Urban war in Athens city by ELENA STAMOULI

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

A dissertation submitted to Cardiff University in partial fulfillment of the degree of MArch, 2011

ELENA STAMOULI MArch (2011-2012) The Welsh School of Architecture Cardiff University

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

URBAN W AR IN ATHENS CITY: Examining the political recession in Athens city as part of a research on the use of urban public spaces in times of social uncertainty.

Cardiff 2012

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

‘‘One may describe the city in its social aspect as a special framework directed toward the creation of differentiated opportunities for a common life and a significant collective drama’’ L. Mumford, 1938.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Abstract

This paper looks at the relationship of the man with the city. The purpose of this study is to investigate the various factors that are related to the use of an urban public space by citizens in times of social and political uncertainty. The objective of the present is to examine and analyze some of the different uses of a public space and how important viable public spaces are to the community. Urban public spaces present a given spatial and social significance for the community as a whole. All different routes that lead to these spaces are equally important for the function of the city. Cities are not planned for times of unrest but for a normal everyday use. In a democratic society, a city such as Athens should have an adaptable character. To perceive the quality of an urban space we have to examine it in a broader context and in all different times, otherwise the outcome is not genuine and clear. The main hypothesis that is stated herein is that people tend to use the city fabric in an utterly different way in times of political and social uncertainty. Urban public spaces adapt to changes and are used by citizens in a way that maybe urban planners havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t thought about. Attention in this research will be given to the theory of the perception of a public space as a ground of social actions. A public space should be therefore designed and treated as a viable part of the city web that presents a number of benefits for the citizens. Â This paper was edited and printed in January of 2012.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Acknowledgements

This paper would not have been possible without the invaluable help and support of Allison Dutoit, who not only served as my supervisor but also encouraged and challenged me throughout my academic program. She guided me through the dissertation process and her contribution was more than important to me. This dissertation would not have been completed without the co-operation and help of the Architecture student, Maria-Antonia Stamouli, who kindly agreed to answer a series of questions related to my topic. I would especially like to thank all those people who gave me moments of great discussions and inspired me in a level that I could never believe. I also need to thank all the authors of the books that I have read, the journalists who wrote the articles that I have used as a guideline and all those people who have wrote from one word to a book related to my topic. Finally, I would like to thank my close friends and family for always supporting me and encouraging me in my endeavors.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction............................................................................

1.1 Background and context......................................................................

1.2 Purpose of study................................................................................

1.3 Aims................................................................................................

1.4 Objectives.........................................................................................

1.5 Structure of the dissertation..................................................................

1.6 Methodology......................................................................................

2.0 Literature review......................................................................

2.1 Urban public spaces and their diverse uses...............................................

2.2 Challenging times in cities around the world lead to a different perception of public spaces.....................................................................................

2.3 The Occupy Movement........................................................................

3.0 Background.............................................................................

3.1 Introduction........................................................................................

3.2 History..............................................................................................

3.3 “Revolution”........................................................................................

3.4 Comparing..........................................................................................

3.4.1 Buenos Aires.....................................................................................

3.5 Interviewing a student of Architecture.......................................................

3.6 Summary..........................................................................................

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

4.0 Analyzing the urban public spaces of Athens....................................

4.1 Politically charged squares......................................................................

4.2 Indignants...........................................................................................

4.3 Routes...............................................................................................

4.3.1 Streets of anger.................................................................................

4.4 Discussion...........................................................................................

5. Conclusion...................................................................................

Bibliography...................................................................................... 82 Lists of illustrations............................................................................. 87 Appendix 1....................................................................................... 91 Appendix 2....................................................................................... 97

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1

Background and context

1.2

Purpose of study

1.3

Aims

1.4

Objectives

1.5

Structure of the dissertation

1.6

Methodology

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

1.1 Background and context “Architecture is politics” – Mitchell Kanor It should be noted that the subject of urban public spaces is a very complex topic and is influenced by a variety of parameters. The existence, location and formation of public spaces are factors that have a great impact on peoples’ everyday lives. Nowadays half of the world’s population lives in cities. All great civilizations have been developed in this urban environment. People exchanged goods and ideas, procedure that has brought about the growth of trade, wealth and culture. In this respect, public open spaces in an urban fabric have played a key role in defining the social network. Public spaces play a vital role in the social and economic life of a community and can be an important social resource.

Fig.1. Piazza del Campo, Italy

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

A square, a park or a street can be regarded as an urban public space. The comprehension of an urban space presupposes a whole previous notion of its functions, i.e. transport, trade and market infrastructures, political and public representations, leisure and entertainment qualities. It serves as a setting for individuals to rest, meet and exchange ideas.

Fig.2. A public space can also serve as a field for the manifestation of a public dissent. It can evolve as the space where social movements can express themselves. An open space within a city fabric is created and formed by the people using it and can host a number of complex relationships. The program of those who create a plan, those who commission it, the form of a space and how this form relates to the users or avoiders are key factors that influence the nature of a public space. The nature of a public space in contemporary societies is constantly changing. City dwellers exist within a largely anonymous entity and therefore public spaces can be more than beneficial to the quality of city life as citizens have the opportunity to observe and gather. One of the main features of public spaces such as streets and parks is their diversity in terms of how people can use them and experience them. For example, a city park can simply be a location for anti-social behavior, mostly in the nighttime, but can also be a place for children to play, for enjoyable walks and unplanned interactions.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Space can hold many events and ranging from social gatherings to economic pursuits. The English architect, M. Webb, wrote that ‘‘actors and decor have changed over the centuries, but the need for a stage has remained constant...the pedestrian is a king’’1. In the case of my analysis, a city street could be the stage and protestors could be the dynamic performers. A good indicator of quality with regard to space is how much people actually use it. It is scientifically proved that where people gather, more people will want to join and public space can inspire interaction through the presence of music, art, food, discussion and festive day celebrations. There are also times of political uncertainty when people tend to gather in a public space for entirely different reasons, but still the space itself fulfills its purpose. Historically, public space incorporated many of the elements mentioned above.

1.2 Purpose of study There has been a recent interest in making better public spaces in many parts of the world. It is essential to comprehend the level of importance of these spaces by researching on the different uses and on how people actually perceive an urban public space. One of the main reasons I chose to write about the use of public spaces in difficult political times is the fact that this topic was never been accessed thoroughly before, as far as my research shows, and mainly because I realized that architects and urban planners focus more on the use of these spaces in peaceful times and not in challenging periods. Nonetheless, I believe that a public space should be examined in both good and bad periods in order to grasp its actual significance. At this point, I have to indicate that the current bibliography on how public spaces are used in times of political upheaval was extremely limited to absent, making thus the elaboration of this paper more than challenging.

http://www.urbanspaceinitiative.com/historical-overview/

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

It was also perplexing to start and finish this study given that a large part of the topic refers to the actual situation in the city of Athens and the fact that this situation is still evolving and changes. However, I truly think that it is more than interesting to identify all the different ways that citizens tend to use the city fabric in their own terms in times of social uncertainty, and Athens is possibly the best case study.

1.3 Aim s The aim of this paper is to investigate how citizens of big cities around the world that experienced or still do experience political and social problems, use public urban spaces in order to express their frustration. How and under which circumstances citizens of Athens experience the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban fabric in times of political unrest. Why do they choose specific spaces and is there a significant importance in their choice of particular routes they follow within the city? The main hypothesis is that there are factors such as political circumstances that make people perceive a space in a different way and use it accordingly.

Fig.3. Factors that affect the choice of a public space by rioters in order to protest

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

1.4 Objectives Acknowledging that urban public space can be very complex, it is critical to comprehend and prove that such spaces should be regarded as a vital part of the urban fabric especially in times of great social importance. Urban planners and designers should always prioritize the creation of efficient public spaces, which constitute a key component that can link and revitalize a cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public space network. There is no doubt that the need for urban public spaces in such a big and chaotic city as Athens is more than essential. The significance of a public space is an undisputed fact and therefore I will not focus on the space itself but more on its interaction with citizens in times of historical importance. My principal interest is why man is always eager to be part of the city fabric in times of uncertainty. Real life has shown us that in periods of social restlessness people avoid staying in the privacy of their homes and tend to desire social interaction and communication. The main objective of this paper is to understand the close relationship of man with the city and particularly the perception of urban public spaces by the citizens of Athens. Â To sum up the main objectives are: - Set the context on how a public space has been viewed in the past and how it is viewed today - Find out why people use public spaces in the way they do - Study why is the urban public space so important in times of political and social instability - Compare the use of urban public spaces before and during political difficulties - Identify different routes of people within the city fabric and indicate the reasons of their variations

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

1.5 Structure of the dissertation The first phase of this research involves a literature review that was focused on information related to urban public spaces in European cities in particularly difficult political periods. The second phase of this paper consists in a thorough study of the political recession in Athens and specifically its significant impact on how Athenians perceive the spatial qualities the city offers them. The third phase examines how citizens of Athens use particular public spaces and what routes they follow within the city. At this point, I also have to state that the challenge of composing a paper like this in times of constant social and political evolution in the city of Athens was more than immense. Things are still changing from day to day, a fact that made my work even more stimulating. The main structure of the paper is as follows: -Literature research -Historical and political background research on Athens city -Current political and social situation in Athens city -Comparison of the situation in Athens with other cities around the world and especially Buenos Aires -Isolating the main parts of the interview of an Athenian Architecture student -Detecting different routes within the city of Athens -Athenian public spaces, their use in difficult times and identification of routes of anger -Discussion and answering to questions that had been set in the objectives section

