you?
What exactly is the difference between Eurogendfor and any other mercenary force? The Greek government could ‘invite’ any private army in. No matter how you view the status of Eurogendfor, the reality is the Greek people did not vote in favour of joining it and certainly were not asked if they wanted foreign quasi military forces to be able to operate in Greece. This is a government that like all governments through history that has lost all legitimacy with its own people, eventually seeking military support from outside forces with which to supress its own people. Once you view it like that the word tyranny eventually enters in. And that word has extremely serious consequences.
Let’s take a step back from this. The cuts in Greece are tied up intimately with bailing out French and German banks as well as the Greek owners of Greek banks. The Greek people have been demonstrating against the bail out for months. The Greek government has ignored its people and chosen to do the bidding of the EU elite, the IMF, the ECB and most of all the banks globally.
Now on non-Greek militarized riot force arrives to enforce austerity. Whose bidding are they really doing? Whose interests are they serving? Could it be the banks? Have the financial class now got their own riot police who they can ship to wherever the locals try to defy them and where the local police cannot be ‘trusted’ to serve the supra-national interests of the banks?
Of course this is not how Eurogendfor is set up. I know that. But is this how it actually works nevertheless?
I will continue to try to talk to anyone at all at Eurogendfor and let you know if they ever condescend to even accept an email or answer the phone. Don’t hold your breath. Who am I after all? Just a citizen and what does that count for these days?
Citizen? In the new order you’re either a bond holder or you’re a nobody.
*Treaty http://www.statewatch.org/news/2007/oct/eu-gendarmerie-treaty-sept-2007.pdf
