AN ARREST warrant was issued yesterday for Ilias Kasidiaris, the spokesman for Greece’s far-right neo-Nazi Chrysi Avgi, or Golden Dawn, political party after he assaulted two female left-wing MPs on live television during a morning political show.
Mr Kasidiaris and one of the women traded insults, hurling “commie” and “fascist” at each other across the panel discussion table. In scenes reminiscent of guest confrontations on the daytime American TV programme The Jerry Springer Show, Mr Kasidiaris hurled the contents of a glass of water at one female panellist before attacking and punching three times another who spoke in her defence.
After the eruption of violence, Mr Kasidiaris, a former soldier, was subdued and locked in a studio room. He smashed down the door, however, and escaped. Police have been told to track him down and arrest him, a court official said.
Mr Kasidiaris is already facing a charge of assisting an attack and robbery against a postgraduate student in 2007 and has had his trial adjourned until June 11th.
He allegedly assisted five unidentified attackers, who had clubbed and stabbed a postgraduate student to take his identity card, by providing them with the getaway car. He has also been charged with illegal possession of a firearm.
What was a heated debate yesterday on a private TV station on the June 17th elections descended into chaos when Mr Kasidiaris, who is a member of the Greek parliament, threw a glass of water at the female leftist Syriza party member Rena Dourou, calling her a “joke”.
As other participants watched in silence, Communist Party MP Liana Kanelli intervened on her behalf, throwing a newspaper at Mr Kasidiaris, who called her a “commie”, stood up, pushed her and hit her hard in the face.
Golden Dawn, which uses neo-Nazi symbols and regalia and is virulently anti-immigration and anti-Semitic, won parliamentary seats in May elections for the first time.
The far-right group said in a statement on its website that Mr Kasidiaris had been provoked by the other panel members. “If anybody wants us to condemn our party fellow over this indeed unfortunate moment, they should first condemn Kanelli’s attack and slandering.” – (Reuters)