Athens' Radical Hub Faces Backlash as Exarcheia Neighborhood Undergoes Politically-Driven Transformation
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Exarcheia, a historical center of leftwing politics and activism in Athens, is undergoing major changes like construction of a metro station that are altering its radical character.
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The neighborhood has been a hub of political protests and activism for decades, from the 1973 uprising against the military junta to recent anti-austerity protests.
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The conservative government has pledged to "clean up" Exarcheia, evicting squatters and clamping down on activism and protests.
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Locals argue the changes are a political vendetta to punish the neighborhood for its activism and turn it into a gentrified tourist area.
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The square where the metro station is being built was one of the area's few public green spaces and a center of community life, its loss symbolizing broader changes.