The Hellenic Police evacuated Syntagma Square (Constitution Square), in the heart of Athens, as a security alert was raised on Sunday morning, due to a suspicious object.
As crowds of locals and tourists gathered at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to watch and photograph the ceremonial changing of the Evzones guard, a notification about the presence of a suspicious item caused alarm among those present.
According to reports, the suspicious object in question was a backpack placed on a bicycle.
Following the alert, Greek police and fire brigade units swiftly arrived at the scene, cordoning off the square and evacuating people for safety reasons.
Syntagma Square and its surrounding vicinity remain sealed off, as investigations continue
Traffic police have diverted vehicles away from the area surrounding Syntagma Square, rerouting traffic at the intersections of Vasilissis Sofias and Sekeri Streets, as well as Amalias Avenue and Athanasiou Diakou Street.
