Students protest against government plans to occupy the law school during exams Private universities The building was evacuated by police in northern Greece. A dozen people were arrested.
A police statement said the operation was carried out following a request for assistance from university authorities in the town of Komotini. No clashes were reported.
Clashes between police and student protesters in Greek capital over university bill fuel unrest
That said Protesters The sit-in at the law school prevented about 400 students taking exams from entering the building on Monday, as well as university staff.
Riot police clash with protesters at a public university in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Thursday, February 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannes Papanikos)
Left-wing groups protested in Komotini and Thessaloniki against the police operation.
The centre-right government wants to legalize privately run universities through a bill to be introduced in parliament this month. He argues that these reforms will prevent skilled people from moving abroad to study and make higher education more relevant to the labor market.
Opponents say the proposed law would weaken state universities – which provide free tuition – and effectively restrict tertiary education to the wealthy.
Leftist groups And students across Greece staged a series of sit-ins – disrupting lectures and exams – and protests against the reforms, some of which have turned violent. New protests are planned for Thursday.
The government has urged university authorities to take the help of the police to break up the occupations, and conduct online examinations in departments currently controlled by protesters.