Students camped in Athens and Thessaloniki on Oct. 20 to press for cheaper housing and more assistance ahead of a wider education rally in the Greek capital on Oct. 21, public broadcaster ERT reported.
In Athens, protesters placed tents in Syntagma Square near parliament. They are seeking lower rents, more places in student residences, larger housing allowances and wider eligibility for those payments, ERT reported.
Greece’s public services registry lists an annual housing allowance of 1,500 euros for eligible university students, with higher amounts available under specified conditions. The latest protest followed a similar tent demonstration in Syntagma Square on Oct. 13.
University students, school pupils and teachers plan to join the Oct. 21 rally in Athens. The primary teachers’ union has called a 24-hour strike that day, while the secondary teachers’ union has announced a three-hour work stoppage.
