CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO COVER APPEAL COSTS FOR KOUKAKI SQUATS COMMUNITY ~ Kate Moschou ~ As their appeal trial approaches, members of the Koukaki Squats Community (KSC) in central Athens have launched a funding campaign to help cover mounting legal costs. Several comrades face 6.5 years in prison after being convicted on three misdemeanour charges, following their arrest during the 2020 eviction of one of the squatted buildings. The Koukaki Squats Community (KSC) in central Athens included three buildings which had stood abandoned and decrepit before being occupied in 2017. Until their final eviction in 2020, the squats—at 45 Matrozou Street, 21 Panaitoliou Street, and 3 Arvali Street (also known as the Blue House)—were a hub of anarchist struggle and communal life. KSC opened its doors to people in need of shelter and collective living, who wanted to fight back against state violence and injustice. The community hosted a lending library, public baths and laundries, a free clothing bazaar, and spaces for political assemblies and public events. As part of wider struggles against gentrification, state repression, and ecological destruction, it stood in solidarity with political prisoners, anti-fascism, and resistance to patriarchy, racism and militarism. Fascist groups carried out multiple arson attacks against the squats, while the state launched a campaign of repression. All three buildings were violently evicted—first in 2018, again in 2019, and finally in 2020. On each occasion, squatters mounted combative resistance and attempted to reoccupy the spaces. These actions led to multiple court cases, aimed at exhausting them economically and mentally. After the final eviction of the Matrozou squat in 2020, the arrested comrades were convicted of three misdemeanours, yet received an unprecedented sentence of six and a half years’ imprisonment without suspension. This outcome followed a state-led media offensive, with even the President of Greece publicly calling for attempted murder charges. Although the sentence is currently suspended pending appeal, this is the first time in Greek history that squatters—and more broadly, political activists without felony charges—face the real threat of prison. Legal costs for all KSC-related cases—including lawyers’ fees, court charges and potential financial penalties in case of conviction—are enormous. Solidarity events and donations have covered part of the expenses, but needs remain high. To help meet these, the Koukaki Squats Community has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Firefund and are appealing for comrades to donate. The appeal trial is set for 2 December 2025. The post Athens: Squatters face prison after years of repression appeared first on Freedom News.

SHIELDING THE SPACE WITH SECURITY ROLLING SHUTTERS WILL HELP KEEP IT A SAFE AND FUNCTIONAL HUB FOR RESISTANCE, SOLIDARITY, AND SELF-ORGANISATION ~ Giannis Voliatis ~ The Ovradera social centre in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece was created around 4 years ago. It is the home of various anarchist, libertarian and feminist political groups and individuals. It also hosts the libertarian publishing house Koursal, the counter-information portal Alerta.gr, the Gizmo_Lab—a group that deals with information technologies and how they can be used to help the movement—and many other temporary or permanent initiatives. In Greece, state repression has intensified in recent years, targeting the anarchist and libertarian movements through widespread evictions of squats and increased restrictions on public spaces like squares and university campuses for hosting activities and assemblies. Aiming to expand the anarchist movement’s reach and engagement with society, Ovradera is a space that operates in a non-hierarchical, horizontal way and has a firm stance against racism, fascism and sexism. Although an integral part of the local anarchist/libertarian movement, it is a social centre open to any initiative that aligns with its basic principles and the collective way all decisions are made. During its existence thus far, it has hosted various meetings and events (political and cultural), book presentations, exhibitions and solidarity campaigns (e.g. in support for Palestine, of people that were harmed by the floods and wildfires of the recent years in Greece, in support of political prisoners). In line with Ovradera’s ideals and mode of operation of , all the financial costs of the space are covered by its members or via financial benefit events. Some months ago, Ovradera had to move to a different space, really close to the previous one. This move brought with it some heavy financial costs, mainly aimed to the protection and fortification of the new centre with metal shields, due to possible attacks from the state and fascists. In order to cover part of these costs, the comrades of Ovradera decided to start a firefund campaign and are currently appealing for financial aid, however large or small. Comrades are also invited to spread the word—and of course to come visit whenever they happen to find themselves in Thessaloniki. The post Thessaloniki: Ovradera social centre update and appeal appeared first on Freedom News.