Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government talks about promoting fundamental rights and the rule of law. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, is the Tánaiste aware of or concerned about the situation in Greece, an EU country where socialists in the Xekínimia organisation have told me about increased police repression and, in particular, attacks on young people? Riot police, for example, raided a university and trapped and tear-gassed students. There was a cinema invasion to stop 16 year olds watching the film "Joker", and night clubs have been stormed. On Sunday night a group of young people were arrested, two of whom I personally know because I met them when I attended an anti-racist summer event in Greece. Irini Eminidou and Zisis Sourlas are two of the young people who were punched, beaten and charged with really serious crimes. That was hours after any protest had taken place in Athens. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, will the Tánaiste make representations about this to the Greek embassy? I ask other left Deputies to take up the issue. This is an EU country, not a so-called Third World country, where we are told police repression should not happen like this, but it is happening.

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