Lecturers at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) yesterday warned that they would walk off the job for a week every time that extremist groups of students resorted to intimidation or violence in claiming their rights.

The lecturers, who are striking today and tomorrow as a warning, have taken the action to protest a string of incidents involving far-left students that culminated on Monday in a raid on the university rector's office. A group of students barged into the office and stole telephone and computer equipment to protest the rector's decision to ban notice boards bearing political posters.

«With increasing regularity, groups of students disrupt or threaten to disrupt sessions by university officials if their conditions are not met,» the lecturers said in a statement.

«Violence or the threat of violence constitute a direct assault upon democratic institutions and freedom of thought,» they added, claiming that they are being subjected to «intimidation.»