On March 10, 2021, Mr. Michalis Soumplis published an article in the newspaper Tharros titled 'The world of the Left and terrorism.'

He rightly reminded us that historically the world of the Left stood against terrorism and anarchists and unequivocally condemned terrorism. Indeed, Leonidas Kyrkos had stated in a declaration: 'We must clearly distance ourselves from the murderers of 17N.'

He also reminded us of Dritsas's statement that 'no one was terrorized by the actions of 17N,' the banner 'I was born 17N,' and the Syriza youth slogan 'The guerrillas are returning to Koufontina Square.' He also recalled the heavy accusations made by Giannis Panousis, a minister under Alexis Tsipras, that active Syriza members maintained relations with terrorists and threatened his life. In other words, horrific things.

To better understand Syriza's position, we need to recall a few more things, such as:

A) When various people are tried for terrorism, some Syriza officials stand by them, and others rush to the courts as defense witnesses.

B) A few months ago, a member of Syriza youth said: 'November 17 did not get the chance to eliminate Adonis Georgiadis (a New Democracy minister) and Konstantinos Bogdanos (a New Democracy MP).'

C) Before the elections, with particular eagerness, Syriza amended the Penal Code, turning certain felonies into misdemeanors so that some terrorist-criminals would be acquitted or get off lightly.

We should remember that Syriza was a small party with 3.6 percent. After the country's bankruptcy (2010), it attacked the party-political system that had governed for so many years and the elites that supported it with great ferocity. With unrestrained populism, it cultivated envy, hatred, and outrage against its political opponents.

Then it seized the opportunity, rode the wave of the angry and indignant, and, posing as a 'liberator,' managed to win the elections.

Nowadays, Syriza youth, together with anti-authoritarians, anarchists, rioters, and the like, demonstrate for the murderer Koufontinas. But they also demonstrate against police violence.

Admire the logic: those whose ideology is violence, those who use violence every day, those who have violence in their bones, those who are violent, demonstrate against police violence.

Syriza is allergic to law and order. When the police try to enforce law and order and defend themselves against attacks by anti-authoritarians, pseudo-anarchists, rioters, and the like, Syriza screams about police violence. In other words, it calls violence against the police 'police violence.'

Is Syriza perhaps coddling all these far-left little groups in order to stage again the spectacle of the indignant crowds in Syntagma Square? Does it want to exploit the psychological fatigue and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic?

If that is what it seeks, it seems to forget that history does not repeat itself. But even if it does repeat itself, then it 'repeats itself the first time as tragedy and the second time as farce' (Marx).

The words of Mr. Tsipras and various Syriza officials that they condemn terrorism from wherever it comes do not convince, because their actions say otherwise. They show that it coddles rioters, anti-authoritarians, and terrorists.

The great difference between words and deeds is one of Syriza's major problems. If Syriza wants society to listen to it, it needs to stop this erratic tactic of saying one thing and doing another.

It also needs to understand that it is immoral and undemocratic to stand by or even coddle terrorists.

Is there an escape route for Syriza? Of course there is, but it is not found in the rusty minds of many Syriza officials, including Mr. Tsipras.

Out of the dead ends of the Left, new forces and new syntheses will emerge that respond to today's problems and are not stuck in the past. And they will support democrats and not coddle terrorists.

Pavlos Marantos

marantosp@gmail.com