Dimitris Christoulas, at 9am took his own life in the middle of Athens

pacquiao · 04-04-2012 05:37PM #1

Earlier today, we remarked on the story of a 77-year old Greek, now identified as Dimitris Christoulas, who at around 9 am took his life in the middle of Athens' central Syntagma Square with a bullet to his head. His full suicide note has been released. The note, presented below, ends in a solemn call to arms to "hang the traitors of this country."

"The Tsolakoglou government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state. And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting (although if a fellow Greek were to grab a Kalashnikov, I would be right behind him), I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don’t find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance. I believe that young people with no future, will one day take up arms and hang the traitors of this country at Syntagma square, just like the Italians did to Mussolini in 1945"

Celly Smunt · 04-04-2012 05:40PM

the scary thing is there are probably thousands who are in the same boat planning the same thing over the same situation here in Ireland.

marty1985 · 04-04-2012 05:42PM

Anyone else read the title and think it was about a 9 year old?

Strangely relieved in that sense.

RIP.

Edit: Thread title changed.

Sykk · 04-04-2012 05:44PM

That's desperate, poor man... RIP

Hande hoche! · 04-04-2012 05:45PM

RIP

Awaits inevitable father ted reference.

flyswatter · 04-04-2012 05:45PM

marty1985 wrote: »

Anyone else read the title and think it was about a 9 year old?

No.

Icepick · 04-04-2012 05:51PM

Without a bailout, he would have gotten no pension.

Napper Hawkins · 04-04-2012 05:54PM

Fire me?! I made the BBC!!

yermandan · 04-04-2012 05:56PM

Jesus, my heart bleeds for this guy's suffering. Lost for words.

RIP

kincsem · 04-04-2012 05:56PM

Sad.
When a population is greedy and takes more than they produce the result is recession. Some prosper, more suffer.

bnt · 04-04-2012 05:58PM

So, pacquiao, do you have an opinion of your own, or do you cut-and-paste that too?

cassElliot · 04-04-2012 05:58PM

that is terribly sad, but it bothers me hugely that he had a blatant disregard for how badly it would affect people to see someone put an end to their life so violently and so publicly.

perhaps it speaks to his state of mind. I just think there are some things people are better off going through life not witnessing.

blackiebest · 04-04-2012 05:59PM

Watch this, an event such as this is often the spark that ignites the fire! You will, I expect, note the absence of reporting of this incident in the mainstream media. These are precarious times! The EU could well be embroiled in war, with itself and its citizens in a very short period of time. Although I can never condone an act like suicide, I respect this mans train of thought! RIP

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 04-04-2012 06:01PM

Anyone think that the day may come when this happens in Ireland?

touts · 04-04-2012 06:07PM

RIP. A high profile death but sadly just one of many that happens across the PIIGS states every day for similar reasons.

Unfortunately as he was a Greek this won't even register in the halls of power. If he was a German then there would be immediate action but from the point of view of the EU this is just one less of the PIIGS underclass to maintain.

Napper Hawkins · 04-04-2012 06:08PM

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Anyone think that the day may come when this happens in Ireland?

Well there's already been suicides, wouldn't put it past some poor soul drawing inspiration from a story like this and topping themselves outside Leinster House. But then this is Ireland, they'd probably **** it up.

touts · 04-04-2012 06:08PM

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Anyone think that the day may come when this happens in Ireland?

Happens every day in Ireland and across the PIIGS nations. It is just the majority happen in private away from the glare of the media.

forfuxsake · 04-04-2012 06:10PM

cassElliot wrote: »

that is terribly sad, but it bothers me hugely that he had a blatant disregard for how badly it would affect people to see someone put an end to their life so violently and so publicly.

perhaps it speaks to his state of mind. I just think there are some things people are better off going through life not witnessing.

I believe he had a very high regard for how it would effect people. I think he hoped his death would have an effect.

Benny_Cake · 04-04-2012 06:12PM

cassElliot wrote: »

that is terribly sad, but it bothers me hugely that he had a blatant disregard for how badly it would affect people to see someone put an end to their life so violently and so publicly.

perhaps it speaks to his state of mind. I just think there are some things people are better off going through life not witnessing.

