Fight on against neo-Nazi group trying to take over NYC neighborhood

Queens elected officials and liberal groups are mobilizing against a neo-Nazi group based in Greece that is rumored to be trying to gain a toe-hold in Astoria.

A Stop Golden Dawn coalition was formed this month after posters for and against the anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic group began appearing on the neighborhood’s streets.

“I’m angry that Golden Dawn thinks that Astoria is an appropriate community to disseminate their message of hate,” said Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria), who recently vowed to fight the group along with Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and other elected officials.

“Golden Dawn does not represent the sentiments of the people of Astoria,” she said.

About 250 people attended a Stop Golden Dawn meeting earlier this month after members of the group were photographed at the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York in Astoria.

Elias Tsekerides, president of the federation, which represents 120 Greek groups, said the Golden Dawn supporters were helping with a clothing drive and didn’t identify themselves as members of the sometimes violent group.

“They don’t represent us or our federation,” he said. “We are not sympathizers.”

Greek and liberal groups held two meetings over the weekend to discuss Golden Dawn.

“We will continue to meet about it,” said Nicholas Levis, a member of Occupy Astoria Long Island City, which has joined the Stop Golden Dawn coalition. “They have the same racial ideology as the Nazis.”

Golden Dawn has also approached local Greek merchants, sources said.

Three young men stopped by one construction business in the neighborhood about a month ago, asking for money for people struggling in Greece.

The men, who did not have Greek accents, did not identify themselves as members of Golden Dawn, said a person who was there at the time but asked not to be identified.

Several days later, they came back with Golden Dawn t-shirts to thank those that gave donations. They were promptly chased out of the business, sources said.

Members of the group also showed up at a meeting for a Greek students group at Queens College, sources said.

“Their chances of setting up in Astoria are shot,” said Bard College anthropology professor Neni Panourgia, who has written about the group. “Whatever support they might have had was with people who really didn’t know what Golden Dawn does.”