Anarchist Actions and Memorials Mark One Year Since Death of Greek Activist Kyriakos Xymitiris
Executive Summary
A wave of anarchist actions and commemorations across Europe marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Greek anarchist Kyriakos Xymitiris, who was killed in an accidental explosion while handling explosives in Athens in October 2024. Recent incidents include an arson attack on a data centre construction site in Berlin, solidarity marches in Athens, and police raids targeting anarchist groups in Crete. The events reflect continuing militant anarchist networks operating transnationally and the enduring symbolism of Xymitiris among far-left movements opposing state repression, digital surveillance, and militarism.
Analysis
Anarchist groups across Europe appear to be leveraging the anniversary of Kyriakos Xymitiris’s death as both a symbolic act of remembrance and a vehicle for direct action campaigns targeting state and corporate infrastructure. The pattern of arson, coordinated memorials, and violent confrontations with police demonstrates a sustained ideological commitment among autonomous cells linked by shared anti-capitalist and anti-technological narratives.
On 4 November, a group calling itself “the three funny four beavers” claimed responsibility for setting fire to a transformer station at a Virtus data centre construction site in Berlin, dedicating the attack to Xymitiris and condemning the AI industry for contributing to militarism and environmental destruction.
In Athens, hundreds marched on 31 October under banners commemorating Xymitiris and calling for the release of imprisoned anarchists linked to the 2024 Ampelokipi explosion. Riot police used stun grenades and chemical irritants to disperse the crowd as it entered Exarchia, detaining dozens of demonstrators.
In Crete, police raids on Heraklion’s Evangelismos squat coincided with the anniversary events and led to several arrests following tensions with far-right politician Makis Voridis.
Solidarity actions and public statements were reported in Hamburg, Berlin, Portugal, and Palestine, with banners and writings connecting Xymitiris’s death to broader struggles against militarism, surveillance, and gentrification.
The transnational spread of these memorial actions highlights the persistence of anarchist networks linking Greece, Germany, and other European states. Xymitiris’s death has been framed by anarchist groups as martyrdom, strengthening narratives that justify sabotage and property destruction as revolutionary resistance. The attack in Berlin, explicitly targeting a technology company’s infrastructure, mirrors prior far-left arsons against logistics hubs, energy systems, and corporate data facilities viewed as symbols of capitalist and state power.
Greek security services have intensified scrutiny of anarchist collectives such as those based in Exarchia and Crete, where longstanding occupations and squats serve as logistical and ideological centers. However, persistent memorialization and decentralized coordination suggest these movements retain the capacity to mobilize across borders, potentially escalating into further property damage or confrontations with police around future anniversaries.
Sources
