Missing the forest for the trees
About a year ago, following a recommendation from the relevant department, the Municipality of Thessaloniki in northern Greece made the decision to uproot several poplar trees located in various parts of the city and replace them with more visually appealing trees. These poplars were aging and, on multiple occasions, strong northerly winds, locally known as Vardaris, caused them to fall onto parked cars. Additionally, municipal authorities removed a series of ailing trees that were planted along a central road and replaced them with an equal number of ornamental trees. During that time, a small-scale protest emerged in the city, led by the usual ecological groups, left-wing collectives, and opposition members in the municipal council. Today, nearly a year later, the greenery has been fully restored, and the view with the new tree plantings is significantly more appealing than it was with the old, aging poplar trees. However, there are those who deny reality and claim that the outgoing mayor, Konstantinos Zervas, deprived Thessaloniki of its greenery.
As I read about the recent protests in the Exarchia neighborhood in central Athens, where some people demonstrated against the removal of specific trees – it is unclear whether these protesters are residents of the area or just frequent visitors – I couldn’t help but wonder if they are genuine nature enthusiasts or if there is another motivation behind their ecological concerns. My mind suddenly recalled the painful history of Panathinaikos’ soccer stadium in Votanikos, near central Athens. In that area, inhabited only by rats and scavengers, various left-wing collectives discovered the existence of a supposedly unique ecosystem hosting exceptionally beautiful birds. They appealed to the Council of State, and, if I recall correctly, the investment was canceled around 2006.
A common thread connects Votanikos, Elliniko and Exarchia: This is the reaction against any change in the appearance of an area
Readers should not be misled into thinking that those protesting the tree removals in Exarchia genuinely care about preserving the environment. Their true motive is that they do not want the metro station to be built. They want everything to remain as it is. They do not want construction companies to work – because they are anti-capitalist – they do not want hundreds of citizens to find jobs – because they adhere to the doctrine “the worse, the better” – and they do not want the area to improve economically. Just like in Votanikos, they prefer dirt and misery over development and improving the daily lives of the area’s residents. The same happened with the investment at Elliniko, on the site of the former international airport on the capital’s southern coast. They preferred it to remain a desolate land, rather than becoming what we now call the “Athens Riviera,” a multi-billion-dollar investment that will create thousands of jobs.
A common thread connects Votanikos, Elliniko and Exarchia: This is the reaction against any change in the appearance of an area. Devotees of inertia, these left-wing collectives know that they will have no place in the new landscape, which is why they engage in rearguard actions. It’s a mystery how their idea of progress aligns with the degradation of daily life.
