Imagine if The Greens were charged with murdering Melbourne rapper 360, that’s the horrific hypothetical situation that’s occurred over in Greece, where the third most popular political party has been linked with the killing of one of the country’s biggest hip hop stars, as the nation experiences its lowest ebb of civil unrest and economical desperation.
The murder of a popular hip hop artist has kickstarted a firestorm in the country, where the Prime Minister has stepped in to put an end to the extreme actions of a fascist organisation tied with one of Greece’s more popular political paties.
A member affiliated with the Golden Dawn party, described by critics as a Grecian neo-Nazi group, has allegedly confessed to murdering Pavlos Fyssas, better known as one of the country’s most popular rappers, Killah P, whose music had strong anti-fascist sentiments.
A 45-year-old truck diver affiliated with Golden Dawn has reportedly admitted to fatally stabbing the 34-year-old Killah P in Keratsini, in the working-class district of Piraeus in the city of Athens, as ABC News reports.
The rapper’s death has sparked public outrage, amidst a highly tense climate calling for deeper investigations into the Golden Dawn party’s activities; a call that Greece’s Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has heard, vowing to rein in the group – which he described as ‘neo-Nazis’ in a televised address. “This government is determined not to allow the descendants of the Nazis to poison our social life, to commit crimes…”
“This government is determined not to allow the descendants of the Nazis to poison our social life, to commit crimes, terrorise and undermine the foundations of the country that gave birth to democracy,” says PM Samaris.
The murder has gained further national media attention for the group, with a Kathimerini paper leading a zero tolerance editorial on Golden Dawn’s links to criminal activity. “The cold-blooded murder of a citizen by a Golden Dawn supporter must awaken everyone,” read the paper. Meanwhile, another daily urged action from Greek politicians to stem “the monster of Nazism.”
The family of Killah P say that the outspoken rapper was with a small group of friends when he was ambushed by a large gang of Golden Dawns supporters outside a local café in the Kathimerini district.
An eyewitness report at Libcom.org describes a group of “15-20 fascists, wearing black t-shirts and military pants and boots” confronted the rapper who “was walking with his girlfriend and another couple when he was spotted by the fascists shouting ‘what are you looking for here, you know there is no place for you in this hood.'”
The group then reportedly chased the two couples through city streets, where they were cornered by “around 10” more Golden Dawn members, “at that time, a car drove opposite in an one-way street, stopped, the driver came out and stabbed Killah P once in the heart and once in the abdomen.”
The murder occurred on Tuesday 17th September, during a backdrop of civil unrest, in which police and protestors clashed during protests against fascism, criticising authorities and politicians for allowing the neo-Nazi group to operate their activities without opposition. The next day, thousands were out in force on the streets in demonstrations over the rapper’s death as word spread, as well as protesting against legislative reforms.
The killing also comes just days after Golden Dawn affiliates allegedly attacked members of the Greek Communist party in a late-night raid.
Under Greece’s current legislation, an outright ban on Golden Dawn would be deemed difficult to implement, according to Greek Police minister Nikos Dendias, who said that government would now look to toughen laws on organised criminal activity, implicating Golden Dawn in violent attacks on migrants, rival parties, and anti-fascist groups.
Despite the public outcry, Golden Dawn – who has eight MPs in Greece’s 300 seat parliament – currently ranks third in the country’s opinion polls, its ratings boosted in a country ailing from financial crisis and weary of political corruption.
