Students and police clash in Greece as debate rages over legalizing private universities

By SRDJAN NEDELJKOVIC and COSTAS KANTOURIS
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Police and student protesters have clashed in the Greek capital after a demonstration against government plans to allow private universities. Demonstrators on Thursday attacked police cordons, set fire to trash dumpsters and threw stones at riot police near parliament and later during clashes along the capital’s narrow streets. Police responded with tear gas and made several arrests. The center-right government wants to legalize privately run universities in a bill due to go before parliament this month. The government argues that the reform would prevent skilled people from leaving the country and make higher education more relevant to the labor market.