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

1.6 M ethodology To conceive all the different features of urban public spaces, my research focuses on the historical background of such spaces and their ability to transform according to peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ways of inhabiting them. I decided to study the current situation in Athens in terms of spatial use by its citizens because I am extremely intrigued by the current condition, both as an architect and as an Athenian. These past two years Athens is a boiling kettle that is ready to explode. Greece is under an extreme pressure and the everyday life of the city is often in the front page of newspapers around the world. As a result, these conditions keep changing every day, something that made my endeavor even more complex. The issue is very broad and multifaceted; I, therefore, chose to limit my study to the notions that I have already pointed out in the foregoing sections. To begin with, my research methodology lies in examining the urban public spaces, their significance and the different ways people experiencing them. Furthermore, I investigated the political background of Athens and the impact it has on the spatial qualities of the city. Finally, I proceed to a detailed analysis of the different kinds of urban spaces located in Athens, pinpointing at the same time the different routes within the city fabric, and how these alter in times of political uncertainty. As a citizen of Athens and part of this protesting generation I have developed a very clear perception of the genuine circumstances in Greece and therefore the methodology presented herein is primarily based on my personal experience. Literature research (books, magazines, web sites, etc.), spatial analysis and interviewing are also three additional ways of working. Interviewing actual citizens could cease being extremely important in my effort to understand how people perceive a public space. Ten questions related to my topic have been posed to a student of Architecture who currently lives and studies in Athens. [The actual interview is cited in the Appendix]

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1

Urban public spaces and their diverse uses

2.2

Challenging times in cities around the world lead to a different perception of public spaces

2.3. The Occupy Movement

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

2.1 Urban public spaces and their diverse uses “Public space is the playground of society; the public realm is the playground in which society reinvents itself.” – Bunschoten, 2002. The use of public spaces changes over time (both short-term: days and seasons and long-term: years and decades); it is consequently important to periodically review and, if necessary, modify the design of these spaces.2 According to Henry Shaftoe, effective urban public spaces (by which I mean squares, plazas and pocket-parks) are crucial to health, happiness, democracy and even the urban economy. They truthfully are a true mark of civilization. He also posits that a public space of a city is powerfully defined by social activity. The idea of public space is at the heart of the idea and the life of the city, as Paul Kingsnorth wrote, in his book “Real England”. “It is the essence of public freedom: a place to rally, to protest, to sit and contemplate, to smoke or talk or watch the stars. No matter what happens in the shops and cafes, the offices and houses, the existence of public space means there is always somewhere to go to express yourself or simply to escape. From parks to pedestrian streets, squares to market places, public spaces are being bought up and closed down.”3 If we look back at the history of cities, we can see clearly that urban structures and public spaces influence human behavior and the ways in which cities actually operate.

http://www.convivialspaces.org/

http://thenextwavefutures.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/privatising-public-space-2/

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Squares or even part of streets were and still are used by different people with different cultural background. Europe has the longest history and maybe the most sophisticated experience of designed big open public spaces (classical Greece and the Roman Empire onwards). Latin America, Africa, India, Turkey also offer some great examples of popular public spaces signifying that the need for convivial space is fundamental to human nature.4

Fig.4. Djemma El-Fna Square, Marrakech, Morocco

Henry Shaftoe, Convivial urban spaces: creating Effective Public Places, Earthscan Publications, London, 2008,

p.7-8.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Henry Shaftoe5 indicates that academic conferences now ask the question, is public space dead?6 That is a question that was answered in the past in a positive way. More specifically, researchers have stated that convivial space cannot die, can only be transformed. As a citizen of a big city like Athens, I can responsibly agree with Henry Shaftoe when he declares “urban residents, employees and visitors of a city are not ready yet to abandon physical spaces for more esoteric worlds”. This is the feeling I get whenever I walk in the city’s streets. I do feel that people need spaces that offer them the opportunity to socialize and interact even for a very short period of time before returning to the privacy of their homes. It is normally accepted among urban planners and architects that when we are referring to public urban spaces we mean a park, a square or a street.

Fig.5.

. The last two types of urban public spaces experience major transformations in times of political urban war.

Henry Shaftoe is a senior lecturer, specializing in safer, better neighborhoods, at the University of the West of

England. 6

Henry Shaftoe, Convivial urban spaces :creating Effective Public Places, Earthscan Publications, London, 2008,

p.12

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

There are also cases where even a building façade can be perceived as a public space or better as a public property that can be used by people or local artists inhabiting the city environment in order to create an entire new space and atmosphere around it.

Fig.6. Black and white X-Ray of how the interiors of the old buildings were.

At this point and in order to find an actual definition for convivial spaces I would like to refer to a great architect and urban designer, Francis Tibbalds7, who in his seminal work Making Peoplefriendly Towns, suggests that convivial spaces should consist of a “rich, vibrant mixed-use environment that does not die at night or at weekends and is visually stimulating and attractive to residents and visitors alike”.

Francis Tibbalds (1941-1992) studied architecture at the then Regent Street Polytechnic (now University of

Westminster) from 1959 to 1966.He also studied town and country planning at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, University College, London.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

As stated earlier, since the beginning of the cities, open spaces have been regarded as an important public amenity. In the beginning of its history urban open space was used for community meetings, whether religious, commercial or governmental. It was rather unusual to set aside one space for one activity. In the Middle Eastern cities, however, we find open public spaces with different quality and purpose. Two great examples are the temple square, a space right in front the temple, and the market square. The difference in the quality of these spaces was indicated by the fact that, while the temple square was separated from the city, the market plaza was a vivid part of the urban fabric. Dora Polk Crouch8, indicates that if we think of the pre-historic urban gathering space, with many different uses, as an example that is still exists in many communities everywhere around the world, then we can acknowledge how great the creation of the apportion of a temple square was. This separation could indicate “that something special is going on in that square” and it probably was. After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the East, social everyday life gradually reconstituted itself. Mediterranean cities, including Athens, retained some Roman features, such as the urban open space at the center where the two main roads crossed or meet. Other major European cities present this spatial characteristic; one of them is the French capitol, Paris, where many important avenues of the city such as Champs Élysées meet in the Arc de Triomphe (Fig.7).

Dora Polk Crouch teaches architectural and urban history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York City. She

is the editor of the newsletter of the society of Architectural Historians and founder of that organization’s Urban History Committee.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.7. Different main streets of the city of Paris meet in the Arc de Triomphe, Paris.

Meanwhile, the Greeks were developing a new sophisticated system for laying out all the different types of building that they were evolving. Urban spaces in ancient Athens reflected in the greatest level a view of manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place in real life. In the Greek city it was possible to be more richly human

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

and to engage in a variety of human activities. That could be easily done since the culture was promoting this ideology.9 On the book “Streets: critical perspectives on public space” edited by Zeynep Celik I found a tribute to Spiro Kostof. “Streets are a primary ingredient of urban existence; they provide the structure on which to weave the complex interactions of the architectural fabric with human organization”. The unique characteristics of any street derive from what Spiro Kostof often referred to as the “urban process”, that fascinating conflation of social, political, technical, and artistic forces that generates a city’s form. Celik also states that unlike works of art or even certain buildings, which have a more determinate existence, streets are as mutable as life itself and are subject to constant alterations through design. According to professor Polk Crouch10, the pattern of the urban arrangements, the diversity of urban spaces and the closeness of such spaces to the living and working areas of the citizens, made a richer common public life very possible. The sociologist Sylvia L. Thrupp designates in her work “The city as the Idea of Social Order” that urban open spaces do not express the actual order and image of the society. Within a big city there are many different types of public spaces with entirely diverse characters, such as noisy streets with traffic and calm and peaceful parks. These two sorts of urban spaces actually define the city and give to it a thorough identity. People also give to the urban space a different meaning each time they are in it. The space can be easily transformed according to how people want to use it, for a cheerful festival or for a political protest. In figures below it is clearly indicated the way that the same square can play more than one role in citizens' lives. It is a vivid part of the city both in good and bad times. Every time that a person decides to visit even for a few minutes a public space automatically becomes part of it and the

Eleni Bastea, Etchings images on the Street: planning and National Aspirations, Athens, 2002, p.76.

Urban Open space, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, Academy Editions, London, 1979, p.7.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

space “fulfills” its purpose. In intense time periods, a square, which is usually the biggest or the most historically important public space in a city, becomes the most visited space since citizens tend to gather thereat in order to either celebrate or protest.

