Greece: We stand against state repression

The state and capitalism continue to target the freedom of the social base and appropriate its labour and resources. In recent years we have experienced some of the most violent attacks on this freedom through the mass impoverishment of the already oppressed and exploited. At the same time, a widespread social resistance and solidarity movement has formed. People have created a variety of self-organized spaces such as housing infrastructures, social medical centers, community kitchens, open parks and public spaces. In spite of setbacks, the movement has created a solid social ground and accumulated considerable knowledge and experience. Through squats, political groups, base unions, squares and neighbourhood assemblies we have formed communities of struggle with strong social bonds. Communities oriented towards society, with a critical eye all the same. At times, the movement has had to use violence as a means of defending and expanding free spaces against state repression, capitalist interests and fascist attacks. It is a movement that grows in diversity and vibrancy, despite the ongoing criminalisation of solidarity and mobility.

In the context of this socio-class conflict, on Monday 26/8, the state, armed with police forces, seized Exarchia and evicted four squats. Two of these squats were migrant homes—Transito and Spirou Trikoupi 17, from where the police abducted 144 migrants, uprooting them from their places of residence for a second time and isolating them in what the state calls detention centers. Evictions were also carried out in an ongoing housing and political squat in Assimaki Fotila street, and the Gare squat, where three arrests were made. [Read More]

Athens: Demonstration on 14th of september. Solidarity will win!

[an update on the repressive campaign by the state and call for international mobilizations in solidarity with the squats and the anarchist movement in Greece]

At dawn on August 26th, strong repression forces evicted four squats in the neighborhood of Exarcheia, arrested three squatters and detained 143 refugees and immigrants. While men, women and children refugees were piled in police vans by the armed hooded men of the Special Repression Counter-Terrorist Unit, institutional fascism released its ideological propaganda through the media: a representantive of Greek Police compared the repression forces to a “vaccum” of new technology that will wipe out from Exarcheia “the disturbing dust”, the refugees and immigrants, and afterwards the real “trash”, the anarchists, announcing the continuation of the repressive operation and their declared target.

The recent police invasions are a first manifestation of the repressive campaign, announced by state officials, against the anarchist movement, the squats, the self-organized structures of housing immigrants and refugees, the world of solidarity, social and class resistance in general. A repressive campaign that consists the spearhead of the state and capitalism’s attack on the plebeians of society, aiming to terrorize them and neutralize resistance, in order to proceed uninterruptedly to the onslaught of state and capitalist brutality. The elections of July 7th marked the continuation of the imposition of suffocating living conditions for the workers and the unemployed, the imprisonment of immigrants and refugees in concentration camps and the deaths in the borders, the intensification of the looting of social wealth and nature, the attempt to establish the state of emergency. The government of New Democracy is building on the attempted neutralization of social and class struggles and the tens of repression attacks against squats during the administration of Syriza, promising to crush the people of the struggle – to all those that have stood and are still standing against the plans of the authority. [Read More]

Greece: Exarcheia under police occupation!

Alert! What we have been announcing to you for a month and a half has just begun this morning, just before dawn. Athens’ famous rebel and supportive neighbourhood is completely surrounded by huge police forces: many riot police buses (MAT), anti-terrorist untis (OPKE), police on motorbikes (DIAS), members of the secret police (asfalitès), as well as a helicopter and several drones.

A unique place in Europe for its high concentration of squats and other self-managed spaces, but also for its resistance against repression and its solidarity with precarious and migrants, Exarcheia has been in the sight of the right-wing government since its election on 7 July. The new Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had made it a personal affair, especially since he had been mocked in early August for failing to achieve his goal of “cleaning Exarcheia in a month” as he had announced with great fanfare.

This morning, 4 squats were evicted: Spirou Trikoupi 17, Transito, Rosa de Foc and Gare. The offensive currently concerns the north-western part of the district, with the notable exception of the Notara 26 squat, which is considered better guarded and very symbolically important for the district as the first historical squat of the “refugee crisis” in downtown Athens. [Read More]

Athens: Requesting Funds for an Arrestee

For almost 10 years the 6th of December has marked the day a 15 year old boy named Alexis Grigoropoulos was murdered by police in the Exarchia neighborhood of Athens, Greece. His murder was the spark that ignited a wild fire of insurrection across the country in December 2008 that
caught the world’s attention and inspired general revolt for years to come; both in Greece and beyond its’ borders. Every year the memory of Alexis lives on through the resistance of courageous individuals coming together to fight the state and its bastard police in the streets of Exarchia (where Alexis was killed, and where police are not welcome).
For more information on the 6th of December and its history please look here.

[Read More]

Solidarity statement from Rosa de Foc Squat in Athens, Greece, to anti-airport struggle ZAD in France

As an international housing squat we think solidarity is our weapon, and as we all know weapons have categories, from handguns to nuclear bombs. Revolutionary solidarity doesn’t have boundaries and can only benefit the struggle. We are already starting to try our theories in practice about this.

International solidarity means bringing and taking ideas from one place to another, placing priorities and supporting the place that needs our help the most. Help is not only texts, supplies and solidarity demonstrations in our territory, but also our physical presence there. Working with the people, learning their language and their culture. Basic ingredients if we want to be effective and helpful, because every battle ground is different. [Read More]

Athens: Solidarity statement from the squat Rosa de Foc to XM24 squat

As international collective, self-organized and based on anarchist and anti-authoritarian principles we believe that the international solidarity represents the strongest weapon that the movement has. We are all aware that this weapon can be used at different levels, from words to direct actions.

As living squat and self-educational center Rosa de Foc of Exarchia, we believe that is essential to express our solidarity to all the squats and battlegrounds that are under attack from state apparatus of repression. Especially, for affinity in ideas and practices, we want to assert our vicinity to the squat XM24 of Bologna. A squat that resists to the power’s oppression for 15 years, in constant struggle to create a concrete alternative to the dominant lifestyle that repress and humiliate an increasing number of individuals. We feel close to XM24, a place where, thanks to the many collectives acting inside it, during the years it were built a big number of projects, alive and active, which have made a shelter against the gentrification and the monetization of our neighborhoods. At the same time it isn’t just a provider of ‘alternative services’ but it has maintained alive his fighting and rebel soul that doesn’t surrender to the current situation. [Read More]

Athens: Rosa de Foc, international squat house in Exarchia

rosa_de_focWe are an autonomus, self-managed collective based on libertarian and anti-authoritarian principles. We are living on Ashmakh Fwthla 18 in Exarcheia.
We come from several countries, including Greece.

The governing organ of our community is the General Essembly (GA). All important decisions regarding the house or its inhabitants must be approved by GA. Any decision taken otherwise will not be considered legitimate. We will not tolerate any threat of our autonomy, and will protect it. At the same time we perceive the solidarity among squats as self explanatory and continuous situation.

We will be vigilant and active in the struggle against drugs and drug dealing around the area of Exarchia as well as against the possibility of this happening inside the movement.

In addition, we are open to suggestions and political projects that promote the non-profit and anticonstitutional character, the strengthening of relationships among comrades and the general struggle for revolution and Anarchy. We want and we have the ability to house self-educational activities, as well as activities that promote political discussion and communication.

We send our greetings to the revolutionary comrades that fight for freedom around the world, and all the political prisoners that have been kidnapped by the state. Our space constitutes from the beginning a crossroad for comrades from all around the globe and we desire to remain as such.

Whoever wants to take part in our community life and build a connection with us or has some projects or ideas, are welcome every Friday at 1p.m. At this time we organise collective kitchen. [Read More]