The Monument to the Unknown Soldier in front of the Greek Parliament in downtown Athens is being reinforced with strict security measures, after the Ministry of Citizen Protection took over its guarding.

Almost 200 police officers will be on duty daily in four shifts, with 50 people in each shift, according to media information.

Crews from several police departments such as a platoon of the Ministry of Interior will be on the steps to the Parliament, six police officers from the OPKE will patrol around the monument, while DI.AS. vehicles will patrol the Syntagma Square. In addition, a platoon of the YAT and DRASI officers will be on standby for immediate intervention, if necessary.

The orders given are clear: no protests or the placement of objects around the monument are allowed, without disturbing candles or names, and in the event of mobilizations, every means, with courtesy, is to be used to remove the demonstrators.

Marches and gatherings will be met with barriers along the side of Amalias Avenue.

However, the Ministry of Citizen Protection points out that the reinforcement of the monument’s guard will reduce the number of police officers available for the daily safety of citizens, while responsibility for possible tensions is placed on political centers that seek to provoke tension.

The Monument of the Unknown soldier became an issue for the government, after Panos Ruci, a father of one of the 57 victims of the train crash in Tempi launched a 3-week long hunger strike demanding justice for his son and a group of relatives and supporters had staged an unofficial monument with the names of all victims and candles at night.