Protecting shop owners
Greece’s lingering financial crisis and the overall decline observed in Athens over the past few years have taken a hefty toll on the capital’s commercial district.
With just a few days to go before the Christmas holiday break, local store-owners are waiting for economic activity in the market to pick up in the hope that they will be able to make up for the losses from a very tough year.
Unfortunately for them, the city center is shut down almost daily by groups of protesters.
We are not talking here about huge demonstrations, but they are big enough to choke traffic right in the heart of the capital, halt public transport, and put an enormous strain on commuters.
This cannot go on forever. The Greek government must at some point follow the example of other countries in the European Union and introduce strict rules governing where and how protest rallies can be held.
