Most known foreign efforts

Apart from the citizens of Thessaloniki, the matter of the displacement of the Byzantine crossroad concerned several cultural organizations as well as individuals, who applied for Greek authorities to reconsider their urge to alienate the finds from their environment. Even if they are not openly engaged to the “Citizens’ of Thessaloniki” mobilization, they certainly justify scientifically their struggle for the antiquities to be preserved in situ.

The gap created by the archaeologists’ reluctance as far as the assertion of the in situ preservation concerns, was filled by the foreign community of Byzantinologists. When Paolo Odorico, the director of the Centre for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, visited the station of Venizelou in 2013, scathed the policy makers who pulled strings for the removal of the antiquities, characterized the ensemble as “the Byzantine Pompeii” and also announced that French scholars would take action to defending them⁸¹.

Indeed, most of the informers knew about the Association Internationale des Études Byzantines (AIEB). The letter that was send by the Professor A. Vionis on behalf of its Commission was distributed widely on the press of the country. Additionally, a personal letter by its President, Professor John F. Haldon was sent to Kyriakos Mitsotakis (the newly elected with New Democracy party Prime Minister), as well as to the head of Ministry of Culture and Sports, Dr. Lina Mendoni⁸². Apart from France, the matter reported on in the Press of many countries⁸³.

⁸⁰ “Αττικό Μετρό” και “Άκτωρ” αρνήθηκαν να συμμετέχουν σε ημερίδα του ΑΠΘ για τα αρχαία. (n.d.).

Retrieved October 22, 2020, from

https://thesstoday.gr/%CE%B1%CF%84%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C-

%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%84%CF%81%CF%8C-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9-

%CE%AC%CE%BA%CF%84%CF%89%CF%81-

%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%BD%CE%AE%CE%B8%CE%B7%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%BD-%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CF%83/.

⁸¹ «Θα κάνουμε αρχαία Disneyland στη Θεσσαλονίκη;» | Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://www.efsyn.gr/tehnes/art-nea/220412_tha-kanoyme-arhaia-disneyland-sti-thessaloniki.

⁸² Statement regarding archaeological finds at Venizelos Metro Station, Thessaloniki – SPBS. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://www.byzantium.ac.uk/statement-regarding-archaeological-finds-at-venizelos-metro-station-thessaloniki/.

⁸³ Thessaloniki subway excavation unearths secrets of ‘city under the city’—Manila Bulletin. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://mb.com.ph/2018/04/30/thessaloniki-subway-excavation-unearths-secrets-of-city-under-the-city/.

38 The European Centre of Byzantine and Post- Byzantine Monuments⁸⁴, through a press release, expressed its unease about the future of the “byzantine crossroad” found to a city filled with enlisted byzantine monuments, reminding also the case of the Paleochristian church (Παïσίδου, 2010) that was found in the Syntrivani station (in the centre of the city as well), and was inserted⁸⁵.

In 16/12/2019, Europa Nostra released an appeal exerting pressure to the upcoming K.A.S.

meeting, addressing rigorously about the fact that a decision is about to be made that is not congruent with the Valetta Convention for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage as well as reckoning that the in situ preservation is a feasible solution.

Recently, in 24/4/2020, the Italian community of archaeologists expressed their concern about the faith of the antiquities of the metro through Prof. Guiliano Volpe, stressing also the opportunity of the city enjoying both “an important infrastructure project, as the metro station⁸⁶ that can become as well one of the most beautiful archaeological “museums” of the world, a place were important pages of the city’s history can be highlighted and a testimony of a deep connection that exists between the past, present and future in Thessaloniki”.

5.2.3. “Citizens’ of Thessaloniki Movement for the Protection of Cultural Heritage”

Within the country, after the Prime Minister’s announcement to proceed with the displacement of the antiquities, the mobilization in favour of their in situ preservation was dire. After all the return of Mixalis Tiverios in K.A.S. composition, gave away the government’s intentions. The reaction of the defenders of the in situ preservation that took action during 2014 was rapid and the public massively supported them this time⁸⁷. Boutaris along with other members of his wing, formed a group of people sharing his views about the antiquities that eventually would form a non- profit civil partnership in 2019, called

“Citizens’ of Thessaloniki Movement for the Protection of Cultural Heritage”. As E.X.

