Event of commemorating the life and sacrifice of Nikos Beloyannis

The Communist Party of Greece is still bringing up figures like Belogiannis

People flooded the Park in Goudi in the event organised in honour of the militant communist who was sent along with his comrades to the firing squad.

“KKE is still bringing up figures like Belogiannis; militants who are at the forefront of the struggle for people’s power, for socialism”. That was message of the music, the speech, the pictures and symbolisms in the event realised yesterday evening by the Athens Party Organisation of KKE in an atmosphere of intense emotion in honour of the communist Nikos Belogiannis.

In the event a speech delivered by the General Secretary of the CC of KKE,Aleka Papariga. The Park in Goudi was the place where 58 years ago Nikos Belogiannis and his comrades Ilias Argiriadis, Nikos Kaloumenos and Dimitris Batsis were executed. Workers, men and women, young people and resistance fighters honoured the consistent communist just a day after the anniversary of his sacrifice on 30 March 1952, with red carnations in the hands, humming melodies inspired by the struggle of our people and waving red flags. There also took place the unveiling of the monument constructed by KKE in honour of Nikos Belogiannis.

In her speech, the General Secretary of the CC of KKE, Aleka Papariga stressed:

“Militants like Nikos Belogiannis made the supreme sacrifice because they had an infinite interest on the working class, for the people; because they had strong faith in their Party and in the realistic necessity for the struggle for a society without exploitation of man by man, for a society of true freedom. All of us, and especially the young generations of communists, should mark his words: “one draws vast and inexhaustible strength from the faith in the party and the victory”! Belogiannis was murdered because he was cadre of KKE and of the Democratic Army of Greece.

He symbolised and expressed in the best way that the existence and action of KKE was necessary in all conditions, legal and illegal, struggling against the supposedly “most holy” of the bourgeois legality. Who prohibited the free action of KKE and for what reason? Who prohibits nowadays the free action of Communist Parties in a number of European countries, member states of the European Union, and why? Who sets unprecedented conditions for the participation of a Communist Party in the national elections, even when its action is not prohibited, and for what reason? Who declare illegal the call and realisation of a strike and why? Who threats to fire strikers and why? Who realises this threat a day later or shortly afterwards and why?

Who demolished the monuments of the Soviet Red Army that were built after the end of World War II in the USSR and in their place, in some former republics, monuments of the SS and of the Nazis ideas were erected, and why? Who and why assumes the Hitler army, today in 2010, as a liberation army in the Baltic countries – member- states of the EU? It is needless to name them. We have already known them. They are the civilian personnel of bourgeois governments of the countries members of the EU, the prime ministers and presidents who we see on the customary group photos at the end of each session of the EU, together, like one fist. (…)

And even a communist to find himself alone in a place of work without any support against the employers' pressure, is obliged to do his duty, to strike, to stand up. If it does not do it so, then his/her fellow worker, who are also struggle against their own fear, with the question whether they act proper by not striking, who will find an excuse for their lack of courage, will lose valuable time, they lose everything. The Communist self-sacrifice, selflessness and sacrifice has never lost its value and importance, it did not lose, nor will ever lose its substantial effectiveness.

Today, in front of this monument, our greatest honour to this sacrifice is the promise: We continue tireless and dauntless. Belogiannis combined during all his life the organizational work with the ideological one. Following this example today, we are tested, the Communist Party as well as KNE, in order to become more efficient. For improving our act it is needed the continuous acquisition of knowledge which is a prerequisite for the strengthening of ideological stability.

Today, in front of this monument, our greatest honour to this sacrifice is the promise: We continue tireless and dauntless