3/7/2016

Whererefugeesolidarity&thealternativeeconomyconverge:theanarchistrefugeecentresofAthens|UndercoverInfo

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Whererefugeesolidarity&thealternativeeconomyconverge:theanarchistrefugeecentres
ofAthens
Postedon6March,2016

Assemblymeeting

BeyondthebureaucracyoftheEurocrats,orthecatastrophicmismanagementbytheEUofthe
refugeecrisis,orthexenophobicrantsofthetabloidpress,thereisanotherEuropethereal
EuropeacontinentofEuropeanswhoarecompassionateandforwhomsocialjusticeisnota
politicalsloganbutsomethingthatispractisedeverydayandeveryweek.Weneedlooknofurther
thantheeconomicbeleagueredAthenstofindanexampleofthisunassuminggoodwill.The
Greeksarewellpractisedintheartofthealternative(orparallel)economy,havingbeenruled
overdecadesbysuccessivegovernmentsthathavewreckedtheirnationaleconomyandseen
GreeceturnavassalstateoftheEU.Andalongsidethisselfmanagedeconomyisanother
specialismoftheGreeks:directdemocracywherepeoplemanagetheirownliveswithout
referencetogovernment.Lastyearagroupofanarchists,whowereactiveinhelpingnewly
arrivedrefugeesontheGreekislandsoppositeTurkey,decidedtosquatalarge,emptybuilding
Notaro26inthecentreofAthenstoprovideaccommodationandsupporttotherefugees
arrivinginlargenumbersviaPiraeus.Thecentrewhichisstillflourishingisrunonthe
principlesofparticipatorydemocracyandmutualsupport,whereeveryoneGreeks,refugees,
volunteersfromelsewhere,haveanequalsay,viathecentresassembly,indailyaffairs.
(Currentlythereareatleast30,000refugeesinGreecemanystilltryingtogettonorthernEurope.Morethan
12,000arestuckattheIdeomenicrossingpointattheGreeceFYROM(Macedonia)border,sincetheclosureof
thatborderandotherbordersnorthwardstoAustria.Injustovertwoweekstime,protestersareplanningto
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Whererefugeesolidarity&thealternativeeconomyconverge:theanarchistrefugeecentresofAthens|UndercoverInfo

convergeenmasstotheborderbottlenecks,toprovidesolidaritytorefugeesandenablefreemovementagain.)
ThecentreknownasNotara26islocatedon26NotaraStreetinAthensandofferssolidaritytorefugeestocover
theirimmediateneeds(shelter,food,medicalassistance).Thecentreprovidestemporaryaccommodation,basic
medicaltreatment,clothingandinformationforupto130refugeeseachday.Morethan1,700refugeesand
migrantsstoppedoverinNotarabetweenSeptember25andDecember1lastyearalone.Thecentrecontinuesto
actasafocalpointforrefugeeswhoarriveinAthensandneedsomewheretostayforawhile.
Accordingtooneofthosewhohelporganisethecentre,Weareantiauthoritarians.Werejecttheassistanceof
thestate,NGOs,charitiesandbusinesses.Thereisadifferencebetweenphilanthropyandsolidarity.We
understandthatweareonthesamelevelasrefugees.
StatementbyNotara26:
Daybydaythousandsofpeoplestruggletocrosstheborders,havingtoconfronttheroughseaconditions,the
Evrosfence,thesmugglers,CoastguardandFrontex.Chasedbytheweaponsoftotalitarianregimes,western
militaryoperationsandthehorrorofreligiousfundamentalism.Humanstryingtoescapefromextremepoverty.
ThosewhomanagetoenterFortressEuropecomefacetofacewithstateswhoprofitfromthemigrantrefugee
flowandtheemergenceofcheaplabour,payingnointeresttohumanlifeanddignity.Theyareconfrontedwith
xenophobiaandracism,institutionalornot.
Inthissuffocatingcontext,wearesquattinganemptypublicbuildinginAthens,26NotaraStr.,inorderto
territorializeoursolidaritytowardsrefugees/immigrantstocovertheirimmediateneeds(shelter,food,medical
help).Thisprojectdoesntstandforphilanthropy,statalorpivate,butratherforaselforganizedsolidarity
project,whereinlocalsandrefugeesimmigrantsdecidetogether.Thedecisivebodyisthesquatsopenassembly
whereeveryoneiswelcometoparticipatewithnoexclusions.
Totallyawareofthedifficultyofoureffort,wecalleverycollectiveandindividualnotonlytoparticipateand
support,butalsotoexpandandcreatenewprojectsforthesamecause.Wewanttocoordinateandinteractwith
thenumerousindividualandcollectiveinitiativesthroughoutGreeceandabroadtostrengthenoursolidarityto
refugeesandimmigrantswewanttobuildourcommonfuturetogether.
LetsmaketherefugeesOdysseyofsurvival,ajourneyofhumanitytowardsfreedom!
NoBordersFreedomofmovement
AgainstFortressEurope
LegaliseimmigrantsGrantasylumtorefugees
Againstracismandxenophobia
Againstalldetentioncenters
AgainstthewarNodeathsfortheirprofits
TotherefugeeswhoarriveatNotara26:
Ascomradesinsolidarity(GreeksandnonGreeks),weunderstandtheimmigrationandrefugeecrisis,
empathizewiththedifficultiesandhardshipsthatyouhavegonethroughuntilyouarrivedhereandwe
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seriouslyvalueyourneeds.Wecriticizeandresistagainsttheinhumaneandunjustantiimmigrationpolicies
practicesofbothGreeceandtheEU.Forthatmatter,wehavetakentheinitiativetooccupythispublicbuilding
onNotara26andcreateanopen,selforganizedandsupportivehousingfacilitywithnointerestneitherto
replacestateresponsibilitiesnoremergeasgoodwillphilanthropists.Instead,ouraimistoshowthe
indifferenceandhypocrisyofboththeGreekandEuropeanauthoritiesbystandingbyyoursideandactively
expressingoursolidaritythroughtheoperationofthishousingsquat,evenifplacesarestilllimited.
Thissquatservesasatemporaryhousingspacehostingrefugeesandmigrantsregardlessofrace,origin,
religion,genderandsexuality.Asitisaselforganizedhousingspace,itsrightoperationisbasedonthe
participationofitsguests:inotherwordsyou.Everyoneofyoudependingonyourabilities,couldandshould
participateinthemanagementandmaintenanceofthisspace.
Wewelcomeyouinthisspacethatbelongsbothtoyouasrefugeesandtousasyourcomradesinsolidarity.This
placehasneithertieswithNGOsnorfundingbytheGreekstateandtheEU.Instead,itisbuiltuponthe
contributionandparticipationofallofus.Evenwithourveryfewresources,weaimtotocoverasmuchaswe
canallyourimmediateneeds.Insolidaritywitheachotherandalltogetherbycollectivelydecidingandacting,
wewilltrytoturnthisspaceintoadifferenthousingexperiencefromallothersyouhavelivedinsofarinyour
journeyasrefugees:wewillmakethisspacemorewelcoming,moreopenandsaferforyouall.

58Themistokleous
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Anothersquattedcentre:58Themistokleous

