CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND POLICE ACTIONS AGAINST PROTESTERS DURING THE PANDEMIC – THE CASE STUDY OF GREECE

The global spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was announced by the World Health Organization in 2020, leading to a radical change in reality. Previous forms of social participation were significantly curtailed, and the quotidian routine was no longer able to function in its previous form. The mounting fear for health and life, rising mortality rates, and social chaos became the catalyst for countries to introduce compulsory isolation measures. This action generated strong and often extreme reactions from the population, particularly as the restrictions began to infringe upon fundamental rights, such as the right to freedom of association. This paper primarily aims to examine the actions of law enforcement agencies against protesters in Greece during the pandemic. Media reports and internal Greek regulations relating to the COVID-19 pandemic will serve as the reference point. This article aims to answer the question of whether the police response to protests during the pandemic was proportionate to the actions of demonstrators. A qualitative content analysis methodology was employed to provide a comprehensive interpretation of existing sources and draw key conclusions. This approach was adopted to analyse communications and announcements regarding the behaviour of protesters and law enforcement agencies during the study period.