On Wednesday, trade unions and student groups across Greece launched a coordinated strike and demonstration, demanding higher public‑education spending and measures to ease the soaring cost of living, while authorities prepared to deploy roughly 3,000 police officers in Athens to curb possible unrest.
**What are the protesters demanding?**
Students have erected tents in [Syntagma Square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntagma_Square), directly outside the [Greek Parliament](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenic_Parliament), calling for lower rents, increased housing subsidies, more student accommodation and the hiring of additional teaching staff. The ADEDY trade union confederation, representing public‑sector workers, announced walkouts to show solidarity with the education protests and to allow parents to join the rallies.
**Key facts:**
- Approximately 3,000 police officers are slated for deployment in Athens alone, according to media reports.
- Around 3,000 public‑sector employees are expected to participate in the walkouts.
- The student tents were set up in the capital’s central square as a visible sign of dissent.
- ADEDY stated, "The action is intended to show solidarity with the education protests and allow employees, including parents, to take part in demonstrations and rallies."
**Broader European context**
The Greek demonstrations follow similar unrest in other European nations. France, the eurozone’s second‑largest economy, experienced some of its worst rioting in recent years over high living costs. Smaller clashes were also reported in Milan, Italy, and in Belgium over the weekend.
The strike reflects growing frustration among Greek citizens over inflationary pressures and perceived under‑investment in the education sector, with unions and students urging the government to adopt more robust fiscal measures.