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| Riot police forces during the raid at the university campus. |
In a statement issued on Monday, the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) denounces the violation of the academic sanctuary by police forces which stormed the Athens University of Economics (ASOEE) and fired tear gas against demonstrating students.
Greek riot police forces entered the premises of the university on Monday in order to remove students who were protesting against the decision of the institute's senate to shut down the university for a week. During the raid, police fired tear gas and firecrackers to disperse the students.
KNE points out that "this development comes in a period when mass and militant processes within the students unions are taking place. It is part of the effort of New Democracy (ND) government to impose "silence" in the universities and suppress every mobilization that opposes the anti-people policy and asserts the rights to education, job and life".
The Communist Youth demands the immediate removal of police forces from the University of Economics and denounces the violation of the academic sanctuary by the government. KNE also demands the opening of the University, so that the students unions will be able to celebrate the anniversary of the 1973 Polytechnic Uprising on November 17th.
According to a report by 902 portal, on Tuesday 12 November, riot police forces threatened to arrest members of KNE who were demonstrating outside the ASOEE. The parliamentary spokesman of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Thanasis Pafilis denounced the incident during a communication with the deputy Minister of Citizen's Protection.
On Thursday 14 November, students unions in Athens have scheduled a rally against the violation of the academic sanctuary. The sanctuary law, which was legally recognized in 1982, has been a legacy of the 1973 violent crackdown by the then military dictatorship against students, when a tank burst through the gates of the Athens Polytechnic killing dozens of people.