March 1, 2021 Share
Students and academic community are protesting in Greece against a new campus security law. Which calls for the presence of 1,000 uniformed, unarmed guards on Greece’s University campuses. These guards will answer to the Greek Police Force, and have similar policing duties. Further, the entrance to University campuses will be more controlled, and may include security systems and checks. On February 23, more than 5,000 University students and other protesters gathered outside a courthouse in Greece’s second-largest city Thessaloniki, to rally against the law. On February 10, 2021, around 5000 protesters protesting against the provisions of the bill marched toward the Hellenic Parliament Building in Athens. Such protests are likely to continue in the coming days and risk of confrontation is high.
February 23, 2021 Share
The Greece government says that the implementation of the legislation is necessary in light of the recent attacks by anarchists that took place in some university campuses across the country
On January 13, 2021, a university reform bill on “University admissions, protection of academic freedom, upgrading of the academic environment and other provisions” was drafted and presented to lawmakers in Greece by Niki Kerameus, Minister of Education, and Michalis Chrysochoidis, Minister of Civil Protection.
The bill calls for a legislation aiming to stop what the current regime perceives as dangerous behaviour by students and agitators in higher education, and imposes a time limit on the maximum period of study at the country’s universities. The primary focus of the legislation is campus security. One of the provisions of this legislation calls for the presence of 1,000 uniformed, unarmed guards on Greece’s university campuses. These guards will a
Protesters Clash with Police Over Education Bill in Thessaloniki
Credit: Greek Reporter
Police made over 30 arrests in Thessaloniki on Monday after they clashed with protesters who were demonstrating against a new education bill that calls for the presence of police on university campuses.
The protesters had occupied a building on the campus of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki for several hours on Monday, voicing their dissent against the controversial bill, which recently passed in Parliament.
Clashes between Greek riot police and protesters ensued after the police entered the building and began to remove the activists.
The Dean of Aristotle University, Nikos Papaioannou, notified the police of the presence of activists on campus after he received notice that they had occupied one of the university’s main buildings early Monday morning.
Protestors in Athens. Credit: AMNALarge protests erupted across Greece on Thursday as activists demonstrated against the government’s latest education bill, which calls for police on university campuses. Additionally, the protesters demanded that all levels of schools reopen with all necessary safety measures. Currently, primary and middle schools are open for in-person classes across the country,…
Protesters Defy Greek Government’s Restrictions on Demonstrations
Protesters in Athens on Thursday. Credit: ReppaChrysa/Twitter
Protesters across Greece filled the streets on Thursday, defying the country’s recent restriction on demonstrations, to protest the government’s latest education bill which calls for police on university campuses.
Incredible images of massive demonstrations in the Greek cities of Athens, Thessaloniki, and Heraklion in the time when Covid-19 is still raging have circulated across social media.
Just two days before, on Tuesday, Greece imposed a ban on gatherings and demonstrations of over 100 people, claiming that the move was “not related to any planned rally,” but made in the interest of public health due to Covid-19.