Without equipment or special training, armed with garden hoses and buckets of water that they probably found somewhere, the Greek police did their best to help contain a large wildfire raging on Mount Penteli, on the northern outskirts of Athens.
Proud of the accomplishments of his subordinates, Citizens Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos on Wednesday released photos of policemen putting out fires with a garden hose.
Εκατοντάδες αστυνομικοί νύχτα και μέρα μάχονται τα την προστασία της των πολιτών την τηνισφάλισης περιουσίας. Συνεχίζουμε με όλες μας τις δυνάμεις! @hellenicpolice @yptpgr pic.twitter.com/xLPMSuOEq3
— Τάκης Θεοδωρικάκος (@theodorikakosp) July 20, 2022
Three police officers from the DIAS special motorcycle group are watching a fourth holding a water hose. “Hundreds of police officers day and night are fighting for the lives of citizens and protecting their property. We continue with all our might!” said Minister Theodorikakos joyfully. Naturally, the minister received comments from readers who “appreciated” the work of the policemen in their own way.
αάκη ξέχασες τα αστυνομικοπυροσβεστικα και τις 100 διμοιρίες παπαδων pic.twitter.com/WSIlaAdNpN
– Είμαι ο Τοτος ζω σε μια Τηλεοπτικη Δημοκρατια. SOS (@AndreasLivas) July 20, 2022
Takis you forgot the fire station and 100 priests *.
Δηλαδή ομολογείτε opinions opinions σας οι δυνάμεις είναι αστυνομικοί κι έι αντιχο, αντί πυροστστικις και μαντρρ Because
— Katerina Kanelidou (@KatKanelidou) July 20, 2022
So you admit that all your forces are police officers and a hose, not firemen and cars, and you are not at all ashamed?
Αντί για πυροσβέστες με εimesπλισμό και ειδική εκπαίδευση, αστυνομοί written ποτιστήρι και οπλισμόνω τους επιχειχ σε σε φωιά. Κι όχι μόνο δεν ντρέπεται πολιτιτική ηγεσία, αλλά αναρτά τις εικόνες απόδειη άριστης λειτους τους. pic.twitter.com/pJ1bIYI0vQ
— To_pouli_tou_Rouli (@To_pouli_tou_Ro) July 20, 2022
Instead of firefighters with equipment and special training, police officers are trying to put out fires with watering cans and weapons. And the political leadership is not only not ashamed, but also post images as proof of the excellent functioning of the state.
Κι εμείς, στα νοσοκομεία, όταν δεν βγαίνουν οι βάρδιες νοσηλευτών φωνάζευτών φωνάζευμε τιυμίκαρα
— Psycho Dad (@oriath) July 20, 2022
In hospitals, when the nurses don’t show up, do we call in the cleaners?
Τάκη, στείλε και την αύρα. Ξέρεις, αυτήν που καταβρέχατε τους πυροσβέστες τότε που τους δέρνατε. pic.twitter.com/XCqr6cbF8Z
— PG Papanikolaou (@PGPapanikolaou) July 20, 2022
The Greek government of New Democracy has hired about 5,000 police officers since 2019, constantly increasing their number. When firefighters held a protest in November 2021 demanding they fill some 4,000 vacancies, the minister sent them a water cannon… to disperse.
The hiring of about 3,000 firefighters announced last year was quietly hacked to death. At the same time, the number of volunteer firefighters has doubled, but they cost nothing to the Greek state and government. Tellingly, several residents of the burning areas of Penteli said they saw police passing by, but not firefighters. In Atnus, local authorities said firefighters arrived by 7 a.m. Wednesday, and the fire started at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Indicative of the unbalanced deployment of forces against the Pentelian fire is what the Minister of Civil Protection later said when thanked “485 firefighters and 626 police officers for their hard work.”
* Government recruited more than 2,000 priests permanently on July 5, 2022.
PS One Greek stated that instead of firearmsworn by the police, they need to be given water pistols so that they can effectively fight the next fire with them. Good idea…
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