Gov’t sharply condemns latest ‘intervention’ by notorious self-styled anarchist group; refers to attack

The government sharply condemned an incident on Thursday evening whereby members of a notorious “anti-state” group appeared outside the Athens residence of the development and investments minister and tossed paper flyers on the pavement and, in a dig aimed at the specific minister, packets of spaghetti.

“A short time ago at the residence of Minister Adonis Georgiadis, while his children were inside, the thugs of Rouvikonas attacked. We condemn this cowardly attack by the thugs of this group, and we expect the same by all political forces. Clearly and absolutely,” government spokesman Yannis Economou said.

Rouvikonas is the name of a self-styled anarchist “cooperative” that has gained notoriety over the years for brief occupations of state offices, private offices and even “flash protests” outside embassies and diplomatic missions, practically all in the greater Athens area.

Taking to his own Twitter account, Georgiadis, one of the most outspoken, prominent but also divisive ministers of the center-right government, took aim directly at the main opposition SYRIZA party and its president, former leftist prime minister Alexis Tsipras.

“It’s strange that when I say something that bothers Alexis Tsipras, Rouvikonas arrives and attacks my residence, with my children inside…it’s obviously a coincidence, and SYRIZA will surely condemn this attack against my home, I am certain…boys, you should know, we’re not afraid of you.”

Ένα περίεργο πράγμα όποτε λέω κάτι που ενοχλεί πολύ τον @atsipras έρχεται ο Ρουβίκωνας και επιτίθεται στο σπίτι μου με τα παιδιά μου μέσα…μπα σύμπτωση θα είναι και ο @syriza_gr σίγουρα καταδικάζει την επίθεση στο σπίτι μου είμαι βέβαιος…παιδιά δεν σας φοβόμαστε να ξέρετε.. pic.twitter.com/8rOCSiBvD7

— Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης (@AdonisGeorgiadi) November 17, 2022

He returned with a second Tweet and referred to the packets of spaghetti.

“I now see that the Rouvikonas ‘revolutionaries’ tossed spaghetti in protest, ostensibly, against the ‘Household Basket’… if you’ve never been poor and have everything in your life given to you, how can you appreciate the value of the food they dumped. The ‘basket’ has hurt them very much,” Georgiadis said, in reference to a scheme promoted by his ministry whereby supermarket chains bundle certain necessity goods in a fixed-priced status every week, and with the prices announced by each large retailer.

Τώρα βλέπω ότι πέταξαν και μακαρόνια οι «επαναστάτες» το Ρουβίκωνα για να διαμαρτυρηθούν και καλά για το Καλάθι…άμα δεν έχει κάνει φτωχός και τα έχεις όλα έτοιμα στην ζωή σου πως να εκτιμήσεις την αξία αυτών των τροφίμων που πέταξαν….το «Καλάθι» πόνεσε πολύ τελικά… pic.twitter.com/DyGntq0dTe

— Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης (@AdonisGeorgiadi) November 17, 2022