Key Athens street purged of graffiti in cleanup drive

Municipal crews removed graffiti and paint from the capital’s Athinas Street over the last few days, as part of a months-long City Hall initiative to spruce up the city center.

Work focused on removing slogans, tags and smudges that covered an area of about 400 square meters along the entire length of the street, from Omonia Square to Ermou Street.

To remove the paint from marble and stone surfaces, cleaning crews used 145 liters of solvent and 4.5 tons of water. Another 130 liters of plastic paint in different colors were used to cover graffiti on concrete surfaces.

“The anti-graffiti operations of the municipality of Athens that started a few months ago are a central part of an overall planning for a city that is more beautiful and friendly to residents and visitors,” the municipality said in a press release.

It added that large areas have already been cleared in districts such as the Pedion Areos, Patision Streets, Anafiotika, Thiseio and Evangelismos Park.

Cleaning crews worked mainly at night to minimize any inconvenience caused to shop owners and customers, City Hall said.