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Popular Association - Golden Dawn (Political party, Greece)

Official flag of Golden Dawn - Images by Tomislav Todorović, 23 October 2008

Presentation of Golden Dawn
"Official" flag of Golden Dawn
Other flags with the meander
Golden Dawn flag with an archaic epsilon letter
Use of Greek national flags by Golden Dawn
Use of Byzantine flags by Golden Dawn
Flags with the Celtic Cross used by Golden Dawn

See also:

Greece

Presentation of Golden Dawn

Disclaimer
All informations included into this contribution are presented in vexillological purpose only. The political attitudes of the users of described flags are not related to those of the contributor in any ways.

Popular Association - Golden Dawn (Λαϊκός Σύνδεσμος – Χρυσή Αυγή) is the biggest extreme-rightist organization in Greece (Wikipedia).
Golden Dawn ceased to exist as the separate organization in December 2005, having merged into the Patriotic Alliance (Πατριωτική Συμμαχία), which used different symbols (Wikipedia). In January 2007, the Patriotic Alliance ceased to exist and in March same year, Golden Dawn announced its re-activation. Since then, the website of Golden Dawn has been regularly updated and its new content shows the use of the organization's flags. The same is true for the site/blog of the Youth Front, the youth wing of the organization.

Tomislav Todorović, 23 October 2008

"Official" flag of Golden Dawn

The flag most widely used by Golden Dawn is red with a black meander (photo), often presnted as the party's official flag. Already reported in 2003, the flag reappeared after the reactivation of the party in 2007.
The flag is also being increasingly used abroad, by ultra-rightists wishing to show the support to like-minded "persecutees", considering the criminal charges against the party and its members, a number of which was brought since 2012, merely as the "persecution" campaign (photos, photos, London, 2013; photos, photos, Newcastle, 2015).

Tomislav Todorović, 22 February 2016

Other flags with the meander

Flags with meander and wreath

Flags used by Golden Dawn - Images by Tomislav Todorović, 22 February 2016

Golden Dawn uses flags charged with a smaller meander within a wreath, between the full official name of the party, in different colour combinations:
- black (with a white fimbriation) on a red field, reported since 2013 (photo, photo, photo, 2013; photo , photo, 2014); this flag was also seen abroad, at the protests by ultra-rightists who want to express the solidarity with like-minded "persecutees". An example from Cricklewood, London, UK (photo, June 2014).
- white on a red field, reported since 2012 (photo, photo, photo, photo, photo, photo).
- golden yellow on a black field, reported since 2012 (photo).
- white on a blue field, reported since 2010 (photo, >A HREF="http://www.xryshaygh.com/assets/images/preview/12415/dsc00254__article.jpg">photo).

Golden Dawn also uses similar flags without any writing, in dofferent colour combinations:
- black meander and wreath (with white fimbriation) on a red field; this flag appeared in late 2013 (, photo, 2013; photo, 2014; photo, photo, photo, 2015).
- white meander and black wreath on a blue field; this flag was only seen in 2013 (photo).
- white meander and yellow wreath on a blue field; this flag was only seen in 2013 (photo).
- red meander and black wreath on a white field; this flag was only seen in 2012 (photos no longer available).

Tomislav Todorović, 23 February 2016

Flags with meander only

Flags used by Golden Dawn - Images by Tomislav Todorović, 22 February 2016

Golden Dawn uses flags charged only with the meander, similar to the "official" flag, but with different colour combinations:
- red meander on black; the flag appeared in 2011 (photo, photo, 2011; photo, photo, 2014; photo, 2015).
- white meander on red: not reported before 2007, the flaf has a large white meander with outer white and inner red fimbriations (photos no longer available);
- white meander on blue; the flag, quite rarely used, has a large white meander, with outer white and inner blue fimbriations (photo, 2010, no longer available).

Tomislav Todorović, 21 February 2016

Golden Dawn flag with an archaic epsilon letter

Flag of Golden Dawn - Image by Tomislav Todorović, 16 February 2012

A new flag (photo, no longer available), introduced in 2011, is charged with a large letter epsilon within a wreath, all black with white fimbriations, on a dark red field. The letter is in an archaic-style typeface which Golden Dawn frequently uses, especially on the demonstration posters or flyers.
The wreath, similar to the one which appears on a flag with the meander (see above), and is sometimes used with the meander as well, although not on the flags yet, as shown on a demonstration poster (image no longer available).
The exact meaning of the letter epsilon is yet to be determined, but it probably stands either for Ellas (Greece) or ethnos (nation), or maybe ethnikismos (nationalism), or - most probably - for all of these words.

It is not easy to determine the exact shade of color, which seems to vary between R+ (dark, rarely) and R++ (very dark, mostly), but also frequently inclines towards burgundy or even purple. The fact that the photos generally look as if made under unappropriate lighting conditions is also a disadvantage. On the other hand, large images (no longer available) of this flag, and a video clip use a color which would be best described as R+++, with no inclinations in direction of purple. Anyway, until a number of photos with better quality appear, the color R++ may make a good approximation, especially when compared with the party flags which use the color R; the comparison may also work for the above photos which show all of these flags together.

Tomislav Todorović, 16 February 2012

Use of Greek national flags by Golden Dawn

Until 2005, both versions of Greek national flag were used, but the plain cross flag seemed to be used a bit more than the one with the cross and stripes. The plain cross flag seems to be increasingly used with proportions 1:1, like that of the naval jack.
The plain cross flag of Greece with the black eagle overall (image, no longer available) (flag of Northern Epirus) also seems not to have been seen outside the Web shop.

From 2007 onwards, both versions of Greek national flag are still widely used. The plain cross flag of Greece with the black eagle overall can be seen on photos (no longer available) and on a detailed image.

After 2012, the use of the national flag with cross and stripes has prevailed over that of the plain cross flag. The interesting feature is that not only the shade of blue color varies a lot, but the flags with dark blue and light blue are frequently used together (photo).

Tomislav Todorović, 23 February 2016

Use of Byzantine flags by Golden Dawn

Byzantine flags used by Golden Dawn - Images by Tomislav Todorović & António Martins, 23 February 2016 (right)

Until 2005, the Byzantine flag used by the Greek Orthodox Church was also frequently used (photo, no longer available), but the flag with the same charges and the reverted colours (image, no longer available) does not seem to have been seen outside the online shop. The flag with the black eagle on the red field (image, no longer available) was, however, often used (actually shown only on a book cover [image, no longer available] at the online shop). There seems to have been a similar flag, with a gold eagle on the red field (not sold by the online shop), but none of the images from the site of the organization were showing it clearly enough for a better description.
From 2007 onwards, the Byzantine flag of the Greek Orthodox Church and its derivations seem to have fallen out of use.

After 2012, the Byzantine flag was reintroduced to some extent (photo, photo, photo). The same is even more true for the "Byzantine war flag" that is used by the extremist Orthodox movements. It is being sold by Lonhi, the Golden Dawn online shop (image) and used by the party as well (photo); this flag was kept in limited use before 2013 as well (photo, 2008). Both "Byzantine" flags are sometimes used together by Golden Dawn (photo).
The third "Byzantine" flag, with a golden eagle on a black field, which was offered for sale by Lonhi until 2005 but rarely used, is shown on a photo taken in October 2012. This photo has remained the only source to verify its existence so far.

Tomislav Todorović, 23 February 2016