Yvette Jarvis, First Ever Black Member of the Athens City Council, on the Greek Financial Crisis

Posted on May 10, 2010

A few words by Yvette Jarvis on the crisis in Greece where she lives.

“I would first like to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of the 4 innocent people killed during the recent protests in Athens. Three bank employees and a 4 month old fetus brutally murdered in a senseless act of violence. A crime so devastating and abhorrent that it brought the country to a complete standstill for a day! What would have been one of the most successful peaceful protests in history, mustering tens of thousands of concerned citizens in a true show of the democratic principle will now be remembered as a day of tragedy overshadowing the tremendous significance of the protest.

“The austerity measures which Greece has taken in order to satisfy the EU and the IMF will take a tremendous toll on the average worker and the retiree. It seems that for the average family it is just too much to bear and that the true culprits responsible for this financial disaster are not being held accountable for their actions. The public outcry for politicians and civil servants responsible for the crisis to be put on trial for gross mismanagement is persistent.

“This time the government will have to take action and bring these people to trial if there is any hope in quelling the unrest.
We all hope that the Prime Minister will find the courage to be the first in history to actually bring to justice those that have stripped the country of its dignity, its integrity, and its financial security.”