Fig.8. Kotzia sq. full of lights

Fig.9. Students sleeping in a square in Madrid

Fig.10. Concert in Central Park, NY

Fig.11. Women practising yoga in the park

“Atenistas”, a group of citizens who care about every corner of the city, decided to bring and light candles in Kotzia

sq. in order to send the message that they care about the darkness that spreads over the historical neighborhoods of Athens.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

2.2 Challenging tim es in cities around the w orld lead to a different perception of public spaces Political demonstrations, performances, and festivals have made public spaces more dynamic, more attractive, and more open to different social groups. Kaarin Taipale12 states that public spaces give the citizen a place to be social and to relax. More importantly, they provide a space for freedom of speech and protest – a vital component of any healthy democracy. According to Dr. Sandra Huning13 for a long time, the main political uses of public space were demonstrations and manifestations. During the French Revolution, people reconquered urban public spaces for their own unplanned and independent political action, and a political ‘‘street public’’ (Straßen- öffentlichkeit; Kaschuba 1991) demonstrated against the representative public and festival culture of royal anniversaries. Dr. Huning14 states that citizens of cities around the globe who create new kinds of movements start combining elements of both the democratic agora and the revolutionary ‘‘street public’’ to protest against current globalization politics. In many countries the movement has contributed to the appropriation of public spaces in cities for political purposes, not only as symbolic mass action toward one goal. After World War II big cities in Europe faced major political, economical and social issues for decades. As a result, people in the cities were getting upset and angry and they surely had to

Apart from others Kaarin Taipale is a world expert in urban sustainability. She is visiting professor in the Urban

Laboratory at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. 13

Sandra Huning, Political Activity in Public Spaces: Awakening, Stagnation, or Fall? ,Instytut Zachodni, Poznan´

2008, p.1932. 14

Sandra Huning, Political Activity in Public Spaces: Awakening, Stagnation, or Fall? ,Instytut Zachodni, Poznan´

2008, p.193-198.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

express their sentiments towards governments in a way that they could be heard. Famous public spaces in non-democratic states such as the Red Square in Moscow and the Plaza de la RevoluciĂłn in Havana tend to be extremely big and intimidating, apparently expressing the power of the ruling regime and the insignificance of individual citizens.

At this point, it is really interesting to denote that according to Dr. Sandra Huning16 in the past the German Third Reich made instrumental use of the labour movement tradition, and initiated pseudopolitical mass events in public space, aiming to unite the people with strict choreographies for the affirmation of Nazi politics. After the Second World War, the tradition of demonstrations and political protest in the street was continued in West Germany, for example by student protests in the late 1960s, and new social movements in the 1970s and 1980s; and in the GDR by government-led affirmative demonstrations in urban space, which was specifically designed for this purpose. According to many sociologists in times of difficulties people tend to want to act as a group, in this way their power multiplies and their voice is louder. This is the method that people follow throughout the centuries around the world and especially in Europe which is a place with a big number of politically alive people. What all these people need was and still is a space; a public space within the city fabric, where they could gather, discuss, become one and face the opponent. It is an urban war that takes place within the city boundaries but usually have a much broader impact. A good example of a city which public spaces were used in an entirely different way for over a month because of the political and social disorder is Paris. Architects, urban planners and

Henry Shaftoe, Convivial urban spaces:creating Effective Public Places, Earthscan Publications, London, 2008,

p.15 16

Sandra Huning, Political Activity in Public Spaces: Awakening, Stagnation, or Fall?, Instytut Zachodni, PoznanÂ´

2008, p.193-198.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

sociologists are only some of the professionals who have written articles or even books on the 1968 revolution. Paris, has a long history with street revolutions. The French capital was the battlefield for an urban war that started between workers and the government back in 1968. The journalist of the newspaper “Independent” John Linchfield17 went in search of the spirit of that year in Paris. Egalité! Liberté! Sexualité! (Equality! Freedom! Sexuality!). That was the motto of French people who were out in the Parisian streets claiming their constitutional rights. According to the historical research of Linchfield, everything started with a demand by students for the right to sleep with each other and it ended in one of the greatest upheavals in French society since the revolution.

Fig.12 + 13. Workers, students and simple citizens walk on Champs-Élysées in May of 1968 demonstrating in defence of their rights.

The ones who started the strike on 3 of May were students at the Sorbonne University. Streets of Paris, especially Champs-Élysées Avenue, were full of students and workers for more than four days. People were desperate and ready to claim their rights. Champs-Élysées, one of the

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/egalit-libert-sexualit-paris-may-1968-784703.html

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

longest streets of Paris which connects some of the most important plazas of the city such as the Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle, is actually an urban linear space where people choose to walk, shop, celebrate or protest; it was and still is a powerful element of Paris. Haussmann’s strategic urban renewal of Paris in the decade after 1852, the broad boulevards, like Champs-Élysées, in particular, helped the military to control the population, as well as to provide the base for a special “boulevard culture”. About 800,000 students, teachers and workers marched through the French capital demanding the fall of the government under Charles de Gaulle and protesting at police brutality during the riots of the past few days. Police kept a low profile for most of the day but later blocked all bridges across the Seine to keep demonstrators on the Left Bank, which was the battlefield between students and the CRS (riot police) for more than ten days in the row.18 Carrying flags and banners, workers and students repeated loudly the "De Gaulle assassin" and "CRS-SS", comparing the riot police to Nazis. Protesters were marching for more than four hours starting at the Place de la République on the Right Bank of the River Seine. They grew ever larger as they crossed the river to the Left Bank student quarter and up the Boulevard St. Michel to Place Denfert-Rochereau. Parisians used the actual city fabric to serve their goals. Streets, squares, parks, left over spaces, bridges, riverbanks, buildings, pavements, everything were awakened and participated in the conflict between people and the government.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/13/newsid_2512000/2512413.stm

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.14. Protesters block an avenue in Paris, May 1968

2.3 The Occupy M ovem ent The city, according to Barry Clarke, was not for the Greek a meeting of previously independent individuals but a set of people who conceived themselves based on their appurtenance to the city. They were not individuals externally related to the city but people internally related to one another and to the city.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Sharon Zukin,19states that public space is still important. Neither the popularity of television and videos, nor the efficiency of the Internet, has eliminated the need of people to seek social meaning in streets, parks, markets, and plazas. Public space is not only a visible means of integrating social diversity. Zukin wisely indicates that a public space is the living room of the young, the old, and the poor, and an advertisement of a city's image. Although it belongs to "everyone", and is historically organized by local government, there is always great competition over its control. Whoever controls public space sets the "program" for representing society. That is the key to the concept behind the Occupy Movement, which starts spreading all over the world. Nate Berg indicates that governments are trying to figure out what to do with the Occupy movement that’s moved into public spaces in major cities around the world. Some have figured out only as much as getting them out of there; mayors from Oakland to New York have evoked concerns about public safety, sanitation, and good old law. Whatever the response, the fact that these protests have persisted for weeks and months in parks has put a spotlight on public spaces in general. The journalist also states “these spaces are part of our cities so they can be used by the public. They’re also explicitly not intended to play campground for extended amounts of time. But when the public chooses to use its public space in ways it wasn’t intended to be used, who’s right, the public or the public space? This seems to be a core if under-appreciated debate overarching these occupations nationwide and worldwide. Whether it knows it or not, the Occupy movement is actually calling for an entirely new kind of public space.” Berg wrote, "Many have looked on the Occupy movement as participation in democracy – petitioning, rallying together, working within the definitions of our own system of government to express frustration and desire for change. But within the camp environment, a different form of democracy is playing out. Sure, there are the bureaucratic similarities of committees and focus 19

Politics and aesthetics of public space: The 'American' model, Sharon Zukin, 1998

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

groups and the voting and seconding. But there’s also a sort of emergent democracy, one that’s growing and adapting to the open-ended nature of the movement."

Fig.15. Members of the Occupy Wall Street movement in the financial district of New York on October 12th 2011.

“Los Indignados” was an occupy movement that emerged in Spain in 2011. Dissenters were gathering in public spaces of Barcelona and Madrid. In Barcelona “Los Lndignados” chose the square in front of the Parliament and the Plaça de Catalunya, while in Madrid marches were starting in Plaça de Cibeles and ending in Puerta del Sol. Puerta del Sol is one of the most popular and busiest open public spaces of the city.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig. 16 “Los indignados” wake up after a tiring night in Puerta del Sol, Madrid, on 18th of May 2011

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

3.0 BACKGROUND 3.1 Introduction 3.2 History 3.3 Revolution 3.4 Comparing 3.4.1 Buenos Aires 3.5 Interviewing a student of Architecture 3.6 Summary

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.17. Map of Greece

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Key of the map of the following page 1: Parthenon 2: Syntagma (Constitution) square 3: Athens’ trilogy 4: Omonia square 5: Thisio 6: Kallimarmaro 7: Navarinou park 8: Athens Trilogy 9: Strefi Hill 10: Embassy of the United States of America 11: Old Polytechnic school 12: Pedion of Areos park 13: Parliament 14: National Gardens 15: Pnyx 16: Kontzia square / City Hall 17: Τemple of Olympian Zeus 18: Kolonaki square 19: Police Headquarters STREETS: Blue:

Stadiou

Yellow: Panepistimiou Purple: Akadimias Orange: Navarinou Green: Patision

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

3.1 Introduction There is no doubt that the relationship of man with the city is crucial both for the well being of the first and for the long existence of the second. Difficult times in peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives change them and as a result change the way they behave within a city and treat public spaces. The goal is to define the situation in Athens in terms of spatial organization. This paper also attempts to demonstrate a strict correspondence between the situation in the capital of Greece and similar conditions in other cities around the world, to enable the reader to obtain an in-depth understanding of the issue and have a closer look at the 'big picture'. A critical political incident can change people and therefore change their whole attitude vis-Ă -vis the city; people start using the urban fabric in a different way probably without even realizing it. This condition applies to Athenians in view of Greeceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic crisis that culminated during the last three years after the country's recourse to the IMF (International Monetary Fund). Athens is one of the oldest and most significant capitals in Europe. Its southern part is open to Saronic Gulf, the port is situated on the eastern part of the city while the city itself is surrounded by numerous mountainous masses, such as Hemettus and Parnitha. It is a city with strong urban identity presenting a variety of qualities and spatial features both natural and constructed. Unfortunately, Athens is mostly famous for its Ancient past and its uncertain future. Athens as a city underwent and survived major political and social changes several times in the past becoming officially part of the modern world, Athens is a large and densely populated city where the concrete element prevails justifying thus the title of "concrete jungle". The birth town of Aristotle and Pericles belongs to those cities that do not really respect its inhabitants: the metropolitan area has a disproportionate low number of open public spaces compared to its size. This section will attempt to investigate both in a rough and a detailed way the main factors that lead to a particular use of urban public spaces in periods of historical importance for the city.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.19.Map of Athens, 1904 /dark red indicates all important public buildings and areas in the centre of the city

