On 26 June, Alexis Tsipras announced a referendum in Greece for 5 July. The people of Greece were called to decide on their future. The question, even though frequently falsely cited, was whether the Greek people agreed to the counter-proposal made by the lenders. It demanded more austerity measures, more pension cuts, more taxes, more suffering
On 26 June, Alexis Tsipras announced a referendum in Greece for 5 July. The people of Greece were called to decide on their future. The question, even though frequently falsely cited, was whether the Greek people agreed to the counter-proposal made by the lenders. It demanded more austerity measures, more pension cuts, more taxes, more suffering for the people of Greece that have lived under savage austerity for more than 5 years.
For the record, the proposal made by the Greek government previous week and that initially appeared to be accepted by Greece’s creditors, was rejected after all.
Alexis Tsipras made the decision to call Greece’s people to the ballots. This decision was for some light hearted, for the austerity hardliners in Europe immature and for some others even "antidemocratic". The peoples of Europe, without exaggeration, considered this decision heroic.
Over 250 demonstrations and solidarity actions worldwide were organized within hours. Thousands of solidarity messages, videos, photographs, songs. From the Irish taking up the streets to their own parliament demanding support for the Greeks, to the Spanish replacing European Union flags in Cordoba and Zaragoza with Greek ones and from the 50 mobilizations in Italy to the people of Poland and Georgia, the Greek referendum managed to unite the anti-austerity, anti-neoliberalism movement worldwide.
Peoples all over the world finally managed to learn Greek and for a matter of fact it paid off. The most important word right now in Europe and the world, seems to be "OXI" (NO). OXI to austerity, OXI to financial governance, OXI to market-conform democracy, OXI to impoverishment of the many for the benefit of the few.
Greeks decided yesterday. Despite a week of pure terror by the markets, the closed banks, the corporate media and the lenders, people of Greece took a stand and said NO! No more. With a majority of over 61,5% they sent a message to the world and it reads: Remember who they answer to. Take your lives back!
We have hard days coming ahead. We will not come to peace so fast and the struggle is not over. But today we celebrate! We celebrate and prepare for the struggles ahead!
United we stand and we will prevail!
Ευχαριστούμε Ελλάδα!