- Title: Greek police clash with anti-vaccine protesters in Athens
- Date: 29th August 2021
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (AUGUST 29, 2021) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) FLARE LIGHTING UP IN CROWD/ FLARE LANDING BY POLICE/ POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS INTO CROWD CLOUD OF TEAR GAS RISING/ PROTESTERS RUNNING AWAY PROTESTER KICKING CAN OF TEAR GAS TOWARDS POLICE/ PROTESTER THROWING PROJECTILE AT POLICE/ CLOUD OF TEAR GAS CROWD OF PROTESTERS RUNNING DOWN STAIRS TEAR EXPLODING/ PROTESTERS WAVING GREEK AND BYZANTINE FLAGS POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS AT PROTESTERS CLOUD OF TEAR GAS/ FLARES BEHIND POLICE PROTESTERS THROWING FLARES AT POLICE POLICE FIRING WATER CANNON RIOT POLICE IN STREET ATHENS, GREECE (AUGUST 29, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED IN FRONT OF GREEK PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS IN SYNTAGMA SQUARE LISTENING TO SPEECHES PROTESTERS APPLAUDING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WAVING GREEK FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PROTESTER AND 'FREE AGAIN' PARTY LEADER, FAIDON VOVOLIS, SAYING: "All these people gathered here are united as one, against mandatory things. We do not want to be forced or people fired (if they are not vaccinated), nothing more. Our country's freedom must remain high. Nothing more. They need to stop calling us anti-vaccine or deniers - there isn't anybody like that here, and even if is, are they are a minority." VARIOUS OF PRIEST SPEAKING INTO MEGAPHONE AND SAYING" "THEY WANT TO CHANGE OUR BELIEFS, WE WILL DENY THEM, WE DO NOT NEED VACCINES" PROTESTERS HOLDING UP ICON AND POSTER READING (Greek) "REPENT" VARIOUS OF PROTESTER HOLDING UP SIGN READING "NOT TO HEALTH DICTATORSHIP" VARIOUS OF PRIEST WAVING GREEK FLAGS VARIOUS OF PROTESTER HOLDING UP ICON OF VIRGIN MARY WITH A HOLE IN IT
- Embargoed: 12th September 2021 19:35
- Keywords: Greek Orthodox priest Greek government coronavirus measures anti-vaccine protest coronavirus vaccine
- Location: ATHENS, GREECE
- City: ATHENS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001ESC2I4N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Greek police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters who threw flares and other objects during a protest in central Athens on Sunday (August 29) against mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations.
More than 7,000 people, some holding crosses, rallied outside the Greek parliament to protest against the inoculations. Similar protests in Athens last month also saw violence.
About 5.7 million people out of a total population of 11 million have been fully vaccinated, and polls have shown that most Greeks favour mandatory vaccination for certain groups such as healthcare workers and nursing home staff.
However, hundreds of Greek frontline workers protested on Thursday (August 26) against a plan to make inoculations mandatory for the care sector on September 1.
Cases remain high in Greece, which has reported a total of 581,315 cases since the start of the pandemic last year and 13,636 deaths. There were 1,582 new daily cases on Sunday.
(Production: Stelios Misinas, Phoebe Fronista) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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