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

3.2. History Around 454B.C. was the Golden Age of Athenian democracy, during which time Athens became the leading city of Ancient Greece. At this point is very important, since Athens was and keeps being for centuries the center of Democracy, to give the exact definition of the word. The term comes from the Greek word δημοκρατία (demokratia) which means “rule of the people” and derives from the word δήμος (demos) which means people and the word κράτος (kratos) which means “power”. Democracy is a value according to which every person has an equal say in the decisions that affect his or her life. It is a principle that is apparent in the everyday life of an Athenian and sometimes its abuse by few is the cruel reality of the city. Henry Shaftoe states that in democratic societies, public spaces are the gathering places where the citizenry can express their solidarity and also dissent. They are the locations for demonstrations, democracy.

pamphleteering

and

soapbox

orations;

important

for

grassroots

In old Athens the Ancient Agora was the meeting point of citizens who wanted to talk about the political situation and Pnyx which was the area that artists and philosophers were talking to people about their civil rights.21The Pnyx is a hill facing the Acropolis in Athens. It is where in ancient times about 6,000 politically active citizens would stand and address the Assembly, exercising democracy at its birthplace from the 6th to 4th century BC. 20

Henry Shaftoe, Convivial urban spaces:creating Effective Public Places,Earthscan Publications, London, 2008,

p.14-15 21

R.E.Wycherley , How the greeks built cities, Macmillan & Co. , London,1949

http://indyreader.org/content/the-perils-public-space-and-democracy-athens-by-nicholas-anastasopoulos-

eleni-tzirtzilaki

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.20. The Pnyx, Athens

Athenians citizens knew their rights and they were very determined to fight for them. In the city of Athens there was a strong feeling of justice and democracy, two values that Greeks still respect. The bigger political and religious gatherings were taking place in the theatre, which was often used for the general assembly as well as for the plays.23

R.E.Wycherley , How the greeks built cities, Macmillan & Co. , London,1949, p.34-41.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.21.Odeon of Herodes Attikus, Athens

Other greek cities like the Minoan city is a great example of the importance of the public space for Greeks. R.E.Wycherley indicated that the Minoan city was concentrated round a centre formed by the palace and a kind of agora, an open space created for festal and political gatherings. People who live in a city do need open spaces like squares or even streets to release their energy, otherwise they would never have the opportunity to be part of a group that fights for something as important as their political future. In ancient Athens the street had a significant importance and played a fundamental role in the development of the city, it was the place where many important events were taking place. Politics were giving their speeches on streets, venders were selling their goods on those spaces while actors, dancers and musicians were performing thereat24. Plato had wisely saidÂ that â&#x20AC;&#x153;streets are arteries, arteries of an organism called cityâ&#x20AC;?. Arteries curry blood away from the heart and in case of a malfunction of the circulatory system a way has to be found to send oxygen to all cells that depend to the arteries. Streets were and still are connecting different parts of the city, like 24

http://www.anagnosis.gr/index.php?pageID=54&la=eng

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

arteries do with different parts of the human body, transferring people, sounds, smells and every other quality of an urban fabric.

Fig.22. The area where Plato used to teach his students and give speeches to the public

In an effort to close the gap between ancient times and the 21st century and return to the current situation in Greece we have to make a stop in 1974 and bring some light into this historical political past of the country. It is helpful to familiarize the reader with the political situation back in 1967 when Greece was under the military Junta in order to explain why Greek people have this moral obligation to themselves to claim their rights and fight injustice. Junta is a term used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974. Rule by the military Junta started in April of 1967 and ended with a coup d'ĂŠtat in July of 1974.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

The fall of Junta is related to a series of riots that lasted days and nights. Some people lost their lives protesting and some people were arrested for doing so. The 17th of November is a significant anniversary for Greece because that was the day when students, mainly, managed to make the first big step that led to the fall of the Junta by protesting on the streets of Athens demanding the reinstatement of Democracy. Students gathered at Athens Polytechnic School -entered the public space of the university-transforming it into their â&#x20AC;&#x153;war baseâ&#x20AC;?. This act of theirs gave a whole new meaning to the term public space and made Athenians to realize the power of democracy and how this it exists in every little aspect of their lives. That was the time when people of the city appreciated for once more the power of democracy and how it works in terms of urban behavior. Â According to the urban planner and journalist Dimitris Papatheoharis, back in 1974 Athenian students gave an entire different meaning to the urban democracy according to which the city is for everyone and the public space is designed for the first and the last man of the city.

Fig.23+24. Patision Avenue on 17th of November 1974

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.25+26. Patision Avenue on 17th of November 201025

3.3 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Revolutionâ&#x20AC;? The last two years Athens is the very center of all the political and social development. Every time the government decides to pass vital austerity measures to determine Greece's future, Athenians and people from around the country overwhelm city streets . People follow specific routes within the city fabric in their effort to protest against the decisions taken by the government. The relationship between humans and urban environment changes drastically from one day to another. Seven years after the Summer Games of 2004 Athens views its Olympic experience as an alleviated success. The Greek metropolis of almost five million inhabitants made the organization

http://gr.contrainfo.espiv.net/files/2010/11/pathsiwn_patisiwn__________.jpg

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

of the Games its ultimate goal. But while development work enabled Athens to do some catching up, the kind of overall improvements originally hoped for have not materialized.26 You only need to take a casual stroll around the place to realize that everything is on recession. In the historical center, the situation is visibly deteriorating. Drugs, prostitution, poverty have wrought havoc with the city’s image and led to an exodus of the young creative people who attempted to return to the neighborhoods of the historic triangle. Developments, such as trendy bars, designers boutiques, theatres, malls, stadiums and many more gave the, false as it was proved, impression that Athens’s future could be bright. Unfortunately, the recent closure of several renovated hotels, restaurants and theatres confirmed what every Athenian knew but preferred to forget; that the renaissance envisaged for the downtown area was no more than a mirage. The debt crisis27 is not the unique cause of this failure; it is just one of the many factors accentuating a series of strategic errors in urban planning, including the uncoordinated emptying of numerous public service buildings from the city centre, which resulted to the pauperization of the surrounding area. The city was and still is facing major difficulties, and another important factor that led to that is the denial of its people to face the truth. The extreme right party has benefited in multiples ways from this tense atmosphere, and was also enflamed by the media. George Papandreou, the former Prime Minister of Greece, after realizing the critical condition the country is in, decided to seek recourse to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the funds of the EE (European Union) and the ECB (European Central Bank) for mitigating the economic crisis.

A’A’ L’ARCHITECTURE D’ AUJOURD’HUI magazine:, issue Nov.-Dec., 2011, p.148-155.

Greece entered IMF (International Monetary Fund) on July of 2010 in order to face the 390billion debt.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.27. Students protesting in Stadiou Street while a platoon of URO (Units of the Reinstatement of Order) tries to cut their way.

People recognized the problem and maybe the reasons of this financial decline, they could not however accept the fact that they would be the ones to actually curry that heavy load. Greeks were brutally asked to adjust to the new condition and comprehend that the only way to get out of this situation and avoid the bankruptcy is to start living with less. For the majority of people of this small country, that â&#x20AC;&#x153;requestâ&#x20AC;? was and still is unbearable given that their income was already extremely low compared to that of other Europeans.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

3.4 Com paring In order to thoroughly comprehend the general background, it is rather crucial to attempt a brief comparison of the situation in Athens with that of other major cities around the globe.

Fig.28. Occupy Seoul

Fig.29. Occupy London

Fig.30. Occupy Berlin

Fig.31. Occupy Madrid

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

In order to support or reject the theory that an urban public space is probably a much more important space than the parliament itself in times of uncertainty, I will proceed with a research on conditions experienced by other countries that are similar to the ones in Greece. Argentina is a country that was brutally asked to face major financial problems. Its capital became the core of the reaction. People were gathering in the capital protesting and claiming back their old reality. The situation briefly studied herein below took place almost ten year ago in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina.

