Far-right Golden Dawn spokesman hits two female MPs on Greek talk show

An arrest warrant has been issued for the spokesman for Ilias Kasidiaris, Greece's far-Right Golden Dawn party after he physically assaulted two female left-wing MPs on live television during a morning political show. Tempers frayed on the political show on the private Antenna television station during a discussion of the country's politics in the run-up to repeat elections on June 17. Mr Kasidiaris took offence at a reference by radical left Syriza party member Rena Dorou over a court case that is pending against him.

The 31-year-old bounded out of his seat and hurled a glass of water across the table over Ms Dorou when she said there was a "crisis of democracy when people who will take the country back 500 years have got into the Greek parliament." He then turned on prominent Communist Party member Liana Kanelli, who had got up out of her chair with a newspaper in hand and appeared to throw it at the Golden Dawn member. Talk show host Giorgos Papadakis ran over to Mr Kasidiaris to attempt to calm him, shouting "no, no, no!"


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But Mr Kasidiaris, who had served in the Greek military's special forces, hit Ms Kanelli around the face three times. A public prosecutor ordered his immediate arrest. Mr Kasidiaris was elected to Parliament in the country's recent inconclusive polls. Deputies from all seven parties that won parliament seats in the May 6 polls had been invited on the show. "The government condemns in the most categorical way the attack by Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris against Liana Kanelli and Rena Dourou," government spokesman Dimitris Tsiodras said. "This attack is an attack against every democratic citizen."

Mr Tsiodras called on Golden Dawn to condemn its member's actions. Golden Dawn, which vehemently denies the neo-Nazi label, has been accused of being behind violent attacks against immigrants. The party won nearly 7 percent of the vote on May 6, giving it 21 seats in the 300-member Parliament. It was a radical increase from its showing in the previous elections in 2009, when the party had won just 0.31 percent of the vote.