OPINION

Abominable behavior

The behavior we saw on Wednesday from hundreds of farmers who descended on Athens from Crete to protest increases in social security benefits and taxes was nothing short of abominable.

It makes absolutely no difference whether they are right or wrong in their demands, as nothing can justify the violence and vulgarity they displayed.

Who they were directing their anger toward – those in power – is also irrelevant.

The only important thing we can take away from this incident is that no organized, democratic state can tolerate the kind of violence we saw unfolding yesterday in downtown Athens.

If all responsible political parties fail to condemn these acts, there will come a day not too far from now when they will rue it. After all, the governing party did everything it could to legitimize violence as an acceptable form of protest – and today it finds itself in the crosshairs of precisely this kind of behavior.

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