The London School of Economics and Political Science Patterns of contentious politics concentration as a ‘spatial contract’; a spatio-temporal study of urban riots and violent protest in the neighbourhood of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece (1974-2011) Antonios Vradis A thesis submitted to the Department of Geography and Environment of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. London, December 2012. Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgment is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 70,472 words. Statement of use of third party for editorial help I hereby state that my thesis was copy edited for conventions of language, spelling and grammar by Douglas Michael Massing and Ailsa Campbell. ESRC PhD funding is hereby gratefully acknowledged (reference number: ES/F02214X/1). Abstract Existing studies of urban riots, violent protest and other instances of contentious politics in urban settings have largely tended to be either event- or time-specific in their scope. The present thesis offers a spatial reading of such politics of contention in the city of Athens, Greece. Tracing the pattern of the occurrence of these instances through time, the research scope of the thesis spans across Greece’s post-dictatorial era (i.e. post-1974, the Greek Metapolitefsi), concluding shortly after the first loan agreement between the country’s national government and the so-called ‘troika’ of lenders (IMF/ECB/EU). The thesis includes a critical overview of literature on riots in a historical and geographical context; questions on methodology and ethics in researching urban riots; a discourse analysis of violence concentration in Exarcheia; ethnographic accounts on everyday life in the neighbourhood and a ‘rhythmanalysis’ of the Exarcheia contention concentration during the period of research. Seeking to explain this concentration the thesis introduces the notion of the ‘spatial contract’: rather than signalling a type of discord, the concentration of mass violence in Exarcheia through time is hereby conceived as the spatial articulation of a certain form of consensus between Greek authorities and their subjects. In this way, the thesis places the concentration of urban violence in Exarcheia solidly within the social and political context of the country’s post- dictatorial era. The thesis suggests that it would be beneficial for future human geographical research to trace such concentration patterns of urban riots. By exercising a cross- scale reading, it would then possible to place these and other forms of contentious politics within a social equilibrium that is far more complex and often much more consensual than it might appear to be. Acknowledgements Our conversations, our interaction, our co-existence make so much of our own existence. A piece of writing, no matter how long, cannot be any different; it is always co-shaped by those around us. This study would not have been what it is, therefore, without the support, guidance, interaction and the mere understanding that these people showed me even –– and particularly –– at times when the end was nowhere in sight. I would therefore like to extend my thanks to the Athenian academic crew: Dimitris Dalakoglou, Klara Jaya Brekke, Christos c/krümel, Yiannis Kaplanis, Yannis Kallianos, Hara Kouki, Regina Mantanika, Christos Giovannopoulos, Evie Papada, Andreas Chatzidakis and Demi Kazasi. To our international academic crew: Bob Catterall, Paul Chatterton, Margit Mayer, Andy Merrifield, David Madden, Patrick McCurdy, Gal Kirn, Nasser Abourahme, Jenna Lloyd, Richard Pithouse, Shannon Walsh and Emma Dowling for all their stimulating conversations the world over. To the PhD rooms’ crew: Tarek Virani, Juliette Lizeray, Claire Brickell, Simon Uribe, Enrico Orru, Joana Setzer, Ida Lonnqvist, Ash Mishra, Meredith Whitten, Taneesha Mohan, Jenny M’baye, Patricia Torres, Tucker Landesman, Sabina Uffer, Eric Makoni, Jayaraj Sundaresan, Andrea Gibbons, and everyone else who found themselves in either of the two rooms –– for all your stimulating and encouraging talk. To Hyun Shin, Asher Ghertner and Murray Low for all their academic stimulus and support; to Lee Mager, Elaine Gascoyne, Tom Ireland, Sam Colegate and Rose Harris for making the department happen. To Susana Murato, for believing in this thesis at its most steep turn. To the thesis examiners, Lila Leontidou and Tom Slater, for their most insightful comments and warm words of support. To my parents, my sisters and to all close friends (you know who you are!) for putting up with me even at the latest stages of the thesis, when my social skills seemed to wean. To every single Exarcheiot, for making the neighbourhood the tremendous place that it is. And of course, to Diane Perrons for her enduring patience, guidance, encouragement and endless support. In living memory of Babis. Once again, you defied time. 5 Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................3 Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................4 List of Tables.................................................................................................................9 List of Illustrations......................................................................................................10 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations..........................................................................11 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................12 Initial research conceptualisation................................................................................17 Central and sub-research questions.............................................................................19 1.1 Riot and contention concentration in context.......................................................22 1.2 Riots in Exarcheia in Athens’ and in the Greek context.......................................26 1.3 Thesis chapter plan...............................................................................................29 2. Riots in a historical and geographical context.............................................................33 2.1 Riots and contentious politics as events in history...............................................36 2.2 Contemporary contentious politics: irrational riots after the Age of Reason........42 2.3 Riots, Urban Social Movements and the Right to the City...................................45 2.4 Riot concentration, crowd control and urban design ...........................................50 2.5 Riots in the Greek context.....................................................................................54 3. Methodology: questions of research methods and ethics............................................63 3.1 Discussing methodology.......................................................................................63 3.2 Research methods and techniques: an overview...................................................65 3.3 Obstacles and ethical considerations....................................................................80 3.4 The distance of the researcher ..............................................................................83 6 4. The Exarcheia Discourse.............................................................................................88 4.1 Discourse analysis in urban research....................................................................89 4.2 Research methods.................................................................................................96 4.3 The Exarcheia media discourse...........................................................................104 4.4 An analysis of Exarcheia discourses...................................................................119 4.5 From discourses of Exarcheia to Exarcheia as a discourse.................................128 5. Everyday life in a ‘riot neighbourhood’....................................................................133 5.1 A note on fieldwork and ethnographic methods.................................................134 5.2 Ethnography, geography, violence and the everyday..........................................135 5.3 Taking position, taking place: a spatial ethnography of Exarcheia.....................137 5.4 In search of an equilibrium.................................................................................167 6. The Rhythms of Exarcheia........................................................................................170 6.1 Rhythm-analysing Exarcheia..............................................................................171 6.2 Rhythms of the everyday....................................................................................178 6.3 A week in the life of a neighbourhood................................................................185