Greece’s Police have arrested another 22 business people for violations of regulations on occupying public space on beaches. The arrests were made on Thursday, during raids carried out by the competent authorities on the islands of Mykonos, Paros and Rhodes.
During the raids, inspectors found sunbeds and umbrellas that had no permits or were within five meters of the shoreline and spaces being used that fall under archaeological protection legislation.
Mykonos
Legal representative of a company and another 17 people, who were working on the installation of a metal structure-platform occupying 380 sq.m. part of the coastal-beach zone without a permit.
Temporary manager of a store who had placed 16 sets of umbrella seats, 16 wooden structures with 4 sunbeds in each of them, occupying a space of about 300 sq.m. without permission.
Paros
A business owner who had placed 206 sets of sunbed umbrellas occupying part of the waterfront and beach area without a permit.
Temporary manager of a tourist accommodation who had placed 12 umbrellas and 24 deckchairs and had installed a 5 meter long fence and a wooden gazebo inside the beach and without a permit.
Rhodes
Temporary manager of a store of health interest who had placed 136 umbrellas and 272 sunbeds, of which 20 umbrellas and 40 sunbeds were less than 5 meters from the shoreline, thus preventing free public access to the sea. Also, 220 tables and chairs had been developed in the area and there were fixed wooden structures, without the approval of the competent Archeology Service and permission to use the beach.
The arrests took place after raids and one arrest on the island of Tinos a day earlier.
Despite the ongoing controls since end of July, businessmen temporary remove but then reinstall sunbeds, umbrellas and other installations at the beaches across the country the moment inspectors leave the islands or the areas.
PS inspectors do not need to travel far, they can check organized beaches along the Athens Riviera, where the sunbeds and sun-‘couches’ are right next to the sea with laying sunbathers having their feet soaking inside the water.
*thumbnail: archive picture
Just returned from a short break in Hersonissos. You couldn’t move on the beaches for sunbeds and umbrellas. On one beach the beds were actually in the water at the front of the beach and no way of passing along the sand. Completely out of control.
Could the authorities please come to Naxos and arrest a few more because sunbeds have taken over virtually all the popular beaches.
Another hypocrite measure by government….. Between zoumberi and mati (east attica) you can’t access the sea either. No because of the umbrellas and sunbeds but because it is privately own for the holidays of people retired from the state (army, police etc). The. Coast isn’t accessible there as mentioned in the greek law!!!! Why don’t they apply the rule to themselves before asking the other one to do so?
Only through consistent, heavy, and unavoidable fines will these beach bars stop what they are doing. With 200 extra illegal sunbeds making them thousands of euro per day, I can see why they do it.