The mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, gave a full interview to Mega and Niki Lymperakis and, among other things, answered the issue of the squatters.
Regarding the issue of squatting in universities, Niki Lymperaki asked if the students “are right to be squatting”, with Haris Doukas answering: “Of course. General meetings are held and it is decided to hold a fight for the people to claim their future and they are right, I say again, I support it”.
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In detail what Haris Doukas said about the occupations at universities
Lymberakis: How do you see the mobilizations of part of the student world, you also see sit-ins and protests. Let’s get back to squatting in particular.
Duke: They are right. They are right.
Lymberakis: What do you mean;
Duke: I study at AUTH, I am also a professor at NTUA and the money it gives is very little. The infrastructures have serious problems, the teachers are fighting hard and I think the discussion should start from how to strengthen this effort.
Lymberakis: Are they right to react? Are they right to occupy?
Duke: Of course, general meetings are held and it is decided to make a fight for the people to claim their future and they are right, I say again, I support it. Because I think that even this discussion should start to be sure that Harvard and Oxford will come, but start on how to strengthen the public university.
Lymberakis: You told me, Mr. Mayor, before that the squats, the other squats. You told me it’s 100% illegal. Is students occupying the university, not taking exams, a legitimate practical protest?
Duke: I want to say about the Polytechnic, it also has a deep history.
Lymberakis: Well, he had a junta though…
Duke: Of course, I don’t want to put such things. That is, general assemblies are held and a fight to claim the future and a fight for public free education is decided, which has very great difficulties.
See HERE the video with Haris Doukas’ response to the occupations (48′:43”).
Dukas for squatting in buildings: To give the opportunity to collectives to be able to be active
Earlier, Mr. Doukas had been asked about squatting in the buildings, stating, among other things, “where there should be no squatting, the law should be respected”.
Then he was asked if there are legal occupations, with him answering, saying “there are great difficulties to find a space for expression, for culture and activities, and here I must also give a chance. We have enough unused buildings, to be able to give an opportunity to associations, collectives to be able to be active, to express themselves”.
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT
Lymberakis: May I ask you what is your opinion about squatting in the center of Athens?
Duke: The Law must be respected, where there should be no squatters the law must be respected.
Lymberakis: What does it say where it shouldn’t? Are there places where there should be squats?
Duke: No, where it is illegal not to squat. It’s clear.
Lymberakis: Are there legal ones?
Duke: No, but there is a possibility of expression in the free space and we must also give a possibility to the city as a whole to breathe. Well, the access to the public space, the increase of the public space and the possibility for the spaces to host sports and cultural and other activities is very important to me.
Lymberakis: How does this relate to squatting? How does the vitality of an area relate to an occupation?
Duke: No, I combined it with the following, that in many cases there are great difficulties in finding a space for expression for culture and activities, and here I must also give a chance. We have enough unused buildings, to be able to give an opportunity to associations, collectives, to be able to be active, to express themselves.
Lymberakis: Mr. Mayor, I think there is no one who disagrees in principle with what you say.
Duke: In operation we need to see it a little better.
Lymberakis: How did we get to this from a question that begins are there legal squatters?
Duke: I answered absolutely clearly, there are no legal squatters. The law must be followed there. I think this should be perfectly clear, there are no legal squatters.
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