On this day in history: 19 September
junta
19 Sep 2019
/ 09:19
CORFU. 1970: Kostas Giorgakis set himself on fire in Genoa in protest against the military regime in Greece.
He passed away in hospital a few hours later.
Giorgakis was born in Corfu on 23 August, 1948. He was a member of the Centre Union Youth and actively involved in politics.
He was studying geology in Italy and in 1970 he discovered from an anonymous source that the junta had penetrated the student groups in Italy. The informant became known and Giorgakis, afraid that he would be arrested and concerned about what would happen to his family in Corfu, decided to carry out the brave, symbolic that made the headlines worldwide.
On 18 September he wrote a letter to his father, got into his car (with a photo of Andreas Papandreou on the windscreen) and drove to Genoa.
In the early hours of 19 September he arrived at Mateoti Square in the Italian port. He stood in front of the Courthouse and poured three bottles of petrol over himself - and lit the match.
At that time there were only cleaners in the area who, when they saw him on fire, rushed to help. While he was burning he found the courage to shout "I did it for Greece. Let all Italians shout 'Long live democracy!' Long live a free Greece!"
He was taken to hospital where, a few hours later, he passed away. The junta hushed up what had happened and allowed his body to be brought back to Corfu four months later, fearing an outcry. His funeral took place in Genoa on 23 September but international public opinion had already been aroused and denounced the colonels' regime.
Kostas Giorgakis' heroic, revolutionary act was a habinger of the events at Athens Polytechnic and there is a plaque at the spot in Genoa where he set himself on fire which says:
"For the young Greek Konstantinos Giorgakis who sacrificed his 22 years of life for Freedom and Democracy in his country. All free people are stirred by his heroic gesture. Free Greece will always remember him."
Kostas Giorgakis' grave is in Corfu 1st Municipal Cemetery.
Giorgakis was born in Corfu on 23 August, 1948. He was a member of the Centre Union Youth and actively involved in politics.
He was studying geology in Italy and in 1970 he discovered from an anonymous source that the junta had penetrated the student groups in Italy. The informant became known and Giorgakis, afraid that he would be arrested and concerned about what would happen to his family in Corfu, decided to carry out the brave, symbolic that made the headlines worldwide.
On 18 September he wrote a letter to his father, got into his car (with a photo of Andreas Papandreou on the windscreen) and drove to Genoa.
In the early hours of 19 September he arrived at Mateoti Square in the Italian port. He stood in front of the Courthouse and poured three bottles of petrol over himself - and lit the match.
At that time there were only cleaners in the area who, when they saw him on fire, rushed to help. While he was burning he found the courage to shout "I did it for Greece. Let all Italians shout 'Long live democracy!' Long live a free Greece!"
He was taken to hospital where, a few hours later, he passed away. The junta hushed up what had happened and allowed his body to be brought back to Corfu four months later, fearing an outcry. His funeral took place in Genoa on 23 September but international public opinion had already been aroused and denounced the colonels' regime.
Kostas Giorgakis' heroic, revolutionary act was a habinger of the events at Athens Polytechnic and there is a plaque at the spot in Genoa where he set himself on fire which says:
"For the young Greek Konstantinos Giorgakis who sacrificed his 22 years of life for Freedom and Democracy in his country. All free people are stirred by his heroic gesture. Free Greece will always remember him."
Kostas Giorgakis' grave is in Corfu 1st Municipal Cemetery.
