ATHENS 2004
"The Greatest Celebration on Earth" ???
(By Marijo Anne Gillis – Founder, WAG, New York (Welfare for Animals Global / Welfare for Animals in Greece)
I peered out the window of the giant airbus as the powerful jet screeched to an abrupt halt. It was 10:30 am and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Elefterios Venezelou Airport was eerily quiet. In early summer, Athens is usually a frenetic hub of activity. Tourists from all over the world flock to the “Cradle of Western Civilization” for fun in the sun and trips to the majestic monuments of a once exemplary civilization.
My history and love affair with Greece spans 30 years—dating back to my early college days. I lived in Greece for 14 years, while married, and ran a lucrative yacht chartering business. I like to believe that over the years, I became somewhat of an expert on Greek cultural and social mores.
Modern day Greece pales in comparison to the mighty imprint she relinquished so many millennia ago. She is but a faint shadow-- a dim memory of her ancient and glorious past. I guess you could say that she has devolved into a disabled offspring of colossal greatness.
I disembarked, cleared customs, said a prayer to the Lord for strength and began a sad journey into the desperate, despairing world of the animals of Greece. Unwanted, abandoned, brutalized, the fate of these creatures, both companion and farmed are tenuous at best--especially in light of the 2004 Olympic Games.
I have made three investigative trips to Greece in the last nine months and have filmed and photographed the innocent victims of abuse, neglect and disease in horrifying municipal shelters, parks, back alley ways, farms and even private homes. Fear, loneliness, starvation, brutality, pain and death are not just vocabulary for the companion and farmed animals in Greece, but living expressions of reality.
Low cost spay/neuter programs do not exist . Greeks believe that animals deserve a sex life. Sadly, some Greek veterinarians are more concerned with profits from all too often botched spay/neuters, which they perform reluctantly, than with the hideous conditions of the animals they were trained to help. "Voluntary" vets, from around the world have been denied access to practice in Greece, lest they curb the inflow of bucks to the home grown variety. To hell, I guess, with the nightmare of animal suffering in Greece.
Greeks proudly state that they do not practice euthanasia, yet, ironically mass poisoning is their barbaric form of animal population control. Death sneaks up furtively upon the starving animals as they ravenously devour food laced with a lethal cocktail of rat poison, herbicides and pesticides. The end is slow and brutally agonizing.
Wanton propagation in wretched, municipal shelters, where animals are trapped in perpetual misery-- diseased and starving, results in new born puppies being cannibalized by animals struggling for survival. These grisly scenes have been captured on video.
Man's dominion over animals - an appointment by God, has apparently been stripped of mercy, compassion and humanity.
Over the past year, my meetings and negotiations with Greek ministers, mayors, and officials of the 2004 Athens Olympic Committee have produced promises to raise the standard of animal welfare and embrace social responsibility, especially in light of the “Games”. Unfortunately for the animal victims, promises are empty--rhetoric is meaningless.
Graphic reports of animal abuse in the daily papers and on TV do little to mobilize a humane response by citizens. Government generated press releases deny allegations of slaughter and criminal abuse and are little more than slick smokescreens meant to mislead probing journalists and the conscientious world.
My investigations over the past two years, clearly point to a well planned, systematic “house cleaning” campaign. Allegedly orchestrated by Greek officials in cooperation with the 2004 Athens Olympic Committee, "gentrification" of the streets in time for the onslaught of tourists to the summer games has resulted in a massacre. Reports from Greece indicate that the animals are not the only ones who are disappearing and taking the proverbial bullet for greed and inhumanity. Several, Greek TV viewers state that a late night news report indicates that allegedly, the homeless, gypsies, and other aesthetically “undesirables” will be spirited off to mysterious venues for the duration of the games. Perhaps to an island spa? - I shudder as I déjà vu Gestapo tactics !
While in Athens, I brought provocative expose material--facts, photographs and film to the attention of a very powerful television journalist, Maki Triantafylopoulos. His programs "Yellow Press" and "Jungle", air twice weekly on Alter TV, a major network. Both broadcasts vie for the number one spot in the ratings. He is feared for his relentless inquisitions and cunning reportage on corruption and abuse and he wreaks havoc on the human pollution of Greek society. He travels with a body guard and threats upon his life are taken seriously. I like him very much. He is a gentle and compassionate man and is hell bent on securing justice for the proverbial underdog. Please, no pun intended. Several years ago, Mr. Triantafylopoulos' award winning expose on Greece's hideous and macabre mental hospitals reached the television audiences of one of America's most credible documentary programs.
I am grateful for this journalist’s trust in WAG's campaign for the animals of Greece. He "gifted" me, Athens attorney, Amalia Katsoula and South African activist, Angela Fleming the opportunity to participate in a live one hour program called “Yellow Press”. A well known panel of guests, including government officials and people from the entertainment and publishing world were invited to express their views. I believe that we ignited an un-extinguishable "torch". On the air, Mr. Triantafylopoulos promised to me and his millions of viewers, that he will thoroughly investigate allegations of mass exterminations and the disappearance of countless animals and he hopefully will uncover the identification of the perpetrators.
After my rabble rousing visit to Greece in June of 2003, , at the invitation of the Greek government, Athens Olympic Committee director, billionaire, Gianna Angelopoulou-Daskalaki held a major press conference and promised financial aid for the welfare of abandoned animals affected by the infrastructure for the games. I am curious to learn the whereabouts of the “millions of euros” that she promised for the animals. Did someone open a Swiss bank account?
Indulgences for the Olympic Games ( expenditures will indeed have dramatic
consequences for Greek citizens) idle in the billions of dollars and are
dramatically over budget. Thankfully, the international animal welfare community
has called for an active, united BOYCOTT of Greece and this action will
undoubtedly impact an already compromised economy. Oblivious to all but the
“glory of the Games”, the 2004 Athens Olympic Committee turns a blind eye to
financial disaster, as well as to the grim animal issue which screams for a
humane solution.
