past shuttered hops in Thessaloniki on November 14, 2020, during a
second national lockdown in Greece aimed at curbing the spread of
the Covid-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus.
(Photo by Sakis MITROLIDIS / AFP)
Greek police on Sunday announced a ban on public
gatherings of four or more people as hospitals were overwhelmed
with coronavirus cases, ahead of the annual anniversary of a 1973
anti-junta uprising.
Greece on Saturday said it would shut primary schools,
kindergartens and daycare centres as coronavirus deaths crossed a
thousand.
The anti-junta demonstration is a treasured anniversary for many
Greeks, and more than 30,000 people demonstrated in Athens and
other major cities last year under a heavy police presence.
At least 24 people were killed in the 1973 crackdown, an event
generally considered to have broken the junta’s grip on power and
helped the restoration of democracy.
This year, however, all public gatherings of four or more people
would be banned from 6 am on Sunday to 9 pm on Wednesday to stem
the spread of coronavirus, police said in a statement.
Fines of 5,000 euros will be issued to legal entities like
political parties and 3,000 euros for individuals who organise
gatherings, while those participating will be fined 300 euros.
Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said on
Friday that the events and marches commemorating the November 17
Athens Polytechnic student uprising will not take place this
year.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
“We did not celebrate March 25th or October 28th, we did not
celebrate Easter, we did not celebrate any of the things that unite
us in 2020. The same will be the case with the Polytechnic
anniversary,” the minister said, referring to three national
holidays that were not celebrated because of the coronavirus
pandemic.
“The virus is the enemy and large gatherings are its main
weapon,” he added, prompting opposition parties to pledge they
would proceed with demonstrations.
Communist KKE party leader Dimitris Koutsoumpas in an interview
on Saturday stressed that “the Polytechnic march was never
organised by the government”.
“All the measures will be strictly observed with the use of face
masks and antiseptics, keeping the necessary distances and of
course we urge people belonging to vulnerable groups or those who
are ill to stay at home,” Koutsoumpas said.
Greece’s former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, leader of the
Diem25 party on Saturday accused the government of announcing in
advance the arrest of his party’s members.
On Friday, Greek police evacuated the premises of the historic
Polytechnic building that now houses the National Technical
University of Athens and another university campus and arrested 92
people for trespassing, disturbance and disorder.
Authorities on Saturday reported 2,835 new coronavirus cases,
taking the total to 72,510, and 38 new deaths, raising the toll to
1,035.
AFP
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/11/15/greece-bans-gatherings-ahead-of-uprising-anniversary/