THOUSANDS of university students and supporters took part in a protest in central Athens today to oppose plans by Greece’s right-wing government to allow privately run universities.

The protesters, chanting “students united will win,” filed past the main Athens University building and statues of the ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Socrates as they marched through central Athens and riot police took up positions in side streets.

The Greek government, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is pushing through several key pieces of legislation early in the new year, taking advantage of a landslide re-election in 2023 and what appears to be a huge lead in opinion polls.