Greek lawmaker attacks paintings he said were offensive to Christians
ATHENS, March 10 (Reuters) - A far-right Greek lawmaker attacked four paintings in an exhibition at the country's National Gallery on Monday, the gallery said, after he had described one as offensive because of its distorted depictions of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
The lawmaker, named by the gallery as Nikolaos Papadopoulos, from the ultra-religious Niki party, was temporarily detained, and the gallery said it had had to close for the day due to the incident.
The gallery said that with assistance from another person he had violently taken down four paintings included in the exhibition inspired by Spanish master Francisco de Goya.
"The above violently detached them from the wall and threw them on the floor, which resulted in their damage," the gallery said in a statement.
Papadopoulos' lawyer Constantinos Vathiotis told Reuters that he was illegally detained for five hours. Lawmakers are protected from arrest under the constitution and only parliament can lift their immunity.
The exhibition, "The allure of the bizarre", is by a group of Greek artists, with works corresponding with 80 etchings from Goya's late 18th century Los Caprichos series. It has been on display in Athens since January at the country's main gallery, which is a major draw for Greeks and tourists alike.
In a question to the culture ministry submitted to parliament in January, the lawmaker said that one painting, among the group of four he is accused of damaging, was "clearly offending the Orthodox Christian faith, directly insulting the holy faces of Virgin Mary and Christ, which are depicted distorted".
The culture ministry responded at the time that it "never engages in censorship".
The Hellenic League for Human Rights condemned the lawmaker's action, saying "freedom of art and freedom of expression are protected by the constitution and are not subject to the personal taste and religious and ideological beliefs of self-appointed judges and ultimately punishers".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Spanish-language misinformation on Los Angeles protests pushes a familiar theme
A surge of false or misleading posts, photographs and videos about the Los Angeles protests have been circulating on social media, with many of those shared among Latinos — mostly in Spanish — tying the protesters to socialist or communist governments. One post on X with over 600,000 views claims that in the U.S., immigration protest groups have links to 'the Venezuelan mafia,' the Communist Party of Cuba, and the Morena Party, the left-wing ruling party of Mexico. But the post doesn't specify any groups and doesn't give evidence of this. The narrative echoes similar falsehoods that circulated during the 2020 George Floyd protests and the 2024 pro-Palestinian student protests on university campuses. Parts of Los Angeles and other cities across the country have seen protests against immigration raids as President Donald Trump's administration enforces a hard-line immigration policy. Dramatic scenes where cars, including Waymo taxis, were set on fire and protesters confronted law enforcement by throwing objects at them have filled social media feeds. While some far-left groups have encouraged and even glorified violence in the protests, the onslaught of posts, mostly in Spanish, appears to be an attempt to link protests against immigrant raids to leftist Latin American governments, and the posts show support for President Donald Trump and his policies. 'Though there is always inaccurate information swirling around, there has certainly been a spike since the Los Angeles protests took off,' said Evelyn Pérez-Verdía, president of We Are Más, which focuses on social impact consulting. 'In the past we would find false or inaccurate information more hidden in platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp. Now it's more in the open and more easily found on social media and online publications.' The falsehoods revive prior conspiracies that the protests are a planned provocation from leftist governments and not a spontaneous response to the immigration raids. On his platform, Truth Social, Trump has baselessly claimed protesters are 'Paid Insurrectionists!' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have been targets of some of the misinformation that seeks to link them to communism. A fake picture of Bass with Cuba's late leader Fidel Castro, with his arm around her has circulated on social media. The original picture showed Castro with the late activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela. Bass does have some connections to Cuba; she traveled to the country with the Venceremos Brigade in the 1970s to do volunteer construction work and later went there as a member of Congress. She received criticism in 2020 for calling Castro's death ' a great loss, ' but the fake picture is a step further to link her directly with Fidel Castro. 'What we're seeing in Spanish is different from what we're seeing in English,' said Pérez-Verdía. In Spanish, she added, the false information is mainly focused on elected officials, like Newsom and Bass. 'They talk about the extreme left, communism — actors, whether domestic or foreign, are changing the messaging based on the community they are targeting,' said Pérez-Verdía. In some cases, false information has made its way to the federal government. Some conservative and pro-Russian social media accounts have circulated a video of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum from before the protests, claiming she encouraged them, according to Newsguard, a fact-checking website. The move was 'portrayed as foreign interference in domestic U.S. politics,' Newsguard reported. During an oval office briefing Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Sheinbaum of encouraging 'violent protests.' Sheinbaum responded on X, saying it's 'absolutely false' and included a video of herself from the day before saying she does not agree with violent actions as a form of protest. She also accused the opposition party of falsely saying