Anarchist and anti-authoritarian groups have issued a call for a solidarity protest outside the Athens Police Headquarters (GADA) after large-scale counter-terrorism operations conducted on July 10, 2026, in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Chania.
The raids resulted in several arrests of individuals linked to the anti-authoritarian scene. Two people were detained in connection with the 2010 firebombing of a Marfin Egnatia Bank branch in Athens, which killed three employees. A third person is still being sought.
The operations also targeted suspects in the deadly firebomb attacks carried out in Thessaloniki on July 1, 2026. Three coordinated arson attacks using improvised explosive devices hit homes linked to New Democracy party figures early that morning.
In one attack on the home of New Democracy parliamentary candidate Afroditi Nestora, 72-year-old Vagia (or Vagias) Nestora — Afroditi’s mother — suffered severe burns covering much of her body. She later died in hospital from multiple organ failure. Afroditi Nestora and her father were also injured in the incident. The attacks injured others and marked a rare fatal outcome in such political violence in Greece in over a decade.
On July 10, counter-terrorism police arrested three suspects in connection with these attacks:
- A 29-year-old man with ties to Thessaloniki’s anarchist circles (previously detained in related investigations).
- A 26-year-old woman with links to the anarchist movement, arrested in Chania, Crete (she had previously served time for involvement with the “Anarchist Action” group and is believed to have fled there to evade capture).
- A third individual (reports indicate two men and one woman total).
Police believe the 29-year-old man and 26-year-old woman were directly involved in the attack that killed Vagia Nestora. Evidence included CCTV footage, a nearby hideout used for surveillance, and other investigative leads.
In their statement, anarchist groups condemn the operations as a “pogrom against the anarchist movement” orchestrated by the government and law enforcement. They frame the arrests as political persecution rather than legitimate counter-terrorism actions.
They have called for:
- A solidarity gathering outside GADA at 18:00.
- A subsequent assembly at 20:00 at the Social Center in the Prosfygika area.
READ MORE: Bangladehis Surge in Crete Amid Greece’s Mixed Migration Results: Returns Up 20%, Arrivals Down 27% in First Half of 2026.