On the Greek island of Paros, locals rioted and declared war on tourists to fight back against the “unlawful occupation” of beaches. They created the “Towel Movement” after being tired of not being able to find a free spot on the beach due to aggressive sunbed rental companies, the Daily Mail reports.
Angry Greeks claim that illegal entrepreneurs impose expensive sunbeds on tourists and do not leave space for residents to relax on the beach. In July, rioters staged a demonstration on the shores of the Aegean Sea with hand-painted banners reading: “Return the Beach: Movement of Paros Citizens for Free Beaches.”
As the movement spreads to other islands, Kostis Hadzidakis, Greece’s minister of national economy and finance, has ordered police to step up patrols in popular areas and stop illegal activities. “We will not give the beach to anyone,” he promised.
Greece is breaking records for tourist arrivals this year, and as a result, many small companies have sprung up in the country, charging for the reservation of towels and sunbeds on the best beaches. Yes, the Save Paros Beaches company asks tourists for 60 euros to rent an umbrella and two sunbeds per day. For 120 euros, visitors can enjoy the VIP area.
Residents who oppose this state of affairs point out that the beaches are public and available to everyone for free. Their statement reads: “We are asserting our right to public space, our right to use our beaches. They are encroached upon by greedy, irresponsible businessmen who completely occupy the beaches or go far beyond the zone that they have the right to rent legally.”
The first small success of the Greek movement was the closure of three sunbed rental companies on the beach of Santa Maria on the island of Paros as a result of an investigation and study of the Syros land registry. The main city of Syros, Ermupuli, is the administrative capital of the South Aegean region.
The movement on Paros found a response from residents of other Cycladic islands, locals expressed similar concerns about the situation in Thessaly, Naxos, and Rhodes. Greek publication Hellas Posts reported on Wednesday that residents of Naxos were “rioting” in response to the “criminal behavior of beach bars” that guarantee seats on the beach for purchases.
Olena Andrianopoulou, a member of the movement in Naxos, said: “In a few days, more than 3,500 members joined our group on social networks. We wrote an open letter signed by more than one and a half thousand people, which we will send to the prosecutor’s office and the authorities. At the same time, we started filming the situation on key beaches from a drone to compare it with concession decisions and identify violations of the law.”