Greece: Squats raided and evicted

greece / turkey / cyprus | repression / prisoners | news report

Wednesday July 27, 2016 22:30

by Dmitri (republishing) - MACG (personal capacity)

The message the left wing government wants to transmit is that there is no space for solidarity and self-managed responses to the ordeal of the refugees, only the state’s charity and the confinement, marginalisation and selective deportation carried out by a government that follows to the letter the criminal immigration policies of the EE.

In a move unprecedented in times of “democracy”, the Greek government raided and evicted today, 27 July in the early morning, three squats in the city of Thessaloniki, which were being used as shelter for refugees.

The message the left wing government wants to transmit is that there is no space for solidarity and self-managed responses to the ordeal of the refugees, only the state’s charity and the confinement, marginalisation and selective deportation carried out by a government that follows to the letter the criminal immigration policies of the EE.

The eviction comes only a couple of days after the end of the No Border Camp in Thessaloniki, which united thousands of activists from throughout the continent to protest these very policies.

One of the squats, Nikis, has been a long standing squat in Thessaloniki, which was opened up to refugee families with the onset of the refugee crisis. Another one, Orfanotrofeio, was (re)occupied last year with the express purpose of giving shelter to immigrant and refugees in a self-managed way. The third one was occupied only a few days ago in the very centre of the city for the same purpose.

Orfanotrofeio was evicted and immediately demolished. Under the rubble were buried tons of medicine, food, clothes and first necessity items that were destined for refugee families, as well as the occupants’ personal belongings.

Hundreds people were detained in the 3 operations, among them many refugees who were taken to detention camps, as well as Greek and European militants of the movement in solidarity with the refugees who are still (on the midday of 27 July) under police custody.

It is not the first time that the Syriza government has shown its authoritarian face. After enforcing disastrous austerity measures that the previous -right wing- governments were unable to carry out, it also competes with the right wing in the field of heavy-handed repression of those who don’t give up fighting for freedom and human dignity.

In response, a multitude of people has occupied the headquarters of the Syriza party in Thessaloniki. Great forces of riot police are surrounding the building and there is a great chance of a violent confrontation.

Acts, protests and demonstrations of solidarity are being organised throughout Greece.

Spread the news, join the protest, denounce the criminal acts of the government in any way possible!