Offbeat Travelling

Fascinating travel adventures in 'difficult' countries

  • Destinations
    • Africa
    • Balkans
    • Middle East
    • Post-Soviet
    • Other destinations
  • Latest Posts
  • Photos
  • About
  • Contact
  • More…
    • Publications
    • Travel Tips
    • Countries spreadsheet
Home Adventure Trips

February 26, 2017

I took secret pictures of Greek Antifa clashing with police in Athens

Top
Anarchist Protests Athens
Barricading the streets of Exarcheia to keep the police out.

Athens in general is a safe city to wander around. Yet there is one neighbourhood where you never know what lays around the next corner. I accidentally ended up in Exarcheia, a stronghold of Greek Antifa anarchists who frequently clash with police.

5
SHARES
ShareTweet
[wysija_form id="4"]

It all happened deep in the night when I was following my GPS showing me the shortest way back to the hostel. I had been walking through rather empty streets for the last five minutes, on my own, with the faint echoes of what sounded like a big open air concert in the distance.

As I kept progressing the sounds became more distinct yet the streets became ever more abandoned. Not sure if I should go out and discover the source of the noise, I turned a corner and all of the sudden was met by several masked men, some of them carrying improvised weapons.

Masked men, some armed with sticks and rocks, guarding the self-proclaimed entrance to Exarcheia.

I froze, not knowing whether I should run or keep cool. Trash containers were blocking the way further, flipped over on the side spreading its contents over the tarmac. Yet there were people walking around as if nothing was happening. After the initial shock I realised the masked men were not blocking the way for ordinary people.

I decided to move forward and explore what was going on. I passed by the men, acting as if I was on my way to the concert. To my (pleasant) surprise the abandoned streets made way for a lively setting of youth drinking beers out in the open. Greek banners hung all over the area and the graffiti, it became clear to me that I had entered an activist-like neighbourhood.

Youth drinking beer on the streets, activist banners hung in several places.

Exarcheia

Little did I know at that time, but my GPS had led me straight into Exarcheia, a stronghold of the notorious anarchist movement that often seeks confrontation with police during the weekends. By the looks of it, tonight seemed no exception.

Still unaware of that fact I bought myself a beer to blend in with the crowd. I noticed the first containers being lid on fire. More masked men showed up, some of them ripping stones from the street preparing for battle. As a foreigner I was not sure how they would react to my presence, so I decided not to talk to anyone. I kept low profile, taking some secret pictures doing the best I can with my cheap phone.

In an act of defiance, some anarchists started putting plastic crates from a nearby shop on fire.

Yet there was one thing missing. I had not seen any police or authority thus far. For this reason I moved past the barricades again, this time away from Exarcheia. About two blocks away I found a small battalion of police in riot gear, hiding just around the corner. It seemed they were protecting fire fighters who were extinguishing a fire inside a building.

Police in riot gear protecting fire fighters at work.
The (approximate) moment a molotov cocktail lands and explodes meters in front of the battalion.

Molotov cocktails

But then, minutes after I had gone out of Exarcheia, a Molotov cocktail flew in. It landed right in front of the group, exploding 10 meters away from me (luckily not hurting anyone). It sparked a counter reaction from the police to drive back some of the masked anarchists who had come out from behind their barricades. They were met by a rain of Molotovs and even stones pouring down on them. The police was clearly not prepared and to my surprise they did not push any further. Instead they withdrew back to their positions after which things quickly went calm again.

I took the opportunity to move back into Exarcheia again, mainly to go to the concert. My freedom of movement between the two front lines surprised me a lot. I guess my effort to look and act as neutral as possible was paying off. No one seemed to be aware that I was also taking pictures.

Antifa

I followed the main crowds, leading me inside a courtyard which I later found out was the Technical University. Against an epic backdrop of the University’s main building there were several performances by local rap artists. Hanging right behind them was a sign saying “Antifa Live”, indicating a link with the internationally known anti-fascist / anti-establishment rebellion ideology.

A rap concert in front of the main building of the Technical University.

The audience seemed to be a diverse mix of young people. People were hanging out drinking and dancing a bit. If it wasn’t for the banner, it all felt like a ‘normal’ concert. I reckon there were about 300 people for sure.

After 15 minutes or so I thought it would be wise to go finally back to the hostel. Inside the atmosphere was good, but it felt like outside things were escalating. Anarchists started moving out of their area even further, destroying more and more public property.  I wasn’t sure if I could manage to get out of the area when the violence increases even further. Breaking through the front lines under such circumstances is not something I wanted to risk. The atmosphere at 3AM felt at a tipping point.

Look closer and you can see a person on the middle of the street being provocative.

So I decided to leave quickly and continue following my GPS back to the hostel. On the way out part of my predictions were confirmed. One hooligan-type man with his entire face covered in tattoos followed me on my way out in a provocative way. Pretty scary, but I realised in time and managed to keep a safe distance. I passed by another tipped-over trash container and in relative safety I took my final picture with the hooligan in the background.

When next day I told the hostel owner about my alternative night in Athens, he wasn’t surprised about what happened. The anti-establishment reputation of Exarcheia goes back several decades and with ongoing (political) tensions in the country violent protests in the neighbourhood are still common.

My Advice

So is it safe to go to Exarcheia? Well, I certainly would not recommend going to the area around the Technical University on the Saturday night. Also the U.S. government warns against going there after dark. There is no police presence and if anything bad happens it’s unlikely they will come to help. Moreover, the whole cat-and-mouse game between police and anarchists and the related violence is something I highly reject.

It seems though, looking on the Internet, that during the day the neighbourhood is definitely worth a visit. If you stick to those moments I am pretty sure you will have a great time exploring the alternative side of Athens!

Disclaimer: I went to the neighbourhood in October 2015. Though this article comes rather late, looking at recent news reports the situation does not seem to have changed significantly.

5
SHARES
ShareTweet
[wysija_form id="4"]
Previous ArticleYear in Review: Travel Achievements in 2016 and Plans for 2017
Next Article10 Incredible Discoveries Inside an Abandoned Beer Brewery in Beirut

Also Popular on the Blog:

  • Tourism in Pakistan: Visiting The Swat Valley as a Solo Backpacker
  • I Watched The Bizarre India Pakistan Border Closing Ceremony

Newsletter

Never miss a thing!

Here is the best way to stay connected:

Make a selection, hit subscribe and confirm through the link in your mailbox! Check your spam folder if cannot find it.

Your data is safe. By subscribing you agree with my privacy policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. No spam, I promise!

WAIT! Almost done! Check your inbox (or spam folder) now to confirm your subscription. Don't forget or you will still be missing out!

About Bart

"My name is Bart and I travel to some of the world’s most fascinating places"

Follow me on my social media pages (below) if you want to tag along!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Top Posts & Pages

  • 12 Kick-Ass Route Ideas to Travel the World
  • The Longest Overland Route in a Straight Line
  • Counting Countries like a Pro with This Awesome Excel Spreadsheet
  • A Mysterious Abandoned Ghost Ship in Liberia, West Africa
  • Is It Safe to Visit the Baalbek Ruins in Lebanon?

Instagram

Dog sledding in Finland 😍. Out in the incredibl Dog sledding in Finland 😍. Out in the incredible nature with these beautiful huskies. Is it on your bucket list?

.
.
.
.

#travel #husky #huskylove #huskylife #huskylovers #huskiesofinstagram #husky #dog #finland #lapland #snow #travel #tourist #traveldestination #bucketlist #dogsofinstagram #dogstagram #instatravel #everycountry #exploretheworld #traveladdict #wanderlust
I’m stepping out of the spot light! It’s bee I’m stepping out of the spot light! 

It’s been a wonderful and eventful three months of travelling around Africa and Saudi Arabia and a pleasure to share it all with you guys! But it’s time to get back to normal (working) life again, so that’s why I’m posting this from the comforts of my home in the Netherlands.

I might create some reels of my past adventures, but the pace of me using social media will drop significantly. As you might know, I don’t use Instagram that much when I’m not travelling. So the moment I will, you will be the first to know! 

Thanks all once again for following me and tagging along on my journeys around the world!

.
.
.

