The “Library” project of EL.AS. in Thessaloniki, the first test appearance of the University Police with mixed patrols on the campus of the Aristotle University and its full operation with the new academic year, are the three pillars of an ambitious project of the Ministry of Citizen Protection to enter the chaos of universities. . In fact, they believe that the coming weeks will determine the political, operational and educational levels as all the plans of the co-competent ministries will be unfolded. A key point is the construction of the unified library at the School of Sciences of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, for which the previous days were explosive with hooded raid who vandalized the work site, episodes with MAT forces, arrests and politics against. The Police received clear orders from the Minister of Citizen Protection to implement the law and to complete the construction, even for the Police to monitor the area 24 hours a day for many months.

At the same time, the University Institutions Protection Teams (OPPI) should enter the game, assuming in the first phase a supporting role at the level of patrols in the area. The teams are accompanied by armed police, as the estimates of the staff say that at least the first period will turn red for the hooded men. The training of the 400 special guards of OPPI, which started on January 17, is completed.

After taking a leave of 10-15 days, the first 100 will start patrolling at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The goal is for the four major universities in Athens in October and Thessaloniki will be able to support the plan for the operation of the University Police. For this reason, it is planned to install magnetic gates at the entrances, as well as cameras, and to operate the special centers.

Permanent storage in the “Organic”

The first step in the plan of the ministry is the completion of the work of the library in the area that for 34 years was under occupation and operated under the name “Hangout in the Organic”. The site was evacuated on New Year’s Day, while the first crews and contractors appeared to start the works during the Easter holidays. However, as we saw the previous days after a party in the area, vandals destroyed everything that had been done.

After recording and assessing the damage, the crews re-entered the area, with the Police having prepared a special plan for the completion of the works. According to all valid information, the business plan of EL.AS. codenamed “Library Plan” includes three axes and the work must be completed, no matter how many months. The first axis has to do with the mapping of all the countries of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the entrances and exits of the places where parties take place in which “bahalakides” infiltrate. In fact, the officers handling the case are in constant contact with the rectory authorities in order to jointly determine their actions.

The establishment of EL.AS. is to avoid large parties with hundreds of people and alcohol consumption on campus as much as possible, as it is considered certain that a minority of young people will try to create episodes. The second axis of the plan concerns the 24-hour presence at the point where the library is constructed, even if it is reinforced with the forces of MAT. For the first time, there should be a cage in the area and men with full equipment should be ready to intervene in case some people try to interfere in the work.

At this point in the plan there is a special indication of how they will act in the event of a problem, as analysts say they will react from small portions of students and teachers. They estimate that the place where such mobilizations will take place is in Chemiou Square, directly opposite the Department of Biology.

The third axis of the plan concerns the continuous inspections and patrols around it, in order to map the groups and individuals who will probably try to create episodes at the AUTh premises. Of course, if tension arises, security forces will be on the scene to intervene immediately and prevent action.

Special guards

In the project “Library” of EL.AS. The special guards hired to staff the OPPI must also play a key role. Their four-month training has been completed and the only thing left to do is to submit to the implementing decree in order for the 400 men and women of the University Police to take action. According to the first data, after the completion of the training, a leave of 10-15 days is given until the implementing decree is voted and then it will be placed according to the plan of the headquarters of EL.AS. and of course the Ministry of Education.

The plan includes the creation of a University Police Sub-Directorate in GADA, which will serve 300 men and women of the new service and an OPPI Department in GADTH, where the 100 special guards will be deployed. For the department of Thessaloniki -of course after the clarification of the decision of the CoC and the enactment of the special law that will determine the details of the operation of OPPI- to take action by patrolling the campus of AUTh.

The ladders are mixed, with policemen armed to accompany the special guards of the University Police, in an attempt to slowly get from theoretical training to practice. This is because in the four months that the training program lasted, 400 (300 men and 100 women) took part in virtual conditions to deal with intrusions into the space, occupying halls, attacks on students and teachers, clashes between students of different factions, dealing with vandalism, drug trafficking, robbery, theft and even trafficking. These may all have been virtual reality scenarios, but they are based on real events that took place in universities across the country in recent years.

The main part of the training is to immobilize and handcuff suspects, to deal with the arrangements as calmly and effectively as possible by making gentle use of the clubs they will have. It is worth noting that out of 400, 365 are graduates of universities and thus have excellent knowledge of the faculties since they themselves attended them until a few months ago. At the same time, they have already been trained in relation to the Penal Code, while they will not carry weapons and will only carry defense equipment, ie clubs and handcuffs.

However, in the next specific period of time, an amendment should be passed by the Ministry of Civil Protection that will allow the special guards of the House to carry weapons only outside the university, so that during the summer months the closed educational institutions can staff other services. THE GREEK POLICE. The special security plans of the countries expressed by the officers of the new Corps in cooperation with the rector’s authorities have the basic elements required for the University Police to function as well as possible.

The most important thing is the controlled entry. That is, to enter turnstiles and become students, teachers and employees to enter and exit with magnetic cards. The equipment has not been installed in the four universities in Athens and Thessaloniki where the OPPI will operate and specifically until it happens in October at the latest. Ideally, for the operation of the new House, used by the cameras, but so far it has not been clarified whether and when the systems will ever be installed.

Takis Theodorikakos at “protothema.gr”

“Lawlessness has no place in universities”

The Minister of Citizen Protection Takis Theodorikakos emphasizes in “protothema.gr” that “Universities are places of freedom, knowledge and creation. The “professional idiots” who insult the university community and ultimately our State have nothing to do with these values. They have nothing to do with Democracy and its ideals, authoritarian perceptions of yesterday. They are real fossils of the past, pursuing other purposes by insisting on illegal, criminal acts. We guarantee security in the universities of our country so that students and their families can be sure that they will have the education they deserve. Defending moderation and rational thinking our commitments to the Greek people. Against any extortionate logic wherever it comes from. The pockets of lawlessness have no place in the universities of our country. The Protection Institutions of the University Institutions in a few days that should not take over their duties. The Ministry of Citizen Protection and EL.AS. they are already fulfilling their mission in the service of the citizen “.