UPDATE 12.41: Mainstream media falsely report that the occupation of the administration building of the Aristotle University is over and that an agreement has been reached with the occupiers. Truth is, that the administration has been forced to issue a statement condemning (even if vaguely) subcontracting as a policy- yet no concrete action has yet been announced on its side. The occupation continues at least until Thursday, the day of the general strike.
A wave of recent occupations (permanent or less-so) has occured in some of the major Greek cities – and this in light of an order by the new attorney general of the country’s Supreme Court directly targeting political occupations.
In Thessaloniki, the administration building of the Aristotle University has been occupied for the past two weeks (since 16.03) in solidarity with Konstantina Kuneva and with the demand that the university stops using subcontracting companies for its cleaning operations.The occupation has been at the centre of attention, media and otherwise, as its vice-chancellor has openly threatened that should the occupation not end, he will try and allow access to the police in the campus – directly violating the country’s academic asylum law.
Today, 31.03, the university Senate assembled to discuss the situation. The senate meeting was flooded by members of the university (students and staff) who quickly turned it into an attack against vice-chancellor Manthos for refusing to end subcontracting in the university. It is also positive that the possibility of lifting the academic asylum was not raised. At the same time, the senate buildings of the universities of Athens, Panteion (also in Athens) and Patras were all occupied for a few hours, in solidarity.
Photo from the Senate meeting in Thessaloniki:
Meanwhile, since March 20, a threat has been hanging of a mass operation against occupied social spaces across the country. This was initiated by an order given by the newly-instated attorney-general of the Supreme Court Y. Sanidas to the regional attorney-generals across the country: According to this, regional attorney generals should investigate whether there are public or private buildings in the areas of their jurisdiction that are under occupation and if so, to order their eviction. This has been followed by a series of articles in corporate mass media against specific occupations (such as Lelas Karayianni in Athens, Matsagou in Volos and others). A helicopter was seen flying over the Yfanet in Thessaloniki as well as that of the university administration today and many now believe a police operation against one or more of the occupations might be imminent.
14 Comments
Appreciate this news; I had been unaware of the occupation in Thessaloniki and of the government action moving towards the eviction of occupations more generally. I think that this shows the significance of the symbolic challenge presented by physical occupations and the creation of social spaces – and the way that authorities (probably quite rightly) see this as a more sustainable, but still very visible form of social-political action than is rioting, etc.
I think one of the interesting questions raised by the Greek situation is how to generalize and maintain a spirit of revolt when mass actions get closed off in the mainstream as ‘those events, which happened back then, and are now over.’
What happens when the fires get put out, or smoulder away…are they really even out? Cases like Kouneva’s and the solidarity actions I’ve been reading about – and the projects of people like those on this blog who make info available after some others have stopped paying attention – prove that this is about much more than the vicious shooting of Alexis in December. I certainly expect that people will continue to resist and counter the state in light of the potential campaign to clear out the occupations…
I wonder if anyone else has any thoughts on these matters?
Sir,
May I go there and smash something too, or occupie a cabinet or two in some university? I’m unemployed and very angry with the world, too. Seryously, I don’t want to offend anyone, but I’ve never saw anything like that. I’m leftist, my great great grandfather was in Tarrafal (portuguese concentration camp for communists), I’m pissed off myself with my government, but… that doesn’t mean I don’t understand the concept of respecting public property. But I guess that’s a fascist concept. I bet some of you rioters are sons of wealthy people who may go to foreign private (I mean, fascists) universities, after destroying your own universities. You live in a country of corrupt and cowards authorities.
Mike, I have indeed one thought on the matter: you don’t give a fuck about Kouneva, do you?
Pedro, everything that you have said is you making up crap to try to convince yourself that they have done something horrible. But really, they have done nothing. All the public spaces are made by them; they are in reality theirs. They will recreate what was destroyed, as easily as they have destroyed it.
