Sparks fly in House over ban on large gatherings

The ban by the Hellenic Police on large gatherings of more than 100 people to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus until February 1 was denounced Tuesday in Parliament by opposition parties as an affront to democracy.

One SYRIZA lawmaker referred to an "anti-democratic choice" that targets democracy, while another in the Communist Party (KKE) bemoaned that "the government is sowing the wind and will reap the whirlwind."

In response, ND lawmakers rued that the issue was being exploited for petty partisan reasons. 

The measure, which was announced by ELAS chief Michalis Karamalakis on Monday, became effective as of 6 a.m. Tuesday and prohibits more than 100 people from gathering at any given time in any private or public setting.

The measure seeks to discourage gatherings like large parties and protest rallies that have the potential of becoming...