On Sunday in Athens, a large crowd of Greeks gathered to protest the impending implementation of biometric ID cards, criticizing it as a step towards a surveillance-based society.
The rally, estimated to have 2,500 attendees, featured slogans such as "No to electronic slavery" and "democracy has referendums, fascism decrees."
One protester, Dionysis Alexopoulos, expressed concerns about the potential misuse of personal data with the new ID cards. He speculated that they could be used to control access to hospitals or public places based on vaccination status. Another participant, Sofia Kanelopoulou, argued that such a significant matter should be decided through a referendum rather than through undemocratic government action.
The Greek government recently announced that the process of obtaining new ID cards would commence on September 25, citing the country's obligation to comply with European regulations aimed at enhancing ID document security.
Despite Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' reassurances that the new cards would not include a chip or camera, over 2,000 people gathered in Thessaloniki for a similar protest last week. Archbishop Ieronymos, the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, also called for caution and wisdom regarding the issue, stating that the church's highest ecclesiastical body, the holy synod, would provide their stance on the matter.
