Metaxourgio: Residents of iconic Athens neighborhood against gentrification

Dressed in black hundreds of mourning residents of Metaxourgio  attended the “funeral” of one of the oldest and once iconic district of Athens

The mourning locals gathered and marched through the streets of the area to demonstrate their opposition against gentrification and the “invasion” of Airbnb.

Ηundreds of citizens gathered at Dimosios Sima, (Plataion and Leonidou) and marched in the neighborhood against the gentrification of the area and the “invasion” of Airbnb, which has sent rental prices skyrocketing, news website news247.gr reported on Sunday.

“The allure of an alternative culture in neighborhoods like Kerameikos-Metaxourgio and Exarchia unwittingly whet the appetite of investors and created a large wave of new visiting tourists. This wave has benefited the tourism industry and platforms like Airbnb while displacing the residents themselves – mainly the lower and middle socio-economic strata,” said the Committee in charge of the event.

Funeral announcement by current and previous residents, friends groups that fell apart, humans in exile, artists and activists without shelter,  communities under persecution.

“The increase in rents in our neighborhoods forces us to leave our homes and look for shelter on the outskirts of the city,” the “Metaxourgio Neighborhood Committee” said in the statement calling for the event on January 28.

Located in the North-West part of the historic center of Athens, the area of Metaxourgio and its stunning neo-classical buildings developed in recent years in a bohemian, cultural and artistic neighborhood brimming with performing arts theaters, cafes, bars and restaurants and galleries showcasing the works of Greek and international artists.

The neighborhood took its name from the silk processing factory established in the area in 1875.

More funeral pictures in news247.gr