Over the past five months, an extraordinary struggle for life and death has been unfolding for the defence of Prosfygika on Alexandras Av. This was a struggle against eviction, displacement, and the destruction of the largest self-organized initiative for social housing, solidarity, and the common good in Greece and across Europe. The aggressors have been a socially destructive regime and Regional Governor N. Chardalias with their gentrification plans and a policy of repression against movements and people.
At the forefront of this struggle, comrade Aristotelis Chantzis (on hunger strike since February 5, 2026) and comrade Suzon Doppagne (on hunger strike since May 1, 2026) have voluntarily carried a heavy load.
It is a struggle that has been victorious from the very beginning, because the only lost struggle is the one that was never fought. It is a just, selfless, and collective struggle—not only for the more than 400 residents of Prosfygika, but for society as a whole. For all of us. For the right to shelter, to life, to dignity, and for people’s right to organize, to self-organize, and to shape their own lives in dark times.
It is also a struggle that started from the grassroots and has spread everywhere—in Greece and internationally—throughout society, among social movements, among ordinary people, and even within institutional bodies and political parties. This struggle is victorious not only in strictly political sense but also in ways that are deeply social. Through its promotion of openness and inclusiveness it managed to bring together many different people, enabling the formation of a movement that set an example of how to build victorious struggles and forge social fronts of resistance in times of recession, drought, and widespread fragmentation—despite, of course, its mistakes and weaknesses.
Yesterday, the Municipality of Athens issued its second resolution, which serves as the final nail in the coffin of the Chardalias plan, which had already collapsed in every aspect—technical, political, and economical. Moreover, the resolution largely addresses our just and self-evident demands, within the limits of its capabilities:
- It called on the Region of Attica to halt the implementation of the decision to gentrify the neighborhood of Prosfygika and, at the same time, on the Community of Squatted Prosfygika to suspend its hunger strike.
- It recognized the Community of Squatted Prosfygika as an autonomous entity and a collective social actor, and as an equal partner with a decisive role in any future effort to restore the neighborhood of Prosfygika.
- It agreed that all residents of Prosfygika will remain in their homes and, even in the event of restoration work, will be relocated within the neighborhood, thereby also accepting the phased restoration of the buildings that we propose.
- It emphasized the Municipality’s responsibilities. The Municipality has clear powers and responsibilities, both regarding the permits required at various stages of building restoration and in the area of social housing. The Municipality has guaranteed that it will neither assist nor grant the necessary approvals for the project, thereby blocking any action by the Regional Authority that deviates from the framework defined above.
As for the abstention vote by Subversive Alliance and People’s Rally factions, we fully respect their position in light of the concerns and disagreements they have raised. After all, we, too, feel the need to express our disagreement with any comparison between the value of human life and a painted wall. Especially when that life has been left by institutional indifference and economic interests to melt away like wax for 140 days, with its fate hanging by a thread.
We also feel the need to state that we maintain our doubts about the implementation of the commitments made by the institutions, as demonstrated by so many cases. A recent such case is that of hunger striker Panos Routsis, the father of Dennis, who was murdered in Tempi. Mr. Routsis is still waiting for the government to fulfill its promise to exhume his son’s body. We expect these commitments to be honored and call on the solidarity movement to remain vigilant.
Today, following the massive movement of solidarity and support and the multilayered recognition of the Community of Squatted Prosfygika, the Mitsotakis government and the Region of Attica stand alone against the whole of society. They have nothing left to oppose the Community with, except the weapon of raw violence. We are here to stand together against it, just as we have done throughout all these years of harsh repression carried out by the most reactionary political forces.
Based on the above developments on Wednesday, June 24, we as the Community held discussions with the hunger strikers Aristos and Suzon and collectively decided to suspend the hunger strike while continuing the struggle through other means until our demands are fully met.
The positive outcome of the struggle so far and the satisfaction of the greater part of our demands allow us to bring the hunger strike to a victorious conclusion. This also means avoiding the risk of losing two people who are so valuable to us and to society as a whole. At the same time, it is also to avoid burdening with deaths a movement and a public, which is either unfamiliar with self-sacrificing struggles or believes this struggle has already been won.
Finally, if Regional Governor Nikos Chardalias’s true objective from the outset was indeed the restoration and preservation of the buildings and their historical significance, we remain open to dialogue to find common ground, based on the continued presence of all residents of Prosfygika and the recognition of the existing self-organized community.
The solutions to the problems of our times are found in partnership with society, not in opposition to it. In contrast to the plans of revenge, hostility, and political extermination on the part of the state, the regional government, and the Mitsotakis government, this struggle is a struggle of the defense of life and dignity and to set a different example for our societies and people.
To conclude, we must extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you—most of whom were strangers to us—who stand by our side, from your own standpoint, in this just and beautiful struggle. We take full accountability for any mistakes we have made and are willing to review them together with those interested in such discussion. Finally, we call for vigilance regarding the critical state of Aristotelis Chantzis’s health, regarding the possibility of vindictive actions against the hunger strikers and our Community as a whole, as well as the continuation of government’s and region’s hostile plans against the Community of Squatted Prosfygika.
FOR PROSFYGIKA – FOR LIFE – FOR DIGNITY!
THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!
EITHER WE WILL WIN, OR WE WILL WIN!
