Sp.Trikoupi 17 statement against the evictions and the plans of the state
During the previous weeks, we witnessed once again three housing squats for refugees/migrants, and one feminist squat (shelter for lgbtqi+ people) being evicted in the neighborhood of Exarcheia. As a result, there is a larger number of homeless people, with many minors among them in the streets of Athens, as well as others imprisoned in detention centers.
It doesn’t seem to us to be a coincidence that these evictions are happening during a very busy elections agenda. Indeed, this year, the elections for local and regional government will take place on the same time as the elections for the European Parliament: in May 2019. Why did they wait until now to proceed with these expulsions, if not to please the conservative tendencies, as well as to flirt with those of the racist far right?
One more time the power represses solidarity and punishes the most vulnerable in the name of public order and security. No one is fool enough not to understand that it also comes along with economic interests. After having sold off the “whole country”, the government is more than willing to sell the streets of our neighborhood to Airbnb investors. We’re even more concerned, that if we understand the political roadmap of the state, we assume that their intentions of closing more squats and political collectives in our neighborhood doesn’t stop there, and that many will be raided and evicted before the legislative elections in October 2019.
In Spirou Trikoupi 17, we are standing against these plans of destroying every alternative and solidarity initiative in the city for political interests, and the ones of the different investor groups who want to gentrify and turn our neighborhood into a huge alternative touristic destination, only for profit. We denounce these actions and our answer will be again to stay united, keep on struggling for our rights and freedom, and resist the oppression.
SP.T.17 is a housing squat for refugees and migrants, which is running for more than two years and a half. We’re here to answer the absence of solidarity in their charity-based “philanthropical” system, with self-organization, active participation and empowerment. We’re a self-managed community working in a horizontal way. We have managed to keep out of our building aggressors, criminals, mafias and drugs, that the system and the medias always love to present as the reasons of evictions.
We try to give a different and live example of another kind of society, where people broaden their horizons, and build their futures with respect and dignity.
We’re part of the solution and not part of the problem!
We’re standing in solidarity with all our sisters and brothers that the government led violently to homelessness by evicting their buildings.
We are standing strongly against to what the government is creating, which more looks like exclusion or concentration camps, and all their tries to blame the refugees and the anarchist/ anti-authoritarian movement, for every problem that is occurring In Exarcheia.
We call the neighborhood, the people and the self-organized collectives of Exarcheia, to show their support actively and stand together, one more time, in solidarity towards what is worth and against the common threat.
If they attack one of us, they attack all of us!
We will stand our ground!
You cannot evict a movement!
Solidarity is our weapon!
Housing squat for refugees/migrants Spirou Trikoupi 17
(via Athens Indymedia)
