After 78 days in hospital and 140 days of death fast: Hunger striker Aristotelis Chantzis returns to the Community of squatted Prosfygika in Athens
Yesterday, on the 2nd of September, Aristotelis Chantzis was released after 78 days of hospitalization, most of which he spent in the Intensive Care Unit, battling for survival after 140 days of hunger strike in the defense of life. His return to the Community in Alexandra’s Avenue was eagerly anticipated by the residents, comrades and solidarians from Athens and around the world.
He was accompanied by a huge motorcycle demonstration and a solidarity march through the neighborhood. Towards those hundreds of people waiting for him to return, he said in his speech :
“The only thing i have to say is that the struggle was a collective one, and this is why it was victorious (…)
Also it was a struggle which we had declared from the beginning that we go until the end. Regardless the costs.
That’s a reason (…) why it was a successful struggle. It had faith in the community and in the solidarity of the people and faith to each own goal. (…) Nevertheless repression will exist as long as state and capitalism exist (…) Only if we unite all the anti-systemic forces, we can stand as an alternative that our societies are in such need of.”
Aristotelis Chantzis started his hunger strike on February 5, 2026, and Suzon Doppagne joined in on May 1, 2026, in response to a redevelopment plan approved by the Regional Government of Attica in June 2025 that would lead to the eviction of the approximately 400 residents of the Prosfygika neighborhood. Residents include families with children, refugees, elderly people, oncology patients and their relatives, and people participating in rehabilitation programs. Residents and supporters reject this gentrification plan as factually false and legally unfounded, warning that it would result, if implemented, in the forced displacement of more than 400 people and the destruction of one of the largest self-organized communities in Europe together with its 22 autonomous structures of mutual aid and solidarity.
Backed by a local and international support movement, the hunger strikers and the Community of Squatted Prosfygika have opposed the regional government of Attica through active resistance on the social, political and legal levels in order to protect these eight historical buildings, the community itself and its residents that belong to the most vulnerable social groups. The Campaign to Save Prosfygika gained traction internationally through countless initiatives implemented to address the Greek state, practical support – like a caravan to help with the renovation of the buildings- and the unwavering solidarity and commitment of “those who stand by our side, from your own standpoint, in this just and beautiful struggle” (Statement of Victory, June 2026)
On June 24th, following the City Council of Athens’ official stance of unequivocal recognition
and support for the community, the hunger strikers Aristotelis and Suzon suspended their
hunger strike after 140 and 55 days respectively. This agreement, which was quickly followed by the reveal of the absence of the previously declared European Union funding, is being understood as an important victory for the community.
In the statement of victory, the community states that “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.”
A few hours after the resolution of the Municipality of Athens – which, after enormous pressure from below, largely covered the demands of the hunger strike and recognized the Community as a collective body and conversation partner – Aristotlis’ health deteriorated rapidly, leading to his hospitalization in the ICU and ultimately to his intubation. The medical team that monitored the health of Aristotelis Chantzis since the beginning of the hunger strike states that the course of his health has exceeded all expectations.
Aristotelis Chantzis and Suzon Doppagnes` commitment to the defense of the community and its members brought masses in Athens, Greece and around the globe on the streets, in newspapers, in front of Greek embassies and the European Parliament. Since yesterday, statements in solidarity welcoming Aristotelis Chantzis back into the Community have been published.