3.4.1 Buenos Aires Argentina’s crisis resulted from a confluence of events, some external to Argentina’s policy process, others directly related to its political and economic choices.28 Jens Glüsing in his article “The Crash Specialists: Argentina's Lessons for a Crisis-Ridden Europe” appeared in Der Spiegel magazine writes that ten years ago, Argentina's economy was in a shambles, the victim of vast sovereign debt, a peso that was pegged to the US dollar and rigid IMF austerity measures. Demonstrators occupied high streets of the capitol while buildings’ facades were covered with political posters and graffiti. Students use the city fabric to protest against the strict measures imposed by the government. They curry flags, speakers and generally items that enable them to express their indignation and communicate their requests more efficiently. They choose specific routes to avoid police forces and to make their statement more dominant. These are tactics followed by people all around the world, from Buenos Aires to Athens and from New York to Seoul.

fpc.state.gov/documents/.../8040.pdf

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.32. Corrientes Avenue blocked by police forces back in October of.2001

Fig.33. Demonstrators in the Argentine capitol 29

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-76521-2.html

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

3.5 Interviewing a student of Architecture In an effort to reveal what real people actually think of the current political situation and particularly its impact on the urban life of citizens in the city I decided to interview a person that has a global perception of these problematic conditions. This interview is a key element in my study The interviewee is 21 years old; she is currently studying Architecture in the National Technical University of Athens and lives with her family in the capital. She is politically awake and completely aware of what takes place in the city. She is an Individual with a multifaceted personality and diverse background, something that makes the outcome of this interview very interesting. The student had to answer to ten different questions related to the present's paper topic. The interview was conducted with the use of a voice recorder and in the interviewee's native language to ensure unconstrained conditions and achieve a natural result.

Fig.34.

Fig.35. Stencil on a wall outside the National UniversityÂ

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Did anyone see my future?â&#x20AC;?

in Panepistimiou Street, Athens

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Listening to a young personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thoughts on the relationship of Athenians with the city the period of the political recess made me once more realize that the power of an urban public space is critical for the evolution of the city. There is a long history of demonstrations in Greece. Greek people are familiar to the idea of occupying public spaces from their school years and be part of a School occupation.Â

Fig.36. High school students occupying the school building (public property)

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

According to the student, Athens compared to other Greek cities offers all these spatial qualities for a riot to be induced. She believes that Athens has such a spatial organization that makes a riot possible. In terms of why people choose particular streets, she states that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the size and the location of a street can play a significant role in the choices of people. Busy streets are usually the ones that are preferred for demonstrations. This is mainly because protesting citizens want to abort all daily functions of the city. People are hindered from going to their jobs because streets are closed and people employed at the public transportation means are on strike for safety reasons. Therefore, the normal city activities paralyze for at least a day. It is always better to follow routes that include bigger streets that can accommodate a big number of people. There are also times that a specific route can be changed during a riot. That usually happens when the police shows up and protestors feel trapped, so they are urged to scatter into nearby buildings and alleys perpendicular to the main street. People that do not want to participate in a protest march, follow safer routes leading away from the city center and Syntagma Square that is most possibly the core of chaos. To my question if she was aware of the movement of Indignants, she replied that she was familiar with that. Part of her answer is given below: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I agree with the concept behind this idea, but I am still not sure whether I agree with the way it was realized at the end or not. I stayed in the Square for three days. I was sleeping, eating and spending my time there. I soon realized that the movement was a mixture of different people from different backgrounds. Each person was demonstrating for his/hers personal reason but there was not one common go, apart from gathering in Syntagma square and speak a message of anger, which to be honest might have been enough. Overall, I am very positive to these kinds of ideas of claiming rights by occupying a public space, since these spaces are destined for us; the citizens of Athens.â&#x20AC;? Young people supported the idea of occupying a public space of great importance and inhabit it for as long as they could. This way, the importance and the nature of a public space is confirmed. Daily functions of the city were paused for over a month, a reality that obliged

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

members of the government to listen to what Indignants had to say, in order to achieve their purpose: evacuate the square as soon as possible. Almost seven months have passed since the last night of the Indignants, and the outcome is that the Government is now aware of the fact that citizens are active members of the community and demand what they deserve. That was the ultimate goal of the movement; to be heard and to be seen.

3.6 Sum m aryÂ Athens is a democratic city that sets the ground for public expressions and freedom. The past of the city has to demonstrate a number of important political and social incidents that pushed people to their limits. It is commonly accepted that despite the fact that Athens is not famous for its numerous and grandiose public spaces, its citizens always had the ability to transform abandoned spaces or areas of poor spatial quality to their base for a war that was always ready to break out in the city fabric. In periods of political turmoil we are asked to change our way of living, our daily routine and adjust to new circumstances. Athenians were brutally forced to adopt a new life style without being asked. They chose to express their disappointment and dissent and release their anger by gathering in an Athenian public space and protest. Syntagma square is the starting point of every riot. The space itself is just an open area where people can gather and become one single power. Three main factors that make each public space powerful and significant are its location, the buildings surrounding it and its accessibility. In the following section I will examine another two issues related to the public spaces; the routes that either connect them or lead to them and the use of such spaces by a group of people called â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Indignantsâ&#x20AC;?.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

4.0 Analyzing the urban public spaces of Athens 4.1 Politically charged squares 4.2 Indignants 4.3 Routes 4.3.1 Streets of anger 4.4 Discussion

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

4.1 Politically charged squares ‘‘A city is more than the sum of its inhabitants. It has the power to generate a surplus of amenity, which is one reason why people like to live in communities rather than in isolation’’ (G. Cullen, 1961). As Denis Wood points out, public spaces and more particularly the less surveyed ones, are where change is fermented and where countermeasures are formulated. This is the reason why totalitarian regimes try to control the use of public space by heavy policing and surveillance.30 According to historical data that were collected by Eleni Bastea31, Athens had been perpetually under construction since 1833, the date of the establishment of an independent Greek nation. The guidelines for the rebuilding of the new capital were set by a royal decree in 1836. The new streets that were opened through the old city terminated at the palace, behind which the National Garden is located, and the Acropolis connected the old with the new landmarks. The so-called 'Athenian Trilogy' on Panepistimiou Street encompasses three very significant buildings, the University, the Academy and the National Library. This maybe the answer as to why this street is so important for the citizens and why they choose it when they feel the need to celebrate or demonstrate. Is it the street itself or is it the buildings surrounding it that give it spatial importance? Probably the street itself does not have the power to make people think of it as that important, it is the historical weight of those three buildings, as indicated above.

Henry Shaftoe, Convivial urban spaces: creating Effective Public Places, Earthscan Publications, London, 2008,

p.15 31

Eleni Bastea, Etchings images on the Street: planning and National Aspirations, Athens, 2002, p.111-118.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.37. The ‘Athenian Trilogy’ on Panepistimiou street consisting of: The University 2.

The Academy

The Library

Panepistimiou Street connecting the Syntagma (Constitution) square and Omonia square.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

The area behind the east side of Panepistimiou street is called Exarchia. It is a neighbourhood with rich history in terms of politics and it is the place where great Athenians used to live. The central square of Exarchia is often a gathering place for young people with political interests who have the need to come close to each other, exchange ideas and organize future events within the city. It is an urban public space with an utterly different spatial identity than the Constitution Square. It is much smaller, it does not have any great historical buildings around it, but it still is right in the middle of a neighbourhood. This diversity of urban public spaces is what makes Athens an intriguing city where people can actually use open spaces in many different ways. They can walk peacefully on Panepistimiou street, gather in Exarchiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s square to have a political discussion or go to the square in front of the Parliament and scream for their rights.

Fig.38. Map showing the area of Exarchia and the route that protestors follow around it

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

In a difficult financial period the contemporary metropolis seems restless and vulnerable. Good public space attempts to add a sense of community within an existing community. The collective drama of city life can unfold in a space like this where anonymity is a tool in peoples’ hands. An urban park, a street or a square, are examples of public spaces that have been containers for this urban expression of life. Public spaces are a reflection of social values and culture. Social, economic, physical and spatial qualities are inevitably related and the urban public space is an expression of these relationships. It is proven that when public spaces are absent in a society, people do not have the opportunity to interact with each other and as a result the social contact and behavior can become quite problematical. The city is run through by different types of streets, long or short ones, wide or narrow ones. There are specific areas of Athens that are particularly significant because of the streets that go through them. Athens is one of the most densely built-up capitals in Europe with the lowest'per capita green space provision. It is a city that lacks public spaces of high spatial qualities. In opposition to other European cities the Greek capitol does not have many illustrious examples of public spaces to present. The architects Nicholas Anastasopoulos, and Eleni Tzirtzilaki in their work “The Perils of Public Space and Democracy in Athens” denote that “all open and public spaces, within the city as well as at its periphery, seem to be under attack in one way or another and face threats of extinction through deterioration, degradation, or change of status from public common good accessible to all to private property, often accessible only by payment”.32 A great example on how desperately residents of Athenian neighbourhoods need public spaces is a park in Exarchia area. People took over a parking lot and in a two weekends time 32

http://indyreader.org/content/the-perils-public-space-and-democracy-athens-by-nicholas-anastasopoulos-

eleni-tzirtzilaki

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

transformed it into the first community garden of the city, thereafter known as the Navarinou Park. After an open invitation communicated by e-mail or mouth-to mouth on March 3rd (2010), people removed the asphalt layer and proceeded to plant donated trees and plants. 33

In its present condition the park became a place for people to gather, celebrate, chat,

dance, listen to music, cook and have political discussions. Whenever I pass by Navarinou street I listen to music playing and I see people sitting in circles and talking about politics. This public space is a case that represents a successful moment of collective action and democratic decision making. Unlike many other public spaces in the city, Navarinou Park is a place that remains vibrant day and night. Police forces are always around that area ready to intervene and repress any hostile attempt against them. This fear of theirs is rather reasonable, since there were times that political gatherings did not end up peacefully.

