Municipal crews in northern Greece used bulldozers this week to remove privately owned umbrellas, sun loungers, tables and chairs that had been fixed to Kalyves beach, saying the equipment blocked public access to the shoreline.
The operation began at 7 a.m. and targeted items that had been anchored, locked or otherwise installed as permanent structures without authorization.
Some umbrellas were reportedly secured with iron or embedded in concrete, complicating their removal.
The intervention came days after the municipality cleared about 100 umbrellas and loungers from nearby Gerakini beach. Several umbrellas were reportedly put back hours after that operation, highlighting the continuing dispute over the use of public shoreline areas.
Vasilis Fardogiannis, Polygyros’ deputy mayor for everyday services, said some short-term rental property owners were supplying beach equipment to tenants as part of the rental package.
“Together with the room key, they give the tenant a key that corresponds to an umbrella on the beach,” Mr. Fardogiannis said, according to reports carried by the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.
Mr. Fardogiannis said the municipality’s aim was to ensure that beaches remained accessible to everyone, rather than allowing people with homes near the coast to reserve public space for private use.
The removed umbrellas and loungers were classified as waste and taken to a recycling facility, authorities said.
The operations reflect a broader national dispute over illegal occupation of Greek beaches, particularly during the peak summer tourism season.
Municipalities and state services have increased inspections of fixed umbrellas, sunbeds, tables and other structures that restrict access or operate without the required permits.
The municipality said it would continue intervening wherever necessary to keep public beaches open and accessible to residents and visitors.