Pedion tou Areos

A view of Pedion tou Areos park in central Athens, in an image made available on Tuesday. As part of a series of interventions in public spaces, the Onassis Foundation has undertaken an initiative to revitalize the park.

Θα αντικατασταθούν γράφοντας το Πεδίο του Άρεως με λατινικούς χαρακτήρες «Pedion tou Areos»

At the time of year when most families usually start decorating their homes for the holiday season, Christmas trees are lined up at the Pedion tou Areos park in central Athens by growers hoping citizens will rise to the occasion.

The jurisdiction over the Pedion tou Areos, one of the capital's biggest parks, must be passed from the Attica Regional Authority to the City of Athens, according to the conservative candidate for Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.
"I cannot imagine how a regional governor can manage Pedion tou Areos. In contrast, a mayor could intervene in a substantial way," he said on Saturday.

A group of individuals attacked policemen who were on patrol inside the Pedion tou Areos park in central Athens on Monday afternoon.

According to initial information, about ten people wearing helmets attacked the policemen with wooden sticks and threw chunks of marble against them, pushing them out of the park.

The DEAFestival for deaf and hard of hearing individuals will take place at Pedion tou Areos park, the Trianon Cinema (21 Kodringtonos, Patission) and the Titania Hotel (52 Panepistimiou) from September 21 to 24, bringing the community in Greece together and raising awareness among the general public with a plethora of events.

Athens prosecutor Ilias Zagoreos launched an investigation on Thursday into claims by residents of the area around the Pedion tou Areos park in downtown Athens regarding drug dealing and other criminal activities and a parallel probe into threats against an actress and mayor who have supported the residents' campaign. 

Police have unraveled a criminal gang that had been peddling large quantities of drugs and arrested five people.

According to reports, the five suspects - Albanian nationals aged between 29 and 48 - are charged, among other felonies, with running a criminal gang, drugs distribution and illegal gun possession.

A large fire in an abandoned building on Patission Street near Pedion tou Areos park was put out without incident on Monday morning, but did force police to close down a part of the busy thoroughfare, causing traffic jams in parts of the city center.

The Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) will symbolically shut down Wednesday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in protest at what it describes as authorities' indifference over the increasing number of drug addicts finding refuge on its premises.