Occupation Of The Opera House In Athens

international | anti-capitalism | news report Thursday February 05, 2009 10:42 by t.a.

the struggle never ends

http://apeleftheromenilyriki.blogspot.com/

WHY TO OCCUPATE THE LYRIC/OPERA HOUSE
Answering to those wondering why capturing and occupaying the historique building of Lyriki Scene(opera house) we suggest the following historic facts;
-Sep.29, 1941. "The gipsy Baron" by J.Strauss is presented by the Lyriki. Same day, 2000 innocent people from the region of Drama were executed by facist ocupation forces, retaliation to the greek resisting units.
-Feb.20, 1942. "Carmen" by Bijet is performed during the terrible fame of wich 63% of the greek population suffered. More than 100.000 peple died!
-May.30, 1945. "Abduction from serhai" by Mozart is presented the same day that Triantafylos Triantafylou was murdered at Pouri, Thessalia. One of the 56 in total victims of parastate terrorism of that era before civil war. At the same time 18.708 political prisoners were encarceled arround Greece and the islands.
-Jul.17, 1948. "The Godchild" by Sakelarides is performed same day with the ... bauptisma of napalm bombs at mnt.Grammos, peak point of the events during greek civil war.
-Nov.22, 1973. Five days after the events at the Polythecnic School of Athens and two days after the end of marshal law in Greece, the Lyric is announcing the continuation of its productions to the public!
WHEN MICHAEL KALTEZAS WAS MURDERED,
WHEN POLICE GUNS ARE FIRING,
WHEN KONSTANTINA KOUNEVA IS FORCED TO DRINK SULFORIC ACID,
WHEN EVERY COP IS ORDERED TO FIRE AGAINST UNARMED DEMONSTRATORS,
WHEN PEOPLE ARRESTED DURING THE EVENTS OF LAST DECEMBER ARE STIL INPRISONED,
WHEN ANYONE IS JUST ABOUT TO FIND OUT THAT 'S LOOSING'S JOB,
the Lyriki is here to entertain you!
Ofcourse, this is not the moment to deal with who was managing, producing or attending all these shows, all these years, during civil war or dictatorship.

The ocupation of the Lyric/Opera House is happening to remind everybody that there are still people that despite shooting are still fighting for more air through the concrete blocks and an alternative role for art in the society.
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Rebelling Opera Theatre
December’s rebellion, while drawing strength from all previous social struggles, laid the ground for a generalized resistance against everything that offends us and enslaves our lives. It triggered a fight for life that is being disparaged on a daily basis. As an answer to those who understand rebellion as a short lived firecracker, and discard and undermine it by simply saying “life goes on”, we say that the struggle not only continues but has already set our lives on a new basis. Nothing is finished; our rage perseveres. Our agony has not subsided; we are still here. Rebellion in the streets, in schools and universities, in labour unions, municipal buildings and parks. Rebellion also in art.
Against art as a spectacle that is consumed by passive viewers.
Against aesthetics that exclude the ‘different’.
Against a culture that destroys parks and public space in the name of profit.
We unite our voices with all those in struggle.
In solidarity with Konstantina Kouneva and those arrested during the rebellion.
With our struggle and our own culture, we respond to state oppression, social exclusion and to the attempts of the mass media to terrorize and misinform.
With this initiative that originated in the ‘Arts’ (considering everybody’s life as art), we re-claim a space for the art of living of each and everyone to unfold and for exploring the reformation of culture. We aspire to an unmediated art; open and accessible to all.
We liberate the Greek National Opera because by definition it belongs to all of us.
We feel the need to take things from the beginning and to reinvent the role of art.
Through self-organized processes, we propose free creative actions by everyone and for all those who consider culture as a product of collective creativity.
To recover and reclaim the culture that has been stolen from us.

OPEN GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE LIBERATED OPERA
EVERYDAY AT 9.00 PM

Our theatre the streets our art the revolt