Police Use Tear Gas, Water Cannons To Disperse Anti-Vaccination Protest In Athens

ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th July, 2021) The Greek police said it had deployed water cannons and tear gas to disperse people protesting against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in Athens.

Some 4,500 protesters gathered in Athens central Omonoia Square on Saturday and then marched toward Syntagma Square, disrupting traffic, the police said in a statement. About 1,500 demonstrators remained in Syntagma Square and an adjacent street for 40 minutes, "ignoring warnings and calls from the police chief to leave the road to ensure unimpeded traffic."

"Suddenly, some of those gathered began to throw pieces of marble, stones, flares and Molotov cocktails at police officers ... The police forces began to disperse the crowd with water cannons and limited use of tear gas," the statement issued on Saturday read.

A total of 25 people were detained in the incident, the police added.

Earlier in July, the Greek parliament passed a bill that makes COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for employees in some specific sectors such as healthcare, sparking a public outcry. Saturday's demonstrations were the third such event in recent days.