International solidarity actions took place in defense of the self-managed Prosfygika neighborhood.
ATHENS, Greece — April 5, 2026
An unlimited hunger strike in Athens has ended its second month as protesters oppose plans to evict around 400 people from the self-managed Squatted Community of Prosfygika in the city center.
“Hunger Strike Until Death, For The Defense of Life”
On February 5, Aristotelis Chantzis, a resident and member of the Prosfygika Community, began a hunger strike which, he has stated, will continue if necessary to the point of death. April 5th marks the 60th day of his strike. As the situation reaches a critical phase, which culminated on Friday by his fainting outside of the Ampelokipi police station, masses of people from all social classes and ages in Athens took the streets in a planned demonstration this afternoon in support of Chantzis and in defense of the Community. Followed by months of protests different actions emerged panhellenically and internationally in over 29 cities in Mexico, Columbia, Rojava, Turkey, the US, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Serbia, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Ireland. Under the hashtag #saveprosfygika, people are announcing weekly their intent to join solidarity hunger strikes in support of Chantzis’ demands in defense of the Community of Squatted Prosfygika.
Summary/Top Lines
The hunger strike and related protests come in response to a plan by the regional government of Attica to evacuate and renovate the buildings of the neighborhood. The project implies the imminent eviction of the approximately four hundred residents of the Community who have lived there for decades with their families.
In June 2025, the Regional Government of Attica, which the city of Athens belongs, approved a programmatic contract for the “renovation” and evacuation of the Community of Squatted Prosfygika. The planned renovation is to be funded by the European Commission at an estimated total cost of 15 million euros. Concrete proposals for the housing of hundreds of members of the Community, including children, patients and relatives from the adjacent oncology hospital and other highly vulnerable groups, have not followed.
Despite being branded as a social housing project, the contract has been widely criticized over this lack of proposal, raising increasing doubts over the wider gentrification process of the wider neighbourhood, and Greece’s capital as a whole.
Key Demands
Chantzis has put forward three key demands in his hunger strike:
• Immediate cancellation of the contract by the region of Attica
• The right of all residents of Prosfygika to remain in their homes
• The right to carry out restoration of the Community in a self-organized way
The Community states that it has maintained the buildings for years and announced a self- organized restoration plan last summer to be financed by its own resources rather than public funds.
Deteriorating Health Conditions
Aristotelis Chantzis is being monitored daily by a Team of Solidarian Doctors and the Health Structure of the Community of Squatted Prosfygika. In a collective statement published on 29.03.2026, they report that his condition is now critical after nearly 60 days without food. He is experiencing severe weakness, dizziness when standing, and heart-related issues, with medical tests showing abnormalities that could lead to dangerous or even fatal heart rhythm problems. Each day that his hunger strike continues, the risks to his heart and overall health increase, with potentially life-threatening implications.
On April 3 and on his 58th day of hunger strike, Aristotelis fainted outside of the Ampelokipi police station, where he needed to go for his monthly signature, a penalty he got for attending a demonstration in solidarity with Palestine. His senses returned and he was taken by ambulance to Gennimatas Hospital, before returning to the Community.
Chantzis says that he is aware of the serious health risks of the hunger strike, including the possibility of sudden cardiac arrest from the beginning. He also acknowledges that even if the strike succeeds, prolonged starvation can cause permanent damage to his body, especially to his nervous system, including during recovery.
Quotes
“Of course, I am aware that I may experience health complications from the first days and throughout the strike, not so much from starvation but from cardiac arrest. I also know that even if the outcome is successful, chronic starvation can cause irreparable damage, mainly to my nervous system, even during the recovery period.”
-Aristotelis Chantzis, on Hunger Strike since 5 February
“On the verge of its sixtieth day, his health has reached a critical phase. He has been experiencing progressively worsening episodes of orthostatic hypotension, weakness with fatigue and tachycardia upon standing, while daily electrocardiograms reveal persistent abnormalities that predispose to potentially fatal arrhythmia’s. Every day the hunger striker faces an ever-increasing cardiovascular and metabolic risk with potentially life-threatening complications.”
-Team of Solidarian Doctors for Aristotelis Chantzis
“We know that if Prosfygika is evacuated, a lot of us will end up on the streets”
-Aristotelis Chantzis