Dec 7, 2008

His schoolmates called him Gregory...

As the story behind the murder of 15 year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos, shot down by a police officer last night, unfolds, I can't stop thinking of Alexandro's mother.

How he called her to tell her that he was OK and was going out with a couple of friends to celebrate their nameday on St.Nicholas' Day.

How ten minutes later she got another call from her son's cell phone telling her to come quick, her son had been shot down by a cop.

How they had spoken for the last time, unaware that Death was seconds away, disguised as a policeman who pointed the gun directly at Alexandro's heart because he didn't like being called "cop/μπάτσος"...

How the shot that pierced his young heart unleashed unfathomable public fury that enough is enough with police brutality.

How my daughters... anyone's child...
could have been in Alexandro's place.

How the Greek police keep coming up with various lies to cover up their brutalities... "the police officer shot warning shots in the air which ricocheted in the victim's heart"... (Even the defense attorney to one police officer quit a few hours after he took on the case..).

Remember the "flower box" (ζαρντινιέρα) incident? Greek policemen almost beat a Greek-Cypriot student to death and said his wounds were a result of him tripping over a flower box (!!!)... Luckily for the victim there was video footage of the policemen's brutal attack against him. But to what end? The police officers were cut back some wages and fined and this was regarded as "punishment" for almost taking a human life because they were "overzealous" in their duties.

As long as police brutality goes unpunished and the Greek State tolerates and gives the orders to use force... then the repressed will justifiably fight back.

Do I care about the window shops and vandalisms right now? No.

I'm thinking how much a child's life is worth.

I'm thinking of how Alexandros fell dead and his mother and loved ones will never see him again.

I'm thinking he was only... 15.



Από το μπλόγκ του "έφηβου", πρώην συμμαθητή του αδικοχαμένου 15χρονου: Δολοφόνησαν τον GREGORY (Αλέξανδρο Γρηγορόπουλο)