Greece: Militant musical protest of artists’ unions and art schools

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the influential Greek labor organization, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME).

A massive, militant, musical protest took place on Tuesday, January 10 at the Ministry of Education in Athens against the Presidential Decree 85 that downgrades the degrees of Art Schools and the working rights of artists.

Students and teachers of Art Schools, musicians, dancers, actors and more protested in front of the Ministry with music, dance and banners with paintings demanding recognition of their education and studies, demanding to be free and public.

The president of the National Union of Musicians, cadre of PAME, Vasilis Paraskevopoulos noted:

“It is hopeful that young people, especially students of drama schools, have stepped forward to demand in principle an education that is appropriate to their needs. An education that must be public, that must lead to a university degree and that gives full employment rights. In this direction we have faced a series of governments over the years that have attacked this right. A right that is truly denied to thousands of working-class families, children with talent who cannot afford to pay a load of money to study. We must continue. We have to push them. We have to scare them with our mobilizations and win what we are entitled to”

Similar demonstrations took place also in Thessaloniki, Larissa and other cities of Greece.