The Riot Dogs

For new readers, please be aware that this site has no political affiliations. Any discussions regarding politics only refer to facts, and the author offers no comment on the rights or wrongs regarding the events that took place.

For me, these stories are about dogs, and I want people to be made aware of the role these canines played in their country’s history and how they achieved their legendary status.

Loukanikos

(Sausage)

Sadly, there has been a financial crisis for decades due to the mismanagement of successive Greek governments. The people have repeatedly expressed their anger by demonstrating on the streets of Athens. This has brought them into direct confrontation with the Greek riot police, who, it has to be said, are not exactly a bunch of shrinking violets. They have a reputation for meeting any sort of disorder with maximum force.

The dog was originally just another stray puppy roaming the streets of the capital of Greece. His original name was Nikiforos, although to some, he was known as Kanellios in tribute to another Greek riot dog who died in 2008. But to the thousands of austerity protesters, he was known as Loukanikos or Sausage.

As images of the riots flashed around the world, the brown crossbreed became synonymous with protest. His vicious assault on the police made him famous and a symbol of resistance of the Greek people to the austerity measures that they continually had to endure.

In 2011 a number of policemen went on strike and were confronted by a group of riot police. As both sides were in uniform the story goes that Loukanikos was very confused but as the riot police attacked the striking policemen he immediately took the side of the strikers and attacked the riot police.

When striking firefighters demonstrated about jobs and working practices and were attacked by the riot police, needless to say, Loukanikos was in the thick of the action.

Every international major news organisation, including CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera, covered his exploits. In 2011, he made it into Time magazine’s 100 Personalities of the Year, a song was written, and a video was posted on YouTube. He even had his own Facebook page. He is a non playing character in the video game called “Tonight we Riot” where he assists the player in a left wing revolution. As the years passed, his health declined, and he suffered from a number of complications, many probably as a result of inhaling tear gas.

The exact date of his death is unknown, but it was almost certainly In the first week in October 2014 when he was considered to be around ten years old. It is believed that he is buried under the shade of an olive tree on a hill overlooking Athens. When it was revealed that he had passed away, he finally made the headlines in his own right.

RIP Loukanikos

Negros Matapacos

(Black cop killer)

In the same way that Loukanikos is famous and revered in Greece, Negro Matapacos is a hero canine in Chile.

First of all, we need to understand that Negro Matapacos didn’t kill anyone, and he definitely didn’t kill a policeman. His name translates as follows. Negros is black, Mata is a killer, and Pacos can be a derogatory name for a police officer, depending on its use.

He was a black dog that participated in the riots in Santiago. He was cared for by a student, Maria Campos, who adopted him in 2009. He had a bed in her accommodation, she fed and watered him, and each time he participated in riots, she fitted him with a red handkerchief. However, occasionally, the colour changed to either a white one or a blue one. It is understood that she blessed him before every event and kissed his face. Despite having the opportunity to live a normal dog’s life and staying in his adopted home, Maria Campos recognised that he was always going to be a free spirit, and he was never happier when out and about on the streets with the students.

He was unflinching as he faced water cannons and tear gas and only attacked police, never students.

The students were at the forefront of protests in 2010 and again in 2011 when they demanded free education and an end to government interference in matters relating to education. He became an inspiration to students and radicals who protested at what they perceived to be an unnecessarily oppressive state.

As his fame spread around the world, his image was used to inspire people to protest against injustice, as in the New York subway protests in November 2019, when videos appeared to show police officers showing racial bias. Stickers bearing the image of Negros Matapacos jumping a turnstile appeared on walls and trains.

As the years went by Negros Matapacos struggled with arthritis, and despite appearing at a number of other demonstrations over the years, his defiant activities finally came to an end. Crowdfunding provided a wheelchair and veterinary care so that he could see out his days in comfort without pain.

In Chile, he is often referred to as the patron saint of protests and street dogs.

His legacies are street murals, songs, an award-winning documentary, plus statues, not just in Chile but in other countries as well.

He is frequently compared to Loukanikos, his Greek counterpart.

He passed away on 26 August 2017

Negros Matapacos RIP