US embassy cable - 05ATHENS2376

UNCLAS ATHENS 002376 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/SE, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREF, PGOV, KCRM, GR, HRIGHTS 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT FINALLY BANS PLANNED RACIST 
"HATEFEST" 
 
 
1.  Summary: On September 6 the Greek government said 
it would ban a planned pan-European "festival" of 
extreme right-wing political groups, sponsored by the 
Greek racist, neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn.  The 
gathering, scheduled for mid-late September and 
reportedly to include far-right groups such as Italy's 
Forza Nuova, had been strongly criticized by Jewish 
and anti-racist organizations, opposition political 
parties, local officials and the Simon Weisenthal 
Center.  The GoG initially took no action for fear of 
drawing attention to an event that it originally 
deemed unimportant.  End Summary. 
 
2.  On September 6 GoG spokesman Roussopoulos stated 
that the GoG would take all measures to prevent a 
planned gathering of European extremist and racist 
organizations from taking place.   The self-styled 
"Hatefest 2005" event, scheduled for mid-late 
September, in a place not revealed and changed several 
times due to local reactions, was initiated by the 
Greek neo-Nazi group "Chryssi Avghi" (Golden Dawn) and 
was to include far-right organizations from throughout 
Europe, including Germany's NPD, Italy's Forza Nuova, 
and Spain's Falange.  Public Order Minister 
Voulgarakis echoed Roussopoulos' comments, saying the 
event was not welcome. 
 
3.  The event had promised a "unique gathering," 
including "racial rock music" and "inspiring 
messages," according to the Golden Dawn's website.  In 
addition, the event would have "Turkey, Out of Europe" 
as one of its main slogans.  Members of the far right, 
including Ugo Voigt, who leads the National Democratic 
Party in Germany, and Roberto Fiore of the Italian 
party Forza Nuova were set to address the crowds. 
Organizers said that they were hoping for a surprise 
appearance by Jean-Marie Le Pen, the French far-right 
leader who once called the Nazi gas chambers a "mere 
detail" of history. 
 
4.  The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece 
had been very critical of the Greek government's delay 
in condemning the planned event, while the Simon 
Wiesenthal Center called on the GoG to block what it 
called "the defamation of the 60th anniversary of the 
end of the Holocaust."  The Center called on PM 
Karamanlis "to prevent this profanation of the 
sixtieth anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, and 
to draw its lessons by ensuring Greek commitments to 
the European Union, the Council of Europe and the 
OSCE, to prosecute all incitement to hatred."  The 
President of the Central Board of Greek Jewish 
Communities (KIS), Moses Konstantinis, expressed 
satisfaction "that the efforts of KIS finally had as a 
result the banning of the festival" 
 
5.  Local officials in the places where the event was 
rumored to take place vowed to block the festival for 
fear of violence stemming from the reaction of anti- 
racism activists. 
 
6.  COMMENT:  Although alerted to the event in early 
summer, the government delayed in issuing a banning 
because it believed the event was unimportant and that 
it would only draw more attention, if prohibited.  In 
the end, however, growing domestic and international 
criticism compelled the GoG to act.