You feel threatened by them, but you shouldn’t be. You will understand when you have been in their situation. Go out into the streets and talk to these people you are so eager to hate.
Pedro:
I can tell you with certainty that what I really don’t give a fuck about is people whose only ‘positive’ suggestion is (by implication in your comment) that everyone ought to “respect public property” – and whose other statements amount to:
a) invective
b) self-justification for said invective.
Does the ‘public property’ you are so keen on respecting include the weapons of the police, the prisons, the the infrastructure of the government you claim to be angry with for its corruption and cowardice, etc.? I think ANARCHY’s comment is sufficient response, but felt the need to reply – as this is formulated as both a general and personal attack, which is not something to be ignored.
I speak from afar, and claim no authority, but do object this kind of response, with its vague mix of nihilism, random invective and justification for the status quo used to paint a picture of infantile leftists (accused also of being ‘sons of wealthy people’, and by association, ‘fascists’)
like some weird reformist remix of Lenin.
I sincerely hope that you take ANARCHY’s advice (or at least refrain from slandering people), and I do apologize to other readers if this looks like troll-baiting. That is certainly not my intent.
Anarchy and Mike: would you destroy the roads you use daily? Don’t think so. Would you destroy the public infra-estructures you need? Nope. That’s not very brave, is it? Your destruction is selective. Anarchy? My ass. By the way, do anarchy respect private property?… And you say, Anarchy: “They will recreate what was destroyed, as easily as they have destroyed it”. Is that so? Like Lego pieces? enjoy yourselves, I,m far away and by no means feel threatened by them, believe me.
Answer me this, please:
1 – You say the public property is yours? How come? Do you pay taxes? I’ve never heard about anarchists paying taxes to the state. Anarchists don’t even recognize states.
2 – You seem well educated people. You clearly have, at least, the second grade. Imagine you are studying, trying to finish you studies. Would you accept some people go and destroy the computers of the school, shut down the school, etc?
search education, destroy university!
only decadency needs streets
cars suck!
Iaurti, Anarchy said they would rebuild the thing. Sort of weird anarchy, isn’t it? So, the university will be built again, I’m afraid…;
And I never heard anyone protest against the existence of streets. I notice you refuse to get on cars… or trains, planes, etc. Am I right? So, you only walk and ride bikes on the coutryside?
pedro,
there can’t be any “weird anarchy” cuz there is no anarchy yet. “anarchy” is a collective process and any definition of it is political bullshit!
i can ride bike without streets in cities also.
first modern times streets were made for bikes, peds and horzes (CHICAGO)…
ANARCHY INSTEAD OF CHAOS
“there is no anarchy yet”. Not in Europe, no, Iaurty. I could give you a world guide of anarchist places, but no safe ride with bicicles, there. You don’t have the stomach to live in a real anarchy. You better stick to the “collective process”… And do you want cities like Chicago in XIX century? With “bikes, peds and horses”? Do you really? As I said, there are a few examples out there of places like that.
But your “collective” seems a little confuse: You say “destroy university”, but someone else in the colective says “anarchists” will rebuild what they destroy. How is that?
One more thing: You say you don’t have any definition of “anarchy”. Iaurty, anarchy is “absence of authority and order”. You don’t have to go to the university to know that.
There are people dying,
and you are just doing
the attention whore
on internet:
shut your fucking mouth wanker!
JMESRINE, I see you don’t believe in free speech. I Do, and I will talk.
By the way, did you ever prevented anyone from dying? Give food, remedies, etc?
This is be my last word on this. I belive some of you are really anarchists, meaning, no use of state, including health care, infra-estructure, etc and no private property. Most of you are, instead, hypocrites, guys with an average life, who use bicicles on lanes made by the state, go on planes and cars, when it is needed, safe by the police you say you don’t need, people who have bank accounts.. There is no mild or soft anarchy. I don´t know what’s “collective process” in anarchy. Bulshit.
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