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Latest update: 04/09/2009
- Greece - legislative elections - wildfires
Fierce anger still burns after the wildfires
On the outskirts of Athens, the fire is out, but a fierce anger is still burning. Sifting through the charred remains of their homes, furious residents blame the government for years of inaction.
In Greece, wildfires that ravaged the outskirts of Athens destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and burnt down some 15,000 hectares of land. The anger of thousands of people whose properties were devastated by the blazes is now growing.
FRANCE 24 reporters Nicolas Ransom and Catherine Norris Trent went to Grammitiko, 60 kilometres north of Athens, where the fire began.
Many people are blaming arsonists. For Grammitiko people, wildfires are directly linked to the speculative property stakes. Some of them are blaming the government for being the real culprit, a theory also relayed by the media. In Greece, by law, land devastated by fire becomes buildable.
At the end of August, hundreds of Greeks organised a silent protest march to condemn the global failure to stop the fires. A month away from legislative elections, the government is suffering heavy criticism for the disaster.
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