Six Charged Over Alleged Racist Incitement Linked to Thessaloniki ‘Anti Zionist’ March

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Six people are facing charges including alleged incitement to violence with a racist motive following an “anti Zionist patrol” held by far left activists in Thessaloniki in June.

Greek police said Friday that five men and one woman, aged between 21 and 46, were identified by the Thessaloniki unit responsible for investigating racist and extremist violence. The investigation was carried out following an order from prosecutors.

According to police, the six allegedly took part in a march through central Thessaloniki on the night of June 27 and later published text, photographs and video of the event on social media.

The charges reportedly include incitement to crimes of violence or hatred, membership of a criminal organisation and other offenses.

The investigation comes amid a series of protests in Greece targeting Israeli visitors, including groups arriving on cruise ships, following the war in Gaza. Incidents involving harassment of Israeli tourists have prompted the Greek Tourism Ministry to publicly stress that Israeli visitors are safe in the country.

Rouvikonas linked to the march

On June 27, the anarchist group Rouvikonas, also known as Rubicon, published photographs showing activists dressed in black and carrying Palestinian flags as they marched through central Thessaloniki.

No violence was reported during the march.

Rouvikonas described the action as an “anti Zionist patrol” and condemned Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. In its statement, the group claimed it was protesting in an area where what it described as Israeli capital had expanded.

The group also alleged that Israeli and other foreign funds were purchasing property, beaches, neighborhoods and villages, claiming this was forcing local residents to become “migrants in their own land.”

The statements and imagery surrounding the march prompted strong criticism from Jewish community representatives and the Greek government.

The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, known as KIS, accused Rouvikonas of antisemitism and compared the action to tactics associated with Nazi stormtroopers.

Investigation into alleged hate incitement

Thessaloniki prosecutors subsequently ordered an investigation into whether those involved could be held criminally responsible for allegedly inciting violence or hatred and threatening the commission of violent crimes.

The case is particularly sensitive in Thessaloniki, which once had one of Greece’s largest and most important Jewish communities.

During the German occupation of Greece in World War II, the city’s Jewish population was rounded up and deported to Nazi concentration and extermination camps in occupied Poland and elsewhere. The vast majority were murdered during the Holocaust.

The latest charges come as Greek authorities face growing scrutiny over demonstrations and incidents involving Israeli visitors amid continuing tensions surrounding the Gaza war.

The suspects will now face the judicial process, while prosecutors determine the extent of their alleged involvement and whether further legal action will be taken.

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