About 7,000 people demonstrated this Sunday in central Athens against the compulsory vaccination of healthcare workers against the coronavirus, which comes into force on Wednesday.
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The demonstrators, who had gathered in Syntagma Square, held Greek flags and waved placards on which one could read in particular: "
We are not against vaccines but against fascism
" and "long
live democracy
". "
It's amazing that I have been put on sick leave because I refuse to be vaccinated when for months I have helped contain the epidemic, I have worked in very difficult conditions
," said Christos Bakakios, an ambulance driver.
For Lina, a nurse who requested anonymity, "
the Greek health system will collapse if they put all caregivers who refuse to be vaccinated on short-time work
."
"
The hospitals are already overloaded, it would make no sense,
" she added.
The rally was peppered with incidents this Sunday evening.
A group of demonstrators threw stones and bottles in the direction of the police, who responded with tear gas, according to an AFP videographer on the spot.
More than half of the vaccinated population
The Greek government has taken action to encourage as many people as possible to get vaccinated in the face of the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, while 99% of patients on life support in hospitals are unvaccinated people. Retirement home employees have already been required to be vaccinated since August 16. Ten workers at a retirement home in Volos, in the center of the country, have been suspended for refusing vaccination.
More than 5.7 million of the 10.7 million people in Greece are fully vaccinated. But the spread of the Delta variant in the country is worrying. This Sunday, Greece recorded around 1,500 new cases of coronavirus, while more than 300 people were on life support in hospitals. More than 13,600 people have died from Covid-19 in Greece.