Students defy gatherings ban to protest education reforms

Students and teachers take part in a rally against education reforms promoted by the conservative government – which, among other things, foresee the presence of police on university campuses – in Athens Thursday. About 4,000 people marched to Syntagma Square, while a smaller gathering took place in the northern port city of Thessaloniki. The rallies were held in defiance of government rules, which came into force Tuesday, that prohibit more than 100 people from gathering at any given time in any private or public setting. The main leftist opposition slammed the ban, designed to preempt super-spreader events, as “arbitrary and undemocratic.” [AP]