Parliamentarians oppose right wing Greek presence in Australia
Two NSW Labor parliamentarians have said they will oppose plans by the far right Greek Golden Dawn Party to set up “three or four” branches in Australia.
NSW Labor frontbencher, Ms Sophie Cotsis and NSW Labor Upper House MP and NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel deputy chair, Mr Walt Secord have spoken against the far right Golden Dawn (Chrsi Avgi) Party.
Walt Secord
Sophie Cotsis
“This far right wing party – Golden Dawn – has no place in Australia and we will oppose any plans to set up branches here,” Ms Cotsis and Mr Secord said.
“Make no mistake, they are neo-Nazis and they use the language of the far right, especially in their references to immigrants in a bid to spread their hateful messages,” they said.
Members of the Golden Dawn have also denied the Holocaust. The New York Times reported in April: “Golden Dawn has been running unsuccessfully in national elections since 1994, but it took a big step toward legitimization in 2010, when its leader, Nikos Michaloliakos, was elected to the Athens City Council. In an interview, Mr. Michaloliakos called the group “national socialists” and said it was concerned about crime and the financial crisis.
He said that the group opposed Greece’s agreement with its foreign lenders and that the country’s political leadership was too beholden to “international bankers.” The Nazi salutes by Golden Dawn members were not official policy, he said, adding that “we can’t control thousands” of people. (Soon after his election, Mr. Michaloliakos himself was captured on video doing a Nazi salute in the City Council.)
Asked if he believed that the Holocaust had happened, Mr. Michaloliakos said, “I think all history is written by the winners.”
Another leading Golden Dawn official, Ilias Kasidiaris, was more blunt. “The main view in Europe is that six million Jews were killed. History has shown that this is a lie,” he said in an interview.G
In response to a question on ABC TV Lateline’s Greece correspondent, Mr Philip Williams, Golden Dawn MP, Mr Ilias Panagiotaros said that “three or four offices are going to be formed” in Australia. (May 15, 2012. ABC TV).
There were also reports of supporters at a Melbourne Greek independence day parade wearing distinct black clothing with the words “Golden Dawn” in Greek on their backs.(March 26, 2012)
Golden Dawn won 21 seats out of the 300 member parliament in the May 6 elections.
What ever happened to free speech. How dare these politicians try to stop the formation of a party purely because their political views are different. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and views, and are just as entitled to voice them. Political correctness gone mad!
What you don’t understand is that Golden Dawn is by no means democratic in their practices. Simply put, they are THUGS – you disagree with them, they beat you up. it is the duty of our politicians to oppose such entry into Australia!
Sophie Cotsis & Walt Secord I am sure will get plenty of support.
The point is how can they stop this?
These lines are especially worrying
“There was also reports of supporters at a Melbourne Greek independence day parade wearing distinct black clothing with the words “Golden Dawn” in Greek on their backs.(March 26, 2012)”