Greek “Towel movement”: Sunbeds vanish one after another from Naxos – Reactions are spreading to Halkidiki

After Paros where Mikri Santa Maria beach was half freed of umbrellas and sunbeds under the pressure of the movement for free beaches, and in Naxos it seems that businessmen have become alarmed and are trying to limit violations amid revelations and big reactions.

At the Plaka beach of Naxos during the evening hours, residents noticed that trucks had arrived and started collecting sunbeds from the beach businesses. The same seems to have happened on other large beaches of the island, such as Agia Anna and Agios Prokopios.

In the case of Naxos, however, this move is “voluntary” as there has been no control by the competent services as was done in Paros, and is probably related to the information that an control is about to be carried out and sanctions imposed.

The serious complaints and the fear of sanctions

It was preceded by the serious complaint of Mrs. Eleni Andrianopoulou, a member of the movement “Save the beaches of Naxos” which mobilizes to put a brake on this situation, who stated yesterday to ERT that among other violations concerning the occupation of the greater part of beach, and in the existence of wood and cement constructions there was also the rock outcropping from the sea at Plaka beach.

In particular, Mrs. Andrianopoulou stated that with a private excavator a businessman broke and removed from the sea… the slabs, which threatens the very existence of the beach (which even bears the name Plaka for this reason) as there is a great risk of erosion from it the intervention.

The businessmen may have rushed in the evening to restore “order” to the beaches where they operate, however the violations so far can be proven both from the material that the residents have collected and will submit to the competent services, as well as from photos of the beaches that until yesterday were filled with umbrella seats.

Free beaches in Halkidiki

At the same time, the reactions are increasing and more and more people are rallying to free beaches.

In Halkidiki, which has also been facing a huge problem at the altar of tourist development for years, a group was created on social media (Citizens’ Movement of Halkidiki) which within a few hours has 2,822 members.

“On the same wavelength as the struggles of the citizens in Paros and Naxos, the time has come to claim back the beaches of Halkidiki that belong equally to all of us and to face their illegal occupation by businessmen who not only destroy the natural landscape but also exclude a large part of the citizens from accessing them”, is stated as the aim of the new movement.

So far, dozens of cases have been posted in this group where access to the sea has practically been prohibited, unless someone pays for the services of a beach bar or a hotel, while there are also reports that businessmen have erected walls that prevent access.