In solidarity with the okupied social centres/squats of Athens

From Autonomies

In a series of police operations in Athens, over the last ten days, four okupied social centres were cleared, including two that provided autonomous, self-managed housing for migrants.

The objective is clear: to discipline rebellious segments of the population (most notably, anarchists), or those who might think of rebelling, to place under State administration and policed surveillance, migrants-refugees, under a politics of social division and colonisation (and thereby trying to bring to end one of the richest experiences of radical “no-border politics” in recent memory), and to pacify the urban space for “investment and renewal”

In solidarity with the resistance to this State violence, we publish a series of news posts from the “enough is enough” media collective.

After wave of evictions in Athens, Greece: Polytechnic Building Occupied

Athens: Since February 19, an operation has begun of mass evacuation of squats, beginning with the migrant housing squat Arachovis 44 in Exarchia. On 11/4 at 6 in the morning an army of cops evacuate the housing squats Azadi and New Babylon, from where 120 people are detained. Only a week later on 18/4 another operation takes place to evacuate the migrant housing squat Clandestina and Cyclope.

Originally published by Athens Indymedia. Slightly edited for clarityby mpalothia.

We understand this attack on all fronts against the squats and self-organized structures, with Exarcheia at its centre, as an attack that serves the media profile of state and government, so as to appear as guarantor of security, law and order, and of the interests of bosses and landlords.

The result of these operations is that many of the squat residents are now imprisoned in the hellholes of the state, while the rest are left homeless.

We locals, migrants, solidaritarians and squatters, understand that we must give our answers all together. For this reason, we decided to occupy the Gini building (at Athens Polytechnic University), so as to give an immediate answer to the evacuations, and to organize the resistance against repression, the defense of the neighborhood, of our lives.

We call for an open assembly

MONDAY 22nd of APRIL at 19.00, in Gini (Polytechneio)

WE WILL TAKE EVERYTHING BACK BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS OURS

10, 100, 1000 SQUATS, AGAINST A WORLD OF ORGANIZED DECAY

COMMON STRUGGLE OF LOCALS AND MIGRANTS

(22/04/2019: enoughisenough14.org)

Refugees have ended protests at Syntagma square in Athens

Athens: After the eviction of 4 squats in Exarchia, Athens, refugees started a protest camp on Thursday. The first squats that were evicted were Azadi and Babylon, 8 days later Clandestina and Cyclopi were evicted. Today the protest against the evictions at Syntagma ended, some of the refugees where brought to the Elleonas camp, but others are still homeless.

Published by Enough 14. Written by Riot Turtle.

Around 05:00am IOM employees and Greek police came to the protest camp and offered the people that became homeless after the evictions a place to stay at different places. Some of these places where hours away from Athens. The protesters refused the offer. IOM and the state hand in hand… I worked in many places and IOM is one of these organisations that makes you expect the worst as soon as they show up. It’s also not exactly the first time that they are working hand in hand with cops.

The cops had threatened to evict the protest camp at Syntagma and when IOM and the cops came back with another offer later today, the protesting refugees accepted. Threatened, and tired after the wave of evictions of refugee squats in the past week they decided to accept the second offer and were brought to the Elleonas camp.

More than 50 people went to the camp. But others are still homeless. Some of the women didn’t want to go to Elleonas because they don’t feel safe there. Others were refused by IOM and Greek authorities because they don’t have the right papers.

The Our House project released a statement about the end of the protest camp. On their Facebook page they wrote: “Update on peaceful protest”.

Just a short while ago the protest ended.

Of the group, 56 will go to Elleonas camp, there are some not accepted and some women believe the camp to be unsafe for them.

Our House has placed a number of women in a temporary shelter. They can only stay longer if we can raise funds for them.

Many people feel unsafe in the camps.

This week has been traumatic for many, children witnessing scenes and fear they should never see. People suffering already from the effects of war and journey to freedom to be met with brutal treatment in this city.

If the authorities had another, safe solution to a squat then why not first provide that with EU funding, why throw children just to the street?

Our House will see these people again, each day, joining the long queue for food.

Welcome to Athens.

In a second statement the Our House project wrote on their Facebook page: “HELP NEEDED FOR LONE WOMEN WITH CHILDREN

There are 14 women, with very small children or alone who cannot go to Elleonas camp. Either they are not accepted by the authorities or feel afraid to go.

Our House does not have the appropriate resources for housing these women with babies.

We call out to other groups, can you help these women.

Some are Iranian, some African nationality.

Please message us if you can help them.”

You can send Our House a message on their Facebook page or at Twitter.

After the evicton and during the days of protest Our House has cooked more than 1500 meals for the people who were evicted and other homeless people. The activists will continue to support refugees in Athens. They urgently need donations to organize housing for the people that are still homeless after the evictions and to continue the food distribution at Victoria square. You can donate by PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/Helphumaninneed

(20/04/2019: enoughisenough14.org)

Refugees Athens: Protest camp in front of Greek parliament after 4 evictions in 8 days

Athens: Yesterday Greek police evicted the Clandestina refugee squat and the queer feminist Cyclopi squat. One week before cops evicted the Azadi and Babylon refugee squats. Yesterday afternoon refugees have build up a protest camp in front of Greek parliament at Syntagma square to protest against the evictions.

