Concert of Protest at Vlýcha, Elefsina

Concert of Protest at Vlýcha

On June 5th, 2025, World Environment Day, CULTTERRA supported the Concert of Protest organized by the Citizens' Committee "The Agony of This Place for Life" at Vlýcha, Elefsina.
**
The Context**

The Thriasio Plain has historically been treated as a zone for exploitation, with little genuine concern for the people who live here. Amid oil refineries, logistics facilities, warehouses and high-risk installations, there is now a plan to destroy the wetland of Vlýcha to build yet another commercial port a development that would radically transform the landscape of the area and affect its future for decades to come, without the local community having been adequately informed.

The Event

The Concert of Protest was an open event for all individuals who wanted to be informed and take part in a collective demonstration through music and art. Citizens from Elefsina and the wider area walked through Vlýcha, many for the first time, and discovered a place full of memory and history that deserves protection, not exploitation. Local artists made their position clear through the songs they chose to perform.
**
CULTTERRA's Position**

Dimitra Hatzipanagiotou spoke on behalf of the organization, clearly stating our stance:
"We are not here because we are against every form of development. We are here because we believe that development must place at its center the people who live in a place. The discussion about Vlýcha is not only environmental. It is deeply social. It is a discussion about what kind of city we want to hand over to the next generation."

As an organization in daily contact with young people from Elefsina and Thriasio, CULTTERRA understands firsthand the consequences of long-term degradation: the disappointment, insecurity and tendency to leave that young people in the area experience.

For us, the environment is a prerequisite for existence and without it, there is no culture worth building.

The Demand Remains Clear
Vlýcha has no room for a port.

The Gulf of Elefsina cannot withstand further degradation.

Elefsina and Thriasio deserve something better.

CULTTERRA continues to stand alongside the Citizens' Committee and every initiative that advocates for a sustainable, safe and humane future for our region.

Photo credit: Merabi Tsanava