Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was confronted by protesters on his visit to Lesvos this week for the 14th Regional Conference on Production and Reconstruction in the North Aegean.
On Thursday while giving a speech, some 3,000 local residents turned out to the main square of Mytilene to voice their concerns about overcrowded conditions of refugee camps, such as the Moria registration centre, and the resulting consequences of life on the island.
They also protested against the Greek soldiers still held in Turkey, and the increased VAT. In a show of solidarity, all local businesses in the area closed up early.
It would seem the demonstration was anticipated with hundreds of riot police on guard at the building where the PM was due to speak.
It wasn’t just civilians who expressed their concerns however; the PM was also given a written statement of complaints by the island’s Mayor Spyros Galinos before Tsipras gave his address.
While the PM did acknowledge that “Mistakes have been made and there are [infrastructure] shortages”, he added that protesters could have gone about having their concerns heard in other, more constructive ways, such as attending the conference.
“If they were here we would listen carefully but would ask them to make proposals,” he said.
“They chose the road of tension in an environment already burdened by three years of an international refugee crisis.”
The conference, which contributes to the drafting of the National Development Strategy 2021, is aimed at boosting economic prospects and quality of life on the islands.
