contact
industrial workers of the world
organise
agitate
education workers
Industrial Union 620
educate
news
27th june: clashes between Greek students and police as occupations continue
Greek syndicalist students clash with police in Athens [source: Anarchist Youth]
There have been ongoing occupations of universities around Greece in recent weeks, surrounding controversial new education laws proposed by the Greek government. In a scenario similar to the recent French student revolts against the now-defunct CPE bill, the proposed reforms will generate greater insecurity for young people going into employment for the first time. Also, since student uprisings in previous decades against dictatorship in Greece, students had won the right for universities to refuse police entry into their buildings. This right is also facing abolition in the new law, and is a particularly controversial issue due to its association with resistance to the old Greek dictatorship.

On Tuesday there were massive demonstrations around the country, particularly in Athens and Thessaloniki, where violence broke out leaving numerous student and police casualties. Estimates were put at 10,000 protestors by the BBC, although other sources suggest higher. These protests follow weeks of university occupations around the country, including the occupation of all seventy university departments in Thessaloniki. Educational institutions even on very small islands including Chios, Rhodes and Zakynthos have also been occupied.

There is little English-language coverage of these uprisings which are arguably as large and as significant as those in France. If anyone is able to translate more information from the Greek, please let us know.

Click here for more news as it hapens.

Please also write to the Greek Embassy and express your solidarity with the Greek students:

Education Counsellor's Office,
1A Holland Park,
London,
W11 3TP

Or email them at [email protected]
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1