Vandals deface statue of resistance heroine, in downtown Exarchia district

"Disgust, deep sorrow, but especially indignation is expressed by the municipality of Athens for the vandalism of the bust of the heroine of the National Resistance Lela Karagiannis, in the pedestrian Tositsa street in Exarchia" noted the statement and adding: "This an is act that provokes the feelings of every citizen, which profanes the collective and historical memory and insults democratic sensibilities. Historical ignorance, leveling [of ideals] and, ultimately, brutal violence towards them find increasingly against them many thinking citizens. In a front for the respect and protection of our city, that becomes day by day, more and more broad.

The marble bust is the work of Loukia Georganti and placed in Tositsa in 1963. The City of Athens cleaning crews found the beheaded bust this morning. The severed head has been moved to the municipality of Athens laboratories and the damage is being assessed to determine if it is repairable. "

And at this point the City of Athens announcement lets loose barbs at the Ministry of Citizen Protection, with respect to the quality of the policing and civil protection of the public and municipal property of the city by the Greek Police, noting that:

"Recall that after the targeted removal of bronze statues and busts from the city center, last June the municipality of Athens began transferring them to municipal buildings, until there is convincing policing plan for their protection."