Fig.40. URO34 in Navarinou park

Fig.39. Live music in Navarinou park, Exarchia

http://indyreader.org/content/the-perils-public-space-and-democracy-athens-by-nicholas-anastasopoulos-

eleni-tzirtzilaki 34

Units of the Reinstatement of Order in Navarinou park. People from the neighborhood call them â&#x20AC;&#x153;Navarinocupsâ&#x20AC;?

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

4.2 Indignants The "Indignant Citizens" movement appeared in the capital of Greece in May of 2011. The first protest was organised as a response to a call from Puerta del Sol, calling the Greeks to ‘wake up’. Indignants had been gathering on a daily basis in Syntagma (Constitution) Square in front of the Greek Parliament protesting peacefully against the strict measures the government was planning to pass for once more. In his article “Hundreds of thousands of indignants protest in Athens”35 of the 6th of June 2011 Journalist Jérôme E. Roos states that hundreds of thousands of outraged Greeks have converged upon a packed Constitution square. The Indignants, who were inspired by the Spanish protests and who consistently refuse to be associated with any political party, labour union or ideological movement, have now been protesting against the EU/IMF-imposed austerity measures and a corrupted and out-of-touch political elite for more than 14 consecutive days.

Fig.41.Syntagma Square on 19.12.2011 35

http://roarmag.org/2011/06/anti-austerity-protest-athens-indignants-greece/

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

When students of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the National Technical University of Athens and other important academic institutions of the country decided to create the movement of the Indignant knew from the very beginning that the space that they would occupy would not be other than the Syntagma Square. It is the most significant public space of the city for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is located right in front of one of the landmarks of a city, the Parliament, where decisions that are crucial for the people of the country are taken every day, making it hence a strategic space. Secondly, Syntagma square is the meeting point of three important high streets of the city, which makes it a daily passage and meeting point for the majority of the Athenians. Thirdly, due to the size of the space, a large number of people can be accommodated. It provides access from various points. There is an underground stop, tram station and a big number of trolley and bus lines. Media can access the square from all four sides of it, as well as from the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. Citizens of Athens or other cities of the country who decided to take part to the indignant movement were determined to abandon the safety of their homes and inhabit the most important public space of the city. Greek 'Indignants' formed a surprisingly well thought-out and organised movement. People who could not be part of this for various reasons volunteered to help in whichever way they could. An entire new community was created in such a big open space as this square, which eventually fulfilled its purpose of being. Constitution Squares around the world have an extreme social and spatial power that every citizen can acknowledge and comprehend.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.42+43. Syntagma Square and streets around it crowded with people protesting peacefully

Occupy movement emerged to express frustration and thirst for change. But within the camp environment, a different form of democracy starts being created. People coexist in a public space and therefore the need to communicate on practical matters and work on issues of supplies, electric power and hygiene. In the case of the Indignants, members of the community who did not actively participated in the movement, offered practical assistance in so many ways. Old ladies were bringing food in the square every day while doctors volunteered to be help with injuries or medical issues. Companies gave their goods to the Indignants. A characteristic example was a manufacturer of biological toilets that equipped the square with a sufficient number of cabins. Every Greek was an Indignant even thought the actual number of those who inhabited Syntagma was 50,000 people. Every citizen was willing to assist and support this movement in any way he could.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Syntagma was a common home for every Athenian, consequently citizens had the need to support it and keep it safe.

Fig.44. Indignants’ tents located in the green shaded parts of Syntagma Square on the 23rd of May

Both national and international press has covered the actions of the Indignants, contributing to the success of the movement. Reporters from newspapers, magazines and TV channels supported this venture while others were prominently against it. There were a large number of people who believed that this was not a coherent movement that has an actual purpose of being.

Fig.45. “Tension at Syntagma square: men

Fig.46. Man with black hoodie attacks police

with black hoodies against protesters”,

with teargas

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

4.3 Routes “To the streets for solidarity and dignity!”36 According to Kevin Lynch paths are channels by which people move along in their travels. In his work “The image of the city”, Lynch also denotes that in order to understand the layout of a city, people first and foremost create a mental map. Mental maps of a city are mental representations of what the city contains, and its layout according to the individual.

Routes are saved in every person’s mind and he/she unfold them whenever they need to go somewhere within the city. All these years of my life in Athens, I have walked across the city millions of times. I know every single corner and street of it. I follow specific routes and when I need to change my habits there is usually a very good reason for doing so. People's habits reflect on their everyday circulation within the urban network. There is a big difference between the route that a citizen follows to go to his/her work on a normal weekday and the route that he/she follows during a demonstration or even for few days after. Big and wide streets are ideal for a political demonstration while narrow secret alleys are meant for walks. Citizens normally choose the fastest way to move from one place to another, but when a riot is unfolding in the city they avoid using main streets. City dwellers usually prefer to walk in those streets where they feel safer and familiar with. It is easier and more pleasant to follow routes that include shops, restaurants or markets. People tend to walk in streets that make them feel nice and safe and avoid big noisy

http://libcom.org/library/greece-unrest-eyewitness-reports-15-december-2008 Ethan Sundilson, Kevin Lynch: City Elements Create Images in Our Mind, 1960

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

avenues. Things change on a day of upheaval; they follow different routes in order to reach their destination. Rioters choose streets with high spatial qualities to protest while at the same time citizens that do not participate in a demonstration should adjust to the needs of the day. The first diagram (Fig.47) shows the route people followed to go from Syntagma square to Klafthmonos square on the 23rd of September 2011.

Fig.47.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

The second diagram shows the route protesters followed on the 23rd of September

Fig.48.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

4.3.1 Streets of anger As expected, citizens of Athens decided to demonstrate in the city streets, thus traffic circulation that particular day had to be diversified. The reason that Athenians choose to demonstrate by walking as one solid mass in long and wide streets with historical and urban importance such as Stadiou Street is that these kinds of spaces provide them with the urban quality they need in order to be heard both physically and metaphorically. In the following diagrams (p.78-81) different routes of anger are indicated in pink. Do routes alternate according to the needs of the rioters and the circumstances of the day? Diagrams hereinbelow show routes that have been followed by protesters on different days. One of the conclusions extracted after mapping different routes of citizens in the city is that they choose specific routes depending on the nature of their demonstration purposes. For example, if they demonstrate for international issues, protestors usually decide to head towards the Embassy of the United States of America and their route ends up in front of the said building. It is very clear that streets and squares acquire different significance depending on how people use them. There are few urban elements such as the Constitution (Syntagma) square or Panepistimiou and Akadimias streets that do have a given significance and are always the setting of a riot in Athens.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.49. Panepistimiou Avenue on a typical weekday, Athens, 21.12.2012

Fig.50. Panepistimiou Avenue on a day of protest march, Athens, 15.12.2008

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.51.

a: Syntagma square b: Athens Trilogy c: Omonia square d: Pedion Areos e: Embassy of the United States of America

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.52. a: Syntagma square b: Embassy of the United States of America c: Kallimarmaro Stadium d: Zappeion

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.53.

a: Syntagma square b: Pedion Areos c: Klafthmonos square

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Fig.54.

a: Syntagma square b: Stadiou street c: Akadimias street

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

4.4 Discussion After completing my research on how spaces and routes are treated by citizens in times of political tensions, I came to the same conclusion; the space itself has a limited power. What makes the space or the route significant is how people actually use it. Routes vary because they are closely linked to individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; different actions and needs. Squares and streets of Athens present an incomplete spatial quality in everyday life. However, their spatial identity alters the moment people decide to demonstrate. Athens is stigmatized by its public demonstrations, consequently its public spaces are intensively charged in times of political uncertainty. A square is just a public space that is utterly transformed depending on how people use it and according to the current each time social and political conditions. This is a situation described above applies to a great extent to the city of Athens. Anger and disappointment drive individuals to extreme actions and this is obvious in the social condition in the capitol of Greece. The Greek capitol has a spatial quality, big squares and wide avenues that reinforce the idea of the citizens to demonstrate and create the so-called political routes of anger in this urban context. The research that was actualized in section four was an attempt to comprehend the relationship of Athenians with their city, the capitolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public spaces and the political paths that people follow in times of political unrest. It is certainly a topic with multiple sides but it is worth exploring different aspects of it and create food for thought for other researchers.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

5. CONCLUSION

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Public urban space is needed to bring us closer and gives us a sense of community in moments of happiness and satisfaction. Research and history shows that the need of public urban spaces in times of corruption, dissatisfaction and political uncertainty is more than important; it is essential. There is a big difference with regards to the way people use a public space in their daily life and in times of difficulties. With the literature review and my research on Athens I realise that the need on the citizens' part to gather and make a common front against a common opponent seems to be vital and more substantial than their desire celebration gatherings. The energy of the spatial environment changes and space transforms into a new area where people can express their anger. After an in-depth analysis of the significance of public spaces in the past and in the present, I am convinced that their impact on citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives is decisive. People around the world acknowledge the necessity of public spaces. Athens is a chaotic metropolis that produces the need to its citizens for areas to gather and socialise. Current situation in the city triggered massive uprisings that sent ripples everywhere, producing spontaneous expressions of support and sympathy and making international headlines. My personal experience, the literature review and the study of the city of Athens lead me to the conclusion that we the citizens follow different routes within the urban web depending on our needs and desires. We follow routes to go to work, to school, go for a coffee, for shopping or we just cross the city centre in order to reach our destination.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

In view of the aforestated, routes constitute an important part of our urban existence and are worth being examined more thoroughly. Researching Athens, one could observe that daily routes of the citizens do change under the various everyday circumstances. Diagrams in section 4.2 show that if there is a riot taking place in the city centre of the city, people are obliged to follow different routes to reach their destinations. Significant actions are taking place very often in Athens, including a series of protests and occupations of major public spaces, such as the Syntagma square, the Opera house, the universities and many others as a symbolic gesture against current political repression. City dwellers choose to gather in spaces of social and political impact. Syntagma square and the surrounding streets constitute the key area of the city for groups of citizens and labour unions of almost all political backgrounds to express their political frustration thereat. The main factors that influence the spatial quality of an urban space are: - location - size - visibility - accessibility - surrounding buildings

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Urban planners and architects should henceforth take into consideration the current situation in major capitols such as Athens. After researching on public spaces and their diverse uses I strongly believe that public space is the quintessence of a highly sensitive societal system and thus all people engaged in the design process must take into account parameters such as the well-being of people for one thing and the rapid social developments for another. Political and social crisis in Greece is not yet history; demonstrations against corruption and austerity measures are a reality without end. As a result, the impact of this situation is so strong that we are still waiting for a lot to happen and a lot to learn from. Urban planners should always bear in mind that the 'client' of a public space is the entire city, its people and its times.

