Golden Dawn

{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn|the other Golden Dawn]].}}
[[File:Meandros flag.svg|165px|thumb|right|This flag depicts a swastika after a car ran it over.<ref group=note>Also notice the overt abundance of the colour gold.</ref>]]{{Nazism}}
{{cquote|''Greece for the Greeks''|4=Party slogan that really isn't discriminatory}}

'''Golden Dawn''' is an extremist [[Greece|Greek]] party that has absolutely ''nothing'' to do with [[Nazism]] or [[fascism]] (in the same way [[Ted Haggard]] is [[Haggard's Law|completely heterosexual]]).<ref group=note>They even used a version of a Nazi anthem when handing out food to "Greeks only." [http://dawnofthegreeks.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/golden-dawn-plays-nazi-anthem-at-food-handout/ Golden Dawn plays Nazi anthem at food handout]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140713205541/http://www.tothemaonline.com/kosmos/nazi-apo-kunia-mixaloliakos-pappas Don't take our word for it!]</ref> The primary objective of the Golden Dawn is to "rid the land of filth." Of course, they assure the media that ''filth'' stands for the [[euro crisis|economic crisis]], not non-Greeks (and [[No True Scotsman|non-sufficiently-Greeks]]), probably. After the 2012 elections, the party got 18 of 300 seats in the Hellenic Parliament, the first time they'd ever been in it. After losing ground in subsequent elections, they fell below the 3% electoral threshhold in the 2019 election and lost their seats.

[[Anarchism|Anarchists]] have repeatedly tried to kick Golden Dawn's ass, and on some occasions succeeded in driving them away.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNnI1XTr2xs</ref>

In October 2020, after a five year trial, seven Golden Dawn leaders were convicted of heading a criminal group. Leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos was convicted of murder, and fifteen other members of the group were convicted of conspiracy.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54433396 Greece Golden Dawn: Neo-Nazi leaders guilty of running crime gang]. [[BBC]], 7 October 2020.</ref><ref>Helena Smith, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/14/greece-golden-dawn-neo-nazi-prison-sentences Neo-Nazi leaders of Greece's Golden Dawn sentenced to 13 years]. [[The Guardian]], 14 October 2020.</ref> Unfortunately, the Golden Dawn's madness lives on in the form of 
the {{wpl|Spartans (Greek political party)|Spartans}} political party.

==Their leader==
The 
Führer
 president of Golden Dawn is Nikolaos Michaloliakos, a [[Holocaust denier]] and a fan of Greek [[dictator]] Ioannis Metaxas, who was ([[ironic]]ally) simply disastrous for the Greek economy. He once met the leadership of Greek military [[junta]], which probably inspired him to be such a gigantic authoritarian fuck. Michaloliakos is one of several Golden Dawn MP's arrested following the murder of anti-racist musician, Pavlos Fyssas, by a Golden Dawn supporter.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24314319 Greece's Golden Dawn leader Michaloliakos held in crackdown]</ref> On 14 October 2020, Michaloliakos and other members of Golden Dawn were sentenced to thirteen years in prison for being part of a criminal organization that ordered or encouraged violence.<ref name=conviction>[https://text.npr.org/s.php?sId=923605755 Golden Dawn: Leader Of Greek Neo-Nazi Party Sentenced To 13 Years In Prison]. [[NPR]], 14 October 2020.</ref><ref>Georgios Samaras (November 26, 2020). [https://theconversation.com/the-end-of-golden-dawn-has-greece-shown-us-how-to-deal-with-neo-nazis-150239 "The end of Golden Dawn: has Greece shown us how to deal with neo-Nazis?"]. ''The Conversation''.</ref>

The party also includes luminaries such as Ilias Kasidiaris, who actually slapped a woman live on national television. He then proceeded to sue her.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18398603  Greek New Dawn's Ilias Kasidiaris sues women over TV row], BBC</ref>

==Violence==
{{cquote|
{{wpl|Murder of Pavlos Fyssas|Rest in peace, Killah P, he was taken away}}

Take the life of a man who has something to say

You attack immigrants and the people who are gay

You attack Muslims and the people who pray

Bunch of fascists, that's why I gotta spit in your face!
|||Quadir Lateef, "Fuck Golden Dawn"<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnsFV4MuEdA Fuck Golden Dawn ΓΑΜΗΣΤΕ ΤΗ ΧΡΥΣΗ ΑΥΓΗ (RIP KILLAH P)- Quadir Lateef]</ref>}}
Since its foundation in 1985, the Golden Dawn has been associated with at least 5 acts of [[hate crime]]s against [[Jew]]s, [[Undocumented immigration|immigrant]]s, and political activists.  These attacks include the partial, permanent blinding of a singer from a [[socialist]] band; attacks on three different synagogues that Golden Dawn has claimed responsibility for; and possession of weaponry in their offices.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/23/greece-golden-dawn-media-violence Golden Dawn violence]</ref><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/world/europe/as-golden-dawn-rises-in-greece-anti-immigrant-violence-follows.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Anti-Immigrant violence on the rise.]</ref> 

In 2013, the murder of anti-fascist rapper Killah P (Pavlos Fyssas) by Golden Dawn thugs was the final straw for the Greek government, and they began moving to ban Golden Dawn from politics.<ref>Helena Smith, [http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/18/greece-ban-golden-dawn-pavlos-fyssas Greece moves to ban far-right Golden Dawn party]. [[The Guardian]], 18 September 2013. (There is precedent for this, see [[Germany#Regierung|Germany's Constitutional Court]].)</ref> Whether or not this will lead to them becoming even more violent remains to be seen.

==Blasphemy prosecution==
Golden Dawn brought a young [[atheist]] named Filippos Loizos to the attention of the authorities, for publishing a [[Social networking websites#Facebook|Facebook]] page ridiculing a deceased Elder of the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Greek Orthodox Church]] responsible for many alleged [[miracle]] claims before and after his death.  This was considered an act of [[blasphemy]]; Loizos was prosecuted and received a suspended sentence to ten months in [[prison]].  Some Greeks, including several atheist groups, have come forward demanding repeal of blasphemy laws and the prison sentence was successfully appealed in 2017.<ref>[http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/entry/elder_pastitios_arrest_rekindles_debate_on_blasphemy_laws_in_greece/ Elder Pastitsios” Arrest Rekindles Debate on Blasphemy Laws in Greece]</ref><ref>[https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/4548/facebook-satire-leads-to-blasphemy-conviction-in-greece Facebook satire leads to blasphemy conviction in Greece]</ref> In July 1st of 2019, the blasphemy law articles were abolished from Greece's criminal code.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190618152151/https://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/humanists-uk/article/blasphemy-to-be-abolished-in-greece-under-new-criminal-code Blasphemy to be abolished in Greece under new criminal code]</ref>

==England's Golden Dawn==
There is a group in the [[United Kingdom]] which refers to itself as 
[[British National Party|BNP]]
 
[[United Kingdom Independence Party|UKIP]]
 England's Golden Dawn and has adopted the logo of its Greek counterpart. EGD is not a political party, however, but a small organisation which currently appears to exist as little more than a Facebook group founded in November 2012.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121214032702/http://www.conciliocic.org/news/31-heiling-a-new-dawn-england-s-patriotic-storm-troopers-targeting-invaders-traitors CiC: Heiling a New Golden Dawn]</ref> Postings at this group are predictably dodgy: "Pity we cant [''sic''] just [[Not even wrong|carpet bomb every Muslim area in the country I say]]," opines the page's administrator.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130116050533/http://edlnews.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/latest-news/962-english-volunteer-force-court-nazis-for-birmingham-demo EDL News: English Volunteer Force court Nazis for Birmingham demo]</ref> The website EDLNews claims that the group is run by Eddie Stampton and that he uses the pseudonym of Mark Pringle on Facebook; Stampton denies this.<ref>Gary Hasting, [https://archive.ph/czFXT Brighton: Nazis threaten violence at March for England]. Archived from the original at edlnews.co.uk, 23 January 2013.</ref>

==Der Untergang==
On September 2019, two months after suffering a massive electoral defeat, Golden Dawn finally shut down its main headquarters in Athens – as well as its offices in most Greek cities – allegedly due to "financial struggles".<ref>[http://greekcitytimes.com/2019/09/17/golden-dawn-shuts-main-headquarters/ Golden Dawn shuts down its main headquarters]</ref><ref>[http://www.pappaspost.com/golden-dawn-closes-greece/ Golden Dawn Shutters National Headquarters; Neo-Nazis Receive “One-Way Ticket to Dustbin of History”]</ref> The fact that they were repeatedly ransacked by Greek [[Antifa]] after the 2013 murder of Killah P ''probably'' had something to do with their not-so-golden downfall.<ref name=conviction />

==External links==
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/19/golden-dawn-fascism-greece Golden Dawn and the rise of fascism]
*[http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/06/are-greek-policemen-really-voting-in-droves-for-greeces-neo-nazi-party/258767/ Are Greek Policemen Really Voting in Droves for Greece's Neo-Nazi Party?]
*[http://www.vice.com/en_us/article/znqdwx/are-golden-dawn-turning-to-terrorism-to-get-their-message-across Is Golden Dawn Turning to Terrorism to Get Their Message Across?]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120410044345/http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/322595 Video: TV host pelted with eggs & yoghurt for neo-Nazi interview]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24363776 Greece's Golden Dawn: 'Don't say a word or I'll burn you alive']
*[http://www.culteducation.com/group/1071-neo-nazis/26634-profile-greece-s-far-right-golden-dawn-party.html Golden Dawn profile at the Cult Education Institute]
*[http://www.counterextremism.com/threat/golden-dawn Golden Dawn profile at the Counter Extremism Project]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Authoritarianism]]
[[Category:European political parties]]
[[Category:Far-right political parties]]
[[Category:Fascism]]
[[Category:Greece]]
[[Category:Hate groups]]
[[Category:Holocaust denial]]
[[Category:Nationalism]]
[[Category:Nazism]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazism]]
[[Category:Racism]]
[[Category:Terrorist organisations]]

Categories: Authoritarianism, European political parties, Far-right political parties, Fascism, Greece, Hate groups, Holocaust denial, Nationalism, Nazism, Neo-Nazism, Racism, Terrorist organisations