Minister: Taking aim at campus crime

The mission of the new police force to serve on university campuses will be to avoid the "humiliation" of any more rectors, Citizens' Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis told Kathimerini in an interview, citing the October 2020 attack on the Athens University of Economics and Business rector, when anarchists hung a sign around his neck with a pro-squatting slogan on it.

"The issue is not just to investigate crimes. Our goal is to prevent them," he said, adding that the officers will be taking their orders on their daily duties from the Greek Police (ELAS).

Chrysochoidis said officers will only intervene in student sit-ins if university authorities judge that a specific activity is hindering the operation of the university.

They will, however, have the authority to intervene and detain a suspect in cases of crimes, such as drug dealing.