Greek radical anarchists claim attacks on political offices

A radical anarchist group on Monday claimed responsibility for last week's attacks on the political offices of three Greek conservative lawmakers in the northern city of Thessaloniki. "Our goal was not to cause injury but to spread chaos and anarchy," said the previously unknown organisation, which calls itself Overall Deniers of Joining the Existing, in a statement. The organisation attacked the offices of deputy environment minister Stavros Kalafatis and lawmakers Costas Gioulekas and Giorgos Orfanos with small bombs made out of gas canisters. All three are members of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' party New Democracy. Five people were trapped in a building and had to be rescued by firefighters while a female employee jumped from the balcony one floor below to avoid the smoke. Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou denounced the attacks as an act of terrorism. In its statement, the group expressed its solidarity with jailed members of other anarchist groups and criticised Kalafatis for his stance regarding a controversial mining site in Halkidiki, in the north of the country. Citizens' groups have been trying to halt a Canadian company's gold mining project in the region, fearing irreversible harm to the local environment with frequent protests. In February, hooded activists firebombed the worksite of Hellenic Gold, subsidiary of Canadian firm Eldorado Gold. The government supports the investment. Greece has experienced a recent surge in violent attacks, most notably shots fired at the New Democracy headquarters in early January. Last week another radical anarchist group claimed responsibility for a bombing at a courier company earlier in March, where no one was injured.