WEBVTT 00:00:00.493 --> 00:00:04.342 My name is Panagiotis Varthalis, I am a squatter at Lelas Karagiannis 37, 00:00:04.408 --> 00:00:08.317 and a member of the anarchist collective "Circle of Fire", which is part of the 00:00:08.361 --> 00:00:12.501 Αnarchist Political Organization / Federation of Collectives. 00:00:12.993 --> 00:00:18.816 Squat "Lelas Karagianni 37" counts 32 years of life, struggle and creation. 00:00:18.856 --> 00:00:23.386 It is a point of reference for the anarchist and anti-authoritarian movement, 00:00:23.506 --> 00:00:29.101 as well as for wider social and class struggles, while simultaneously being a gathering point 00:00:29.151 --> 00:00:32.279 for the intervention in local neighbourhood struggles, 00:00:32.319 --> 00:00:34.664 in the wider area around the centre, 00:00:34.664 --> 00:00:37.014 as well as in Kipseli district where the squat is. 00:00:37.022 --> 00:00:42.127 The squat is home to numerous social, political, cultural activities. 00:00:42.180 --> 00:00:46.200 While simultaneously being the ground where anarchist assemblies and collectives 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:48.987 are based and operate. 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:55.713 The elections on July 7th, were the point of renewal and acceleration 00:00:55.823 --> 00:00:59.273 of the attack by state and bosses against the majority of society. 00:00:59.500 --> 00:01:02.170 The law and order dogma attempted to be enforced 00:01:02.230 --> 00:01:04.644 by the neo-fascist government of New Democracy 00:01:04.741 --> 00:01:08.652 stands on the actions of the previous social-democratic management. 00:01:08.706 --> 00:01:12.496 It stands on the attempt to neutralize social and class struggles. 00:01:12.545 --> 00:01:15.143 It stands on the dozens of repressive blows, 00:01:15.190 --> 00:01:18.130 for which the previous government was responsible. 00:01:18.199 --> 00:01:22.379 It stands on the fatalism and defeatism, left behind by the delusions 00:01:22.527 --> 00:01:25.747 of a different management of state and capitalism, 00:01:25.828 --> 00:01:29.135 by the social-democratic version of modern totalitarianism. 00:01:29.505 --> 00:01:33.075 This new cycle of repressive operations against the squats 00:01:33.164 --> 00:01:35.794 and self-organized structures of refugees and migrants, 00:01:35.864 --> 00:01:42.484 began on August 26th, with the eviction of four squats in the Exarhia neighbourhood. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:49.179 This was followed by the invasion and camping of police forces in Exarhia, 00:01:49.357 --> 00:01:52.142 aiming at terrorising the entire neighbourhood, 00:01:52.192 --> 00:01:57.292 given that they have carried out a series of homophobic and sexist assaults 00:01:57.398 --> 00:02:01.398 against customers, residents and workers. 00:02:01.582 --> 00:02:06.108 At the same time, the police raids and operations continued in Athens 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:09.189 as well as other cities in Greece. 00:02:10.812 --> 00:02:16.106 On November 15th, the police forces invade the Economic University's yard, 00:02:16.255 --> 00:02:21.531 and the beating of the students who were protesting the school lock-out. 00:02:21.588 --> 00:02:24.698 While there also is the brutal police violence 00:02:24.797 --> 00:02:28.477 every time a large demonstration in the centre of Athens ends. 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.178 Characteristic examples are 00:02:31.304 --> 00:02:34.646 the demonstration in solidarity to squats on September 14th, 00:02:34.736 --> 00:02:40.306 the demonstration on November 17th, and the demonstration on December 6th. 00:02:40.695 --> 00:02:44.625 In each one of those cases, the police violence that followed 00:02:44.723 --> 00:02:47.823 the end of the demonstrations, in the Exarhia neighbourhood, 00:02:47.903 --> 00:02:52.224 the torturing, the persecutions, and the mass detainments 00:02:52.341 --> 00:02:56.441 were the rule, throughout this period. 00:02:57.767 --> 00:03:02.347 The ultimatum issued by the ministry of Public Order against the squats, 00:03:02.488 --> 00:03:04.958 did not surprise us as to its substance, 00:03:05.014 --> 00:03:07.933 as we have already been in a process of mobilization 00:03:07.993 --> 00:03:12.883 since last summer, against this repressive operation which directly targets us. 00:03:13.143 --> 00:03:15.503 Neither, however, did it terrorize us. 00:03:15.548 --> 00:03:18.118 On December 5th, the day the ultimatum ended, 00:03:18.186 --> 00:03:21.725 we were in the streets, demonstrating our solidarity to the squats, 00:03:21.855 --> 00:03:25.496 as well as on December 6th, where we had a dynamic presence 00:03:25.539 --> 00:03:28.386 together with other comrades in the demonstration 00:03:28.426 --> 00:03:32.380 for the 11th anniversary of the murder of Alexandros Grigoropoulos. 00:03:34.755 --> 00:03:39.111 The social and class uprising that broke out in December 2008 00:03:39.261 --> 00:03:42.831 because of the state murder of Alexis Grigoropoulos in Exarhia, 00:03:42.888 --> 00:03:46.756 is a major political, historical, and social event. 00:03:47.863 --> 00:03:50.883 It is proof that society is not dead. 00:03:50.958 --> 00:03:55.368 It is proof that the authority of state and capital is not invincible. 00:03:55.512 --> 00:03:58.409 The anarchists contribution to the eruption of the uprising 00:03:58.502 --> 00:04:02.762 and to the struggles that preceded while preparing it, was determining. 00:04:02.890 --> 00:04:09.420 In this uprising, we saw our proposals being socialized and embraced by the masses. 00:04:09.480 --> 00:04:14.081 However, as anarchists, our aim is not to repeat the uprising 00:04:14.151 --> 00:04:16.601 or ourselves within it. 00:04:16.752 --> 00:04:20.195 Our aim is to transcend the fragmentation of action 00:04:20.254 --> 00:04:23.944 the aformalism, the denunciation, and rebellionism. 00:04:23.993 --> 00:04:29.174 Our aim is to set the prospect of the social revolution in realistic terms. 00:04:29.404 --> 00:04:33.464 That is why it is necessary to upgrade our structures, 00:04:33.495 --> 00:04:36.709 our political and organizational processes. 00:04:38.502 --> 00:04:42.662 The entire repressive operation against social and class struggles, 00:04:42.791 --> 00:04:46.197 and especially against the anarchist and anti-authoritarian movement 00:04:46.267 --> 00:04:49.545 will, in our opinion, intensify and escalate in the coming period. 00:04:49.656 --> 00:04:53.106 Moreover, the aim of this attack is the crushing blow against 00:04:53.172 --> 00:04:56.142 the anarchist and anti-authoritarian struggle in its entirety. 00:04:56.247 --> 00:05:00.638 However, we believe that no matter how many blows the anarchist movement receives 00:05:00.748 --> 00:05:04.208 there are fighters all over the greek territory 00:05:04.333 --> 00:05:07.423 who are neither terrorized or are faint-hearted. 00:05:07.546 --> 00:05:11.656 The anarchist movement in Greece already counts 50 years of history, 00:05:11.742 --> 00:05:16.164 it has its own casualties, its own prisoners, its own tortured. 00:05:16.351 --> 00:05:19.834 The blood cannot be washed away by the water-cannons of the greek police. 00:05:19.887 --> 00:05:24.146 Memory is not garbage. In the end, we will win.