There have been several cases of Tibetans setting themselves alight this year, but self-immolation as an act of protest has a long history, and some who do it, such as Jan Palach in Prague in 1968 end up being viewed as heroes. It's a horrible thing to happen, and I hope it doesn't inspire anyone to follow his example. RIP.

pacquiao · 04-04-2012 06:13PM

bnt wrote: »

So, pacquiao, do you have an opinion of your own, or do you cut-and-paste that too?

Fair point.
I didn't see this in the "news" today. I just read it awhile ago and to be honest i was lost for words.

Guy:Incognito · 04-04-2012 06:15PM

blackiebest wrote: »

Watch this, an event such as this is often the spark that ignites the fire! You will, I expect, note the absence of reporting of this incident in the mainstream media. These are precarious times! The EU could well be embroiled in war, with itself and its citizens in a very short period of time. Although I can never condone an act like suicide, I respect this mans train of thought! RIP

Minstream media where? I heard it on Newstalk earlier.

cml387 · 04-04-2012 06:16PM

Poor guy.

Notice he puts the blame where it lies, at his own government. Not "The Germans" as some in this thread seem to imply.

staker · 04-04-2012 06:19PM

Stupid thing to do imo. No disrespect to the dead and may he rest in peace, but what the hell did he think he was gonna change by topping himself?
How could he not see an alternative method of active protest?

forfuxsake · 04-04-2012 06:21PM

cml387 wrote: »

Poor guy.

Notice he puts the blame where it lies, at his own government. Not "The Germans" as some in this thread seem to imply.

He blamed the Tsolakoglou government.

Georgios Tsolakoglou was the wartime Greek PM who collaborated with the Germans.

prinz · 04-04-2012 06:23PM

RIP, but isn't really going to achieve anything.

touts wrote:

Unfortunately as he was a Greek this won't even register in the halls of power. If he was a German then there would be immediate action but from the point of view of the EU this is just one less of the PIIGS underclass to maintain.

Boll*x frankly.

DrumSteve · 04-04-2012 06:23PM

staker wrote: »

Stupid thing to do imo. No disrespect to the dead and may he rest in peace, but what the hell did he think he was gonna change by topping himself?
How could he not see an alternative method of active protest?

How desperate do you have to be when that is your only option? He chose that over rummaging in bins looking for scraps and handouts and losing what dignity he had left.

He was a brave man and I hope he rests in peace.

My name is URL · 04-04-2012 06:25PM

staker wrote: »

Stupid thing to do imo. No disrespect to the dead and may he rest in peace, but what the hell did he think he was gonna change by topping himself?
How could he not see an alternative method of active protest?

I know the two situations are worlds apart, but this is similar to how the Arab Spring was started after Mohamed Bouazizi killed himself.

cml387 · 04-04-2012 06:30PM

forfuxsake wrote: »

He blamed the Tsolakoglou government.

Georgios Tsolakoglou was the wartime Greek PM who collaborated with the Germans.

Ah, interesting.I missed that.

So what kind of pension would he get if the Greeks defaulted?

forfuxsake · 04-04-2012 06:31PM

He could throw rocks at the politics but if he did it wouldn't be reported across Europe and it wouldn't be being discussed thousands of miles away. Leaving aside whose fault it was, it was a successful, albeit unfortunate and very sad, protest.

The thought that pensioners in Europe could be bin-hoking for food, especially when the have worked and paid pension contributions their whole lives is horrific.

KeithAFC · 04-04-2012 06:40PM

RIP.

Greece is in a terrible state. What Greece need now is to recapture the glory days of Ancient Greece. If only Alexander the great was alive now for the Greek people.

Fuhrer · 04-04-2012 06:42PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

RIP.

Greece is in a terrible state. What Greece need now is to recapture the glory days of Ancient Greece. If only Alexander the great was alive now for the Greek people.

You want Greece to take up arms and conquer all the known world?

Dimitris Christoulas, at 9am took his own life in the middle of Athens

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