The Truth about Idomeni

I am disgusted.

I have spent the last couple of weeks working in Idomeni — one of the refugee camps in Greece. You may have seen news articles or footage of riots, smoke bombs, tear gas, and rubber bullets.

Yesterday, I sat with a family and joked around while I could hear the thud from tear gas landing 50 yards away.

Here’s the story you won’t get from the videos being shared:

First, I want to say many people on both sides of the border are afraid and desperate. Nobody knows how to best resolve this giant mess. I have compassion and grace for almost everyone involved, including the rioters, who I think are mainly teenagers just as scared as the soldiers following orders.

But I’m pretty pissed at the camera crews.

In the last week the media has falsely portrayed the circumstances here. We have made friends with families who are lucky to be alive today and just want to live in peace. The majority of the refugees are upset at these rioters for acting like melodramatic boys.

The rioters are provoking the police. They are standing near the fence, shouting, climbing, waving, asking to be fired at, and as soon as one of them scrapes a knee, five others carry him off like soldiers on a battlefield. They do a very good job of making sure to run by the camera crews on the way to the med tent.

I took this screenshot from The Independent’s recent news video. When was the last time your life was in danger and you decided you just had to get a selfie? #FOMO

Don’t get me started with the camera crews. I walked in yesterday and saw 10 times as many camera crews since our last visit. My favorite was a van for a crew that said “bringing hope to the hopeless”. Where were they last week? Apparently you’re not hopeless enough unless you can provide some good old sensationalism with a dose of tear gas.

I saw journalists walking around, not making friends or helping people, but just filming; and absolutely eating up all of the “riot” crap. I refused to take photos of the riots.

I knew a group of men was about to theatrically run over the hill in the background, carrying a “wounded” young man, but my buddy here looked too good with that Kit-Kat. I took this photo instead.

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I just saw this photo on a Huffngton Post article. I’m taking the photo of Hasan with his Kit Kat about six feet to the left of the frame during this shot. This is the group I decided to not photograph. Sure looks serious though, yeah?

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My little friend drew a picture for me. As she handed me her drawing, I looked to my right and saw arched streams of tear gas landing in a crowd of rioters. This is the photo I decided to take.

Part of me wishes I took photos, only to show how relatively obsolete that event actually was compared to the larger issues. I would guess there were about 50-100 people involved throughout the day. There’s 10,000 refugees, and most of them are pissed about the riots as well. Their children and families have been endangered and disgraced by a few ignorant, volatile boys.

Here’s my quick breakdown of the situation:

• Many westerners are already afraid of Muslims.
• Many of these refugees are fearful as well.
• Last week people came in and handed out radical brochures about breaking through the border. I dare not speculate at all of the possible perpetrators, but one refugee informed my team mate that the culprits were clearly not refugees.
• A small number of frightened and impressionable young men listened to the rally call.
• Macedonian and Greek soldiers are also frightened and following orders.
• News crews are now eating it up like Turkish delights.
• Sensational news gets the most hits.
• Skewed stories are spread.
• Voila; Westerners are more afraid of Muslims.

The rioters are not helping the camp, they are just standing with matches hoping to ignite some attention, and the camera crews are gluttonously pouring gasoline on them. It’s sickening.

The families in Idomeni need help. These people have nothing, yet offer us food and tea every time we stop by. Many of them sweat through winter clothing as summer days are creeping in. A hungry dad in long sleeves and pants asked only that we bring back food, shorts and t-shirts for his children. The children burn in the sun with no sunscreen. Materials are ruined as rain floods through the fields. Mothers are giving birth in the camp. The other day I met a child eating toothpaste because he was so hungry. Every single person asks for sandals.

So many hearts have been broken here, yet so many of them are eager to share even the broken pieces.

I have had some people worried about what’s happening at the camp, and felt it was worth clearing up any news that has been twisted and spun. If you want to know what it’s really like here, stay tuned and subscribe, I will be posting again soon and sharing some the real stories.