21.10.2026 22:01
In Athens, the capital of Greece, more than 10,000 students and teachers marched against the chronic problems in the country's education system.
After images showing plaster falling from school buildings in Greece and reports of a natural gas leak allegedly occurring in a large school complex in Athens' Grava area, students and teachers took action. As concerns grew over the state of school infrastructure and the safety of educational facilities in the country, more than 10,000 students and teachers gathered in central Athens, the capital, to protest the problems in the country's education system.
THEY MARCHED TO PARLIAMENT
Marching under the slogan "From Greece to France, struggle for free public education" against chronic problems in the education system such as staff shortages, inadequate funding, deteriorating school buildings, and a growing student housing crisis, the group set off from the Propylaea area near the University of Athens and advanced toward Syntagma Square and the parliament building. The protest, which took place peacefully, ended in front of the Greek Parliament in Syntagma Square. Students demanded that growing safety concerns in schools be addressed and that more public investment be made in education.
Protesters called on the government to take urgent measures to solve these problems and to significantly increase the budget allocated to public education. In addition, protesters criticizing the transition across Europe toward a "war economy" argued that resources were being transferred to other areas such as defense by making cuts to public services.
AT LEAST 20 DETAINED
Athens police, who took intensive security measures throughout the demonstration, set up checkpoints along the road leading to the protest area, stopping passersby and searching their bags. According to police sources, at least 20 people were detained for questioning before the demonstration began. Shops along the march route lowered their shutters against possible clashes. Businesses around Syntagma Square also emptied their display windows the previous evening in case of looting. The nearby Panepistimio metro station, meanwhile, had been closed by police order before the gathering began. However, a stun grenade was thrown by riot police into the Omonoia metro station in the city center.