Fig.55. Old man with gas mask in front of the Parliament, 29.06.2011.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Journals Internet sources List of illustrations Appendix

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Books Alexander Papageorgiou-Venetas, The Athenian walk and the Historic Site of Athens, Kapon editions, Athens, 2004. Appleyard D., Livable Streets, University of California Press, Berkeley, 2007. Banksy, Wall and Piece, Bristol, 2007. Bernard Rudofsky, Streets for people, a primer for Americans, New York, 1969. Christopher Tunnard, The city of man, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1953. Eleni Bastea, The Creation of Modern Athens: Planning a Myth, Cambridge University Press, London, 2000. Francis Rambert, Jean Nouvel and French Touch, GénéroCité: Généreux Versus Générique : une nouvelle culture de plus dans l'architecture française contemporaine, Paris, 2008. Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space, Blackwell publishing, Oxford, 1991. Henry Shaftoe, Convivial Urban Spaces: creating effective public places, Earthscan, publishing, London,2008. Iain Boyd Whyre, Modernism and the Spirit of the City, Routledge Publishing, New York, 2003. Kevin Lynch, The Image of the City, MIT press, Cambridge, 1960. Loretta Lees, Tom Slater and Elvin Wyly, Gentrification, Routledge, New York, 2008. Manos Biris, Neoclassical Architecture in Greece, Melissa, Athens, 2001. The Skira Yearbook of World Architecture /2007-2008, Y08, 2008. Peter Bosselmann, Urban Transformation: city design and form, Washington, 2008. Worpole K., Towns for People, Open University Press, Buckingham, 2005.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Journals A’A’ L’ARCHITECTURE D’ AUJOURD’HUI magazine:issue Nov.-Dec., 2011 Topos, no. 65/2008, Special issue: concept and form Topos, no. 63/2008, Special issue: transformation Topos, no. 61/2008, Special issue: urban space Topos, no. 60/2007, Special issue: challenges Topos, no. 38/2002, Special issue: urban concepts Topos, no. 64/2008, Special issue: growing cities Topos, no. 58/2007, Special issue: city strategies Topos, no. 41/2002, Special issue: promenades Topos, no. 76/2011, Special issue: Crisis Landscapes a+u, no. 05/1994 , Special issue: Morphosis/urban project DOMES/international review of architecture , no.40/2005, Special issue making public space DOMES/international review of architecture , no.83/2008, Special issue:new urban experiences arxitektones, no. 72/2008, Special issue: change of use arxitektones, no. 75/2009, Special issue: architectural competitions C

Internet sources http://www.reference.com/browse/gentrification http://members.multimania.co.uk/gentrification/whatisgent.html

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

http://www.urbanart.co.uk/index.htm http://www.iphs2010.org/ http://www.thehighline.org/ http://www.urbanspaceinitiative.com/historical-overview/ http://www.pts.amu.edu.pl/en/pliki/menu/Huning.pdf http://www.urbanspaceinitiative.com/social-usage/ http://roarmag.org/2011/06/anti-austerity-protest-athen indignants http://edition.cnn.com/ http://www.bloomberg.com/ http://www.spaceforpublic.org/

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

List of illustrations Cover image: A policeman looks toward burning barricades during riots in Athens December 7, 2008. source: REUTERS photographer: John Kolesidis Figure 1: Piazza del campo. Sienna, Tuscany, Italy http://www.ecardmedia.eu/r_city_places_around_the_world_49_aerial_view_of_piazza_del_campo_sie na_italy_41631.html

Figure 2: Diagrams, Stamouli E. (author-2011) Figure 3: Diagram, Stamouli E. (author-2011) Figure 4: Djemma El-Fna Square, Marrakech, Moroccohttp://www.thestc.co.uk/blog/article/morocco-teachers-inspection-visit

Figure 5: Diagrams, Stamouli E. (author-2011) Figure 6: the collective Merge Invisible painted life-sized murals: black and white X-Ray of how the interiors of the old buildings used to be http://publicdesignfestival.tumblr.com/ Figure 7: Different main streets of the city of Paris meet in Champs Elysees, Paris, Diagram-map, Stamouli E. (author-2011) Figure 8: Kotzia square in Athens filled with candle lights. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Atenistasâ&#x20AC;?, a group of citizens who care about every corner of the city, decided to bring and light candles in the square to send the message that they care about the darkness that spreads over the historical neighborhoods of Athens. http://stahiologiseis.blogspot.com/2010/11/blog-post.html

Figure 9: Protesters sleep in the street outside the Parliament building in Madrid, Spain. http://framework.latimes.com/2011/06/24/the-week-in-pictures-41/#/38

Figure 10: Concert in Central Park, New York City http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/the-b-list-10-venues-phish-should-play/

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Figure 11:Women practicing yoga in park in San Francisco http://www.infinitefusion.ca/blog/?p=166

Figures 12 +13: Workers, students and simple citizens walk on Champs-Ă&#x2030;lysĂŠes in May of 1968 demonstrating for the rights of the first. http://www.onthisdeity.com/13th-may-1968-%E2%80%93-paris-revolts/

Figure 14: Students, holding garbage can tops as shields, faced off with the police, in Paris near the Gare de Lyon train station in May 1968. That time was a watershed in French life, a holy moment of liberation for many, when youth coalesced, the workers listened and the semi-royal French government of Charles de Gaulle took fright (New York Times) http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/04/30/world/0430-FRANCE_index.html

Figure 15: Members of the Occupy Wall Street movement in the financial district http://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/exploiting_antisemitism_to_destroy_occupy_wall_street_ 20111014/

Figure 16: Los Indignados in Puerta del Sol, Madrid http://pabloraulfernandez.blogspot.com/2011/10/los-indignados-copan-estados-unidosel.html

Figure 17: Map of Greece, indicating the location of the capital, Athens, Stamouli E. (author2011) Figure 18: Map of Athens City, Stamouli E. (author-2011) Figure 19: Lithograph from 1904. Published by the Bibliographical Institute of Laipzig (Germany). http://www.hipkiss.org/cgi-bin/maps.pl?cat=athens

Figure 20: The Pnyx, the place where members of the political scene of Athens were debating http://www.greeceathensaegeaninfo.com/h-athens/ancient/pnyx.htm

Figure 21: The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%AF% CE%B1/interesting/

Figure 22: The area where Plato, the great philosopher, used to teach his students and give speeches to citizens of Athens. http://nobudget.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/24-41g-thumb-medium.jpg

Figures 23+24: Patision Avenue back in 1974 http://koukios.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/photopolitexneio/

Figures 25+26: Patision Avenue in 2010 http://www.newsbomb.gr/koinwnia/story/93316/i-poreia-stin-amerikaniki-presveia-

Figure 27: Students protesting in Stadiou street while a platoon of URO tries to cut their way http://uk.reuters.com/

Figures 28-31: Occupy Movement in Seoul, London, Berlin and Madrid http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/15/occupy-realists-europe-ruling-elites

Figure 32: Corrientes Avenue blocked by police forces in 2001, Buenos Aires http://adlenka.co.uk/2011/10/14/buenos-aires-8-18th-august/

Figure 33: Demonstrators in Buenos Aires,2001 http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-76521-2.html

Figures 34+35: Political wall stencils in Athens city http://www.libromag.gr/?p=587

Figure 36: â&#x20AC;&#x153; Benefactor is needed to build our school!!â&#x20AC;?, high school students occupy the school building( public property) http://loutrakipolis.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post_1169.html

Figure 37: The Athenian Trilogy on Panepistimiou street including Diagram-map, Stamouli E.(author-2011) Figure 38: Map showing the area of Exarchia, diagram, Stamouli E. (author-2011) Figures 39+40: Navarinou Park, Athens http://www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/2010/04/13/242-photographs-from-yesterdays-police-raidat-the-navarinou-park-in-exarcheia-athens-70-people-and-one-dog-detained/

Figure 41: Syntagma square, Stamouli E. (author-2011) Figures 42+43: Syntagma square full with Indignants citizens

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Figure 44: Indignants’ tents in Syntagma square http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.article&id=292310

Figure

45:

