Greece’s ruling party SYRIZA condemned a decision of the SYRIZA-Indepenten Greeks government to have police raid and evacuate three buildings in Thessaloniki, northern Greece. The buildings were occupied by anti-authoritarians and members of Solidarity movement who had settled refugees and migrants there.
“Criminalizing solidarity projects is a method that has nothing to do with the principles and values of the Left. We are against the evacuation,” the press office of SYRIZA party said in a statement.
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, police conducted separate raids at the now-defunct Megas Alexandros orphanage in the Ano Toumba neighborhood, the Mandalideio mansion on the coastal Nikis Avenue, and a private eight-story building in downtown Thessaloniki. The owner of the building, the University and the Metropolis had filed a complaint to the police.
104 people were detained during the raids. In the following hours, a group of anti-authoritarians occupied the offices of SYRIZA in Thessaloniki, thus giving an ultimatum to police to release the detainees by 12 o’ clcok.
Occupiers’ banner with solidarity messages to refugees and migrants.
Authorities simply ignored the occupiers’ ultimatum and send 74 of the detainees to prosecutor – in small groups.
Occupiers said that in the occupied buildings there was food, medical care items and clothes.
The refugees and migrants were transported to Diavata reception center.
The state operation to demolish the orphanage was launched right after the evacuation
Meanwhile in Athens, Mayor Giorgos Kaminis apparently prepares similar actions saying that “refugees should be in organized structures and not in the miserable conditions of the occupied buildings.” At least five public buildings have been occupied and refugees have been settled there. Kaminis said that the city of Athens can host any refugee.
In the port of Piraeus that at times of the peak of the refugee crisis ‘hosted’ up to 4,000-5,000 people, the last refugees and migrants left on Wednesday morning. Around 50 people accepted an offer for shelter at a refugee camp in Trikala, central Greece, another 18 people were transported to a camp in Viotia prefecture. some 400 people simply left the port for unknown destination.
In a parallel development, it seems that the refugee flow increased again after the Turkey Coup of July 15th, and an average of 100 people arrive in Greece from Turkey on a daily basis.