#travel #instatravel #fuji_travel #wanderlust #picoftheday #travelphotography #exploretheworld #worldtraveller #everycountry #everypassportstamp #beautifuldestinations #traveldestination #backpacker #solotravel #adventure #adventuretravel #natgeotravel #passionpassport #nomadmania #aroundtheworld #jeddah #visitsaudiarabia #saudiarabia
What a great party at the 2023 Grand Prix Formula What a great party at the 2023 Grand Prix Formula One in Jeddah!

.
.
#swedishhousemafia #saudiarabiangp #concert #performance #dj #visitsaudi #jeddah #travel #party #mood #disco #edm #dancemusic #electronicmusic #holiday #grandprix #saudiarabia #shm #mdlbeast #formula1jeddah
Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 in 2023 Travelling to Saudi Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 in 2023

Travelling to Saudi Arabia all by yourself? No tour guides or sponsored trips? Totally possible! I hired a car and drove 3.000 km from Riyadh to Jeddah!

.
.
.

#adventure #tourism #visitsaudiarabia #travel #travelblogger #wanderlust #worldtrip #aroundtheworldpics
Wealth is not measured by how much money you have. Wealth is not measured by how much money you have. Neither by how much you travelled and the experiences you gathered. It’s determined by the number of camels you own.

How many camels do you have?

#camelmarket #saudiarabia #visitsaudi #visitsaudiarabia #market #animals #souq #travel #instatravel #fuji_travel #wanderlust #picoftheday #travelphotography #exploretheworld #worldtraveller #everycountry #everypassportstamp #beautifuldestinations #traveldestination #backpacker #solotravel #adventure #adventuretravel #natgeotravel #passionpassport #nomadmania #aroundtheworld
Where the road ends, is where the adventure starts Where the road ends, is where the adventure starts.

#saudiarabia #visitsaudi #visitsaudiarabia #independenttravel #tourist #travel #instatravel #fuji_travel #wanderlust #picoftheday #travelphotography #exploretheworld #worldtraveller #everycountry #everypassportstamp #beautifuldestinations #traveldestination #backpacker #solotravel #adventure #adventuretravel #natgeotravel #passionpassport #nomadmania #aroundtheworld #travelquotes
Is it safe to travel in West and Central Africa? W Is it safe to travel in West and Central Africa? Well, after two months travelling using public transport I came a long way and made it to my final destination!

Yes, I did get malaria twice and road transport is not always the safest. But never did I encounter crime, hate, violence, etc. Just smiles and curiosity.

It’s been mostly solitary travel though. I did not meet many other like-minded people on the road. In these regions, solo travel really means solo. Eating out alone almost every day. Going on hikes all by yourself. Staying in a hospital without anyone visiting you. Always paying for a double room by yourself.

But in the end, my two months here have been full of nice and memorable encounters. The tea guy at the bus station, selling amazing ginger lemon tea. The Ghanian woman who crossed the border into Togo with me. The young boy selling ice cream for absolutely no money. The local kid who offered me water when I was totally thirsty.

Soon I will leave this continent once again, but for sure the continent will not leave me. I’ll be back!

#ghana #togo #benin #saotome #gabon #cameroon #westafrica #centralafrica #africa #travel #instatravel #selfie #wanderlust #picoftheday #travelphotography #exploretheworld #worldtraveller #everycountry #everypassportstamp #beautifuldestinations #traveldestination #backpacker #solotravel #adventure #adventuretravel #natgeotravel #passionpassport #nomadmania #aroundtheworld #peoplephotography
São Tomé and the iconic Cão Grande. I guess you São Tomé and the iconic Cão Grande. I guess you all liked this photo from my stories, so why not post it here as well?

Have you been to Sao Tome? Did you do a self drive like me, on a motor? Or by car? With a guide? Let me know how you travelled around the island so others can read and learn about the different options! 

#saotome #paradiseisland #paradise #mountain #island #principe #saotomeprincipe #travel #instatravel #fuji_travel #wanderlust #picoftheday #travelphotography #exploretheworld #worldtraveller #everycountry #everypassportstamp #beautifuldestinations #traveldestination #backpacker #solotravel #adventure #adventuretravel #natgeotravel #passionpassport #nomadmania #aroundtheworld
Follow on Instagram

© 2016–2023 Offbeat Travelling - All rights reserved PRIVACY POLICY | COPYRIGHT | CONTACT