Turnstiles consigned to the museum of the Metapolitefsi

Some time ago, during his previous term in office, the prime minister had called a meeting of ministers, state officials and university rectors to discuss the issue of security at public universities. The scheme for a campus police force was very much “alive” at the time; it was, in fact, one of ruling New Democracy’s key policy announcements. When the question came up of when this force could be put into operation, the answer was after turnstiles, security systems and ID checks at the door were ready.

It emerged, over the course of the discussion, that turnstiles had already been purchased and were in storage somewhere. The next question was, obviously, “When will these turnstiles be installed then?” The unbelievable answer to that question by the rectors and other officials was: “As soon as the campus police force is deployed.” This led to an impasse, of course. There could be no campus security without turnstiles and no turnstiles without a campus police force to protect them from being ripped out and taken off to be sold as scrap.

The discussion also delved into more essential matters like what the campus police officers would do when – being unarmed, as they should be – they were suddenly confronted by a group of the usual university vandals and troublemakers or if some kind of tension broke out among the students. Again, the answer is unbelievable: “Riot police will be stationed nearby and can step in if necessary.” 

The meeting ended with the prime minister facing an impasse and a ludicrous situation. Not much has changed since then, I’m afraid. On the one hand, we have seen how the troublemakers can be contained when the state acts in a determined but cautious and institutionally sound way, as was the case with the response to the recent occupation of the rector’s office at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. On the other, the police cannot be expected to keep doing this all the time, at dozens of buildings all over the country. The rectors are scared, and not without good reason after several of their colleagues have found themselves being barricaded into their offices or had their car tires slashed.

Some insist the only solution is for the police to come charging in to break up the “occupation” of any university building. Politically, it may sell – at least until a student is killed in the melee and we go right back to where we started.

There is a reason why mature proponents of the campus police force argue that it is a good thing it has not been deployed yet, given the current circumstances.

Campus security is a 50-year-old Gordian knot that will need to wait a while longer to be untied. In the meantime, the turnstiles can be put into a museum with other exhibits representing all the big unsolved issues of the Metapolitefsi, Greece’s 1973-74 transition from dictatorship to democracy.