Athens and Thessaloniki: Student March, Teachers' Strike
Pupils, students and teachers took to the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki on October 21, five Thessaloniki metro stations closed, and sources put detentions at 20 to 31.
Greece saw one of this autumn’s larger school and student protests on Wednesday, October 21, and the turnout next door to Serbia shows that the wave of discontent in education has not stopped at France and Italy. Pupils, students, teachers, parents, workers and pensioners took to the streets of Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa and Crete, and the center of the capital was closed to traffic.
What is happening in Athens?
The call to gather was set for noon, but the first demonstrators appeared at the Propylaea as early as 10:30 a.m. The column then moved toward Syntagma Square, in front of the Greek parliament. At the head of the crowd, pupils from the Ilio Music School played the Partisan Song and the Fourth International, which, according to B92 citing Greek public broadcaster ERT, expressed solidarity with students in France, Italy and other countries joining similar mobilizations. The students’ central slogan is “Study or survive.”
Estimates of the crowd differ. B92 reports about 3,000 demonstrators in Athens, followed by a police estimate of around 10,000 relayed by the newspaper Kathimerini. ATV of Banja Luka, citing the Serbian agency Srna and Russia’s RIA Novosti, writes of about 1,500 people in Athens and nearly 2,500 in Thessaloniki, but that report speaks of protests “yesterday,” so it is unclear whether those figures refer to the same moment of the day. They should be read as rough guides.
Pupils and students pitched tents on Syntagma Square. About 500 pensioners protested at the same time on Koumoundourou Square.
What are students and teachers demanding?
The students’ demands concern the cost of living: lower rents, a bigger housing allowance for a wider circle of recipients, more places in dormitories, and the repeal of the law on expelling students. Teachers want higher pay, permanent posts for all vacancies, and safe school buildings.
The strike is split across unions:
- The Greek Federation of Teachers (DOE) declared a 24-hour strike for kindergarten and primary school teachers
- The Federation of Secondary Education Employees (OLME) declared a work stoppage from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- The Federation of Hospital Doctors’ Associations (OENGE) is taking part in the national strike
- ADEDI, the confederation of public sector unions, called on civil servants to join, saying the aim was to show solidarity with the education protests and let employees, parents among them, take part in the rallies, the agency DPA reported
Why are Thessaloniki metro stations closed?
In Thessaloniki the march set off from the Venizelos monument, led by the bloc of the Thessaloniki Student Coordinating Committee, followed by student associations from the city’s universities. Since 9 a.m., five stations of the Thessaloniki metro have been closed: trains are running but pass through those stations without stopping. Greek police will decide on reopening depending on their operational plan. According to B92, at least 30 schools in Thessaloniki are occupied.
In Patras, several thousand people were reportedly on the streets, and smoke bombs were set off during the mobilization. In Larissa, the rally has so far drawn a limited number of participants and passed peacefully.
How many people were detained?
The figures differ, so we give them separately. ATV, citing the Greek media service Sky, reports that Greek police detained 20 people in Athens and Thessaloniki. B92 writes of 21 arrests in central Athens and 10 in Thessaloniki, which would make 31 in total. That is a range of 20 to 31 people, and the sources are not describing the same moment of the day.
About 3,000 police officers have been deployed in Athens. RTRS, citing media reports, says the aim is to prevent unrest like that seen in several European cities. The police plan also includes preventive checks on people considered suspicious and security for ministries and embassies, while shop owners in the center were warned in recent days to take their own protective measures.
More is already planned: a post from the account Odigitis, relayed by B92, calls for new rallies of pupils and students in Athens and Piraeus on Friday, October 30.
