8 at least workers lost their lives and several more were injured (at least 4 of them with serious respiratory problems) at an explosion inside the oil tanker "Friendship Gas" (of Magnus Carriers Corp.) where they were doing maintenance works, a little after 16:00 Thursday evening. Note that during the explosion, the regular shift was over, so there cannot be an exact number of how many workers were inside the ship (including many unknown immigrants without papers). Similar accidents happen oftenly at the shipyard, resulting to many workers disabled or losing their lives.Once the fact got known, workers of the dockyard and relatives started approaching the site, while a three-hour sit-down strike was realised and a day strike for the next day was called by the dockyard workers associations (controlled by the PAME, a KKE-communist party front of workers associations).
On Friday morning, more than 1.500 persons demonstrated towards the ministry of mercantile marine, demanding to see the minister G. Voulgarakis. When they were turned down, told that the minister was in a meeting with the prime-minister at maximou mansion, they started to dismantle the fencing bars surrounding the ministry. Then, they were attacked by maritime cops and riot-policemen using excessive tear gas, while the protestors repelled them throwing bottles and stones. They also attacked the building of the ministry. In an announcement the ministry mentions that "5 maritime policemen and 8 policemen where slightly injured". Excessive damages were caused to government vehicles and maritime police cars parked outside the ministry. There are reports that PAME (KKE) organisers tried to shepherd the clashes, threatening demonstrators uncommited to PAME.
post from direct action news.gr
