Mayor’s protest goes on
The mayor of Athens’s seafront suburb of Hellenikon, Christos Kortzidis, enters the fourth day of his hunger strike today, saying he has been encouraged by messages of support from other Attica mayors. Kortzidis told Kathimerini that more than 15 mayors had backed his protest which aims to highlight the illegal operation of nightclubs and other businesses along the beach. «It was a pleasant surprise to see that not just municipalities which are hostages but also municipalities which do not have their own beaches fully understand our predicament,» Kortzidis said. Tourism Minister Fani Palli-Petralia also expressed support for the Hellenikon mayor’s protest. Kortzidis is also protesting plans to sell off the marina that hosted the sailing event for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. But Christos Hadjiemmanouil, the head of Hellenic Olympic Properties which is responsible for managing the site, said Kortzidis was wrong to complain as the move «will earn some 853 million euros per year for the Greek state.»
