FYI - many difficulties for tourists (and residents) in Greece--for the next few weeks, at least

Greece is having some serious problems right now -- the month of August is looking very dicey for tourists -- I know this may not affect anyone who reads the Fatwallet Travel forum, but **just in case** it might help save anybody from embarking on a vacation unawares in the next few weeks and running into major difficulties without having backup plans in place, I thought I'd post this article, since this kind of thing gets very little attention in the mainstream American news.

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Article from respected UK newspaper The Guardian.

Headline:
"Greece's national strike threatens chaos
Prime minister launches emergency legislation as dry fuel pumps leave drivers stranded"

link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/jul/29/greece-national-str...

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excerpts from article:

"Thousands of Britons heading to Greece for their summer holiday last night risked becoming caught up in the chaos of a nationwide strike by protesting truck drivers that is threatening fuel, food and medical shortages across the country.

From the popular Chalkidiki peninsula in the north, to Rhodes in the south, holidaymakers were affected by the mayhem amid reports that supplies had dried up at petrol stations countrywide.

At least 100,000 tourists who had driven to Greece from neighbouring Bulgaria and Serbia were stranded, with thousands abandoning their cars by the side of the road and officials taking the highly unusual step of beseeching visitors to stock up on fuel in Macedonia.

The prime minister, George Papandreou, resorted to emergency legislation late on Wednesday, telling the drivers that unless they returned to work they would face stiff fines and their vehicles being requisitioned."

...
"The prospect of tourists being mired in further mayhem deepened as tourist industry officials said it would be days before the situation returned to normal.

On islands, where the vast number of holidaymakers are headed, vital food stuff and medicines are already in short supply.

Boat connections to the mainland are also threatened as petrol supplies quickly diminish.

In a bout of especially bad timing for the beleaguered government, the chaos erupted after domestic terrorists warned tourists this week that they would turn Greece into a "warzone".

In a week when Britons traditionally begin their summer break, flying into airports across Greece, air traffic controllers compounded the chaos by staging a stringent work-to-rule protest that saw dozens of flights either cancelled or delayed.

"What we are seeing is a catastrophe for tourism, for our [debt-stricken] economy," said Yannis Evangellou, one of the industry's leading figures. "There have been hundreds of cancellations, particularly by tourists who had planned to drive into northern and central Greece." "

A subsequent article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/01/greece-war-zone-revolutionaries-tourists

excerpts:

"Greek security forces have warned of a wave of violence reminiscent of the terror that stalked Italy in the seventies after urban guerillas threatened last week to turn the country into a "war zone".

"Greece has entered a new phase of political violence by anarchist-oriented organisations that are more murderous, dangerous, capable and nihilistic than ever before," said Athanasios Drougos, a defence and counter-terrorism analyst in Athens.

"For the first time we are seeing a nexus of terrorist and criminal activity," he said. "These groups don't care about collateral damage, innocent bystanders being killed in the process. They are very extreme."

The threats came from a guerrilla group called the Sect of Revolutionaries, as it claimed credit for the murder of Sokratis Giolas, an investigative journalist. Giolas was shot dead outside his Athenian home on 19 July, in front of his pregant wife.

The gang promised to step up attacks on police, businessmen, prison guards and "corrupt" media – and, for the first time, threatened holidaymakers.

"Tourists should learn that Greece is no longer a safe haven of capitalism," its declaration said.

"We intend to turn it into a war zone of revolutionary activity with arson, sabotage, violent demonstrations, bombings and assassinations, and not a country that is a destination for holidays and pleasure." "
....

"The terror threat comes as Greek authorities endure a summer of strikes and escalating upheaval. Military trucks and petrol company vehicles were employed yesterday to alleviate a fuel shortage as more 30,000 lorry and tanker truck operators ignored a government order to return to work on pain of prosecution. Shortages were reported on many holiday islands and destinations in northern Greece where thousands of tourists are stranded."

....

"Last month another group, yet to be named, sent a parcel bomb wrapped up as a gift to the office of Michalis Chrysohoidis, the minister in charge of public security. It killed his chief aide.

The surge in violence comes amid rising social tensions over the austerity measures enforced by the government in exchange for €110bn in emergency aid, the biggest bailout in history.

Mounting social unrest, waning support for political parties and record levels of unemployment among an increasingly radicalised youth are believed to have augmented the ranks of anti-establishment groups.

"The economic crisis has most definitely played a role in aggravating the violence," Chrysohoidis told the Observer. "And the violence we are seeing is worst than ever before because society as a whole is more violent than ever before." "
....

" "In other European countries, home-grown terrorism has been on the decrease for years," said Drougos. "But in Greece the situation is not unlike pre-Bolshevik revolutionary Russia or Italy at the start of the terror campaign by the Red Brigades… it's very unpredictable and tourists should be vigilant." "