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Anastasia Balezdrova

Today, a nationwide strike against the new economic measures, which the parliament is expected to announce and vote on, was held in Greece. The centre of the capital once again became the theatre of clashes between demonstrators and police. But what was going on at a few metres distance from Syntagma Square, where the events were taking place? Was the whole of Athens frozen in anticipation of the heavy clashes or was life going on as usual?
 
GRReporter decided to make a parallel report. The walk began when the first groups of demonstrators came to Syntagma Square. At the same time, tourists in Monastiraki Square took advantage of the summer days to visit archaeological sites.

Tourists and Greeks were walking among the shops, drinking coffee or having lunch, enjoying the view of the Acropolis. Shortly before 2 pm, the first demonstrators started crowding at the underground station. They had completed their procession and hurried to leave Syntagma to avoid potential clashes and showers of tear gas.

The small restaurants offering wraps and other meat dishes at affordable prices began to gradually fill up. Hungry demonstrators who had set off to the strike meetings early in the morning filled the streets. Whole groups went to larger taverns for lunch and to rest from the long procession.
 
"It has started," a shop owner told another, adding that he had heard the information on the radio. Suddenly, dozens of demonstrators with surgical masks or scarves, who were anxious to move away from the acrid tear gas, broke the tranquillity in the square and the surrounding areas.