Written by John Vibes at trueactivist.com
As the economic and political systems continue to crumble and collapse in Greece, a district in Athens is growing in strength and independence after large numbers of individuals began to keep the government out and empower their own community.
Although Exarchia is in the shadow of the country’s capital city, it has become a hotbed of freedom and mutual aid programs during a dark time for the whole country. Due to the rising freedom in the area, people from all over have begun to move in and help to build the community.
The mainstream media has demonized the community and has painted it as a stronghold for anarchists, drug dealers, criminals and homeless people, and the community has become understandably resistant to the mainstream media as a result. The media, the police, and government officials are not welcome in the territory and are rarely brave enough to pass through, knowing that the community is united and defiant in their resistant to the establishment.
Exarchia is one of the most common areas where people will resist police brutality with force, and it is also one of the most active areas of the country in terms of activism. The walls of the streets are covered with posters, writing and graffiti that is distinctly political and anti-state.
In 2008, police killed a young boy in Exarchia sparking massive protests and riots, and since that incident, police have avoided the area, knowing that they are not welcome.
There are a wide variety of cooperatives and independent social welfare and mutual aid organizations in Exarchia, including time banks and free health care services that are voluntarily funded without any taxation.
One thing that is most interesting about what we have witnessed so far is that the actual behavior of people in the midst of economic and societal collapse is nothing like the popular “every person for themselves” scenario that is often touted by mainstream thinkers who have a very cynical and distorted view of what is truly inside people’s hearts.
In these desperate situations where people’s compassion and ingenuity has been tested, communities have come together on their own accord, without any authority telling them what to do and they have worked side by side nonviolently, in mutually beneficial exchanges that made all parties involved better off.
John Vibes writes for True Activist and is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter-culture and the drug war.
This article ( Exarchia, The Town In Athens Greece That Is Keeping The Government Out And Starting Anew ) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com.
Love it when communities stand united against governments hellbent on dividing and destabilizing them.The sooner people wake up and stop falling for this,the better and stronger we’ll all be.
I am a greek an I can tell that Exarchia (Εξαρχια in greek) is just an infamous neighboorhood in Athens. This is where most Anarchists and Terrorists hang out. It is also one of the places where most fights with the police are held. People have been hurt or killed there and while I support the Government please stop the bullshit
@MMX1386 Please stop the cheap propaganda “mate”. The only person that died in Excharcheia was Alexandros Grhgoropoulos who shot cold blooded by a non trained police enforcer. Fights with police take place in Excharcheia because there is where all people can freely express their opinion without being censored or criticized, and that’s what your Government doesn’t like. You speech is void with no arguments and this can easily be mentioned from your expression: “This is where most Anarchists and Terrorists hang out”. Have you seen a lot of terrorists hanging out? Like for a coffee or beer? They sit in a cafe with an AK-47 and a bomb next chair? Please continue supporting your Government because this is what you can and what you deserve in your pathetic life.