Students protesting campus police in Thessaloniki

Dozens of students gathered outside the main administration building of Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University on Thursday morning to protest the introduction of a campus police force.

The gathering came after protesters had held a rally on Wednesday night in the northern port city against the new security measure.

The controversial new force, designed to prevent crime and delinquency at the country’s universities was deployed for the first time last week at key campuses ahead of the start of the new academic year.

The scheme has met with resistance from student and other groups opposed to what they say is the abolition of restrictions on police entering universities introduced in the aftermath of the 1967-1974 dictatorship to protect academic freedom.