A SYRIZA MP defended the “rights”, as he called them, of students to break the door lock at the Athens economic university (ASOE) in an interview to Thema Radio 104.6 on Wednesday morning.

Speaking to journalists Makis Pollatos and Giannis Markrygiannis leftist MP Knostantinos Markou said the students did “the obvious”, effectively endorsing vandalism against public property.

“Students have done the obvious and to defend their second home,” he told the two journalist on air, doubling down on a statement he made in the parliament on Tuesday were he expressed his support to the student actions.

“Universities are a living space,” he said, justifying the actions of the students. As the SYRIZA MP said, “it was the University senate’s decision to pour oil on the flames”.

Markou complained that “everything is based on a plan by a police state”.
As he put it, “in this context there was this ill-fated act of the Ministry of Citizen Protection that fuelled the climate”, while he went on to accuse the Ministry of attacking students who went on to defend the open university.”

A group of students on Monday attempted to break a padlock put on a university door after a decision by the Dean. Police intervened and arrested the perpetrators. The incident, along with a tougher police stance on lawlessness on University campuses had raised concerns of widespread protests erupting in the wake of celebrations for the anniversary on November 17 of the students’ uprising in 1974 against the military junta.