In this Extra we have compiled material about the planned eviction of the social and cultural centre "Villa Varvara" which is run by anarchist and autonomous groups in the greek city of Thessaloniki. The squatted building is to be evicted to make room for a so-called "cultural centre" as part of the structural changes needed to secure the title "Cultural Capital of Europe 1997" for the city. The squatters have called for a large protest against the eviction of the building via a faxblockade action.
The first text - here in the english translation we made from the german original - was written by a group of the FAU (Freie ArbeiterInnen Union - Free Workers Union). The FAU is the german section of the IWA (International of Workers Associations), an international confederation of anarcho-syndicalist organisations.
The second flyer was written by the squatters themselves and sent to various libertarian groups and organisations world-wide. Next to the mail addresses mentioned below the squatters can also be reached via e-mail accounts:
They ask to send any messages to both accounts to guarantee that they will receive them. Furthermore, a web-site on the Villa Varvar and the planned eviction has been installed and will be continuasly supplemented. The URL is:
A-Infos (D) 13. Nov. 1996
Thessaloniki in Greece is intended to become the "european cultural capital 97". Because of this some changes in the city structure are being made. One of these is to be the eviction of the social centre "Varvara". Villa Varvara is a building in the old town which has been squatted for almost three years and has become an important institution of the anarchist-antiauthoritarian scene. But concerts, summer-cinema, theatre, exhibitions, a bookstore, a library, a guestroom and many other things have also made the Villa interesting for many other people and the neighborhood.
On the 25th.of October the ultimatum of the town has run out. But the inhabitants have continued with the renovations of the house-front. They are protesting, mobilising and asking for international help. The danger of an eviction will be especially great around the 17th. of November (traditional riot day).
Now the 14th. of November has been declared to greece- and worldwide day of faxblockades. On this day as many faxes as possible should be sent to the fax-machines of the city and the "cultural capital 97 - company". The aim is to completely shut down the lines. Of course, from here it will have the effect of pushing Telecom-shares (in Germany, the Telecom is beginning with the emission of its shares as part of the process of privatisation - note by A-Infos) but one call should be enough, although the lines may be blocked.
The squat "Villa Varvara" exists and works as a cultural and social center since the 3rd. of January 1994 in the building of Krispou str., Nr. 7, in Ano Poli, Thessaloniki. It is a place of free creation and expression, against any kind of oppression from a human beeing to another (racism, xenophobia, sexism), against state control and repression, against the alienation of the human spirit, against fake entertainment, Media, the mercandising of our lives.
It is an autonomical and selfmanaged place of cultural and political interference, of human contact and communication, that aims to cover our needs, because noone knows them better than us. Our collective testing, the happy moments and the disappointments are our reality and truth, which helps us to go on, makes us stronger and keeps us united. But we need you also, because our aktivities and our struggle is not a personal matter, that concludes only a limited group of people, but an open and common matter, that applies, concerns and relates to everybody. Nowadays the organisation "Thessaloniki, Cultural City Of Europe 1997" bought the building of the squat and aims to use it as a "cultural center". So, after a judical decision it has been given to the squaters a deadline to leave the house until 25.10.1996 (which has already ended). The members of the squat have decided not to leave the house, that already: