In a tourist season that is not developing as well as we expected - the causes in general seem to be the reduced purchasing power of the Europeans, the excessive increases on our part of many services, the two consecutive Greek elections that delayed the exit of the Greeks, and so much more that my poor mind cannot detect-, with the big fires, especially the one in Rhodes, revealing how vulnerable the tourism product is, even in the most important destinations, but also how helpless we are to preserve our natural and cultural wealth.

In this pessimistic environment, something new was born which gave us in the heat a sense of coolness and optimism.

The "towel movement" which as a slogan does not correspond to the original one, which characterized the initiative of the citizens of Paros with the name "Movement of Paros Citizens for Free Beaches-Save Paros beaches", or with what, depending on the region, was characterized as the "Movement for Free Public Spaces" or anything else. Finally, however, I realized that the movement, which has now taken on a national dimension, is not belittled by the name "towel". It has both power and concentration and humor and clarity. After all, the most important movements had modest slogans: "One-one-four", "Change", "We stay in Europe", "the pot movement" in Cuba, "the yellow vests" in France. Because in the end, if you remove the political dimension from it - because it is a political act to claim your rights - in practice the citizens of Paros, with militancy and humor, did not claim the occupation of the summer palaces, or the occupation of the Bastille. People want the ramps, the ones that kids swam in and the ones that want to roll out their towels and swim their kids in, all within the legality of state laws.

For the record, the movement made its first move with its manifesto at the beginning of the summer, having clearly recorded its goals: "The Movement of Citizens of Paros for the Beaches is a "from below" collective of citizens of the island. We are united by the concern for the shrinking of public space and our displacement from the beaches of our country. We are concerned about the consolidation of lawlessness and indecency on the beaches of Paros by businesses that exploit parts of the beaches and arbitrarily occupy the common area with deckchairs and umbrellas, far beyond the limits stipulated in the concession contracts they have signed. We defend the right of the citizens and visitors of our island to free access to the beaches we love. The Greek summer is part of our soul, it is part of our identity: let's not allow anyone to take it away from us."

The movement held a founding meeting and two occupations planned in a secular and gentle way on respective beaches in which 200 and 500 citizens participated respectively, who claimed to bathe, and was treated positively by the majority of Parian society, while of course there were also the relevant reactions from the affected illegal professionals. The impact of the movement also reached the Athenian media, and finally, after the fires subsided at the end of July, -Umberto Eco wrote the famous phrase as the title of the book "There is no news in August"-, the "towel" movement became first subject.

I personally had no reason to get involved and write about the movement - its leaders presented it to the media with absolute clarity and clarity - and private conversations with them convinced me that the action was developing methodically and wisely. Until yesterday I read an article on an authoritative website that said: “But the leaders of the 'towel movement' deep down want to see umbrellas and sunbeds disappear altogether. Make the beaches like they were in the 60s and 70s" and a little further on "Some civil servants have woken up now, some managers' wives who have their headquarters in Kifissias, some retirees who have nothing to do, some children who haven't entered yet in the gears of bio-wrestling and some ecologists who don't like anything about the time they live in... they are the ones who made the "towel movement".

I felt one big shame and an anger welled up inside me, as the journalist turned into a seer, a psychoanalyst, who knows the intentions of the people fighting for legitimacy and free beaches. He didn't bother to read the texts and the claims, the journalistic coverage of the events, the arbitrariness, the brazenness and the cynicism of some businessmen, "I don't have a license, let them come and get me". He didn't bother to look at the photos, young people, teachers, visitors, foreign residents. And immediately after in another article, also in a valid form, another journalist turns the movement for free beaches into the "tagari movement", but also another series of comments and articles on the Internet that slandered and slandered, the most important movement in society of the citizens around the preservation of the physiognomy of the Cycladic beaches and the Cycladic landscape.

Before I get down to the subject of my article, I have something to say that may better illuminate the facts. The "Movement of Citizens of Paros for Free Beaches - SaveParos beaches" may define itself by its members, many of whom are notable personalities who participate in cultural clubs with multiple actions and initiatives, but behind them is Christos Georgousis, the mastermind. of the movement, who according to news agencies is a retired professor. This is also true, but he is a unique man, a philosopher, a poet of beauty and nature, who is moved by the wild flowers of Paros, knowing them one by one, with the starry sky, knowing all the constellations, who has written dozens books of poetry and prose. He has nurtured hundreds of his students at the Parikia High School, where he taught for 35 years, he taught them to search in the galaxy, the earth, the sea, knowledge, in their hearts to find themselves. That is why everyone listens to him, respects him and loves him, as they are all "his children". It doesn't look like red Ben, (DanielCohn-Bendit) with the torrential speeches in the audience. Christos doesn't like crowds, chatter, he prefers meetings with few members, calm conversations... He reminds me of something from Gandhi. He likes, for years now, to wake up at four o'clock in the morning, and send us his 200-300 word messages on the internet. Messages of love, sensitivity, poetry, tenderness, wisdom. He has never attempted to lead the movement, but he is its soul!

