With crime on the rise, the government continues its diversionary tactics by targeting open spaces. This time, the «victim» of the Ministry of Public Order's ideological behavior was Free Self-Managed Theater «Empros,» in the Psyrri neighborhood.
«Another cultural space is being targeted by the anti-cultural government of the New Democracy party,» comments Head of Culture for SYRIZA-PS, Sia Anagnostopoulou, for sealing the historic building that hosted a collective venture of alternative artistic creation in the heart of the city of Athens.
«In the most painful period of recent years for our country, the government has symbolically and materially chosen to stamp its policy on culture and those who work in it. To the old-school politics and neoliberal brutality of its actions, another element is now added:, ideological provincialism opposite to what the Empros space signifies: the different perception of the coexistence and cohabitation of people and art. The Ministry of Culture is responsible for this development,» concludes the Achaia MP from the official opposition party.
Built in the 1930s, the historic building (declared a listed monument in 1989) initially served as the printing house for the newspaper of the same name and, from 1988 to 2007, as the headquarters of the newspaper. as the home of the Morfes Theater Organization« and then the Empros Theater Company.
Abandoned and closed for almost five years, it was reactivated as a squat in November 2011, on the initiative of a group of artists., «Mavili Movement», and with the participation and support of Residents' Movement of Psyrri as well as other artists and theorists from the fields of performing arts, music, and visual arts.
After about a year of multifaceted artistic and social activities, and after two attempts by the police to seal and close the theater, responsibility for its operation and management was taken over by its weekly open assembly.
Since 2011, hundreds of artists have presented 400 different theatrical works in more than 2,000 performances, free of charge and with free admission. There have been concerts by 450 bands, events supporting self-organized projects, cinematic initiatives, and artistic groups, and over 300 talks and lectures on all aspects of everyday life. Hundreds of assemblies, exhibitions, poetry and literature festivals, workshops, a sea of encounters and creativity, a breath of freedom and expression in the center of the city.
Because of coronavirus, in recent months, no events were held with the Hellenic Police. to find an opportunity to intervene in yet another free space with the aim of sealing it off.
