Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Greece legalizes same-sex civil unions

 Athens Greece 22 December 2015.
Greek LGBT rights activists demonstrate outside parliament while a bill is being voted, granting same-sex couples the right to a civil union, despite strong opposition from the influential Orthodox church.
The bill comes just two years after the country was condemned for discrimination.
Members of the Greek gay, lesbian and transsexual community had earlier staged protests outside  the Athens cathedral. Two activists in clerical outfits kissed in front of Athens' Metropolitan Church, to protest the Orthodox Church's rejection of same-sex civil unions and homophobic remarks by Bishops. 
Two men holding banners seen kissing each other while LGBT rights activists demonstrate outside the Greek parliament.
A member of the Athens LGBT community holds a banner reading in Greek 'Love is not a sin' outside the Greek parliament during the rally.
A man holds a placard that reads "All I want for Christmas is equality" during the demonstration of the gay rights activists  and members of the Athens LGBT community outside the Greek parliament.
A member of the Athens LGBT community holds a banner reading in Greek 'When shall I change my ID in order to get married with my boyfriend?' outside the Greek parliament during the rally.
Activists and members of the Athens LGBT community hold a banner outside the Greek parliament to support the bill that is being voted. 
Two women seen kissing each other while LGBT rights activists demonstrate outside the Greek parliament to support the bill that is being voted.
Two women and two men seen kissing each other while LGBT rights activists demonstrate outside the Greek parliament.



Video: #LGBT activists protesting against homophobic remarks by Bishops face verbal attacks outside #Athens Cathedral.

Αθήνα 22 Δεκεμβρίου 2015.
Την ώρα που στη Βουλή είναι σε εξέλιξη η συζήτηση της Ολομέλειας για το νομοσχέδιο για το Σύμφωνο Συμβίωσης, μέλη της ΛΟΑΤΚΙ κοινότητας συγκεντρώθηκαν όπως είχαν προαναγγείλει έξω από τη Μητρόπολη Αθηνών, προκειμένου να διαμαρτυρηθούν για την λεκτική επίθεση μίσους εναντίον των συνανθρώπων μας που έκανε ο ανώτατος δημόσιος υπάλληλος κάτοχος του θρόνου της Μητρόπολης Αιγιαλείας και Καλαβρύτων, Αμβρόσιος. Οι ακτιβιστές φώναξαν συνθήματα και κρατούσαν πανό που έγραφε" Η αγάπη δεν είναι αμαρτία"  ενώ το γκέι ζευγάρι που φιλιούνταν φορούσε ράσα.
Ωστόσο δεν έλειψαν οι έντονες διαμαρτυρίες και λεκτικές επιθέσεις από κάποιους πολίτες κρυμμένους πίσω από μαύρα γυαλιά, που όπως αποδείχτηκε δεν ήταν απλοί περαστικοί, άλλα ήλθαν εσκεμμένα, αφού μάλιστα είχαν έρθει στο σημείο της διαμαρτυρίας αρκετή ώρα πριν να ξεκινήσει με σκοπό να δημιουργήσουν φασαρία.












Sunday, September 13, 2015

Daily Life in the new makeshift refugee camp in Victoria Square, center of the Greek capital

A new makeshift refugee camp has appeared the last days in the center of the Greek capital as refugees and migrants have flooded Victoria Square. This happened because the official reception center for migrants in Elaionas is already full.
Athens, Greece, 13 September, 2015.

A refugee female child stands by a baby left on the pavement in Victoria Square of Athens, where hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped.
A young refugee woman seen tearfull at Victoria Square of Athens, where hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped. She and her children have no other place to go in Athens and she has to arrange the passage to Europe.
A young boy seen waking up in the morning by his tent in Victoria Square of Athens, where hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped and live in bad conditions. Some more lucky refugees have raised tents so they do not sleep outside.
Refugees sleep outside while some of them more lucky have raised tents. Hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped and live in bad conditions in a makeshift camp at Victoria Square of Athens.
Refugee families sleep outside while some of them more lucky have raised tents. Hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped and live in bad conditions in a makeshift camp on Victoria Square of Athens.
Hundreds of migrants and refugees mostly from Afghanistan stay and sleep outside in Victoria Square with no access to toilets or running water.
Hundreds of migrants and refugees mostly from Afghanistan stay and sleep outside in Victoria Square with no access to toilets or running water.
A refugee family seen sleeping outside in the center of the Greek capital. Hundreds of migrants and refugees mostly from Afghanistan stay and sleep outside on Victoria Square with no access to toilets or running water.
A young boy with his family seen sleeping outside in the center of the Greek capital. Hundreds of migrants and refugees mostly from Afghanistan stay and sleep outside on Victoria Square with no access to toilets or running water.
A refugee woman with her child, get ready to sleep outside on Victoria Square of Athens, where hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped and live in bad conditions.
A young refugee boy wearing a "Spongebob" tee shirt stand by his family on Victoria Square of Athens, where hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped and live in bad conditions.
Hundreds of migrants and refugees mostly from Afghanistan stay and sleep outside in Victoria Square with no access to toilets or running water.
Refugees rush to receive food aid at a food distribution in Victoria Square of Athens, where hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped.
A refugee female child seen waiting to eat fried potatoes made in a small gas stove. Some of the hundreds of refugees who have temporarily camped in Victoria Square in the center of the Greek capital have made a makeshift kitchen.
A refugee female child seen tearfull at Victoria Square of Athens, where hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped and live in bad conditions, trying to arrange the passage to western Europe.
Hundreds of migrants and refugees mostly from Afghanistan stay and sleep outside in Victoria Square with no access to toilets or running water.
Younger and older people seen waiting on the queue to receive food aid at a food distribution in Victoria Square of Athens, where hundreds of migrants and refugees have temporarily camped and live in bad conditions.


