Solidarity to Prosfygika

We, as Lêgerîn Editorial Team, on this international day of action for the community of squatted Prosfygika (Athens), want to express our solidarity to the comrades struggling to protect the communal life that could be born in the heart of a metropolis. We republish/ translated a communicate from the comrades of Prosfygika on current events and attacks concerning the community and the hunger strike to death initiated by Aristotelis Chantzis since 5th February and more recently, on 1st of May, by Suzon Doppagne, in order to protect it.

Since February 5, Aristotelis Chantzis, a resident and member of the Community of Squatted Prosfygika on Alexandras Avenue, has been on a hunger strike until death, defending the life, relationships, culture, and model of self-organization, self-governance, and direct democracy that have been established in Prosfygika over the past 16 years.

In the 8 historic blocks of buildings in the Prosfygika neighborhood on Alexandras Avenue, built in 1933–1935 to house refugees from Minor Asia, right in the heart of the metropolis, between the General Police Directorate and the Athens Court of Appeals, for the past 16 years, there has been a large, vibrant, self-organized community. A community of 400 people, with diverse ethnic, religious, linguistic, political, and ideological backgrounds, from the grassroots, who live together in harmony and organize themselves on the basis of direct democracy, solidarity, respect, and horizontality , shaping their lives and covering their needs.

The Community of squatted Prosfygika is the largest social self-organization initiative in Greece, having established 22 autonomous, open social structures for the common good and self-sufficiency that meet the needs of the residents of Prosfygika and the wider Ambelokipi neighborhood (e.g. daycare center, accommodation facility for patients and their companions at the nearby cancer hospital, health center, communal pharmacy, collective selfeducation, structures for food productipn and logistics, clothing, technical work, cultural activities, etc.) . At the same time, it has established a network of relationships free from the dominant culture of competition, individualization, and oppression, fostering a collective culture of life and struggle.

Since June 2025, once again, the Greek state, through a programmatic agreement signed by the Region of Attica, the Ministry of Culture, and the Regional Authority of Attica, is attacking the squatted Community of Prosfygika and seeking to destroy it and displace its 400 residents, to hand this historic neighborhood over to the state, capital, and business interests, a move that will bring about comprehensive gentrification and a transformation of the character of the wider area surrounding Prosfygika.

All the residents of Prosfygika are currently fighting a huge battle on multiple fronts to prevent this plan from moving forward and to ensure that Prosfygika remains in the hands of the community. At the forefront of this struggle is Aristotelis Chantzis’ hunger strike until death, which began on February 5, having put his own life on the line for the justified struggle of Prosfygika.

Learn more and support Prosfygika

• FOLLOW the Community of Squatted Prosfygika on all social media and share this struggle everywhere, so that the imposed silence and invisibility can be broken.

• SIGN to support the demands of the hunger strike until death for the defense of life, either in person or online.

• financially SUPPORT the campaign for the Community’s plan to restore and maintain the exterior facades of the Prosfygika buildings, through labor and funding provided by the solidarity community and the Community itself, without any state or corporate intervention.

• JOIN the community this summer as an internationalist to defend it!

email: sykapro_squat@riseup.net

Blog: sykaprosquat.noblogs.org, saveprosfygika.gr

Instagram: @sykapro, @int.saveprosfygika

Facebook: Save Prosfygika

Twitter: @Prosfygika