Over a month ago, the hunger strike of Aristotelis Chantzis and Suzon Doppagne ended victoriously, with a lot of collective power from the movement forcing the state to resign from its original plan of eviction.
On June 24th, the Community of Squatted Prosfygika and the hunger strikers announced the end of the hunger strike, after the Mayor of Athens, in the last moment, recognized and attested to one of the demands of justice that had become unsilencable over the 140 days of hungerstrike. As the last months showed, victory is not a glamorous finale, not an end of the struggle. It is a consciousness, that allows us to take the necessary steps and grow beyond the position of defense and submission.
The mobilizations around the hunger strike eliminated every justification that the state tried to construct about the legitimacy of the eviction plans. A broad movement has taken shape around the struggle of Prosfygika, consisting of individuals, collectives, social initiatives, workers unions, political parties and many other bodies. This has not only played a significant part in support and, in the end, led to the victory of the struggle, but its has also enriched the Community through countless collaborations and exchange.
The United Nations Organizations, Amnesty International, 33 members of the European Parliament and many other organizations and individuals with social and political influence have contributed to the struggle by exposing to the public, what had been clear since the beginning: that the „redevelopment“ contract of the Region of Attica is not in line with human rights, that no funding was ever admitted by the European Commission for this plan and finally, that incredibly high amounts from EU funds have been used by the Greek State in corrupt and questionable ways.
And as the hunger strike ended, the struggle continues in multiple ways.
The struggle for life continues to be fought daily by our comrade Aristotelis who is hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Evangelismos Hospital since June 22. His health still is in a critical condition but his moral is indestructively high. Suzon Doppagne is reunited with the Community and growing stronger again.
The internationalist struggle continues with immense support, as dozens of international solidarians that came before, during and after the Internationalist Brigade of Victory, show their commitment to the struggle of Prosfygika daily.
The defense of Prosfygika is reaching the next phase:
Now, towards the month of August, the situation is growing more threatening again.
As all means from the state to diminish the Communities validity of existence were without success, it has to resort to raw violence. Through the Greek government’s spokesperson Marinakis, another declaration of war was made towards the Community of Squatted Prosfygika:
“Prosfygika would be the biggest shame in Greece and a community of terrorists, that needs to be stopped before further terrorists are breeded there, so during the current government period.”
Based on the policies and current situation of the government, this narrative is not surprising, though we have to expect also actual material consequences, attacks and intensified repression from such announcements. The summer period is also a time of intensified risk of state attacks because the local movement is weaken a lot. So
WE CALL ON EVERY COMRADE, COLLECTIVE OR ORGANIZATION IN SOLIDARITY WITH PROSFYGIKA TO REMAIN ALERT AND READY FOR DEFENSE!
The ruling party in Greece, New Democracy, an authoritarian neoliberal regime, is tightening their strict “law and order” doctrine it has established over many years, which results in the extention of repression against movements and societies – especially now in the pre-election period. It is a framework meant to exploit the public need for security by implementing increasingly repressive measures into every day life as well as a cheap excuse to shower the movement, and right now with a focus of Prosfygika, with repression.
In the last weeks, this climate has amounted to a new degree of madness: a young man was murderered by the Police, violence against migrants and women increased rapidly, dozens of comrades were arrested with accusations about an arson attack in Thessaloniki and about an attack from 2010 to the Marfin Bank in Athens. The state propaganda is trying to push the responsibility of different incidents directly and without any evidences to the Community of Prosfygika with the aim to sustain the narrative of so called terrorism about us. It is clear how desperately the state is trying to delegitimize the just and righteous demands of Prosfygika and its existence only to cover up its own despicable policies of oppression, control and incarceration.
As Community, we remain undaunted against this threat of brutality and the unsubstantiated claims about us.
The situation confronts us with different possible scenarios.
In all of them, internationalist solidarians are needed more than ever to stand steadfast behind the Community and defend what we have built here – a shared life with universal values and a culture of collective responsibility that bears answers for the greater questions of humanity from our times.
WE ALL STAY IN PROSYGIKA
WE ARE ALL PROSFYGIKA
Internationalists Save Prosfygika
Mail: press-saveprosfygika@systemli.org
Blog: https://saveprosfygika.gr
Instagram: @int.saveprosfygika
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/saveprosfygikainternationalist