Activists have taken to the airwaves and social media in Greece and around Europe this week to call for pro-Greek government rallies as Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis enters a “lion’s den” at Wednesday evening’s Eurogroup meeting in Brussels.
Social media have been abuzz with nationwide pleas for Latin American-style … pro-government rallies. Beyond the real or imagined comparisons, of course, the underlying mood on the streets and workplaces is to find a formula that ends strict austerity and jump-starts the economy.
The rally, dubbed by activists as “A Breath of Dignity”, aims to show solidarity to the anti-austerity government of Greece and against perceived scare-mongering and “blackmailing” tactics by the “troika” of Greece’s institutional creditors (EC, ECB, IMF). Athens is keen to renegotiate some type of debt abatement deal — but not immediately — while in the short-term, the SYRIZA government does not want an extension of the previous bailout deal but a “bridge agreement”, which mainly involves guaranteed bank liquidity by the ECB, increasing the ceiling (> 15 bln euros) for issuing short-term T-bills, using Greek bonds as collateral with the ECB and lowering the target for a primary budget surplus, from 3% of GDP to as low as 1%, amongst others. Varoufakis said such an agreement was necessary until the end of May or early June, while subsequent statements by the government pointed to the end of summer. This “grace period”, according to the flamboyant Yanis and other top ministers, is imperative in order to allow the Tsipras government “time and space” to develop its own plan in place of the previous bailout deals (memoranda).
Braving the freezing weather, Greeks — at least the pro-government ones willing to demonstrate — are expected gather at designated points around the country — “We cannot be blackmailed!” “We will not succumb!” “We won’t go back!” “We must win!” are expected to be some of the banners unfurled for the world’s cameras.
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“The elections have ended and a government that wants to represent our needs against the interests of the European oligarchy is here. They are trying to blackmail us and frighten us,” heeds one of the calls on social media. 
Apart from rallies in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patra, there will be meetings at other cities around Greece: Chania, Crete: https://www.facebook.com/events/1535813133339808/?fref=ts Herakleion, Crete: https://www.facebook.com/events/1581224912095381/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular Patra: https://www.facebook.com/events/444402819057260/ Lamia: https://www.facebook.com/events/1394520704187669/ Volos: https://www.facebook.com/events/573916049378673/ Castoria: https://www.facebook.com/events/386105781571453/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular Rethymnon, Crete: https://www.facebook.com/events/362412387275001/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular Kalymnos: http://palmostiskalymnou.blogspot.gr/2015/…/blog-post_3.html Lesvos: https://www.facebook.com/events/1525174067745425/ Kavala: https://www.facebook.com/events/1544532319150096/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
Cyprus Support for Greece is strong in Cyprus. People will gather outside the house of Europe in Nicosia to show their solidarity. Another gathering is expected on February 16 also.
London The Greece Solidarity Campaign, Syriza London and other organisations have called an Emergency Protest against the ECB and in support of the anti-austerity movement in Greece on Wednesday February 11th at 6.30pm Parliament Square, near Big Ben. We are also calling for a Mass Rally in support of the people of Greece on Sunday 15th February at 13.00 in Trafalgar Square. This is part of an international wave of rallies and protests in support of Greece taking place across Europe. Come along with friends and colleagues to show your support for the first anti-austerity government in Europe.
A map of protest:
