The perils of the ‘Keratea method’
Ongoing developments in Keratea, southeast of Athens, where residents have been violently protesting the planned construction of a landfill in the area for the past three months, are a threat to our democratic system.
The government hesitated when the violent riots first broke out and now it is finding hard to deal with a situation that has begun to look like a civil war.
However, unless the officials manage to calm the situation, the violent standoff could lead to casualties. The most respected individuals in the area, such as the metropolitan bishop of Lavreotiki, and other public figures must join forces to remind citizens of the absurdity of violence and halt the outrageous attacks on police officers.
For its part, the government cannot afford to backpedal. Doing so will send a message that any government decision can be reversed by using the Keratea method. It?s a method which, regardless of what the locals may thing about the right of their claims, could wreck the foundations of our democracy.
