Thousands of students and teachers protest in Greece over cuts in education and the cost of living

Thousands of students and teachers took to the streets throughout Greece this Wednesday to protest again against the conditions in educational centers, the extensive cuts in the sector and the housing situation, in marches that have gained strength as the day goes on.

More than 10,000 people, according to the police, demonstrated peacefully in the center of the capital, within the framework of the 24-hour strike called by the main primary teachers' union, DOE (in its Greek acronym), to demand better salaries - according to the union, almost half of the teachers have salaries that do not exceed one thousand euros - and to denounce "the tens of thousands of vacancies" in schools that imply "the loss of hundreds of teaching hours" for students. The demonstration passed without incident, in part due to the strong police presence.

“The situation that we experience daily in our schools is no longer simply dystopian, but has become unbearable,” Anna Karlafti, a primary school teacher who has been teaching in Athens for 21 years, told the Efe agency at the protest.

The teacher denounces that while the Executive boasts every day that the Greek economy is growing, the schools are "crumbling with plaster and pieces of ceiling falling on the children, lack of staff and thousands of vacancies."

Teachers demand a 20% salary increase and help for access to housing for those who receive a place in other cities, especially in tourist areas with high prices.

The protesters have also demanded that the security of the buildings be guaranteed, in addition to facilitating the transfer of registration between different institutions.

Added to these demands, similar to those of French students or Spanish public education teachers, are the protests of young people over the high cost of housing, which has led to camping trips in Athens and Thessaloniki, following the example of other European cities such as Madrid or Lisbon, among others.

The Greek police have organized a large security force, with some 3,000 troops in the country's capital, where a dozen people have been arrested so far, according to the Kathimerini newspaper. Thus, security has been reinforced in the vicinity of government buildings, embassies and neuralgic areas.

The protest by students and teachers has been joined by officials and unions, who have also called for three-hour strikes for secondary school teachers this Wednesday, while the country's doctors remain on strike. In addition, some 500 pensioners have protested in Kotziá Square, in front of the Athens City Hall.

Several Athens metro stations have been affected by protests and police deployment. In Thessaloniki, five metro stations closed early in the morning on orders from security forces.