×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Saturday
17
Jan 2026
weather symbol
Athens 8°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> Greece

Hundreds of foreigners in Athens defy Covid measures – Greek Minister Georgiadis: “unacceptable” (videos)

Police enforce laws against Greeks but not foreigners, many online users claimed

Newsroom January 3 11:36

The Minister of Development and Investment, Adonis Georgiadis, dubbed ‘unacceptable’ the images of large numbers of Pakistanis flooding Syntagma Square for the celebration of the New Year, in an interview this morning on Ant1 TV on Monday morning.

While Greeks were forced to comply with the strict Covid-19 measures, under the pain of fines, many foreigners, the majority of whom reportedly of Pakistani origin, totally ignored the law and roamed the centre of the Greek capital on the new year’s eve with no consequence.

“These images are completely unacceptable. As soon as I saw them, I called the police and they told me that this lasted for about half an hour,” said Georgiadis about images and videos that surfaced online showing hundreds of foreigners who crowded the centre of Athens in front of the Parliament despite the Covid measures.

 

@mohamodmahammed♬ الصوت الأصلي – Mohamod Mahammed

He added that the police told him that they had been informed that there would be no event, due to the measures for the pandemic and that the gathered people had left Syntagma Square within half an hour.

 

@mohamodmahammedAthens,?? Greece??????♬ الصوت الأصلي – Mohamod Mahammed

>Related articles

Less alcohol and lower speeds with the new Highway Code and strict fines

Farmers’ unions cancel meeting with Mitsotakis, plan escalation with new roadblocks

Agatha Christie’s 1958 visit to the Acropolis captured in unpublished photo

In videos posted on social media, hundreds of people could be seen celebrating the new year, causing an outcry by many Greeks who said police were using double standards in implementing the rules in favour of foreigners.

also read

Turkish inflation breaks 19-year record

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#athens#celebrations#New Year's Eve#Pakistanis#syntagma square
> More Greece

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

New tensions in the Middle East as Trump invites regional leaders to the Gaza Peace Council

January 17, 2026

Weather: A return to winter in the coming days – Cold and strong northerly winds – Kolydas’ post

January 17, 2026

A view of Nikolaos Stasinopoulos of Viohalco – The “enduring imprint” of Greece’s greatest industrialist

January 17, 2026

The horror of the “Tariff of the Dead”: how the Iranian regime prices the bodies of protesters

January 17, 2026

Mitsotakis on the Karystianou party: “There is a long distance between being the parent of a tragedy victim and being the leader of a political party”

January 17, 2026

Patras in carnival mode – This evening, the city’s official opening ceremony

January 17, 2026

Greenland as the first line ofdefense for the U.S. and NATO:

January 17, 2026

Changes at top universities: Oxford abolishes the term ‘doctores’ for inclusion reasons

January 17, 2026
All News

> Greece

Weather: A return to winter in the coming days – Cold and strong northerly winds – Kolydas’ post

Winter tightens Its grip across Greece as cold spell persists

January 17, 2026

A view of Nikolaos Stasinopoulos of Viohalco – The “enduring imprint” of Greece’s greatest industrialist

January 17, 2026

Patras in carnival mode – This evening, the city’s official opening ceremony

January 17, 2026

Weather: Noticeable drop in temperature from today – Where it will snow and at which altitudes

January 17, 2026

President of Air Traffic Controllers: Another communications blackout possible in the near future

January 16, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα