A major law enforcement operation took place after dawn on Thursday in the central Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, roughly a week after eight coast guard officers and an accompanying prosecutor were accosted by up to 50 people, including gunmen carrying assault rifles.
Initial reports pointed to a raid of three buildings being “occupied”, i.e. “squats”.
Exarchia, a densely populated and centrally located district behind the Athens polytechnic, has long been known as the Greek capital’s “bohemian” neighborhood, but at the same time as a hub for anti-state and self-styled anarchist gangs.
According to reports, 90 people were detained, including a large number of undocumented migrants.
Later media reports claimed one of the building occupations served as a ‘flop house’ for people wanted on arrest warrants.
