Page 14 of 46 online content. There were reports authorities misused surveillance technology to monitor mobile devices of specific individuals. b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association The constitution and law provided for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights, albeit with some restrictions. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly The law provided for freedom of peaceful assembly, and the government generally respected this right. On March 4, media reported violent clashes between police and demonstrators during a rally in response to a February train crash in Tempi. Some demonstrators threw incendiary devices at police, who then responded with tear gas and stun grenades in what critics argued was an overreaction. Police said demonstrators also caused damage to cars and buildings and argued its response was proportionate. On March 24, the Hellenic Union for Human and Civil Rights sent an open letter to Minister of Citizen Protection Takis Theodorikakos, the National Mechanism for Investigation of Arbitrary Acts, and the National Human Rights Commission calling on the government to conduct transparent investigations into reports of police violence during demonstrations, including the March 4 clashes in Tempi. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2023 United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor