Last Tuesday, 24/9/24, we proceeded with the reoccupation of the Libertatia squat, with the support of dozens of comrades and people in solidarity. Subsequently, police forces of all kinds surrounded the area and attempted to evict the squat again, which they failed to do thanks to the massive presence of the solidarity movement, while they made 13 detentions in the broader area. The image of special suppression units (EKAM, MAT) retreating in the face of the determination and self-sacrifice of people who had brought the building back to life and stood firm in the face of potential violence, is something that should be remembered for the future. It is a testament to the struggle of defending the squats and the broader fight against the State and Capital. As we mentioned in a previous announcement, Libertatia would be reoccupied under its rightful conditions. And that's exactly what happened. We entered our space with our heads held high at 7 p.m., so that the entire neighborhood and the people of the struggle could see what was happening and show their support. A support concert for the squat took place just after, attended by a large crowd that effectively broke the atmosphere of terror and devaluation of the action that state forces and their paid propagandists attempted to spread.
The next day, on Wednesday, 25/9, at 5:00 a.m., police forces conducted another eviction operation, arresting three comrades who were inside the squat with the charges of disturbing the public order, resisting authority, and violations according to the “law for antiquities”. They also detained two individuals who were in the neighborhood, one of whom was arrested for possession of a cat-shaped keychain, which in the announcement by the Thessaloniki Police Department was later claimed to be brass knuckles found inside the squat. This was a futile attempt to discredit the squat and the struggle that has been ongoing for all these years. This is not the first time something like this has happened, and it reveals their panic and the humiliation they suffered the previous day when they were forced to abandon their operation. The building has been sealed again, and police forces remain at the site up to today.
We remind everyone that the first evacuation of the squat occurred on 28/8, when police forces invaded the space with the pretext of inspecting for illegal construction work after a complaint, and subsequently detained 13 people, with 11 of these detentions turning into arrests. In the time since, a series of actions to defend the squat have taken place in Thessaloniki and other cities across various fields (political, social, material, moral), culminating in the reoccupation itself. This was something the State apparatus could not tolerate, and it moved at a central level to cancel the action. The fact that they were forced to retreat should serve as an inspiration for the people involved in the movement, showing the possibilities of resistance against the monstrous State and capitalist machinery.
We want to emphasize that neither arrests (which have now reached 30) nor evacuations will discourage us. The struggle for Libertatia will continue along the same path we have paved over the years because it is a just and moral struggle, as has been shown at the political, social, and even judicial levels, as we stated in a previous announcement. Without us, the building would decay and become a danger to the neighborhood, just as it was before it was occupied. We are the only ones who have shown concern for it, giving it life and turning it into a meeting place, a space for discussions, and a point of struggle. Those who believe in the State and media narratives about “danger” and “utilization” are naive, and we will debunk each claim one by one with a series of documents showcasing the collective work of rebuilding and caring for the space. We will do the same against the corrupt service of the Department of Modern Monuments, which is being used as the spearhead of repression and persecution. The struggle for the reconstruction of Libertatia and the overall defense of all the occupied spaces of struggle will not stop from our side, as it is part of the overall fight against the State, Capital, and fascism. We are simply entering into a new phase from our position.
We thank the people of the struggle who embraced our effort, the collectives and individuals who stood by us, showing what practical solidarity means, and the artists who supported the live event. We also thank the neighborhood and the initiatives that have been taken in all fields to support the squat. It is from these small acts that we draw strength, and so we continue to stand against the barbarity of this world, putting forth all those beautiful things that are being denied to us: freedom, equality, and justice.
HANDS OFF THE SQUATS AND STRUGGLE SPACES
SQUATS ARE NOT GIVING UP: THEY FIGHT, RESIST, ARE REBUILDED, AND ARE REOCCUPIED
THE LIBERTATIA SQUAT WILL REMAIN
Libertatia squat
29.09.2024
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