Greek Jewish groups liken anti-Zionist patrols to Nazi stormtroopers

Rouvikonas said the patrols were intended to confront what it called growing “Israeli and Zionist infiltration” of Thessaloniki.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Greek Jewish organizations, backed by major international Jewish groups, sharply condemned the far-left anarchist group Rouvikonas after it organized what it called “anti-Zionist patrols” through the streets of Thessaloniki, saying the radical groups are intimidating Jews and Israelis and are similar to Nazi-era assault squads.

The Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece (KIS) described the demonstrations as an antisemitic display of fanaticism, saying the black-shirted activists’ tactics mirrored those of Nazi stormtroopers who targeted Jews.

The organization warned that attacks directed at Jews ultimately threaten democratic society as a whole.

KIS also noted that the patrols took place almost exactly 95 years after organized mobs and “assault squads” burned Thessaloniki’s Campbell Jewish quarter in 1931, calling the timing a grim historical parallel.

The European Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress also condemned the demonstrations, expressing concern over what they described as vigilante-style intimidation targeting tourists, residents, and business owners.

The reaction came after Rouvikonas held marches through Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, alongside members of the “Permanent Struggle for Class Liberation” and the “Thessaloniki Liberation Initiative.” Participants wore black shirts bearing Palestinian flags as they moved through the city.

Rouvikonas said the patrols were intended to confront what it called growing “Israeli and Zionist infiltration” of Thessaloniki, alleging that Israeli investors were buying property and contributing to the displacement of local residents.

The group claimed Israelis were investing money “bloodied by the genocide” in real estate and tourism properties and alleged that Israeli investments formed part of a broader effort to expand Israel’s economic and political influence abroad.

It also vowed to continue opposing Israel’s presence in Greece as long as the Greek government maintains military and commercial ties with Israel. Greek authorities have opened a preliminary investigation into the demonstrations.

The Thessaloniki district attorney’s office is examining whether organizers and participants may have committed offenses related to incitement to hatred and violence.

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said those involved “should be brought to justice,” adding that the Greek state would not tolerate vigilante-style behavior.