she incited the protests. In some cases, videos and photos that include a hammer and sickle, are taken out of context to make it seem the protests are a communist movement. One post with tens of thousands of views claims that the protests are 'URBAN COMMUNIST TERRORISM.' One Spanish-language post from an account with over 1 million followers glorifies violence against 'progressive anti-ICE protestors.' Situations like these create fertile ground for disinformation to spread. Fake accounts in Spanish are more prevalent than they are in English, according to Darren Linvill, a professor at Clemson University and co-director of its Media Forensic Hub. Social media platforms are more likely to identify and shut down accounts in English than in other languages. Linvill said that another reason accounts in Spanish are more common than in English is that the use of marketing companies utilizing fake accounts — on behalf of political organizations or politicians — has spiked in the last few years. The spread of false information 'is absolutely having an effect on driving partisanship, conspiratorial thinking, distrust for expertise and the lack of a sort of shared reality,' said Linvill. 'A shared reality is important for us to build compromise and govern nations together. And I think it is absolutely having an effect on that.' 'The degree to which motivated actors [bad actors], are responsible, versus the fundamental nature of social media to create a giant game of telephone that virtually generates the spread of false information, it's hard to say,' Linvill said.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Trump parade LIVE: Crowds begin to gather in Washington DC for Donald Trump's historic US Army birthday parade
TODAY'S THE DAY Trump parade LIVE: Crowds begin to gather in Washington DC for Donald Trump's historic US Army birthday parade Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DONALD Trump is set to kick off a massive military parade in Washington today to celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary - on his birthday. Crowds have started to gather for the historic military parade, which will see thousands of troops flanked by battle tanks and World War two planes march on the streets. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 People walk with the Washington Monument on the background on the day of a military parade Credit: Reuters 4 People wear hats dedicated to the US Army's 250th anniversary on the day of the parade Credit: Reuters 4 A person wears a hat with US flags on the day of the military parade Credit: Reuters 4 A supporter of President Donald Trump wears a hat with US flags on the day of the military parade Credit: Reuters Patriotic tunes will fill the air in Washington DC as the commander in chief turns 79 - with the grand military spectacle set to commemorate the US Army's 250th anniversary. The grandiose military parade will showcase soldiers, sailors, airmen and US Marines marching in their uniforms in front of thousands of spectators. As many as 7,000 troops and seven band contingents have reportedly been called to participate in the show. They will be accompanied by at least 150 military vehicles and some 50 aircraft. Some 2,000 civilians could also take march alongside the US military. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people could attend the festival and parade. For years, the president is said to have had his eyes on a full-blown military show, but has failed to put up a working plan - until now. Plans are to roll down battle tanks, massive military equipment, and aircraft and missiles, just as Trump first envisioned the parade during his first term. Among the military equipment set to be flaunted are M1A1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, World War II Sherman tanks and four WWII-era P-51 aircraft. The whole celebration will be enclosed with an 18-mile ring of steel to protect the parade. Drones and a small army of cops will be on hand to keep order - with there expected to be protests across the country as part of "No Kings" day, a series of anti-Trump rallies by people objecting to the parade. It comes after a week of unrest in many cities - with anti-immigration raid riots in LA and protests against ICE across the US. Stay up to date with the latest on the parade with The Sun's live blog below...
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
With a million Russians dead & wounded – Putin won't hesitate pouring ANOTHER million into meatgrinder war, insiders say
Watch our interviews with Russia experts who discuss the latest in the war DRENCHED IN BLOOD With a million Russians dead & wounded – Putin won't hesitate pouring ANOTHER million into meatgrinder war, insiders say EVIL Vladimir Putin would not think twice before flooding another million soldiers to die on the battlefield, defence experts have warned. It comes as Putin's battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of meatgrinder war. Advertisement 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Reuters 10 Ukrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions Credit: AP 10 An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike Credit: Reuters 10 Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russia to pay a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow. The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely that they cannot fight on. