The Minister of Finances Yanis Varoufakis and his wife Danae Stratou were verbally assaulted by a group of anarchists in a restaurant in Exarchia on Tuesday evening. Mr. Varoufakis, who told journalists that the event took place around midnight, reported that it was not an organized plan intended to injure or provoke him, nor was it a part “of the overall efforts towards [his] political deconstruction”.
According to the Minister, the group began yelling obscenities and throwing glass objects in the couple’s general direction, in an effort to make them leave from the area. After the situation calmed down and the restaurant emptied, the anarchists continues to be abusive towards Mr. Varoufakis and his wife, as they were departing.
Mr. Varoufakis said that he decided to speak to “a group of 5-6 of the more angry ones” and after 15 minutes of non-violent discussion he left without any threats. The Minister, who reportedly lived in area in the early 2000s, stressed that “the response to the anger and violent acts of these people cannot and must not be disorderly retreat or violent suppression”.
