Hard economic times breed hardcore Fascists. The Greek ultra-nationalist party Golden Dawn, which this Summer rallied at Thermopylae before the statue of King Leonidas of Sparta, has become the third most popular political party in Greece. It feeds on a virulently anti-immigrant platform. Eighteen Golden Dawn MPs were elected in June, but four have been stripped of their parliamentary immunity to face investigation for violent offenses. Golden Dawn, which had been a tiny fringe party, stormed into parliament for the first time in May with almost seven per cent of the vote, which they also received during a second election the following month.
Golden Dawn’s Youth Front, a Hitler Youth wannabe, distributes fliers with nationalist messages in Athens, organizes Rock Against Communism, and publishes the white nationalist magazine Resistance Hellas-Antepithesi, a sister publication of the American National Alliance’s Resistance magazine.
Wearing black T-shirts with a swastika-esque symbol, one of their slogans is “Get the Stench Out of Greece.” Although they deny a connection to the the National Socialist Workers Party, Golden Dawn’s trappings are inspired by the Nazi Runes.
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Steven Heller’s The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption? is available at MyDesignShop.com.