Athens university to shut down on Wednesday over drug use

The senate of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) decided on Tuesday to suspend its operation for one day as a protest to the rampant street-level drug dealing next to its central Athens premises.

“With a sense of responsibility and expressing the anxiety of the university community, and in order to defend the right to safety and hygienic conditions, the senate decided to symbolically suspend the operation of the undergraduate programs of the institution on Wednesday, in order to mobilize the state bodies responsible for the immediate and permanent removal of traffickers and drug users from the areas and streets adjacent to the University,” the senate said in a press release.

University officials have repeatedly complained to authorities after Antoniadou Street turned into a gathering spot for drug dealers and users, posing a risk to the health and security of students and staff.

Their calls have so far been to no avail, prompting student groups to collect around 900 signatures in a petition over the issue.