Greek newspaper's report into Golden Dawn deputy leader Christos Pappas teaching a child to do a Nazi salute. Read more: [ Ссылка ]
Formed in 1985, Golden Dawn was a fringe group of ultra nationalists but after the Greek economy nosedived in the noughties, the party exploited the situation and whipped up hatred of Islam and immigration while cloaking itself in the blue and white Greek flag.
In 2012 Golden Dawn politicians were elected for the first time when the party won the support of 440,966 Greeks and took seven per cent of the vote, to come third in a national election. Despite sinister rhetoric by the party – Golden Dawn campaigned against immigration using the slogan “so we can rid this land of filth” – 21 members entered parliament.
The party’s electoral success emboldened a significant thuggish element within its ranks and violence escalated on the streets. The height of Golden Dawn’s wrath was from around 2010 to 2013 when hundreds of people were targeted in Greece, although neo-Nazi violence is rising once again.
