Residents on the island of Kos in Eastern Aegean Sea and the municipality of Sindos in Northern Greece vehemently oppose the establishment of Hot Spots and Refugee camps.
In Kos, a group of hot spot protesters clashed with police on Saturday. Clubs, teargas and even “unbelievable threats” ended in the arrest of a local protester.
video: riot policeman is heard sayging “We’ll F*** you all!”
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The clashes started when protesters blocked with fires and rocks the road leading to the military plot where the registration center for refugees and migrants (hot spots) will be established.
A local journalist also said that she was assaulted by police while she was filming the clashes, especially the video below, showing the beating of two protesters.
video: riot police beating protesters with punches and kicks
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One of the protesters has been reportedly taken to the hospital.
via dimokratiki.gr
According to local media KosNews24.gr, four more riot police squads arrived on the island with a ferry boat.
SYRIZA issued a statement saying that it’s only a part of Kos residents opposing the Hot Spot.
There is talk that “this part of residents” oppose the Hot Spot fearing it would hit the local tourism industry.
Also in the North of Greece, local communities oppose the establishment one of the Relocation Camps that is planned to host some 4,000 refugees. In a statement issued on Saturday the Municipality of Delta stressed that the “military camp was not designed to guarantee humanitarian standards for the refugees” and that “the camp will put at risk the normal daily life of residents and professionals in the broader area.“
Soldiers clean the abandoned military camp Anagnostopolou in Sindos, near Thessaloniki. In the first phase the camp will host 500 refugees, later a total of 4,000.
Yesterday, I heard some local official threatening to “occupy the camp” before it goes into operation.
Under the threat of Schengen expulsion, Greece promised its EU-partners to have 5 hot spots on the Eastern Aegean islands and two relocation camps on the mainland ready to operate by the middle of February.
Except on Kos and Sindos, there are no protests by locals.
More pictures & videos from Kos
