#65: Greek Anarchists Fight Back in Exarchia

On August 26th, riot police under orders from the newly elected right-wing government stormed and evicted four squatted social centers in the Exarchia neighborhood of Athens, Greece, in a serious attack on both precarious migrants and the anarchist and anti-authoritarian movements. In response, Greek anarchists have organized assemblies and demonstrations, while solidarity efforts have poured out from across the world. Both shaken and inspired by these events, the Ex-Worker podcast has emerged from hibernation to ask anarchists in Exarchia what’s going on and what needs to be done. This episode explores the situation in Exarchia through three interviews with anarchist residents of the renowned radical neighborhood. The first is an audio version of “The New War on Immigrants and Anarchists in Greece,” published on the CrimethInc. blog on August 28th, which gives an in-depth analysis of the evictions with historical context and insight into the dynamics of the Greek anarchist movement, supplemented by an excerpt from the 2015 piece “Syriza Can’t Save Greece.” The second is a long discussion with a squatter from the Lelas Karagianni 37 squat in Exarchia, the oldest squat in Greece and a central hub for assemblies and anarchist organizing in Athens; it touches on the role of the media and the previous Syriza regime in paving the way to this wave of attacks; the anarchist movement’s strategy for regaining the initiative from the state; and the significance of international solidarity. The third and shortest interview with the Void Network reports back on the September 14th anti-repression demonstration in Athens and reflects on the prospects for ongoing resistance. Tune in to learn more about this critical struggle to defend freedom and autonomy in an inspiring enclave of radical experimentation.

{September 18th, 2019}

-------SHOW NOTES------

• Table of Contents:
  • Introduction {0:01}
  • The New War on Immigrants and Anarchists in Greece: Intro {4:25}
  • Syriza Can’t Save Greece (2015) {6:08}
  • The New War on Immigrants and Anarchists in Greece: Interview {17:17}
  • Lelas Karagianni 37 Squat: Interview {41:21}
  • Athens Indymedia Call for September 14 Demonstration {1:23:02}
  • Void Network Interview {1:24:04}
  • Clara’s Closing Motivational Speech {1:35:00}
  • Conclusion {1:37:36}
• In this episode, we present an audio version of “The New War on Immigrants and Anarchists in Greece: An Interview with an Anarchist in Exarchia” and an excerpt from “Syriza Can’t Save Greece: Why There’s No Electoral Exit From the Crisis”, both which originally appeared on the CrimethInc. blog.
• We interview a participant from the Lelas Karagianni 37 squat in Exarchia. Here is their “Solidarity Will Win” statement; a video promoting the September 14th demonstration in Athens; some photos from the September 14th demo; the Statement of the Anarchist Political Organization Against the Repressive Campaign of the State, and the No Pasarán! poster.
• We also interview a participant from the Void Network in Athens; you can read the “Solidarity to squats and all spaces of struggle- ASSEMBLY Announcement” from their website.
• To stay up to date on developments in Exarchia, consult Athens Indymedia or (although we at the Ex-Worker stubbornly insist on discouraging you from using Facebook) this public “Exarchia” Facebook group.
• Check out this long interview with another anarchist from Exarchia released through the It’s Going Down podcast, which offers more in-depth history and contemporary analysis of the neighborhood and the Greek anarchist movement.