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More than 2,500 policemen will be involved in the measures to ensure the public order, on the part of the Chief Police Directorate, during the parade and school procession next Monday and Tuesday in the centre of Athens on the occasion of Greece’s national holiday.

A senior officer said yesterday that the police plan would be similar to that applied last year.

Among other things, it provides for the creation of a "dead" zone within a radius of a few dozen metres from the rostrum of the officials in front of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. In particular, on Tuesday (when the military parade will take place), access to the upper part of the central Syntagma Square will be permitted only after showing a special invitation - pass. The passes (about 800 in number) will be handed out by the District Administration of Attica.

The plan of the General Police Directorate provides for the deployment of a cordon of about 2,500 uniformed officers along the parade route but this number does not include the riot forces that will be ready for action in the case of incidents.

Moreover, according to the information of the trade unions of policemen, all days off and leaves of absence of the uniformed staff during the two days from 24 March to 25 March have been cancelled, and all police forces in Attica have been ordered to be ready for action.

The police however are concerned due to the call of the federation of secondary education employees to the local unions of teachers to organize protests on the days of school parades that will take place on occasion of the national holiday of Greece on 25 March. According to sources, there are planned rallies, protests with banners, and more.

In any case, officers from the General Police Directorate stress that "no one will be allowed to prevent the planned celebrations from running smoothly."

It is expected that the movement of motor vehicles will be restricted in many places in central Athens and that the underground at Syntagma Square will not be running.