Forever lobbying and pressuring officials, I arranged a formal meeting with Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Alexandros Kontos, the minister's counsel, animal advocates and three brilliant Athenian attorneys, (Amalia Katsoula, Elias Pavlakis and Vasilis Alavanos), who are working together, pro bono, to effect justice for animals and animal advocates. Prior to this meeting, the Ministry refused communication with the animal welfare community. I am happy to report that this dialogue between people and state continues. Another meeting ( attorney’s in tow) with the Deputy Mayor of Athens, Tonia Kannelopoulou, charged with animal welfare in the Olympic host city was extremely cordial. Once again, the mayoralty made promises for reform that I feel sure they would like to keep; however, rejecting assistance from foreign animal welfare organizations is not wise. The Athens municipality's primitive, well intentioned actions have yet to prove the verity of political oratory.
WAG and the heaven sent Angela Fleming, general secretary of Athens’ Frontida Zoon (Caring for the Animals) physically rescued several very ill, abused young dogs from the garbage dump at Loutraki, a wealthy seaside resort some 80 kilometers from Athens. Loutraki’s claim to fame is a popular gambling casino. Infamous is the town dump which doubles as Loutraki’s municipal animal shelter. It is despicable as are the indifferent officials of the town, (partners in the casino). Words cannot describe the condition of the animals. At this moment, I find that I cannot find the fortitude to describe the misery, pain and desolation that I witnessed. A happy ending for these rescued creatures, is that WAG has provided veterinary treatment for the rescued dogs, (two were 3 week old puppies discarded as rubbish ) and foster care with loving families. They are presently being medicated, loved, spoiled, fattened up and are awaiting a mercy airlift and re-homing in Belgium. But, what about the tens of thousand left behind?
During my 17 day stay in Greece, I had daily meetings with animal rights activists and phone conferences with these wonderful people nation wide; the only members of Greek society who seem to care about her tormented animals. Sadly, these human bastions of animal rights continue to be ridiculed, slandered, intimidated and marginalized by citizens and government officials alike, and some of their actions appear to be governed by fear. The vicious Greek e-zine, Tetrapodologein has made an egregious mockery of their compassion.
Happily, on June 6, 2004, the venue of the Greek Parliament played involuntary host to a boisterous and passionate street demonstration. Gathering courage, over 1000 angry animal activists took to the streets, with banners and loudspeakers, protesting the mass poisoning of thousands of dogs and cats and the government and the 2004 Athens Olympic Committee’s alleged, reckless complicity in the disappearance of the country’s strays.
Even better news is the fact that the European media is covering Greece’s “little shop of horrors” with vitality and serious intent. As well, WAG just completed production on a 5 minute, narrated documentary film which details animal abuse in Greece . WAG will distribute the visual images to major media outlets throughout North America and Western Europe. A major American network has expressed interest in the expose. Adverse publicity will certainly impact the influx of Greece’s tourist dollars. Money is something that the Greek nation’s governing force comprehends -- the diminished ching-ching of that damn Greek cash register god may catalyze positive action.
As the Olympic games draw near, much is being questioned about vital security in defense of global terrorism and construction delays of the city's infrastructure are foremost concerns. The Greek government blithely reassures the media and turns it's arrogant attention to putting their city in the best possible light.
As the world lobbies for assurances that the 2004 Athens Olympic Games will be a safe and successful pageant, the needless and barbaric slaughter of her animals continues. The world is perplexed and somewhat stunned by this country’s resistance to compassion.
As Greece assumes center stage, let us remember and never forget, that athletes from around the world will exercise their prowess upon the blood stains of the thousands of voiceless, vulnerable victims of greed and inhumanity. This will surely outrage the millions of people who cherish their animals and the creatures with whom we share this planet.
Alluring TV commercials and crafty print advertising, artfully displayed, proclaim that the 2004 Athens Olympics will "unite the world". A full page ad in a New York City newspaper, presented by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, states:
“At the dawn of the third millennium, more than 2,700 years after the first Olympic Games, history will repeat itself as the Olympics return to the country of their birth. The Greek nation and the whole world will embrace the unique revival of the games, turning them into "the greatest celebration on earth".
Knowing what we know, this image strains credulity.
And so, dear readers, Greece continues to rape her own image with social irresponsibility and moral bankruptcy. The 2004 Athens Olympic Games will hoist a bright torchlight over the failures of Greek society and civic institutions to live up to their obligations to meet the most basic, simple needs of animals.
Welcome to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games
as GREEK ANIMALS RACE for their LIVES!
Marijo Anne Gillis - Founder
WAG, New York (Welfare for Animals Global/Welfare for Animals in Greece (5013c)
1775 York Avenue # 7H
New York, New York 10128
Tel. (212) 427-0587 Fax (212) 427-6381 (tel. # can be published)
E-Mail Twinkieperkyebby@msn.com
THANK YOU
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UNITED ACTION FOR ANIMALS ASKS FOR BOYCOTT
INTERVIEW RE: GREECE'S DESTRUCTION
BURNED KITTEN INDICATIVE OF CLIMATE
"This is precisely why I will not watch the Olympics on TV. As
much as I would like to cheer on my countrymen, I cannot accept this. It
certainly won't help the poor sentient beings in Greece but perhaps my protest
(if we don't watch it - they don't get great ratings) might send the powers that
be a clear message that we won't tolerate this for the next Olympics."
Roni McCall
Founder & Executive Director
Through Their Eyes
The National Animal Abuse Registry
website: http://www.inhumane.org
email:
noabuse@inhumane.org