In the early hours of Tuesday, June 3rd, at about 02:30, unknown people fired at least 5 shots at the main entrance of the squatted social centre K*VOX. Two of the bullets pierced the outer metal blinds, shattering the glass front entrance door. [Photos: 1, 2.] Luckily, at the time, no comrade was inside the squat.

Lately, the K*VOX —along with residents, collectives and fighters from the neighbourhood— has taken a series of initiatives to act against the mafia gangs and the drug trade in Exarchia, which is carried out with the police’s tolerance and cover-up.

On Wednesday, May 28th, a massive assembly was held in order to discuss all of the aforementioned, with the participation of neighbours, workers and collectives of Exarchia. It was decided to initiate a circle of actions against mafias and their statist protectors by creating a popular assembly in Exarchia and realizing a gathering-demonstration on Thursday, June 5th.

We believe that the shooting at the K*VOX, two days before the said gathering and demonstration, is a desperate attempt by drug traffickers —who, in collaboration with the police, want to turn the area into a ghetto— to intimidate the movement and the local community.

It is worth mentioning that, 12 hours after the incident, the bullet casings from the assault against the squat were found and collected by us. Besides, the same thing has happened after shootouts between mobsters in the area, when the casings were picked up by local residents, since the police —who collaborate with the mafia branches— demonstrate a provoking inertia in all such cases.

From the first day of its existence, the K*VOX has opposed the alliance between the mafia and the police in Exarchia, as well as the ghettoization of the area. Oftentimes, comrades of the K*VOX have been targeted by police, mafias, and a large part of the mass media, because of their activity. Furthermore, not long ago, three comrades from the K*VOX were summoned as suspects and brought in the Athens police headquarters, the sole evidence against them being an ‘anonymous phone call’ that linked them to an anarchist intervention [by a heavily armed group that appeared in the square on Saturday, March 22nd, 2014] in Exarchia against trafficking.

They have failed to terrorize us by the police invasion in the occupied building (April 2012), the raids in our homes (January 2014), the summons (April 2014), and the constant threats against us; so now, bullet shots of dastard gunmen were put into action.

The movement refuses to be terrorized by any of the above.

We call the people in struggle and solidarity to attend the gathering-demonstration in Exarchia square on Thursday, June 5th by 18:00.

NOT ONE STEP BACK

K*VOX