Heated Debate in Parliament Between Zoë Konstantopoulou and Andreas Nikolakopoulos

A heated exchange took place in the Greek Parliament between Zoë Konstantopoulou, President of the Party ‘Sailing for Freedom,’ and Deputy Minister for Citizen Protection, Andreas Nikolakopoulos. The debate centered around incidents that occurred during a February 28th demonstration marking the second anniversary of a tragic train accident in Tempi. Konstantopoulou accused law enforcement of orchestrating attacks against citizens and engaging in para-state actions against protesters. In response, Nikolakopoulos emphasized that the police’s primary goal on February 28th was to ensure the safe conduct of the demonstration and protect citizens’ safety, denying any injuries to civilians. He invited Konstantopoulou to present evidence if she had proof of such claims. Highlighting that only about 500 individuals, mostly anti-authoritarian groups and organized sports fans, were responsible for violent acts near Parliament, Nikolakopoulos pointed out that 29 police officers were injured during the events. Meanwhile, Konstantopoulou reiterated her stance, accusing the government and the Ministry of promoting police brutality and misconduct without accountability. She criticized the Prime Minister for covering up unlawful police actions against peaceful demonstrators. Tensions escalated as both parties exchanged accusations regarding the alleged involvement of para-state elements and the treatment of injured police officers.