Exarcheia: Safe Haven for Greek Anarchists

Exarcheia is a central Athens neighborhood of narrow streets lined with restaurants and bars. Hipster musicians, communists, drunks and students intermingle here, coming and going at all hours between the all-night kebab shops and the Polytechnic University. This place is home to the Greek "Silicon Valley" and to civil society organizations across the political spectrum, from anti-European Union groups to socialists — even neoliberal intellectuals. This is the "Anarchist District," where 15-year-old high school student Alexandros Grigoropoulos was shot in the back by a police officer in 2008, setting off three months of rioting that shook Europe to its core. David Mark Erickson profiles this neighborhood and explores the mysterious quirk of Greek law that has transformed university campuses into safe havens for anarchist rioters.