The latest from the police occupied district of Exarchia, Athens.
EXARCHIA: Solidarity to squats and all spaces of struggle- ASSEMBLY Announcement
The state and capital always attack
the freedom of the social base, steal its labor and resources. In recent
years we have experienced one of the most violent attacks through the
massive impoverishment of people who are already oppressed and
exploited.
On the other hand, there has been widespread
social resistance and solidarity. People have created a variety of
self-organized spaces such as housing infrastructure, social medical
centers, community kitchens, open parks and public spaces which are just
some of the main examples. In spite of weaknesses and setbacks, with
squats, political groups, base unions, squares and neighborhood
assemblies, the movement has created a solid social territory that has
gathered significant knowledge and experience, forming communities of
struggle with strong social bonds, addressing society with criticism. On
many occasions the movement had to use violence to defend and expand
the free spaces and territories from state and capitalist interests and
fascist attacks. The movement has grown in diversity and vitality,
despite the continued criminalisation of solidarity and mobilisation.
In
the context of this socio-class conflict, on Monday, 26/8, the state,
armed with police forces, seized Exarchia and evacuated four squats. Two
of them were refugees / migrants’ houses, Transito and Sp Trikoupi 17,
where they captured 144 refugee migrants by uprooting them from their
residences for a second time and isolating them in what they call
detention centers.Intrusions-evicted were also carried out in an ongoing
housing and political squat in Assimaki Fotila and the Gare squat where
three arrests were made. The cops also invaded the comrades’ home from
Gare.
In addition to the squats and the movement itself, this
repressive operation is aiming at migrants. They are one of the most
oppressed parts of society since their very existence is considered
illegal. In a state of illegality there is no access to health and
education while working conditions are exploitation and subjugation. The
situation of exclusion, which often comes also from a section of
society, leads them to violent and wild situations, which are then used
by the state and racists to attack migrants. Many choose their
self-organization and solidarity structures in order to survive and
resist. Together with local and international solidarity they build
communities and claim their visibility, posing a direct threat to
political and economic power. The solidarity we are building is in
contrast to the humanitarian aid of NGOs that victimize migrants and
make money from their problems. Real solidarity is at odds with the
humanitarianism of the state which is a simple cover up of deaths at the
borders and the murderous conditions at the concentration camps.
Prisoners do not receive medical care but instead suffer daily from
diseases that lead to death. These concentration camps lack basic
hygiene, people live with bed bugs and miserable food, constantly being
beaten or raped to force them to flee the Greek and European territory
or commit suicide. Transferring them from the squats they have chosen to
live, undermines their dignity and self-determination, while the excuse
that these camps are safer and healthier is one of the most vicious
state lies, an absolute reversal of reality.
As far as squats
are concerned, all these years they have responded to a variety of needs
and desires. They are free spaces where the social base re-creates its
relationships without state control and economic exclusion, over-coming
national, gender and other systemic discrimination. They respond to
basic needs such as housing, breaking out of rent coercion and wage
exploitation. In times of migration, they have offered shelter to
thousands of people by making spaces beyond the barbaric so-called
‘detention centers’ which are nothing more than concentration camps. The
most important achievement is that people of different backgrounds were
organized into squats and formed collective bodies to create projects
that reflect the world of equality and freedom we desire. Squats in
collaboration with the social and other grassroots forces defend
neighborhoods and public spaces from the business and political
interests of power.
The political agenda of the “New Democracy”
is a continuation of Syriza’s policy. It aims to transform the entire
region into easily exploitable land for local and foreign capital. The
result is the further exploitation and destruction of the environment
and the aggressive gentrification of urban space that transforms
neighborhoods — within cities — into tourist consumption areas,
displacing residents and carrying out informal “social cleansing”. The
militarisation of public space and the imprisonment of those who are
rising up is of prime importance and requires the implementation of
repression against migrants, workers, students, the unemployed, women
and queers. Some of the state’s first moves were to integrate the
correctional system and the immigration ministry under police
jurisdiction. At the same time, they hired 1,500 new people to the
police force, expanding the state’s repressive army. They further
criminalised the means of struggle and abolished university asylum in
preparation for the new social class struggles. The struggles that
Syriza assimilated and disintegrated paved the way for an even more
capable totalitarian state that we saw with the rise of New Democracy.
As
a continuation of the resistance of all recent years, we call on people
of struggle, the rebellious, the squatters, the collectives and
individuals to step up their efforts for an open front against
repression. With the primary aim of defending the squats and of a
broader objective of defending all social achievements against the state
and capital until they are overthrown. Strengthen social structures and
create new ones, further escalate social, class and local struggles.
Don’t let the struggle be assimilated by any regime of power. To crush
the repressive forces, to break the media propaganda, to bring out the
truth of the struggle of the oppressed.
SOLIDARITY TO SQUATS AND ALL THE SPACES OF STRUGGLE
COMMON STRUGGLES OF LOCALS AND MIGRANTS
Open Assembly of affinity groups, international solidarity activists and migrants / refugees at Polytechnic University
CALL OUT for actions
THUR. 29/8 – 18.00: Occupied Space Mpoumpoulinas 42 / Info Megaphone
FR. 30/8 – 05.00 ‘o clock in the morning: Mpoumpoulinas 42 / Organized Defense of the building
FR. 30/8– 18.00 Polytechnic University/ Open Assembly for solidarity to Occupied Spaces of Exarchia
SAT. 31/8– 12.00 Exarchia Square- DEMONSTRATION against the organized
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