Surely the exchange of insults between facsists and their opponents is part of the rough and tumble of street politics? Not so, according to members of Greece's neo-nazi outfit the Golden Dawn, who have attempted to air their grievances in the courtroom.

Peeved fascists had attempted to sue counter-demonstrators for displaying the slogan “The people don't forget, they hang fascists”, during an anti-fascist protest by the Revolutionary Worker's Party EEK back in 2009.

The two defendants were Savvas Michael-Matsas leader of the EEK and Kostantinos Moutzouris (ex-vice chancellor of the Athens Polytechnic). Moutzouris' became involved because the slogan appeared on Athens Indymedia, which was then hosted by the University's server. Golden Dawn accused them of “libelous defamation,” “incitement to violence and civil discord”, and “disturbing the public peace”. Many of Savvas Michael-Matsas' supporters maintain he was prosecuted by Golden Dawn – an openly antisemitic party – because he is jewish

The trial started on Monday (2nd) at the Athens Courthouse, and was attended by hundreds of anti-fascists who had gathered in solidarity. The defendants both rejected the charge. The case was described by a Syriza MP called forward to provide testimon as “political persecution, as it was the duty of every intellectual to contribute to attacking every fascist, racist and narrow-minded thinking” by a Syriza MP.

By Tuesday (3rd) they were both found not guilty to the applause of more than one hundred people that had gathered inside the court. Ilias Panayiotaros, a Golden Dawn MP who was among those who pressed charges, didn't show at the hearing. Another absentee was one-time Golden Dawn election candidate Themis Skordeli, whose trial for stabbing an Afghan man in September 2011 has been postponed eight times.