Two Golden Dawn members of Parliament armed with guns were turned away at the gates of Greece's legislative building recently after metal detectors revealed the weapons.
The unnamed MPs, members of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party, were not permitted to enter Parliament with the guns and were asked to leave.
Although Speaker Vangelis Meimarakis introduced a proposal to tighten security measures that was reportedly accepted by Parliament, Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias, who is responsible for the leadership of Greece's security services, confirmed MPs are allowed to carry weapons Tuesday, saying "the admission and movement of all deputies is conducted without restriction in the House."
Dendias elaborated further, explaining that high-ranking members who maintain a gun license are allowed to enter Parliament without restriction, while others may be required to turn over their weapons to security upon entering the building "depending on the level of risk." Eight of Golden Dawn's 18 MPs currently hold gun licenses.
Greece's Golden Dawn party, which won 18 of the Greek Parliament's 300 seats in June, ran on an anti-immigration platform. Amidst growing criticism against the party, Golden Dawn's offices have been the target of recent attacks, including a homemade bomb that caused extensive damage to one of the party's buildings last week.
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