Scuffles break out near construction site of Exarchia metro station

Minor scuffles broke out on Monday morning between the police and protesters near Exarchia Square in central Athens, where construction is underway for a new metro station. The protesters, upset about the felling of trees at the construction site, caused slight damage to the site’s fence, prompting the police to use pepper spray to disperse them.

Critics have opposed the construction of a metro station in the historically left-wing area, claiming that it is part of a gentrification plan.

Haris Doukas, the mayor-elect of Athens, issued a statement regarding the controversy, stating, “Every tree that is cut down takes away the breath of life,” and that “it is not acceptable for an environmentally and socially supported project like the Metro to become the focus of heightened confrontation.”

The station, which is part of the new 12.8-kilometer Line 4 (Alsos Veikou-Goudi) of the city’s metro system, is scheduled to be completed by 2029.