Thessaloniki: 14 people arrested for protesting tree cutting (video)

Fourteen people who protested the felling of trees in Thessaloniki on Monday morning have been arrested on charges of trying to prevent a municipality brigade from cutting trees.

The police pulled off the protesters by the arms and legs and forced them into the cars. An elderly man is heard shouting: “Shame! Shame!”.

The protesters staged a sit-in at the Ancient Agora in the city center, where 41 trees stood. According to the state TV channel ERTtrees (41 poplars) are classified by the Municipality of Thessaloniki, how dangerousso the decision was made to cut them down and replace them with twice as many trees, “healthier and more suitable for the locality and climate of the city”.

Τι κακό αυτό φέτος με τα δέντρα ρε γμτ?? pic.twitter.com/UGirYiOviE

— dimitra fotiadou (@dimitrafotiadou) March 13, 2023

There have been previous civil lawsuits and intervention by the State Attorney on this matter. On Friday, the Court of First Instance of Thessaloniki rejected a motion for a temporary injunction against the suspension of the tree-cutting process. A criminal case has been opened against the protesters for unlawful violence, and among those arrested are the municipal councilor and head of the Ecology-Solidarity association in the municipality of Thessaloniki and former MEP Michalis Tremopoulos.

https://t.co/oLHGMxJg91

— dimitra fotiadou (@dimitrafotiadou) March 13, 2023

According to the case file, he was also allegedly charged with resisting the police and insulting law enforcement officers.

14 protesters were immediately taken to the prosecutor’s office, as they were “caught in the act.” According to the information, the mayor of Thessaloniki Konstantinos Zervas, in a conversation with senior officials of the Greek police, expressed dissatisfaction with her actions, media reported.

Τους σέρνουν στο αυτόφωρο επειδή έκαναν καθιστική διαμαρτυρία για την άνευ λόγου σφαγή των δέντρων της Θεσσαλονίκης.Εδω ο φίλος Μιχάλης Τρεμόπουλος, δημοτικός σύμβουλος κ πρώην ευρωβουλευτής.Ντροπη και αισχος δήμαρχε Ζέρβα! pic.twitter.com/A5JN4CKY6P

— dimitra fotiadou (@dimitrafotiadou) March 13, 2023

Journalist Dimitra Fotiadowho also posted the photos, commented, “We have a gross manifestation of authoritarianism at all levels.”

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