Athens, 15 July 2021 (dpa/MIA) – Around 4,000 people protested in Athens on Wednesday against a package of new coronavirus rules that ramp up the pressure on the public to get vaccinated. Alongside the thousands that turned out in front of the Greek parliament in Athens, police said several hundred people also took to the streets in the cities of Thessaloniki and Heraklion for the same reason. These were the largest anti-vaxxer demonstrations in Greece to date, state radio reported. The demonstrations followed the Greek government’s announcement on Monday that only vaccinated people would be allowed to eat inside at restaurants and to enter cultural institutions. Carers and health care workers will also require vaccination under the new rules, with those refusing facing dismissal. Compulsory vaccination will also apply to those serving in the armed forces, including conscripts. Demonstrators complained that anti-vaxxers were having an increasingly difficult time, and that they should retain the right not to be vaccinated. The number of new infections in Greece has skyrocketed in the past 10 days following the relaxation of pandemic restrictions. Coronavirus experts believe that nightlife and partying teenagers are largely responsible for the rise. Photos by MIA’s reporter