Greek universities are distinguished and respected in Europe for their knowledgeable professors and their high achieving graduates. However, if we look at Greek universities more deeply, we observe a problematic situation that has been ongoing for over 40 years and seems rather irreversible.

Vandalized buildings with graffiti on the walls and the occupation of classrooms whenever there is a slight issue, members of youth political factions running de facto the entire operation of the university, and not to speak of the so-called eternal university students that can fail courses as many times as they wish, all while being sustained with taxpayer money from hard working Greeks: looking at these problems, it is easy to see that Greek universities are a mess. But how did this dangerous situation flourish?

The decline started in the 1970s, when Greece was governed for 7 years by a military junta. During a huge uprising against the junta in November 1973 by the students from the Athens Polytechnic University, the military junta decided to invade the university by crashing the gates with a tank. Tragically, this crackdown led to the death of 24 students.

After the restoration of democracy, the government introduced a law, commonly known as the asylum law, which prohibits the police from entering university grounds in order to safeguard the academic freedom of research and the right to free speech, both of which are seen as necessary tools for the circulation of ideas.

Up to this day, Greek universities do not have security guards protecting them, and entry to the buildings and classrooms is not restricted by anyone, to anyone. This status quo created a fertile ground for lawless elements to flourish around universities that now acted as safe havens for criminals. For example, violent protesters that are not enrolled at the universities have been using the buildings as safe havens to launch and finish fights against the police. In the last few years, the situation has escalated as universities have become havens for crime, prompting students and professors to protest widespread drug use, drug peddling and assaults against professors.

Now, however, the new Greek government has announced a repeal of this law. Since the law was repealed, collisions between policemen and anarchic forces inside universities have surged. Last week, the police decided to show to the general public what was actually occuring inside universities during the application of the asylum law. During its first raid of the Athens University of Economics and Business, the police shared a video of the operation in which a basement full of bottles of alcohol, motorbike helmets, wooden poles, full face beanies, hammers and pieces of rocks and marbles are all clearly visible. These items have been used by anarchists for their street riots, usually against the police. Despite the disgraceful findings, there have been multiple reactions and protests all over Greece, since many people still connect the repeal of the asylum law to the 1973 event.

Two students of AUEB, looking at their destroyed university walls. Anarchic forces put paint inside fire extinguishers to destroy the walls, as Konstantinos P. attests. Photo courtesy of Konstantinos P.

Of course, the move has proved unpopular with university students. A third-year student in a University of Athens, who decided to stay anonymous and was interviewed by The Gazelle, argues that “a university is the freest structure one can find in a society. Although there should be ways of keeping the spaces safe and free, everyone should be able to access these spaces and lectures. Having to monitor who gets in and out of the buildings seems like tracing to me; having cameras all around our universities reminds me of an Orwellian concept.”

This opposition has, however, led to even more violence at the hands of students. In an interview with The Gazelle, Konstantions P., a third year student in AUEB, revealed, “In the past few weeks, things have gotten out of control. Without any exaggeration, students confessed to me that they were walking outside the university and were afraid. At a random time, they would see 20 anarchists with bats out in the street and the only thing they could do is stand still and look down, hoping they would not get beaten up.”

This kind of response only further justifies the need to repeal the law. Greece already tried the recipe of the university asylum, and it only resulted in having 20 anarchists with bats chasing students for the opinions they express. Its abolishment means that a few guards and policemen around universities will now be able to protect everyone from lawlessness, and this will guarantee that students attend their classes safely. Safety must never be sacrificed in the name of freedom of expression. Besides, having this law in place has resulted less in the free exchange of ideas and more in teaching how to make the perfect molotov cocktail.

At the end of the day, if we want academic integrity to be protected, then we have to keep out individuals not enrolled in any of the programs and give back to students an environment conducive to learning. Getting accepted to the university’s program was not a result of a raffle, but an outcome of years of studying in order to enter the university in a meritocratic manner. Anyone wishing to attend a class or an event in the university should be recorded in the entrance and monitored to ensure everyone's safety and to protect their freedom to exchange ideas without any restrictions. Those who see this as an Orwellian surveillance measure should not worry about being traced, unless they have something to hide or have committed a punishable violation.

The past belongs to the history books, but the future is in our hands. Nations that do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. My interpretation is found in the vicious circle Greece has entered into during the past four decades, during which the universities’ breakdown resulted in a huge brain drain of Greek students. Thus, at this point in history, every Greek citizen needs to assume responsibility for what they stand for and consider that abolishing university asylum is the beginning of a process that will allow us to tidy up the fundamental structures of our nation.