Video

snapshot

from

breaking

news

Greek

national

channel,

ΣΚΑΙ,2011/ source:youtube.com Figure 46: Man with black hoodie attacks police with teargas source: REUTERS Figures 47+48: Diagrams, Stamouli E.(author, 2011) Figure 49: Photograph showing Panepistimiou Avenue on a regular weekday, Athens, 21.12.2011, photographed Stamouli E. (2011-author) Figure 50: Photograph showing Panepistimiou Avenue on day of riots, Athens, 5.12.2008. http://libcom.org/library/greece-unrest-eyewitness-reports-15-december-2008

Figures 51-54: Diagrams, Stamouli E. (author-2011) Figure 55: Old man wearing gas mask to protect himself, 29.06.2001 http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2011/07/01/political-party-files-lawsuit-against-greek-policeon-tear-gas-violence/

Appendix 2 figure: Map of Athens indicating with different colors the route that is recorded in the DVD

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

APPENDIX 1 Meeting between

Maria-Antonia Stamouli, an Athenian student of Architecture (initials:

M.S.) and Elena Stamouli (Author). Date: 22.12.2011 Student: MS Author: ES ES: Are you familiar with the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;civil warâ&#x20AC;?? MS: In Athens, the term civil war the last two years obtained a new different meaning than the one that was initially given to. A war takes place in the city between people and the government. I think that Athens is like a battlefield. ES: Are you informed of the recent demonstration organised in the city of Athens due to the economic recession and political corruption? What are your thoughts on that? MS: I am a citizen of this country and I am always fully informed on what takes place here. I believe that it is a very bad phase that Greece is experiencing now but maybe it is for our best. Riots and speeches in public spaces are a daily reality and I do not always support these actions, however I am very happy that Greeks are awake. This situation was truly expected and especially in a country like Greece where the democracy and the freedom of speech are values with great importance. ES: Why do you think people have the need to gather in urban public spaces in times of political unrest?

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

MS: By gathering in a pubic space you have the opportunity to talk to strangers who probably have similar concerns to yours. You have the chance to communicate, exchange opinions, listen to different ideas, understand a social issue in more depth because you are outside facing the reality, and not sat on your couch. It is true that when a large number of people gather in a square or a street, the space itself acquires a great power and energy. People who live in a big city like Athens have the need to gather. Citizens know that only mass mobilization brings results and not the individual action. ES: Does the actual structure of the city of Athens support the desire of its citizens to demonstrate? MS: As a student, a citizen of the capital and a person with political judgment I have participated in demonstrations in Athens and in Patras38. I have to say that there is a big difference on how we protest in these two cities and this is mainly because they are two completely different places in terms of urban organization and orientation. Whenever we perform peaceful protests in Patras we end up being followed or even chased by members of the URO (Units for the Reinstatement of Order) and being attacked with tear gasses. To avoid them we have to hide in alleys and run away from the city centre. Hiding in alleys can be almost impossible because the city does not have small streets leading away from the core of the riots. In the northern part of the city there is a natural boundary, the sea; that automatically cuts our way. On the other hand, Athens is a completely different case, since the city itself is a more appropriate background to protest in terms of spatial organization and availability of urban spaces. There are long, wide streets like Stadiou str. that connect big open spaces. However, this last year and after a very big number of riots that took place in Athens, police 38

Patras is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern

Peloponnese. Close to the majority of Patrasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population are students and this is mainly because the city has many Academic Institutions (Universities and Colleges).

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

forces are much stricter and more careful. That adds a level of difficulty to how protestors will move within the city. ES: What is your opinion on the way the city is treated by rioters? MS: Demonstrations and protests are composed of people with different perceptions and political beliefs. There are groups of people who support peaceful ways of reaction within the city, who do not actually intervene in the city’s organization; they simply follow particular routes shouting slogans. During a protest there are also citizens who glue posters with political or social messages, on [building] facades, electricity piles, pavements, benches or wherever they think that people could easily see them. They create stencil graffiti on the walls, the right messages on facades in an effort to awake all these people who do not have a political opinion. Among these different groups of people there are individuals that we use to call them «μπαχαλάκηδες» (trans. stirrers) who come to riots with one and only purpose; to destroy public property. Last December I participated in a demonstration in Athens. After three hours of walking on the high streets of the city and aborting daily functions of the city in an effort to make the prime minister listen to us, I saw a group of people heading towards the “Grand Bretagne Hotel” in Syntagma Square, toring up the marble from the steps of the hotel, and creating improvised weapons to attack the police. Unfortunately, the majority of these people do not really know why they behave in this way, they are just individuals with problematic character who choose to destroy what isn’t theirs in order to «hurt the political system». They do not realise that they hurt the city and its people. They misunderstand completely the purpose of a public space, they believe that it's their right to treat it anyway they desire because it's a public space. Finally, there is one more group of people that is part of the police, who destroy the image of a protest by creating chaos themselves. To sum up, I believe that the city is treated in many different ways. There are people who protest, respect and use the space that surrounds them in their favour while there are people who think of a protest as an opportunity to express their anger and edgy beliefs by

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

destroying elements of the city. I deeply believe that there is no reason destroying your city in order to attract peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention, I do not consider that as a protest. On the other hand, there are people who have this idea that a riot has to be strong with fierce and noticeable hits in order to make a difference. ES: How big streets of the city can help people connect and interact with each other in order to face their common â&#x20AC;&#x153;opponentâ&#x20AC;?? MS: I think that people interact and communicate better in small public spaces because it's easier to discuss and exchange ideas. The truth also is that the dynamics of a street crowded with people becoming one cannot be compared with that image of people just gathering in a square. The flowing quality of the street and its powerful character is what makes people want to be on it protesting. A big high street in Athens is the line that connects many different spaces of the city. For example, when people decide to follow the route around Exarchia39 and block Patision (Tritis Septemvriou) Street, it is immediately given that citizens cannot access many spaces around that Street. When protesters realise the power of what they are doing in terms of making things difficult for the daily function of the city, they cluster ever more. Street becomes THE place for that particular day. Media follow the rioters and everything is on the national and international television and press. A very big part of the goal is achieved. ES: In your opinion, what are the factors that Athenians choose specific routes for their demonstrations? MS: As I said earlier I think that the size and the location of a street can play a significant role as to why people choose them. Busy streets are usually the ones that are chosen for demonstrations. This is mainly because citizens who protest want to abort all daily functions of the city. People cannot go to their jobs because streets are closed and people employed 39

Figure 38 (p.61) shows the map of Exarchia.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

at the public transportation means are on strike for safety reasons. Therefore, the entire city does not function properly for at least a day. It is always better to follow routes that include bigger streets that can accommodate a large number of people. There are also times that the route can change during a riot. That usually happens when the police shows up and protestors feel trapped, so they need to spread out in alleys perpendicular to the main street. All these people who do not want to participate in a riot, follow different safer routes leading away from the city centre and Syntagma Square that is most possibly the core of chaos. ES: What are your thoughts on why citizens of Athens always choose to gather in Syntagma square? MS: Firstly and, maybe most importantly, citizens of Athens tend to choose Syntagma Square to gather because is opposite to the Greek Parliament and that has a symbolic importance. It is the central Square of the city and it is easily accessible to everyone. There is an underground station there and many bus and tram stops. People of great cities usually gather in the Constitution Square because of its strategic location and its historical importance. The same happens in Athens. ES: Are you familiar with the movement of Indignants? Do you agree with their beliefs or not and why? MS: I am familiar with the movement of Indignants. I agree with the concept behind this idea, but I am still not sure whether I agree with the way it was realised at the end or not. I stayed in the Square for three days. I was sleeping, eating and spending my time there. I soon realised that the movement was a mixture of different people from different backgrounds. Each person was demonstrating for his/hers personal reasons but there was not one common go, apart from gathering in Syntagma square and send a message of anger, which to be honest might have been enough.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

Overall, I am very positive to these kinds of ideas of claiming rights by occupying a public space, since these spaces are for us; the citizens of Athens. ES: Do you think that one of the main reasons that Greeks are always eager to protest for their rights is the fact that they are familiar with the idea of protesting even from their school years? MS: In Greece the idea of protesting and claiming rights is very familiar to us from a very early age. I remember that when I was in high school the examsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; system was utterly changed in order to have a better educational system. However, the Minister of Education chose a very authoritarian and austere way to proceed. Therefore students, teachers and parents were furious and disappointed. The first thing that came to our mind was to proceed to a sitdown protest. Stay in the building after classes and sleep there. We did do it for 2 days, despite the fact that we were punished afterwards. I'm referring to that just because I want to show how natural was for us to use a public building in order to express our dissatisfaction. We were brought up knowing that democracy is the ultimate value although a large number of people in Greece seem to forget it. The power of a public building or a public space is given fact and is muchly appreciated, mainly from the younger generation. I also believe that the Greek University grows inside us the will and desire to claim what we deserve as citizens of the World. We learn to give small fights inside the public University and we are trained to face bigger difficulties in the real world. When people reach limits of destitution and poverty, things get dramatically ugly and the only way out is to get out on the streets and do whatever their dignity allows them to in order to be heard.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY

APPENDIX 2 On the back page a DVD is included (hard copy only), showing a route of a normal weekday in Athens city. The route was recorded by me (author) on the 21st of December 2011. Map shows the route that has been tracked by me on the 21st of December 2001. Purple dot indicates the starting and ending point of the interview session.

URBAN WAR IN ATHENS CITY