Greece: Controversy over police response to Thessaloniki protests

Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis has called for urgent legislative solutions to manage gatherings organized by convicted former MP Ilias Kasidiaris and the subsequent counter-protests. Speaking on ERTNews, Chrysochoidis explained that police were legally unable to ban Kasidiaris’s event because it took place in a private hotel, though he expressed a desire to change the legal framework to prevent such provocative incidents in the future.

The Minister noted that police, with the consent of the Prosecutor, banned gatherings on perimeter roads in Thessaloniki to prevent clashes between opposing groups. However, the operational handling of the October 28th protests has drawn sharp criticism from the PASOK party. PASOK leaders, including Giorgos Moulkiotis, have demanded immediate answers regarding the use of chemical agents and police force against anti-fascist demonstrators.

Opposition figures argue that the use of force against peaceful protesters was disproportionate, especially on a national holiday commemorating resistance to fascism. While condemning violence from masked groups, PASOK emphasized that such actions should not serve as a pretext for treating peaceful demonstrations as violent unrest. Meanwhile, Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis criticized the government’s stance, labeling the event a tragic provocation of fascism.