Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, famous for circulating around Athens without a bodyguard, spoke about an attack by “anti-state activists” against him and his wife, artist Danae Stratou, while they were dining at notorious Exarheia – a hotbed for anarchy – on Tuesday.   “With a desire to threaten, covered faces, threats and by throwing glass objects towards us (that didn’t hit us) they moved slowly towards us demanding that I leave ‘their turf’,” says the announcement.

Below is a video, poor quality, of the fracas outside the restaurant. One of the group that menaced the Varoufakis couple demands that he leave the area and go “eat where your colleagues eat”.

Varoufakis said that nobody was injured in the incident, estimating that the goal of the young attackers was not to injure himself or his wife as the people involved had both the opportunity and the numbers to do so.

“Danae stood up and held me with force, turning her back to the attackers so that they would be forced to strike her before striking me,” said Varoufakis.

15 minutes later, while other diners left the restaurant undisturbed, the Varoufakis couple tried to leave the restaurant where a dialogue took place. “My response to the anger of these people and their violent attacks, cannot and should not be retreat or violence,” he said.

The full announcement

Last night (Tuesday, April 28), at Exarhia, my wife Danae Stratou and I were attacked by a group of anti-state activists at the restaurant where we were dining. Contrary to speculation, it was not an organized episode, nor an effort to seriously injure us, provocation nor part of a wider trend concerning my ‘degradation’ over recent days.

The incident took place as follows:

At around ten at night, I met Danae and one of her friends at the outdoor garden of the restaurant Giantes at Valtetsiou Street, where we dined. Around two hours later, after we had finished our dinner, a group of anti-state activists barged into the garden. With a desire to threaten, covered faces, shouts of abuse and by throwing glass objects twoards us (that didn’t hit us) they moved slowly towards us demanding that I leave ‘their turf’.

Their goal, in my view, was not to injure us as they had the opportunity and the ‘numbers’ to achieve this. I believe that their goal was to cause me to leave with light, humiliating strikes. This, however, cannot be proven as Danae, even before they anti-state activists approach us (and before I could stop her), got up and hugged me with force, turning her back to them so that they would have to strike her before hitting me.

The move by Danae appears to have forced two people at the front lines (of the attack) to try to strike without hurting her for a few seconds. Very quickly they retreated, continuing their abuse and threats, leaving the garden and waiting outside the restaurant. A quarter of an hour later, after a number of guests of the restaurant retreated without being obstructed, Danae and I left, heading to our motorcycle that was parked just outside the restaurant on Valtetsiou Street. The remaining anti-state activists, threatening but a few meters away, told us to leave their ‘turf’.

We got on the motorcycle but also opened dialogue with them, stating that I want to hear them out even if that meant that they should hit me. (I turned off the engine, got down and talked to a group of 5-6 of the most angry of the lot.) After about 15 minutes of tense but non-violent discussion the spirits calmed down and we left (with our motorbike) without any threats.

The incident in question confirms some thoughts and feelings that I had at the time when I lived at Exarhia (2000-2006) as well as during the intrusion of people at the amphitheater on Sina Street where I taught. Now is not the time to develop these thoughts.

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It suffices to state the position that no matter how much fear and dislike may be triggered, the exercise of violence in response to the anger of these people and their violent outbursts cannot and should not be untidy retreat nor violent oppression.”