photograph courtesy of Kaymaria Daskarolis

It is impossible to forget that Greece is the birthplace of democracy. Modern Greeks practice their right to assemble and voice their opinions in an organized—but, it must be said, not necessarily orderly—fashion on a regular basis.

Yesterday (February 14, 2007), three protests were held in Athens at mid-day. Two of these took as their subject education reforms. All three protests had the effect of shutting down roads in central Athens.

Today, February 15, Athens metro workers went on strike from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. By 11.45 a.m., metro services had shut down.

Protests, rallies, and strikes are literally a near-daily expression of democracy in Greece; without question, they have a disruptive effect. Given their sheer frequency, however, it becomes reasonable to question how well they achieve their protagonists’ aims.

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