Syntagma Square

Three separate rallies held at different times of the day are expected to cause major traffic and public transportation problems in Athens and Thessaloniki on Thursday, as unions protest a government bill for boosting economic growth that is due to be ratified in Parliament.

Hundreds gathered at Athens' Syntagma Square on Wednesday for a concert featuring several popular acts, organized by the KETHEA rehabilitation network in protest at a government decision curbing its independence. [InTime News]

Traffic restrictions will take effect Saturday and Sunday in central Athens due to the "Race for the Cure" run and walk.
The event is part of a global initiative to support women who have dealt with breast cancer.

"The tall doorman in the green suit" is how most people who work, live or frequently pass through Syntagma Square in downtown Athens know Dimitris Taktikos, even though they don't know his name. Taktikos has stood at his post in front of the elegant entrance of the Grande Bretagne for the past 35 years.

Transport authorities are mulling the reopening of the section of the Athens tram network that runs between the neighborhood of Neos Kosmos and downtown Syntagma Square which was suspended last October amid concerns that the ground beneath the tracks was at risk of subsiding.
According to officials, fears about the potential risks were exaggerated.

A pigeon drinks from a fountain in Syntagma Square, downtown Athens, on Friday, as daytime highs flirted with the 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) mark in many parts of the country.

A leading member of Rouvikonas (Greek for Rubicon) was detained Monday after he warned on Facebook that the anti-establishment group planned to target popular tourist spots with their protest stunts.
Reports identified the man as Giorgos Kalaitzidis.

Police in Athens on Tuesday were questioning two Iraqi nationals in connection with the knifing of a kiosk worker on Monday night near Syntagma Square.
One of the two men is alleged to have stabbed the employee while robbing the kiosk on Vasilissis Amalias Avenue.
A customer at the kiosk also sustained minor injuries during the incident.

A small group of around 15 hooded individuals slipped past guards and splashed paint near the front entrance to Greece's Parliament building on Tuesday.

The incident occurred shortly after 2 p.m. and the assailants were able to climb up the stairs beside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and up to the front courtyard of Parliament, which is normally out of bounds for the public.

A woman sits at a bus station as a man walks in front of an election kiosk of the main opposition New Democracy party during pre-election preparations in central Syntagma square, in Athens, Saturday. Greece will hold local elections at the same time as European Parliament polls on May 26, followed by a national vote expected in October. [EPA]