If we believe the pre-election commitments of the government but also the successive publications in print and electronic press, it is most likely that we are in front of a large police operation aimed at Exarchia.
This is not the first time that the historic neighborhood of Athens has been targeted by the state. From the mid-80s onwards, the… liquidation companies in the area are frequent-dense.
All of these companies (from the toughest to the most superficial) have a common denominator. They are pre-announced, made, covered extensively in journalism and then… regularity returns to Exarchia.
The reason is simple. It does not become the Greek police to have a permanent and strong presence in an entire area. This would remove valuable forces from the fight against crime. This has always been the case. This will happen now.
How (usually) a police operation is carried out in Exarchia
Let's start from the basics. We are not police officers but based on everything that has happened in the recent past, the upcoming operation of EL.AS. in Exarchia in general will follow a specific tactic, without of course excluding various "surprises".
The operation will start with the first light of day. This has happened all the previous times and it will happen now because no one would want it to happen in the wild night or in the afternoon when the area is full of people.
A few hours earlier, however, its strong forces checkmate, Security and motorcyclists will have taken up-to-date positions and will await orders from the operations center.
As usual, the positions of MAT, YMET and the men of Security, in essence will create an imaginary circle in the center of which will be the square. Akadimias, Charilaou Trikoupi, Ippokratous, Bouboulinas-Stournari, Tositsa, Eresos and Kallidromiou are just some of the "key" roads for the police who will try to create a blockade. For a few hours no one will be able to get out or get out of this cycle without being checked.
Several times since last night, the rubbish bins had been removed and many of the public lights in the streets had been turned off. This, however, now gives a "signal" to groups that will seek to react, so it is likely that this tactic will not be followed.
Aim of EL.AS. and this time will be to isolate with your "good morning", possible sources of tension. Do you take it for granted that with the start of the operation, police will block squatting, anarchist hangouts, collectives' offices, and even "known-unknown" houses, which are within the imaginary circle mentioned above!
Certainly, based on what almost all ND executives have said about "Rubicon", It must be considered that the occupied" Vox social space ", which is managed by the members of the anarchist collective, will be one of the critical points of this enterprise.
This will be followed by checks and raids in various places that are considered suspicious, while it is not ruled out that there may be extraditions or even arrests. Then, and perhaps for a few 24 hours, strong police forces will remain in the area until they gradually begin to leave.
The message from the government will have been sent. Normalcy in the area will return. That's how it always was…
"Change is not possible without the Bear"
If the above slogan tells you something, then you are old or you have even heard old people tell stories. If he does not tell you something, then let us introduce you to the most popular… cop in the history of the Exarchates.
The reason for Nikon Arkoudeas who from the time he was in the service until today, who is no longer alive, maintains a lead. He is perhaps the only police officer to have his name on the anarchists' lips. Not by chance of course…
Arkoudeas became a "legend" in the area for two main reasons. The first is about the cruelty and violence he treated. The second (and for this reason, after all, his name is mentioned in this text) is that he has been connected as much as anyone else with the "Virtue" companies, which in essence was the first attempt of the state to put them with… " state "of the Exarchates.
The Bear was a strong supporter of him Andrea Papandreou and did not hide it. When the "government of Change" came, Arkoudeas took over as Director of the Attica Order. Under his command were both the MAT and the MEA (another well-known but… unsuitable for minors slogan).
When the Gendarmerie and the City Police merged in 1984 to create what we now know as the Greek Police, Arkoudeas, whose reputation had already begun to grow, was appointed Attica General Police Director, and he was the first to be named by the press. of the era of "Attikarchis"!
The Α companies "Virtue" until today
The history with the so-called "state of the Exarchates" is old. From the first years of the government of the country by the first government of PASOK, there was a widespread feeling that things were not going well.
Everyone knew that the political and physical leadership of the Greek Police were waiting for an opportunity to start what they had been planning for a long time. In the end, the reason was not found. It was created, however. It was the bad image created in the area by the κ punks and their moikans!
On September 28, 1984, about 100 uniformed police officers and as many others politically surrounded Exarcheion Square and started bringing in punks or young people in general whose dress or hairstyle was. Strange. The police are normally deployed in Exarchia and for two days the arrests and detentions are dozens.
Initially, there were no reactions, but on October 1, with the first arrests, the traditional stone war began. ELAS responds by invading the BOX cinema and things get rough.
After a few days the police leave but only for a while. For the next two years at random intervals the police returned and the story repeated itself. Only each time it was wilder until the stones were replaced by Molotov cocktails and the initially calm image was replaced by war scenes.
In May of '85, young people occupied the Chemio protesting against the continuous raids of the police in Exarchia. On the day of the anniversary of the uprising of the Polytechnic of that year, the second occupation of the Chemistry takes place. This time the reason was the murder of the 15-year-old Michalis Kalteza by police officer Athanasios Melista. The Chemist will be evacuated the next day with MAT and surgery ECAM since there was information that the anarchists on the roof of the building they made… bombs (and they did not mean Molotov cocktails)!
This is followed by the occupation of the Polytechnic with the fierce street fights where for the first time since 1976 the police used tear gas in the center of Athens.
The climate is dangerously tense. Exarchia had become a no-go zone for the police and so in May 1986 multi-day and massive clearing operations were carried out.
The government and the police want to send such a clear message that the cages are filled with hundreds of people every day. Even a Chinese tourist was brought in in those days, according to the press of the time.
Since then until today a lot of water has flowed into the ditch. Exarchia is not what it was then, nor of course the police have αστυνομ Arkoudeas in their ranks.
In any case, however, there are many "Virtue" type companies that have been done from time to time. The size of each business is proportional to the season and conditions.
Most recent are those of 2009 (with dozens of arrests and extraditions) and a small and targeted one that took place in April 2011 and involved the evacuation of the Vox squat and another building under siege. For many hours that Friday Exarchia was a no-go zone. Police sealed the occupation of BOX and left the area late in the afternoon. The next morning, the historic building was occupied… normally.