Greek students and unions strike nationwide over cost of living

Trade unions and student organisations across Greece staged a nationwide strike and demonstrations on Wednesday, pressing the government over the rising cost of living and asking for more money in public education.

In Athens, school and university students set up tents in Syntagma Square, just outside the Greek parliament, as part of their protest. They are asking for lower rents, bigger housing subsidies, more student accommodation and more teaching staff.

Public sector workers also walked out after a call by ADEDY, the trade union confederation. The union said the action was meant to show solidarity with the education protests and to let employees, including parents, join the rallies.

According to media reports, around 3,000 police officers were due to be deployed in Athens alone, to prevent the kind of unrest seen in several other European cities.

Why it matters beyond Greece

The Greek action is part of a wider wave of cost-of-living protests in Europe. France, the eurozone's second-largest economy, was hit on Saturday by some of its worst rioting in recent years, with demonstrators protesting against high prices. Smaller clashes broke out in Milan, Italy's financial centre, and in Belgium over the weekend.

The demands from Greek students — cheaper rent, housing support and better-funded schools — mirror worries that have pushed people onto the streets in several countries.

The sources did not say how many people joined Wednesday's strike or whether the demonstrations remained peaceful.

What happens next

It is not yet clear whether the Greek government will respond to the students' demands or open talks with ADEDY. The sources gave no timeline for further action.