Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism

View of a high point in Athens. Smoke from the wildfires nearby blanket the city.

By Anastasia Economides

A thick, black cloud of smoke blankets the city tonight as wild forest fires continue to consume villages near the capital.  A total of 65 fires all over Greece have been reported to have started today, according to the Greek Fire Department. 

Greece is no stranger to wildfires, due to its hot, dry climate and strong winds during the summer.

The temperature in Athens dropped to 27 degrees Celsius this evening, from the usual 30, as the heavy smog blocked the sun all day.  Satellite photos show the smoke to have almost reached Crete.

 With reminisce of the 2007 wildfire disaster in Peloponnese, which killed over 70 people, the Greek government declared a state of emergency at noon Saturday.  Some fires at the outskirts of Athens have been blazing since the night before.

So far, there are no reported casualties.

Over 200 firefighters with 85 fire trucks and more than 50 water tanks, along with hundreds of volunteers are said to be battling the flames.

Officials are recommending minimal water usage at this time.

Evacuations

Fires are said to have started in Grammatiko last night, quickly spreading down towards Athens, consuming large villages such as Dionysos, Stamata, and Marathon.

As to how the situation is being handled, there are rising issues such as not having enough equipment, ground forces having difficulty approaching fires due to the rough terrain, water trucks not knowing where to refill for water, and planes and helicopters not flying at night because of lack of visibility.

All day, residents watching their homes burn reached out to news stations first to request help.

A mother from Rodopoli, a village about 25 miles away from Athens also drowning in flames, called one of the popular radio stations, Skai, asking for fire trucks to come and save her home. 

“Where are they, what are they doing?” she pleads.  She is told to leave the area immediately. 

Skai Media have been providing full coverage of the fires since this morning, putting aside their scheduled programming of the annual Superleague Soccer Championship.

Talks about how the fires started are likely to come about later on.   State officials are slowly acknowledging arson as the probable cause.  An investigation by the District Attorney of Athens has been ordered.

Helpless

Residents and customers at cafes in Athens can be found glued to televisions.  Many look on in silence, some with their hands over their mouths. 

“This has to be one of the biggest fires here in the last decade,” warned Constantine Parganas, 26, a longtime Athens resident who has witnessed ashes falling from the sky during the 2007 fires.  “It’s going to be a long night.”

It’s Saturday night in Exarchia, a district in Athens where many college students reside and socialize. Outside of a café, a heated argument between two cops and defied teenagers erupted. The situation was nothing out of the usual-until three shots were fired, one of them killing 15-year-old Alexandros-Andreas Grigoropoulos. While a crowd formed around the boy, the policemen fled the scene. He was pronounced dead by the time he reached the hospital.

Though some news outlets claimed the two cops involved in the shooting were attacked by the gang while in their patrol car, the details leading up to the tragedy is still unclear.

Authorities tell media that the shots fired were warning shots, and that the boy was carrying a firebomb. In contrast, witnesses claim the gun was directed at the boy. They also said the boy didn’t have anything in his hands, and hence, no reason to pull out the weapon.

But the story doesn’t end here. In an hour, everyone knew that a young boy was shot by police, and that’s when one of Greece’s worst riots began.

Grigoropoulos, 15, was shot and killed by officers, causing days of rioting all over Greece. Photo from Facebook.com

Spread like a Wildfire

Scattered broken glass and the smell of burning are debris of what some call the verge of a long awaited revolution.

Overnight and throughout Sunday, intense rioting led by left-minded youths took place in central cities all over Greece, among them, Thessaloniki, the second largest city. There, over 1,000 marched and attacked a police precinct by the port.

Clad in black clothing and wearing motorcycle helmets, protesters in Greece threw Molotov cocktails (lighting bottles of alcohol on fire) and stones at police, armed with tear gas. In Athens, windows of local shops were smashed, and banks and embassy buildings were burned and damaged. Greek flags, trash bins and random cars were also set on fire.

Not intimidated by police, these individuals have less tolerance and respect for “power-hungry” law enforcers than other countries.

Brady Kiesling, former U.S. diplomat based in Greece told reporters that police are cautious and stay out of certain areas where “reformers” gather. “… unless there’s a major emergency, and the anarchists don’t trash things badly unless there’s a good reason,” However, he said, “Once someone gets killed, the doctrine is massive retaliation.”

The civil rampage prompted swift action by the government, as the two cops are currently detained. The one who shot the boy is charged for manslaughter. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis already made a public apology to the Grigoropoulos family.

A burning Greek flag symbolizing overthrow of establishment at the spot where Grigoropoulos died. Photo by Getty Images.

Old Flames Die Hard

What many are just realizing is that one boy’s death isn’t what sparked such opposition. This was just adding fuel to an existing fire. Anarchists and leftists, known in Greece as “γνωστουs αγνωστουs,” or the “known unknowns,” have been around. Lately, they were protesting in response to university reform policies, and exposed government scandals of political officials.

Constantine P., 26, of Athens, who requested that his last name not be used, confirmed that left-minded protestors have always been around.

“This is a long standing issue that people don’t know about.”  Until something like this happens.

This is not the first time the Greek police was involved with killing a minor. In 1985, a similar incident involving another 15-year-old resulted in months of violent clashing on the streets.

A Facebook group in memory of Grigoropoulos generated over 21,000 members as of Sunday night, a day after he died. Web pages and video clips have also been been created, hinting at past rebellions. Comments referring to cops as “murderers” and “pigs” strewn all over. While wishing Grigoropoulos a “good trip,” supporters are passionately calling to take matters into their own hands.

“This is disgusting. Where there is act, there is react,” said a protester from Athens, who didn’t reveal his name.

Fear looms among the Greek population as they wonder where they would end up should another life be taken away as a result of years of pent-up rage against authorities.

“Justice won’t be served like this,” warned Constantine.

Another demonstration is set to take place in Athens on Monday.