Greece to punish coast guards over parade slogans
Published: 11:44 a.m., Friday, March 26, 2010
-
Greek coast guard special forces march during a military parade in Athens, on Thursday, March 25, 2010. The Civil Protection Ministry on Friday, March 26, 2010 has suspended the coast guard officer in charge of the parade unit and pledged tough action against unidentified members accused of shouting racist slogans against Albanians during the Independence Day parade. The ministry strongly condemned the incident Friday. Photo: Dimitri Messinis / AP
-
Greek coast guard special forces march during a military parade in Athens, on Thursday, March 25, 2010. The Civil Protection Ministry on Friday, March 26, 2010 has suspended the coast guard officer in charge of the parade unit and pledged tough action against unidentified members accused of shouting racist slogans against Albanians during the Independence Day parade. The ministry strongly condemned the incident Friday. Photo: Dimitri Messinis / AP
-
Greek coast guard special forces march during a military parade in Athens, on Thursday, March 25, 2010. The Civil Protection Ministry on Friday, March 26, 2010 has suspended the coast guard officer in charge of the parade unit and pledged tough action against unidentified members accused of shouting racist slogans against Albanians during the Independence Day parade. The ministry strongly condemned the incident Friday. Photo: Dimitri Messinis / AP
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities are suspending an officer and pledging tough action against members of a coast guard unit accused of chanting racist slogans during a military parade in Athens.
Video from the parade posted on the Internet shows members of an elite coast guard divers' unit chanting racist slogans against Albanians.
Civil Protection Minister Michalis Chryssochoidis is strongly condemning the incident, which took place at Thursday's Independence Day celebrations, and ordering an investigation.
"These people have no place in the coast guard," Chryssochoidis said Friday. "No brainless person has the right to tarnish his unit ... with racist slogans that convey hatred and xenophobia."
The ministry said further sanctions will follow the investigation.
No comments:
Post a Comment