Notaries attacked in Athens, Thessaloniki at protests against foreclosures

Notaries came under attack from members of a protest movement opposed to foreclosures of first homes at courts in Athens and Thessaloniki on Wednesday.

At the capital’s main court complex, two notaries and a lawyer managed to break through a crowd of protesters and enter the courtroom where auctions were to take place but they were subsequently surrounded by demonstrators.

There were similar scenes in Thessaloniki, where protesters verbally abused the head of the local association of notaries, Ioanna Bilisi-Chrousala.

After months of protesters blocking notaries’ access to courthouses around the country in protest at property foreclosures, the government has drafted legislation that will allow the auctions to take place online.

The electronic platform that will support property auctions is expected to go online in the coming months, Kathimerini understands.