Greek police works with extensive zeal in implementing the lockdown restrictions and fines those violating the measures aiming to contain the spread of the coronavirus. However, this zeal reaches also absurd levels as officer fine also homeless for not staying at they home they do not have.
A first fine of 150 euros was apparently imposed to a homeless in Rethymno o the island of Crete on Thursday, April 2. The fined person was in a park of the city in northern Crete.
Police officers in Thessaloniki have been following the same practice, imposing a total of six fines on homeless people.
A couple has complained to an NGO dealing with homeless issues that they were fined not once but twice.
The fines are imposed on the ground of “unnecessary movement.”
According to NGO ARSIS, the Social Organization for Youth Support, the responsibility for transporting the homeless to emergency accommodations is borne by the Greek state.
The NGO and emphasizes that the number of available homeless shelter places in Thessaloniki “is not enough to cover all those who are currently homeless in the city.”
As a result, a significant number of people are forced to live on the streets, despite the movement restrictions, ARSIS stressed.
PS The usual mean and naturally born suspicious Greeks wonder whether the lockdown fines policy is a measure aiming to collect money for the state and has not so much to do with the protection of the coronavirus.
Greek police issues a daily bulletin on the lockdown violations, however, without any data about the kind of committed violations or age group categories.
Based on media reports, sometimes violators carry the movement permit but do not have identification documents with them or they have sent the sms to obtain the movement permit … a day earlier. Others have declared the false reason and some have violated the 14-day house isolation.
Transparency is required here to avoid false allegations.
My wife and I, where given and fine, of 150 euros. We where walking with our baby, when we got stopped she did not even ask to see our forms, she just wanted to write us a fine. “For been out to have fun and that walking was not exercise.” We had our 1 year old in her pushchair. She told us to have our baby on the balcony if we wanted fresh air. Everyone in the world knows walking is exercise. This was at the corner at the start of the rema in Ano Touba, Thessaloniki. On the 03/04/20.
Pilice did not seriously said “For been out to have fun and that walking was not exercise.” I hope you appealed the fine at the police or municipality.
Ask any cardiologist and he will tell you that walking is probably the best exercise that there is!
This is Greek bureaucratic stupidity. It is very important to walk or run every day, or your health will suffer. The Ministry of Health has to correct the illegal behaviour of the Greek police, by denouncing it in public so that everyone can understand that walking with correct social distance is not only lawful but an essential activity.