Student protest over class size gets violent in Greece

ATHENS, GREECE — Greek police used tear gas Thursday to disperse violently protesting state high school students who have organized scores of school strikes in response to classroom overcrowding during the coronavirus pandemic.

Brief clashes broke out near the parliament in central Athens after students threw several gasoline bombs at police. Two protesters, aged 17 and 20, were arrested on public disturbance charges. No injuries were reported.

Several hundred people, including state school teachers and college students, took part in the protest which was mostly peaceful.

School protest groups say many classrooms at state-run schools are overcrowded. The state high school teachers’ union, which endorsed Thursday’s protest, wants classes limited to a maximum 15 children and is asking for more teachers and school cleaners to be hired. The government says the average nationwide class size is 17 children.

Authorities have been alarmed by a recent increase in daily coronavirus cases, mostly in the Greek capital. Another 411 confirmed infections — including 272 in the greater Athens region — were announced Thursday and two deaths, raising the overall death toll to 393.

Recent localized outbreaks concerning health officials include a nursing home in central Athens where dozens of elderly residents had to be hospitalized, and at several villages outside Athens where the transmission was linked to a funeral.

And additional restrictions were announced for two weeks on the island of Kythnos.