Culture ministry deems university squat a 'space for social activities'

A building belonging to the University of Crete in Hania that has been used as a squat by anarchists since 2004 is a "space for social and leisure activities for residents and visitors," the Culture Ministry said in a decision sent to its Central Council for Modern Monuments.

The decision effectively legitimates the building's occupation as a "social activity," preventing the university from expelling the squatters and moving ahead with the building's privatization, even though it has already held a tender and found an investor.

The building in Hania's old town which is part of a 19th century military complex has been under occupation since 2004 by a group calling itself Rosa Nera. Squatters have reacted violently in the past to efforts to carry out repairs to the structure.