Related Video: The refugee ship arrives again in Piraeus port during the night, carrying just over 2,500 Syrians from the Greek islands, as a wave of migrants fleeing conflict and poverty continues unabated. Some of them spend the night in the streets of the Greek capital without any shelter.











Tuesday, September 1, 2015

New Democracy party opens election campaign with a rally in Athens

Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis opened the election campaign and spoke to a crowd of conservative party supporters on Rigillis Street in central Athens, Sept 1, 2015.
 Former PM Antonis Samaras and his predecessor Costas Karamanlis also attended to the speech, along with a number of party officials from past and present.

Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis gestures to his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.
Former Greek PM Antonis Samaras attends the New Democracy election campaign in Athens, among the supporters of the conservative party, who cheer him.
Former Greek PM Antonis Samaras attends the New Democracy election campaign in Athens, among the supporters of the conservative party, who cheer him.
Former Greek PM Antonis Samaras attends the New Democracy election campaign in Athens, among the supporters of the conservative party, who cheer him.
Former Greek PM Antonis Samaras attends the New Democracy election campaign in Athens, among the supporters of the conservative party, who cheer him.
Former Greek PM Kostas Karamanlis attends the New Democracy election campaign in Athens, among the supporters of the conservative party.
Supporters of the conservative party cheerGreek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis, during his speech.
Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis addresses his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.
Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis addresses his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.
Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis addresses his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.
Former Greek PM Kostas Karamanlis is seen watching the New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis during the rally, among the supporters of the conservative party.
Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis addresses his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.
Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis addresses his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.
Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis addresses his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.
Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis addresses his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.
Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis addresses his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.
Greek main opposition New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis gestures to his supporters during a rally of the conservative party in the center of Athens.








Saturday, August 29, 2015

Syrian Exodus: More refugees arrive on Greek mainland seeking asylum

 The refugee ship arrived again in Piraeus port today in the afternoon, carrying just over 2,500 Syrians from the Greek islands, as a wave of migrants fleeing conflict and poverty continues unabated.
 Athens, Greece, 29 August, 2015.

A Syrian young man seen standing at the port of Piraeus after the disembarkation from the refugee ship.
A Syrian child seen standing at the port of Piraeus after the disembarkation from the refugee ship.
A Syrian young woman holding her child in her arms, is seen boarding to buses heading to the train station, after she has disembarked from the refugee ship.
Syrian refugees are seen on-board passenger ship ''Eleftherios Venizelos'' as the ship arrives at the port of Piraeus near Athens, Greece. This ship has been routed to transfer refugees only from the islands and not "normal' passengers.
Syrian refugees disembark at the port of Piraeus and they have paid an expensive ticket for this transfer which is organized by the Greek government.
A family from Afghanistan seen at the port of Piraeus after they have disembarked from the refugee ship. Along with the Syrians, a number of Afghan have also arrived.
A Syrian refugee family, seen disembarking at the port of Piraeus and they have paid an expensive ticket for this transfer which is organized by the Greek government.
Syrian refugees disembark at the port of Piraeus and they have paid an expensive ticket for this transfer which is organized by the Greek government.
A Syrian family is seen after they have disembarked from the refugee ship at the port of Piraeus. The children make with their hands the sign of victory.
Refugees disembark at the port of Piraeus.
A Syrian child seen boarding at the bus heading to the train station. Refugees have just arrived in Piraeus from the islands, moving on the route of the Syrian exodus.
Syrians stand at the port of Piraeus after they have disembarked from the refugee ship. They have paid an expensive ticket for this transfer which is organized by the Greek government.
A child from Syria is seem looking towards the refugee ship. He stands by his mother inside the bus heading to the train station. They have just arrived in Piraeus from the islands, moving on the route of the Syrian exodus.
A Greek coast guard officer controls the Syrian refugees during they board to buses heading to the train station, after they have disembarked from the refugee ship.
Syrian refugee families are seen standing at the streets of Piraeus. They have just arrived in Piraeus, near Athens, from the islands, moving on the route of the Syrian exodus.
A Syrian young female shows the ticket of the refugee ship. She has paid fare 50 EUR for this transfer organized by the Greek government.
A young man from Afghanistan shows the ticket of the refugee ship. He has paid fare 50 EUR for this transfer organized by the Greek government.
Two young men from Afghanistan seen in Athens center, after they have arrived with the refugee ship.
Two young men from Afghanistan show the ticket of the refugee ship. They have paid 50 EUR each for this transfer, which was organized by the Greek government.

Video: Coast Guard officer attacks hungry people who rush to get some food and water during a distribution in the port of Piraeus, Greece. These people are refugees and migrants from Syria and Afghanistan. They have just arrived in Piraeus by a ship that transfers only refugees and migrants from the islands and not normal passengers. Nevertheless refugees traveling in this special route organized by the Greek government, have to pay a more expensive ticket than normal passengers. Many of them did not eat or drink anything on board during a 12 hour journey, as they had to pay the expensive ticket fare. Athens Greece 26 Aug 2015.


Related articles in Icelandic:
1. Þúsundir flóttamanna koma í land við Grikklandsstrendur
2. „Þetta reddast“-þjóðin getur betur!
(Some related info: More than 17,000 Icelanders have signed a letter urging their government to open the gates wider, because "refugees are our future spouses, best friends, or soulmates, the drummer for the band of our children, our next colleague, Miss Iceland in 2022, the carpenter who finally finished the bathroom, the cook in the cafeteria, the fireman, the computer genius, or the television host." ).