Aristotelis Chantzis Returns to Prosfygika After Intensive Care: “It Was a Collective Struggle”

Aristotelis Chantzis returned to Athens’ Prosfygika complex on Wednesday evening after 73 days in Evangelismos Hospital, where he had spent time in intensive care following serious complications from his prolonged hunger strike.

Residents and supporters greeted him with applause, chants and smoke flares. He arrived accompanied by a motorcycle procession before speaking about the hunger strike and the community’s campaign.

“The first major victory was precisely the beginning of the hunger strike. The only thing I have to say is that it was a collective struggle and that is why it succeeded,” Chantzis said. He added that everyone had simply been part of the effort, with each person playing a different role in the community.

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The first major victory was precisely the beginning of the hunger strike. The only thing I have to say is that it was a collective struggle and that is why it succeeded.

Chantzis began the hunger strike on February 5, 2026. His demands included stopping the Attica regional government’s contract concerning the Prosfygika complex, allowing residents to remain in their homes and neighborhood, and restoring the buildings through self-financing by the nonprofit Residents and Friends of Prosfygika.

The hunger strike ended after 140 days, on June 24, when Athens city council adopted a resolution asking the Attica regional government to halt implementation of the program contract. Doppagne also ended her hunger strike at the same time. Chantzis’ health worsened several days later, leading to his lengthy hospitalization.

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It was a struggle in which we were all simply part of it, as a community, each person in their own role.