The Social Solidarity Network of Exarhia (DIKAEX) was created in September 2011 as a response to the acute problems caused to citizens by the implementation of policies springing from the Memorandum of Understanding. During its first year of existence, it has dynamically mobilised against the newly imposed property tax collected through electricity bills (haratsi), with protests at the Public Electricity Company and the Ministry of Finance, as well as with legal complaints and lawsuits. It has succeeded in transmitting the message of disobedience against this unjust measure to many citizens, contributing – through accurate and timely information provision – to the fight against the fear and state intimidation by the state apparatus. It has also succeeded, albeit temporarily, to remove the ‘haratsi’ tax from the electricity bills of the local electricity store. It has managed to do a number of electricity reconnections and maintains a very informed blog.
Lately, DIKAEX has started discussing the issue of housing (seizures, auctions, homelessness) and has successfully organised an initial public event. One of its recent goals is to identify and register abandoned public buildings in the neighbourhood of Exarhia in order to use them for housing homeless fellow citizens.
Crisis regimes and emerging social movements 