Press conference of academics – Unwavering solidarity in the struggle , February 22, 29th day of the hunger strike

The press conference began with the reading of the 300 immigrants’ demands
which the hunger strikers’ meetings in Athens and Thessaloniki have adopted
(attached). Regarding  participation in tomorrow's general strike, a
pre-gathering at the hunger strike location (Patision and Epirus) was
announced for tomorrow, Wednesday 23 / 2 at 11.00 am.  Solidarity
Manifestation also announced a demonstration to be held on behalf of the 300
hunger strikers on Saturday, February 26 at 12.00 noon with a pre-gathering
at  Mouseio.

Firstly, Seraphim Seferiades, from Panteion University, said that scholars
and intellectuals were at the site of the hunger strike so as to thank the
300 fighting immigrants - because with their struggle they made manifest,
taught and inspired. "They have shown that the problem is everybody’s:
illegal uninsured work is a reality that threatens all employees, it is a
common future that we’re already experiencing. By means of their struggle,
they have shown that theories and concepts concerning the ‘end of history’
are absurd, as, furthermore, the revolutions erupting in the Arab world
demonstrate. They have also shown that it is the official media feeding and
harboring everyday fascism. They have shown, however, the ineffectiveness of
manipulation. They have shown the huge reserves available to righteousness
when someone has the courage to defend it. The lesson is a decisive action.
Unwaveringly we stand by them in their struggle. "

Iphigenia Kamtsidou, from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, referred
to the change in the character of our State – “which was born of a great
democratic movement, but which now accepts that there are people in its
territory living without a face and basic rights, people that are not even
able to go the police to bring complaints concerning acts made against them.
Whilst the constitution calls for the defense of honor, freedom and dignity
of those in Greek territory, today it is acceptable to discard neighborhood
people as trash."

Nikos Belavilas, from the National Metsovio Polytechnic, made the following
statement: "Notify the hypocrites and ungrateful, executives of authority
and Government who hold office over immigrants without passports in
Stockholm, Paris and elsewhere, and then are found in these immigrants’
position, wake up and solve the problem - satisfy the demands of the hunger
strikers.”

The Sissi Velissariou, from the University of Athens, stressed that
professors in universities, especially in the humanities, teaching about
issues that focus on the concept of the ‘other’, this ‘other’ that is not
acceptable in European society due to origin, sex, religion, place of
production. "If we don’t talk about Kouneva when teaching feminism or gender
studies, if we teach postcolonial studies and we don’t speak of the
immigrants of Hypatia, if we don’t take to the streets - then we’re playing
the game of the neoliberal hegemony." Finally, she appealed to all colleague
academics to raise the issue of the strike in lecture halls, but also to go
out to participate in demonstrations with their students.

Takis Politis, a member of the Executive Secretariat of POSDEP, lecturer at
the University of Thessaly, stated that the university is not only an area
of knowledge and the development of skills but is also a place of social
nurturing of young people coming out into society. "As an active citizen,
angry about the economic policy of the last year, apart from the personal
obligation of solidarity toward all those oppressed and wronged, I believe
that the case of hunger striking immigrants brings forth another opportunity
- because reaching victory can serve as an example, as a detonator of a
movement that will reverse this gray political landscape, the most brutal
since the regime change."

Costas Gavroglou, from the National Kapodistrian University of Athens,
stated: "When the situation is as extreme as it is today, there are no
arguments. It is a matter of values and principles, it is beyond argument.
Values of a democratic, humane society whose main opponents make their name
in the mainstream media. Using the immigrant as pretext, they have launched
an unprecedented attack on the university, asylum, teachers and students.”

Tasos Kourakis,  professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
stated: "This press conference should be given at the Law School and
university Asylum. An opportunity to validate and highlight the true essence
of university asylum has been lost. If what has been unfolding here took
place in the university, it would be a prime lesson. "

Yiannis Milios, from the National Metsovio Polytechnic, said: "When the GSEE
was established, during a period when the Confederacy of workers was the
enemy rather than the associate of capital, it wasn’t randomly named General
Confederation of Greek Workers. This hunger strike is being carried out by
the most neglected part of the 'workers in Greece’. Their indigenous
background is not important – they are workers of Greece.”

Finally, Petros Yiotis of Solidarity Initiative to 300 immigrants on hunger
strike, said: "The hunger strikers took a clear decision. On the part of the
Government we’ve heard nothing, no official communications, only leaks in
the press. The hunger strikers and Solidarity Initiative can respond only to
official government proposals.”

In response to questions regarding the leaks on some type of concession in
‘authority’s tolerance’ of the hunger strikers, it was said that the
legalization of the 300 immigrants is the  chief and  non-negotiable
condition imposed by the strikers. Furthermore, on the failure of the
municipality of Athens resolution, put forward by Kaminis himself to be
adopted by the City Council, and calling upon the 300 immigrants to stop the
hunger strike, he replied: "In the second month of his term, Kaminis has
managed to break the municipal majority. The proposal of the hunger strikers
and Solidarity Initiative was also supported by town councilors of  Kaminis’s
party and which – for a single vote – was the same resolution that was
unanimously adopted by the City Council of Thessaloniki last week. Apart
from the municipality of Thessaloniki, dozens of mayors, municipal and
regional advisors support the immigrants’ struggle, as well as hundreds of
intellectuals and artists from Greece and around the world, such as Ken
Loach, Chomsky, Negri and others. "

Finally, regarding the hunger strikers’ health, yesterday the team of
doctors attending the hunger strikers announced that we are on the verge of
a humanitarian catastrophe. Great weight loss, electrolyte disorders and
fainting episodes, requiring daily transport to hospitals. Four hunger
strikers are hospitalized at this time in Athens, and four in Thessaloniki. At
any moment there could be very serious incidents. As stated by Dr. Kourakis,
prolonged hunger strike poses a great risk of permanent damage to vital
organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver. "It is not only a matter of
death. These people are jeopardizing their health, regardless of whether
they stop the hunger strike or not," he said.

The press conference was also attended by:

Yiannis Maistros (National Metsovio Polytechnic)

Rania Astrinaki (Athens University)

Euclidis Tsakalotos (National Kapodistrian University of Athens)

Alkis Rigos (Panteio University)

Aristides Baltas (National Metsovio Polytechnic)

Stavros Stavridis (National Metsovio Polytechnic)

Stavros Kostantakopoulos (Panteio University)

Lina Ventura (University of Peloponnese)

Nikos Theotokas (Panteio University)

Filaretos Alikaridis (National Kapodistrian University of Athens)

Maria Giannisopoulou (University of Crete)

Sia Anagnostopoulou (Panteio University)

Alekos Koutsouris (Agricultural University of Athens)

Venios Angelopoulos (National Metsovio Polytechnic)

Nikos Kotaridis (Panteio University)

Iraklis Mavridis (Penteio University)

Yiannis Kristinidis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

Georgia Petrakis (Panteio University)

Theano Fotiou (National Metsovio Polytechnic)

Dimitris Christopoulos (Athens University)

Dina Vaiou (National Metsovio Polytechnic)

Makis Spathis (National Metsovio Polytechnic)

 Athens, February 22, 29 day of hunger strike

Solidarity Initiative