Therefore, by this description—for which I am sure he will reproach me to-morrow as we eat the August figs in his garden, when he plays with his granddaughter, and we exchange wisdom and tender trifles—I wish to show how much health, serenity and contemplation exist on his part and in guiding the undertaking.

The opponents of the "Save Paros beaches" used a series of arguments and methods to neutralize, tarnish and slander it. This is how positions were put forward, such as "this action discredits Paros" or that it "undermines the tourist product of Paros" or that "entrepreneurship in Paros is threatened" or that "business workers are at risk of losing their jobs" or even that it is "instigated by parties or factions opposed to the existing municipal authority".

At first, the Citizens' Movement of Paros for free beaches was one natural reaction against the shrinking of some professionals and the incompetence of the Municipality, which, covered by the multiplicity, but also by the fact that a total of eight agencies and services are involved in licensing and the observance of legality on the beaches, did not take the necessary initiatives, to the extent of the responsibilities of. Because whatever difficulties there may be, the Municipal Authority and the Mayor, the lord of the place, it should take the lead in matters of quality of life and adherence to legality. He must shape the climate and become the example and the leader.

The Citizens' Movement of Paros does not discredit the island, on the contrary, it shows that in one of the most prominent touristic, but also burdened by tourism, islands of the Aegean, the local civil society takes into its own hands the assertion of its elementary rights. And the way in which the Movement claimed, did not cause problems, rivalries, conflicts, and therefore was embraced by the majority of society, it even became a shining example for other islands as well.

Regarding the fears that entrepreneurship is threatened, it is good to clarify which entrepreneurship we are talking about. Right entrepreneurship is only affected by the regime of illegality and defamation of the tourist product and abuse of the Cycladic environment, because it knows that it is in its interest to continue operating in a place that is not destroyed year after year. On the contrary, the professionals who take up more space on the beaches than they are entitled to, who spread more and more seats and sunbeds at a higher density, who close the beaches, who cut the dunes to add seats and massive structures, not only do not respect environment and the public space, but not the place that hosts them. I wonder, with this mentality, if they respect the work of their employees, if they have a professional conscience towards their tax obligations. If you belong to the rapist category, you don't discriminate. You grab from the environment, from the place and its inhabitants, you grab from the workers, you grab from your customers, you grab and don't pay your taxes from the state!

Taking stock of the two-month action of the "towel movement" we have to point out that great things happened and the time was dense with events.

In Paros, a strong current was created for the liberation of the beaches but also more broadly for the consolidation of legality regarding the occupation of public spaces and the observance of the restrictions of common peace.

The Movement was covered by national and international media.

The police were mobilized and arrests of offenders were made on their own in Little & Great Santa Maria, Krio and Marcello. Illegal umbrellas were removed from Mikri Santa Maria, which is also the first beach to be freed.

Similar initiatives were created in some regions of Greece and other islands.

At the level of central authority, prosecutorial interventions were made by the country's highest court, while an intervention was planned by the Minister of Finance and other government officials on the issue of the beaches.

The information indicates that a change in the structure and operation of the Real Estate Services is imminent, while legislative interventions are planned in order to deal with the current mess with the diffusion of powers, which allow illegals to run wild,

Finally, since the day the "Towel Movement" broke out, dozens of inspectors from the Ministry of National Economy have begun landing on islands - and not only - in order to cross-examine complaints, conduct autopsies and compile files for those who have violated the concession contracts for the use of beaches.

In short, what happened in these two months in Paros triggered developments that might have taken years to bring about, which indicates the power of civil society when it claims its rights with reflection and wisdom, and mobilizes the mechanisms of the State, so that to do their duty. The battle of the "towel" has just begun and it will be painful and lasting, because the resistances will be many and the interests and alliances will be powerful.

What we all have to keep in mind, however, is that the success of a tourist destination - especially in the Aegean islands - will depend on a place's ability to strike a balance between the large scale and the small, between by the book tourism high-level services and new luxury, which is the authenticity and the experiential experiences from the interaction of the visitors with the local culture and the local people, getting to know the products and the local gastronomy. In order to achieve this balance and maintain it, rules, controls and respect for legality are required. And of course, constant vigilance of civil society. So that we can protect the greatest asset we have: our place and our open and generous heart!