Court backing for beach bar
Hellenikon’s beaches in southern Athens remained free to public access for a day before a business owner got court backing to reopen his nightclub yesterday after having been forcefully removed from the beach on Sunday. Under the watchful eye of riot police on Sunday, municipal authorities and local residents pulled down fencing around nightspots in a bid to free up the beaches and give residents free access to the swimming area. Local officials argue the nightspots are illegal, while business owners claim they have obtained all the necessary permits to operate their bars and cafes from other government authorities. A Piraeus court, however, stepped in yesterday and allowed the Galazio nightspot to operate just as municipal crew members were about to shut it down. Other business owners attempted to take the law into their own hands and put back the fencing that had been pulled down on Sunday. However, municipal officials were on hand to stop them from doing so.
