Media denounce Greek university policing plan

ATHENS: Journalists in Greece added their opposition on Friday to a bill to better police the country’s violence-prone universities, saying a clause would limit reporting on protests and undermine freedom of information.

Students in Athens and other cities have been protesting against the plan introduced this month by the ministries of education and police to create a dedicated 1,000-strong force to patrol campuses.

Under the proposal, police would "determine the exact places for journalists" covering protests, which the media say will prevent them from moving freely among marchers. In a letter to the citizens’ protection minister Michalis Chrisochoidis, unions representing the Greek media and foreign correspondents opposed the plan to regulate gatherings.

"These curbs strike a serious blow to citizens’ information, one of the foundations of democracy," said the unions, demanding a meeting with the minister. Chrisochoidis backpedalled following the protests, telling Skai radio that the measure would only be applied when journalists request it in case of serious incidents.

A union called the Democratic Police Movement voiced opposition: "The government should not be permitted to use us as a political battering ram against the young and the university community."