BelowisaletterfromanarchistssentearlierthisyeartoaGreekindependentnewswebsiteaboutwhatis
happeningatanothersquattedcentreforrefugeesandmigrantsinAthens.
OntheeveningofSunday,January10th2016,weoccupiedtheemptybuildingonThemistokleousSt.58,in
Exarchia,Athens.Theintentionistoopenupaplacewheremigrants,whoareblockedhereinGreecebecauseof
theEuropeanmigrationpolicies,canliveandselforganizefreefromstatecontrol.Weareagroupof
individualsfromdifferentplacesandofdifferentcontexts,connectedthroughthefightagainstStates,nations,
borders,lager,prisons,capitalismeventuallyagainsteverypartofthisrottensystemofdominationthat
oppressesus.Weareopentoanyonewhoagreeswithourbasicprinciplesandwantstoparticipateinthe
projectwithoutahiddenpoliticalagenda.
Thissquatisntmeanttobeapublicservice.Wearentvolunteersandwedontseemigrantsasvictims.Oneof
thechallengesofthisprojectwillbetoovercomeinpracticetheseparationimposedonusbybordersand
citizenship.Thishouseseekstobecomeaplacewherepeopleorganizethemselvesandlearnfromoneanother
mutually,regardlessoftheirorigins.
Thisisanactagainstthesystemandthemigrationpolicies.Itisnotourintentiontoassistthehumanitarianaid
providedbytheState.Theintegratedand/orassimilated,noncriticalhumanitarianaidisinfacthelpingthe
Statetofocusonrepressivemeasuresinordertopersecuteandcontrolmigration.Westronglyrefuseto
cooperatenotonlywiththeStateandpoliticalparties,butalsowithNGOsandotherorganizationsor
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formationsthatdoso(officiallyorunofficially).Allofthesescumbagstakeadvantageofthesituationof
migrantseithertoprofit,protecttheirinterests,gainpoliticalpower,ortobuildasocialprofile.
Thecontrolofmigrationisatoolinthehandsofthoseinpower.RightnowtheGreekStateusesthesituationof
migrantsstrandedheretoputpressureduringnegotiationsforbetterconditionsenablingtheimplementation
ofthethirdmemorandum.Atthesametime,EuropeanStatesregulatemigrantflowsaccordingtheirneedfor
cheaplaborforce,andtherestofmigrantsaremurdered(inlandandmaritimebordersandthestreetsof
Europeancities),incarceratedordeported.TheEuropeanUnionupgradesitsrepressiveborderpoliciesand
negotiatesdealswithStatesattheinnerandouterEuropeanborderstocontinueandintensifythewaragainst
migrationbymoreeffectivemeans.Thoseinpowerhopetosecuretheirpropertyandprivilegesfromthosewho
arebeingexploitedbythecapitalistsystemandsuffertheirwars.Privateandpubliccorporationstrytomake
asmuchprofitofthissituationaspossible.NGOsrepresenttheinterestsoftheiremployers,mainlytheState,
andarewellpaidfortheirjob.
Becauseofpropertyrights,peoplearesleepinginthestreetswhilethousandsofhousesremainempty.Thereare
enoughgoodsforeveryone.Wejusthavetotakewhatweneedourselves.
Wedeclareoursolidarityandsupporttoallformsofactionthatattackborders,nations,prisons,thecritical
infrastructurethatreproducetheexistent,andallthosewhodirectlyorindirectlydefendthestatusquo!
Noracism
Nosexism
Nohomophobia
Nodiscrimination
Noexploitation
Nooppression
Nohierarchy
Noauthority
Nopatriotism
NOTwelcomeare:
Journalists/media
Politicians
Cops
AllorganizationsthatcooperatewiththeState
Wewelcomepeoplewillingtoselforganize,regardlessiftheyhavepapersornot,andregardlessiftheyhavea
refugeestatusornot.Priorityinhousingisgiventothosewhohavenochancetostaysomewhereelse.

Comprtelo:

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ThisentrywaspostedinRefugees,Resistanceandtaggedanarchists,Greece.Bookmarkthepermalink.

4ResponsestoWhererefugeesolidarity&thealternativeeconomyconverge:theanarchist
refugeecentresofAthens
stuartbramhallsays:
6March,2016at8:45pm

RebloggedthisonTheMostRevolutionaryActandcommented:
*
*
Anewworldisdawningonewhereactivistsreclaimthecommonsandgovernthemselves.EspeciallyinGreeceandSpain,
existinggovernmentbycorporationisinsuchashambleslocalauthoritiesareincapableofstoppingthem.

Likedby1person
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Undercover1says:
6March,2016at10:42pm

HappeningalloverEurope,inpocketsandalsomorevisibly.Outsidetoo,especiallyonalargescaleinChiapas
(Zapatistas)

Likedby1person
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joekano76says:
6March,2016at10:28pm

RebloggedthisonTheFlippinTruth.

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