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a humiliating conversion rate. Advertisement Despite the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, experts fear that Putin is likely unaffected by the numbers. And that's because mass sacrifice is ingrained in his Soviet-style battle plan. Russian people are also too scared to stand up to the monster they've created and would rather die killing Ukrainians Ukrainian government source Leading defence expert Philip Ingram told The Sun: "Putin does not care about the numbers. He has a huge number of people ready to go to war. "Though he has been having difficulties in recruiting soldiers full-time, he is recruiting soldiers from rural Russia on contracts and paying them heavily. Advertisement "Russia is sending waves and waves of soldiers, often without the support of artillery and other fire weapons. They are being slaughtered." Mr Ingram said the Russian population may not be aware of the actual casualty rate of the war, which is being kept away the Kremlin's propaganda machine. Putin's Ukraine war toll tops 1 MILLION Russians dead & wounded 40 months into 'days-long operation'…with no end in sight, with Stephen Hall He explained how soliders are being recruited from isolated parts of Russia where the population is often poor with low literacy levels. And how Putin is "buying their silence" by offering them "life-changing compensations". Advertisement The expert said: "Soldiers are coming in from vast parts of Russia where there is no connectivity. Their literacy levels are extremely low. "What's keeping them coming is the amount of compensation they are getting, which is often life-changing. "It means they or their families would never have to work again for the rest of their lives. "That's how Vladimir Putin is buying their silence; he seems to have the population behind him. Advertisement Russia expert Bill Borwder told The Sun that Putin would lose "another five million soldiers" if it helps him to stay in power. Putin will sacrifice one, two or even five million Russians just to make sure that he stays in power Bill Browder He said: "Part of the reason that Putin is at war is not because he wants a piece of Ukraine ot he's upset with NATO. "He's at war because he's desperately afraid of his own people, and the best way of having his people have their anger deflected is have them angry at some foreign adversary. "Putin is so scared for losing his own life, he's ready to sacrifice one, two or even five million Russians just to make sure that he stays in power." Advertisement A Ukrainian government source told The Sun: "Putin doesn't care and never cared for the people of Russian Federation, be it ethnic Russians or representatives of other minorities. "For him, it is a matter of personal survival and he would be willing to send anyone to death - from a Russian soldier to a Ukrainian child - for his own miserable existence. "Unfortunately, Russian people in majority are also too scared to stand up to the monster they've created, and would rather die killing other nation's people than risk their lives standing up against it." 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Getty Advertisement 10 Ukrainian service members firing an anti-tank guided missile weapon system Credit: Reuters 10 Servicemen of Armed Forces prepare to fire a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops Credit: Reuters 10 Artillerymen of the 15th Operative Purpose Brigade Kara-Dag firing towards Russia Credit: Reuters 10 Advertisement Dr Stephen Hall, politics lecturer at the University of Bath, said that as far as the warmongering dictator is concerned, things are heading in the right direction, so he will keep on condemning young Russians to their deaths. He told The Sun: "Putin believes he's winning the war. The Russian army is moving forward like it or not. "He believes that he can outlast the West, that the West is weak." Russia's strategy, Dr Hall said, has been one of "meat assault". Advertisement This relies on the logic that if you flood the front line with overwhelming numbers, "eventually some will get through". Dr Hall said Putin has learned this strategy from his ruthless Soviet predecessors in World War Two. Their idea was "ten men to every rifle", which meant: "You pick up the rifle of a fallen soldier. You keep going, you get shot. You're next. Your buddy picks up your rifle. "The Soviet army would eventually push through. So that remains the case in Russia." Advertisement Russians 'know how to suffer', which allows the regime to continue with its meatgrinder tactics Dr Stephen Hall And that approach suits Putin just fine, because he "doesn't care about his men", Dr Hall said. He said the Russian people "know how to suffer", which allows the regime to continue with its meat-grinder tactics. The Kremlin also meets less resistance from the Russian people than a million losses should merit, because it simply lies to them, Dr Hall said. He said: "They're simply not going to be told, especially in the poorer areas where Russia is recruiting - like Buryatia and Bashkortostan and elsewhere." Advertisement NO STOPPING Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day — over 1,140 Russian soldiers killed or wounded on Tuesday — Putin appears to be doubling down. The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia's ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reports. The Kremlin tyrant declared them the 'dominant force' in modern warfare and demanded faster development of 'advanced weapons systems' with 'the highest tactical and technical specifications.' In a meeting on the state armaments programme, Putin also directed resources toward strengthening Russia's navy, further signalling his long-term military ambitions. Advertisement It all comes as Russia is reportedly building up a 50,000-strong force alongside the border of Kharkiv amid fears of a fresh summer offensive to attack the city. 10 With the US backing out of direct negotiations to broker a peace deal and Putin stalling ceasefire talks, experts fear a major Russian offensive could mobilise in the coming weeks. The Ukrainian military in April reported that the Kremlin was amassing troops to prepare for a fresh assault on Kharkiv - Ukraine's second largest city. Advertisement Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that Moscow has been attempting to gain ground in the border regions of Sumy in the northeast. Military analysts believe he is trying to press home his advantage and capture more Ukrainian land. They warn that Putin only has a "four-month window" to get a breakthrough in Ukraine this year. And this could be the beginning of Russia's summer offensive targeting the border city of Kharkiv - the "fortress" city of Ukraine which put up the maximum resistance at the start of the invasion.