Published by Enough 14. Written by Riot Turtle.

The cops came in the very early morning hours to evict Clandestina refugee squat yesterday. At the same time they evicted Cyclopi. With 4 evictions in just 8 days, more than 300 people are homeless now.

Yesterday afternoon a group of about 70 refugees went to Syntagma square in Athens and started a protest camp in front of Greek parliament. The refugees demand housing, many of them are homeless after the evictions of the past 9 days.

Among the now homeless refugees are many children. One of the protesting refugees, Hessam Shaery, wrote on his Facebook profile:

“There is no reason, no good logic to turning women and babies to the street.

No good justification can come forward.

If the Greek police and authorities do this, where is Europe?

Who can allow this to happen?

Please, don’t click like or sad, or angry. Tell your policitians, send aid.

We are humans less worthy than a religious building?

You risk arrest we are told. Well that would be some kind of roof at least.”

Arash Hampay wrote on his Facebook profile:

“Homeless the refugees who were evicted today from a squat in Athens, now in a central square, Syndagma and protesting. They are around 70 people, mostly families with women and small kids.”

The Our House project supports the homeless refugees. On their Facebook page Our House wrote:

“Eviction update, peaceful protest in Syntagma

Thanks to those who brought clothes, food and blankets for the homeless women and children holding their protest through the night here in Syntagma Square, Athens.

This act of solidarity means very much to people who have been treated in this way.

Our House stand with refugees and homeless.

You are welcome to join this peaceful statement, the need for visibility of the enforcement of homeless on women and children refugees. Come down to Syntagma!!

More blankets, food and sleeping bags are needed.

More emergency shelter will be needed.

Help us help please.”

You can support the homeless refugees and the work of the Our House projekt with a donation on PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/Helphumaninneed

(19/04/2019: enoughisenough14.org)

Refugees, Athens: Clandestina and Cyclopi squats evicted – Update

Athens, Exarchia: Just one week after the eviction of the Azadi and Babylon refugee squats, cops evicted two more squats today. A first short report. Updated with a first statement of one of the arrested refugees.

Published by Enough 14. Written by Riot Turtle.

In the early morning hours cops evicted the Clandestina refugee squat in Bouboulinas street and another squat in Zwodohou pigis street. According to mainstream media reports the second building was empty.

Around 70 people were arrested during the eviction of Clandestina. Two more people were arrested in Zwodohou pigis street. Activist Arash Hampay was not inside the building but was arrested while he was filming the eviction.

Todays evictions made a lot of people homeless and shows the Greek state is continuing their offensive against squats in the Greek capital. State forces are “cleaning” downtown Athens for investors and attacking self-organized projects.

A few days ago the enough blog published two articles about the gentrification process in the center of Athens. A statement by the Athens Assembly of Squatted Prosfygika (Sy.Ka.Pro.) and Breaking the sword of capital hanging over Exarcheia.

Update 11:26am: Statement by one of the arrested refugees

In the depth of the night when people were sleeping the police raided and evicted the families from Clandestina.

We have spent 6 months creating a place families can call home.

Families, not drug dealers or criminals. Families with children, no money and few possessions.

We are now held in prison and do not know what will happen next.

Our friends gather and try to help us with blankets and food.

What then?

Which will be the next eviction?
Women and children?
LGBT squats?

300 people evicted in less than one week.

We see the world stand by and watch this brutality of people fleeing war already.

There will come reaction and protest.

The authorities do not show any humanity to refugees.

(18/04/2019: enoughisenough14.org)

Athens, Exarchia: Babylon and Azadi Refugees squats evicted – Updated

Athens: In the early morning hours cops evicted the Azadi and Babylon refugee squats. Update: Below the first short statement you will find an update with a second statement by the Azadi squat.

Originally published by Azadi squat facebook page.

Today in the morning around 5am about 200 Cops runned into the Squats and violently evicted them! Still now they are in Tzavella street and they close the houses with metal.
Keep you updated!

Update (02:40pm) on Azadi Facebook page

This morning the police evicted Azadi Squat and our neighbors from New Babylon! About 120 of people have to struggle again! Have to sleep in the street! Our families of the house luckily didn’t had much repression! But some went to the police station! Other have to struggle and need sleeping places! About 90 Person are persecuted. Police used violence- but the residents of the Squat was calm and didn’t resist! Now the doors are closed with lots of metal – but this doesn’t mean that we stay outside! We will find new houses! As long as people are left alone there will be resistance! And we keep fighting against borders – for freedom of movement!

This eviction was a planned action and used for propaganda for the coming election as well! A lot of journalists were there from beginning and questioned passengers and stores around about this two Squats!

Azadi squat Athens, April 11, 02:40pm

(11/04/2019: enoughisenough14.org)

There are 3 Comments

i typed that upon reading the title, before reading the text. now i feel like an asshole, this news is sad af

Add new comment