21 members of Italian neo-fascist group arrested in Athens
A group of 21 Italian neo-fascists were apprehended at Athens International Airport late on Tuesday, as reported by the police.
The group, members of the far-right group CasaPound, intented to attend a rally on Wednesday afternoon, commemorating the 2013 killing of two members of the now-defunct neo-Nazi Golden Dawn outside the party’s offices in Neo Iraklio, northern Athens.
Sources indicate that law enforcement had been alerted to their journey to the Greek capital. Local far-right organizations had been mobilizing through social media platforms such as Telegram, urging European counterparts to join the rally since the summer. Police have banned Wednesday’s event, along with gatherings scheduled for the same day by far-left groups.
The 21 individuals were taken into custody at the immigration office, initiating the administrative deportation process against them due to concerns related to national security.
“Stopping and arresting 20 people who had just disembarked from a plane to attend a memorial event in honor of two young individuals who were brutally murdered is utterly unacceptable,” Gianluca Iannone, president of far-right group CasaPound, said.
“The police intervention was arbitrary, lacking reason, and employed an excessive display of force. What remains certain is that this unjustifiable act of suppression will not deter us from paying tribute to the memory of the two young individuals who fell victim to a cold-blooded murder,” he added.
