Exarcheia: Political Life Suffocated by State Surveillance
https://unicornriot.ninja/2026/exarcheia-political-life-suffocated-by-state-surveillance/
The metro under construction began with the government initiative for the Athens Metro Line 4, despite opposition from residents and alternative proposed sites. The state closed Exarcheia Square, a well-known hub for anti-authoritarian activity, in August 2022.
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The decision to target Exarcheia Square, many believe, is politically motivated to accelerate gentrification and bring new people to the neighborhood, from a politicized area to an alternative tourist-friendly space.
In recent years, police presence has accelerated in Exarcheia. The neighborhood formerly had minimal police presence because it was the hub of anarchist movements. Police would occasionally enter the neighborhood when they needed to conduct special operations.
However, with the New Democracy government coming into power in 2019, Exarcheia has become under tight control with increasing police surveillance.
The state attack on Exarcheia is a planned systemic attack to “clean up” Exarcheia, forcing evictions, and placing police patrols, including MAT (riot police), and DRASI (fast response police unit), notorious for their often unprovoked violence, to scout the area.