Public space in Athens today is under attack: whether by way of rampant commercialisation, privatisation, policing or surveillance, the character of public space is undergoing a rapid, violent and unprecedented transformation. In the years since the pandemic, the city’s public spaces (parks, hills or squares) have been targeted by the authorities as targets to be pacified, and by developers as an area of potential profit. In addition, the city’s metro expansion (line 4) has commenced, meaning the long-term fencing off of some of the capital’s most emblematic and central squares (Exarcheia, Protomagias, Kolonaki, among others). Against this backdrop, authorities at all scales (municipal, prefecture, national) are exerting ever-more control over who has access to public space, and for what kind of use: event licensing, previously nearly-unheard of, is quickly becoming the norm; private enterprises are given scandalous ‘rights’ to trample over public thoroughfares, and ever-increasing policing targets already marginalised communities disproportionately.
Migration and public space in Athens are deeply intertwined and reflect broader socio-political tensions and struggles over belonging, visibility, and rights. The city has long been a hub for migrants, especially from SWANA, and their presence in the city’s squares, streets, and parks is constantly reshaping urban life and space. Spaces such as Victoria Square, Exarcheia and Protomagias square have long functioned as sites of both solidarity and contestation, where migrants establish social networks, access support, and assert their right to the city. However, these spaces are also subject to policing, securitisation, and periodic invisibilisation and displacement, as state authorities and far-right groups seek to curtail migrant presence. Amidst austerity, rising xenophobia, and shifting migration policies, grassroots initiatives and solidarity movements continue to challenge exclusionary practices, transforming public spaces into arenas of resistance, care, and alternative forms of urban citizenship.
The documentary explores public space in Athens today, how it is used everyday but also as a space for politics, dissent and art and by whom. We ask: is urban public space really public? Is it ever really free and open to all? Who has access, when, under what conditions and who controls access? What are the immediate and long-term implications? We take the example of Plateia Protomagias, one of the last remaining open spaces in the city. We consider it open in the sense that it has not entirely been ‘eaten up’ by Attiko Metro works. Surrounded by corrugated steel, it still is the last refuge everyday for many of the residents of the centre, and especially the overpopulated neighbourhoods of Kipseli, Patisia, Exarcheia, Gkizi and Poligono. It is also the space where many cultural and art events take place during the spring and summer months, as well as gigs and political discussions. Embarking from our own experience of co-organising a music festival with African street musicians in September 2024, we problematise the processes (internal and external) and discussions that we went through with regards to acquiring the Municipality’s permission to hold the festival there. We discuss between us and with other groups and individuals who made similar attempts, with or without permission, successful or not.
Decolonising the City (DtC) is a collective of researchers and film-makers that formed out of the namesake USF project, working on urban public space and migration, using visual and participatory methodologies.