On Friday September 20, 2019, on the three years anniversary of the occupation of the building that became known as “Spirou Trikoupi 17 Squat,” housing refugees in the heart of Exarcheia (Athens, Greece), anarchists were not deterred by the fact that the Squat had been evacuated on Monday August 26, 2019, following a massive police raid and that the neighbourhood of Exarchia has been turned into a “militarized” zone, with constant riot police attacks against people in the area and social centers.
Instead, they chose to celebrate the anniversary like the evacuation never happened by organizing a collective dinner on Exarcheia square to celebrate the Squat’s birthday, “with their one and only weapon… Solidarity!” as noted in their public communique.
During the event, anarchsits decided to defy the “militarized” law imposed on Exarcheia and while taking the riot police brigades by surprise, managed to enter the sealed -with bricks- building, symbolically reoccupying it, hanging a huge banner saying “No Pasaran,” lighting up flares and shooting fireworks, while more comrades protested in the street in front of the building.
They then exited the building the same way they entered, unnoticed, leaving the riot police on the spot astounded, who then had to bring a crane to enter the building from the balconies in a big operation, puzzled, trying to figure out what has just happened.
This was the communique of the “Spirou Trikoupi 17 Squat”:
“We are waiting for you all, at 7 p.m in the square of Exarcheia!
3 years ago, an abandoned building in the center of Exarcheia was squatted to house the hopes and the dreams of thousands people that passed by, in their pursuit of a better life. The 3rd bday of Trikoupi finds us evicted from our house but still alive and strong, fighting for our principles and our beliefs. We organize a collective solidarity dinner in the square, to make the statement that Trikoupi was far more than just a building. It was and still is an idea! An alive and active community!
Collective dinner this Friday September 20, in Exarcheia square to celebrate our birthday, with our one and only weapon… Solidarity!
See you all there!
You can’t evict our dreams… You can’t evict a movement!
Our community will never die. Trikoupi is still alive! Solidarity will win…”
[September 21st, 2019 – AMW.]
