Paros Island Council Backs Take Back Beaches Movement – Next Year – the National Herald

Beach in Santorini © 2023 Deepika Shrestha Ross

Limited in its authority, the municipal council on the island of Paros that’s overrun with unlawful businesses occupying public beaches and charging users for umbrellas and lounge beds said there should be inspections.

But officials on the island said the overall jurisdiction belongs to the Finance Ministry, with the government leasing space on prime spots to private operators although there are many that have unlawfully taken over beaches…

Angry Greeks Take Back Public Beach Movement Grows, State Reacts – the National Herald

Asteras Beach Glyfada Athens, Greece (by Falco Ermert CC BY 2.0 via Flickr).

The spread of take back public beaches movement in rebellion against private interests blocking access and charging for renting sunbeds and umbrellas has spurred Greece’s government into promising violators would be punished.

The ruling New Democracy has, like previous governments, done little to prevent the takeover of public beaches that has proliferated, especially on islands, in a bid to lure more foreign tourists, enriching the companies using public lands…