Campaign for legal fees for the Koukaki squat community (Athens, Greece)

It was in March 2017 that we first opened the door of 45 Matrozou Street and began repairing the building so that it could host our struggles, our desires, our needs and our bodies. And when, a few months later, these could no longer fit in a single building, we opened two other abandoned buildings rotting in the Koukaki neighborhood, at 21 Panaitoliou Street and the Blue House (3 Arvali Street). That is how https://squ.at/r/43uf was born in the center of Athens.

From that moment until 2020, the Koukaki squat community was a political community that combined anarchist struggle with communal life. Its houses’ doors were open to those who wanted to fight against state violence and injustice, to people who needed shelter or wanted to use its public structures, to those seeking a collective way of life. It was also an open political and social space accessible to residents of one of Athens’s most gentrified neighborhoods. The community took part in the struggles of the squatting and antifascist movement, in solidarity with political prisoners, against gender-based violence, patriarchy, racism, the exploitation of nature, against the gentrification of the neighborhood and the privatization of the nearby Philopappos hill. In addition to political assemblies and events that were organized, a number of public structures operated in the houses, such as a lending library, public baths and laundries, and a free clothing bazaar.

Our political stance and our actions were the reason we were repeatedly targeted by arson attacks from fascist groups, as well as by state repression. The last came in the form of evictions in three waves — 2018, 2019 and 2020 — when the community finally lost the buildings for good. On each occasion the community put up combative resistance to the state attacks and attempted to reoccupy the buildings.

The repressive forces used rubber bullets, stun grenades, physical violence and chemical agents in the buildings and throughout the neighborhood in response to our resistance. Neighbors and comrades who showed solidarity were also arrested. Most of the evictions resulted in trials with numerous charges, aiming to intimidate squatters while exhausting them psychologically and economically.

Particular reference should be made to the last eviction of the Matrozou building in 2020, when the police hired lawyers (including a member of the government) to support the charges in court. The court of first instance sentenced our comrades to 6.5 years’ imprisonment without suspension, on the basis of three counts. This was the result of a major media campaign run by the state, in which even the President of Greece publicly called for the crime of “attempted murder” to be attributed to the defendants. The sentence will only be suspended pending the appeal. This is the first time in Greece’s history that squatters risk going to prison, and the first time that political activists in general risk imprisonment without being accused of crimes. The Court of Appeal hearing will take place on 2 December 2025, and we call on the international squatter and anarchist movement to take solidarity action for political support.

We believe this maneuver serves the government’s aim to eliminate the squat movement in Greece, while at the same time inaugurating a “new reality” — linked to the new Penal Code of 2024 — where anyone who resists can be imprisoned on any charge.

For all the trials we have gone through [a total of 5], we have already paid more than €10,000 in expenses, which have been covered by solidarity events we organized as well as contributions from collectives and individuals. Two out of five trials ended in acquittal, but the other three resulted in convictions and have been appealed to the High Court.

We are now called on to resolve the issue of legal fees for the three remaining trials, which are estimated at the huge amount of €25,000. This includes court costs, lawyers’ fees, as well as legal costs in the event of a final conviction. For this reason we have created this campaign to inform comrades and collectives in Greece and abroad, because all forms of contribution and solidarity are important. We are available to share more details about the legal costs and/or the progress of the cases. We are also open to remotely supporting any initiative that organizes informative events about the squats and the state repression against them.

We are here and we will keep fighting. Solidarity is our weapon!


Koukaki Squats Community
Athens, Greece
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https://squ.at/r/43uf