⁸⁴ Ευρωπαϊκό Κέντρο Βυζαντινών και Μεταβυζαντινών Μνημείων—ΕΚΒΜΜ. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2020, from

http://www.ekbmm.gr/?fbclid=IwAR0iis3iBrAlx2aC8wIx12GDEi37mTjFxHeqN5Kw3J3lFqZkipE1ThfhuY.#!/

press-releases-384/deltio-typou-gia-tin-diasosi-tou-vyzadinoy-stafrodromioy-tis-thessalonikis-476.

85 As I was informed by one of the anonymous informers of mine, many archaeologists of the city are disappointed about the way the Company handled the Syntrivani station antiquities as well.

86 Meaning the one in Venizelou Street.

87 The first protestation occurred at Venizelos station occurred in 2014 with minimum public attendance.

39 explained, after a while the members with known political profile stepped back in order for the citizens to take decisive action.

In 5/9/2019, the movement gained legal status and addressed to Kyriakos Mitsotakis personally “Believing that the future of the city and the fate of the people’s cultural heritage should not be the subject of interests and micro- politics, we call on you not to become the Prime Minister who risks to stay in history as the man who led a city on new adventures and the precious monumental ensembles of its glorious past in stunts with an uncertain ending”.

Until today the movement organizes various activities and mobilizes the citizens of Thessaloniki. The first protest⁸⁸ was organized in October of 2019, at the City Hall during the discussion about the matter of the detachment of the antiquities. On that day, Nikos Papamihos also read a text with the “Citizens’ Movement” position. A large number of people were waiting outside the building, holding symbolically colourful umbrellas as it was a rainy day. Throughout October, three free tours were also conducted in the city that were attended by 1000 citizens, exceeding any expectation⁸⁹. Meanwhile, K. Zervas was blaming the defenders of the antiquities for the false sense of sensitivity that delays the prosperity of the city.

One week before the crucial K.A.S., meeting for the fate of the antiquities, the “Citizens’

Movement” conducted its first general meeting. The president, Fokion Deligiannis, supported that the only technically feasible solution is the antiquities coexistence within the metro station. He also declared the intention of the “Movement” to address to the Council of State,

“Our goal is not to go to courts. We will try to convince all the competent bodies with all the means we have that the best solution is the coexistence and the operation of the station. In case we do not convince them, all we have to do is to seek legal redress from courts⁹⁰”.

The same evening of the meeting of K.A.S. in Thessaloniki, people gathered in the station of Venizelou, participating in the most populous protest in the city concerning a cultural matter⁹¹.

88 With the name ‘Κατά χώραν Συγκέντρωση Διαμαρτυρίας’ (In Situ Protestation).

⁸⁹Τέσσερις δωρεάν ξεναγήσεις από την Κίνηση Πολιτών Θεσσαλονίκης—Parallaxi Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2020, from https://parallaximag.gr/thessaloniki/tesseris-dorean-ksenagiseis-apo-tin-kinisi-politon-thessalonikis.

⁹⁰Διευρύνεται η κίνηση υπέρ των αρχαίων της Βενιζέλου—GRTimes.gr. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2020, from

https://www.grtimes.gr/ellada/thessaloniki/dieyrynetai-i-kinisi-yper-ton-archaion-tis-venizeloy?_route_=ellada/thessaloniki/dieyrynetai-i-kinisi-yper-ton-archaion-tis-venizeloy.

40 The call to protest was the following “On Tuesday 17/12, at 7.00 pm, we call on a gathering of protest against the scheming of the ATTIKO METRO to pass through the K.A.S., the change of the construction study of Venizelos station and in order to cancel the in situ preservation of the antiquities. The citizens of Thessaloniki must preserve the most important Byzantine monumental ensemble that was unearthed during the excavations of the Metro, intact, accessible, didactic. It is a duty that our generation incurred towards the past and the future of our city”.

5.2.4. “Metropliktoi”

Another group of people severely affected by the construction so far is that of the store owners of the centre of the city. The metal sheets that were placed along Egnatia Street apart from aesthetically violating the urban scape for about 14 years, attracted various forms of criminal activities but most importantly, reduced customer attendance to the point that many stores shut down⁹²

A network of store owners call themselves “Metropliktoi⁹³” and after the announcement of the delay of the project, represented by Andreas Farmakis they are taking collective action against the State and the ATTIKO METRO Ltd., claiming back a part of their financial loses.

One of their first actions, in September of 2019, was to fill the city with flyers in order to manifest their frustration. Their main slogans are “Enough with the mockery” and

“Compensation to Metropliktous not to the Constructor”. They are also participating in every demonstration of the “Citizens’ Movement”, demanding the in situ preservation of the antiquities of Venizelou Street.