Students, pupils, teachers, and parents took to the streets on Wednesday, October 21, as a two-day wave of nationwide education protests and rallies reached its peak across Greece. At the heart of the demonstrators’ demands: increased state funding for public education, filling teacher vacancies, improving school and university infrastructure, and tackling the ever-rising cost of studying and student housing.
In Athens, the main education rally was scheduled for noon at Propylaea, followed by a march to the Greek Parliament. According to organizers’ calls, gatherings were planned in more than 50 cities, with participation from student unions, teacher federations, and parent associations.
Today’s mobilization took place against the backdrop of similar protests recorded across other European countries, with students adopting the slogan “From Greece to France, we fight for public and free education” — seeking to highlight young people’s shared anxiety about the future of education.
Nationwide education rallies in more than 50 cities — teachers on strike
Today was expected to mark the peak of the protest movement, with students, pupils, teachers, and parents participating in gatherings across dozens of cities throughout the country.
In Athens, the rally was scheduled for 12:00 noon at Propylaea, followed by a march to Parliament, while in Thessaloniki the gathering was set for 11:00 a.m. at the Venizelos statue. Central demands included filling vacancies for teachers and support staff, increasing funding for public education, reducing class sizes, and upgrading school and university facilities.
Teachers also joined the mobilizations, with the Teaching Federation of Greece (DOE) having called a 24-hour nationwide strike.
The Secondary Education Teachers’ Federation (OLME) announced a three-hour work stoppage from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., while decisions by local teacher associations provided for additional strike action. Meanwhile, the Civil Servants’ Confederation (ADEDY) called a three-hour work stoppage, urging public sector employees to participate in the rallies.
Parent organizations also joined the demonstrations, highlighting among other issues the shortages in special education, the need for safe school buildings, and the financial burden of everyday school life.
Five Thessaloniki metro stations closed
Today’s protests also disrupted transport in Thessaloniki, with the temporary suspension of five metro stations announced from 9:00 a.m., on police authority orders.
Specifically, the stations “Dimokratias,” “Venizelos,” “Agia Sofia,” “Sintrivani,” and “Panepistimio” remained closed, with trains passing through without stopping, until further notice.
Through today’s gatherings, student and pupil unions, teachers, and parents sought to intensify pressure on the government to meet their demands, with student representatives making clear that their campaign would not end with the conclusion of the two-day action.
What student union representatives told parapolitika.gr
The two-day action began on Tuesday, October 20, in Syntagma Square, where students pitched tents outside the Greek Parliament in a symbolic protest camp-out. Under the central slogan “Support measures now! For the cost of studies and student housing!”, student unions brought the housing crisis facing thousands of young people into sharp focus, while a concert with artists also took place in the square.
Parapolitika.gr was on the ground at Syntagma and spoke with student union representatives who described the financial hardships they face, the shortages in student dormitories, and the reasons they chose to continue their campaign.
Antonis Lazos to parapolitika.gr: “Students are paying €600 and €700 in rent and are being forced to go back to their hometowns”
Antonis Lazos, president of the Student Union of the Athens School of Fine Arts, spoke about the difficulties faced by students — particularly those forced to leave their hometowns to study.
Speaking to parapolitika.gr from Syntagma Square, he stressed that the symbolic camp-out was part of the preparation for the day’s nationwide education rally, calling on students to turn out in force. “I am here together with hundreds of students — we will be thousands by nightfall, and we are putting all our energy into tomorrow’s nationwide education rally, at noon at Propylaea,” he said at Tuesday’s gathering. He also called on every young person who feels that economic and social conditions are limiting their ability to study to join the fight for public and free education.
He placed particular emphasis on the housing crisis, which he described as one of the most pressing issues facing the student community at this moment. “The demand for dormitories is truly the most urgent demand right now. When a student comes from the provinces and pays €600 or €700 in rent — and very many students end up going back to their hometowns because they simply can’t make ends meet — is it really too much to ask for rooms?” he said.
He also argued that there are rooms available in student dormitories that could be put to use to provide free housing for students in financial difficulty, calling on the government to take immediate action.
The president of the Athens School of Fine Arts Student Union made clear that the mobilizations would not be limited to this two-day event, noting that the problems facing the student community require sustained campaigning. “For as long as we are not vindicated, we will keep coming back,” he said, stressing that a single protest is not enough to solve the issues students are up against.
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