Translation of an Anti-Nazi Zone press release
AntifaCon (short for Anti-Fascist Conference) took place on March 22-23, 2025, in Athens, Greece. The event was highly successful, bringing together people committed to fighting the rise of the Far Right and fascism. It served as a call for anti-fascist struggle, aiming to unite a broad spectrum of political forces and grassroots activists.
This was the goal of the campaign Which Side Are You On?, launched by the Antifascist Coordination of Athens-Piraeus, under whose banner the event was organized. The objective was both to equip ourselves politically to confront contemporary manifestations of the Far Right and to build anti-fascist structures and networks in areas where fascists seek to gain ground.
Over two days, the event hosted ten workshops, two central discussions, 65 speakers, two concerts featuring eight music groups, and a powerful photo exhibition.
Hundreds of people participated in these activities, demonstrating that anti-fascism and the fight against the Far Right resonate with a wide audience—far beyond the organized collectives and independent individuals that comprise the Antifascist Coordination of Athens-Piraeus.
Central Discussions
The first central discussion was attended by more than 350 people. The speakers were:
- Vassilis Hadjicharalambous, father of Panagiotis, who was killed in the Tempi train crash, representing the TEMPI 2023 Accident Victims Association
- Magda Fyssa, mother of rapper Pavlos Fyssas, who was murdered by the Nazi thugs of Golden Dawn, speaking on behalf of the Pavlos Killah P Fyssas Cultural Association
- Luca Scacchi, Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Valle d’Aosta, Italy, and Coordinator of University Professors of the FLC CGIL (Federation of Workers in Education and Research)
- Petros Papakonstantinou, journalist and writer
- Takis Yiannopoulos, representing the Antifascist Coordination of Athens-Piraeus
- Yannis Magos, father of a young man who suffered police brutality and later died
- Iason Apostolopoulos, migrant rescuer
- Thanasis Kourkoulas, teacher and trade unionist
Speakers and participants discussed the urgent need for mass, organized, and mobilized responses to the international rise of the Far Right. Emotions ran high as people who have personally suffered the consequences of state and fascist violence—ranging from the murderous actions of Golden Dawn and the police to the drowned migrants of the Pylos shipwreck and the victims of the Tempi train disaster—came together. Their speeches were, in essence, a call for a sustained and relentless struggle against repression and exploitation.
In the second central discussion, which held the audience’s attention until the very end and was attended by more than 200 people, the speakers were:
- Serafeim Seferiadis, Professor of Political Science at Panteion University
- Katerina Lambrinou, political scientist
- Dina Reppa, teacher and trade unionist
- Yannis Androulidakis, journalist
- Angeliki Valsamaki, representing the Antifascist Coordination of Athens-Piraeus
The discussion focused on whether the world is facing a resurgence of interwar-era phenomena, particularly the rise of fascism to power. Speakers analyzed the current situation in Greece and internationally, highlighting both the similarities and significant differences compared to the 1930s, when fascism ultimately led to the bloodbath of the Second World War.
Workshops and Concerts
The two-day event also addressed a wide range of issues relevant to the anti-fascist movement. The workshop program included:
- Education and the Far Right: Empowering the student community against fascist influences in schools
- Ecofascism
- Anti-immigration policies and the Far-Right/fascist threat
- Mass media and the Far Right
- Feminist and queer resistance today: Why anti-woke rhetoric is the most reactionary discourse of our time
- Sports and fascism: Stadiums as battlegrounds in the fight against fascist influence
- The anti-fascist movement in the courtrooms
- Artists against fascism
- The spread of far-right discourse on the internet: Fake news, patriarchy, revisionism, and neo-fascism
- School student workshop: Anti-fascism inside and outside the classroom
The workshops were highly attended. For instance, the mass media workshop drew over 200 participants, while the education workshop had more than 100.
The concerts, featuring artists from diverse musical genres, were also well received, creating an atmosphere of positive energy and solidarity.
Next Steps
Nine years after the highly successful pan-European anti-fascist three-day event organized by the Antifascist Coordination of Athens-Piraeus at the School of Fine Arts—along with the preceding month of anti-fascist actions in neighborhoods—and nearly a year after the cancellation of the pan-European fascist gathering in Athens, we now face new challenges.
AntifaCon 2025 has signaled a new offensive for the anti-fascist movement—one that will not simply wait to react to neo-Nazis or the Far Right but will take the initiative to push them to the political margins.
The Which Side Are You On? campaign began in schools with a special leaflet for students and continued with interventions, flyposting, and the organization of events in Athens’ neighborhoods.
At a time when society is mobilizing en masse to demand justice for the crime of Tempi, this two-day event marked another important milestone, filling us with optimism for the struggles ahead.
Now, we must carry the campaign forward with new ideas and better organization. And, of course, we must address the question many have asked us: Will AntifaCon now become an annual event?
