In the early hours of Saturday, police forces stormed the "Exostrefis" occupation in Exarchia, Athens, only hours after Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis announced the ban on an event planned to mark the occupation’s first anniversary. The operation, which took place in the presence of a judicial official, involved officers from the Racist and Extremist Violence Division, the OPKE police tactical unit, and the Public Order Restoration Division.

According to police statements, six people were detained during the raid. Authorities reported that preliminary evidence was collected and would be submitted to the prosecutor, and that the premises would be returned to their “lawful beneficiaries,” ensuring, they claimed, free public access to the space.

The police action came on the heels of statements by minister Chrysochoidis, who in a televised interview sought to justify the crackdown. He described the Exostrefis site – a former municipal refreshment venue – as illegally occupied, claiming it hosted unauthorised parties and illicit alcohol consumption. His remarks, perceived as demonising the social and political activities emerging from the site, drew strong criticism from parts of the local community.

In response to the eviction, activists and local residents issued a call to gather at noon at the Astera steps to defend Strefi Hill and the Exostrefis occupation. Solidarity groups warned that the crackdown on Exostrefis was part of a broader offensive against the last remaining free public green spaces in Exarchia, amid the rapid commercialisation and touristification of the neighbourhood.

The support statement also pointed out that proceeds from the planned two-day solidarity events – now cancelled – would have gone towards aiding local residents who suffered damages the previous Saturday, as well as funding the grassroots social café initiative. Activists pledged continued resistance against the heavy police presence and any attempts to privatise or commercialise Strefi Hill, vowing that no eviction would intimidate them.

The tension, however, escalated dramatically on Sunday afternoon.

While families, residents, and children gathered at Strefi Hill for sports and cultural activities intended to defend the public space, riot police (MAT) launched a fresh assault. According to the Parents’ Association of the 36th Primary School of Athens, children and parents participating in a football tournament at the basketball court were subjected to tear gas and flashbang grenades fired by the MAT forces, who aimed to intimidate and disperse them.

Eyewitness accounts and video footage showed officers pushing citizens with shields, deploying tear gas and flashbangs, and resorting to violence even in the presence of minors. The association condemned the police actions, describing a climate of terror where families, gathered peacefully, were treated as enemies.

Police vans were seen blocking neighbourhood streets, with riot units patrolling pavements and alleyways, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of wartime occupation.

Authorities justified their intervention by alleging that approximately 70 individuals supporting the Exostrefis occupation had moved threateningly towards officers, prompting them to act. However, local residents contest this version, insisting that the gathering was peaceful and part of ongoing community efforts to protect the hill from heavy-handed state intervention.

The government’s official line continues to frame the action as the restoration of legality to a municipal property, but for many in Exarchia, the aggressive policing signals a broader attempt to suppress grassroots initiatives and reclaim spaces that had stood as bastions of collective life and resistance.


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