Dimitris Natsios, President of the NIKI party, staunchly defends MP Nikos Papadopoulos after his actions at the National Gallery, asserting there’s no question of expelling him.
On Monday, Papadopoulos entered the Gallery at noon, damaging artworks he deemed blasphemous to Christianity, claiming they insulted the Virgin Mary and saints. Natsios tweeted after midnight that Papadopoulos acted with “sacred indignation” against “unholy, monstrous” paintings, fully supporting his motives while noting the MP acted independently, as per NIKI’s earlier statement.
Natsios also criticized authorities, questioning why Papadopoulos was “illegally detained” for hours at the Gallery. In a detailed post, he wrote: “To avoid confusion, MP Nikos Papadopoulos, who faces no expulsion, righteously removed blasphemous artworks that mock the Virgin Mary and our saints.”
Earlier that day, Natsios had challenged the Culture Minister, asking if the Gallery would dare exhibit works offending Muslim or Jewish faiths, and decrying the government’s hypocrisy in honoring Orthodoxy while permitting such art. “Shame and nothing but shame,” he concluded.