The Greek government implemented a weeklong ban on public gatherings of more than 100 people on Tuesday, including protests. The government cited the ongoing pandemic as the reason for the ordinance, which fines individuals USD $3,650 and groups $6,070 for violations. The restriction on the size of public protests drew criticism from left-wing political groups that have disagreed with the recent policies of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsokais.

Mitsokais, former leader of the conservative political party, New Democracy, won the country’s presidential election in 2019. Mitsokais campaigned on a platform of immigration reform and economic growth as well as the promise to end university asylum. The issue of university asylum in Greece has been political since the 1973 Athens Polytechnic Uprising, during which the Greek military sent a tank through the university’s front gates and police killed at least 23 protestors that had organized to protest the Junta and to advocate for educational reform.

A few years after the 1973 event, police were barred from university campuses unless they had permission from the students or the dean. The law has continued to change with regard to university asylum, with leftist groups insisting that universities should have no police presence so that students may freely organize, demonstrate and assemble. Others argue that the lack of police presence on university campuses has led to the increased drug trafficking and the overall decline in educational quality.

Recently, students have gathered to protest the government’s plan to bring back police presence on university campuses. The new law, which also includes plans to limit the time permitted to attend university, was open for public comment until yesterday. In part, the draft of the new law includes:

Provisions for the protection of the academic freedom and the improvement of the academic environment – A coherent framework for security and protection within the premises of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is proposed, on the one hand, through the provision of specific bodies and procedures and, on the other hand, through the establishment of the University Foundation Protection Team, which will be subordinated to the Greek Police and will have as its mission the prevention and suppression of delinquency within the premises of HEIs, depending on their existing needs. Furthermore, an integrated disciplinary law framework is provided for first, second and third cycle students.

Earlier this month, police and students clashed at rallies protesting the end of university asylum. The new protest ban runs through February 1.