two months before the June 2012 Greek legislative elections. Over the next few months, the merger caused yet more problems concerning bureaucracy, inadequate food and supplies, and a lack of qualified medical professionals. On 30 January 2013, people staged another protest outside the hospital of Ierapetra. The hospital was at the center of a new rally in Ierapetra which took place on 12 February 2013 and another spreading throughout the prefecture of Lasithi. As a result, on 20 February 2013, thousands of people from Lasithi marched to Selinari, Lasithi, and Iraklion. Following the march, Cretans from Lasithi demanded access to health services, equal to the rest of Crete, and stormed the Regional Health headquarters in Iraklion. The unrest ended on 22 February 2013 following an agreement with officials that TEI schools, hospitals, and facilities would stay in the region. The situation relapsed in early 2014 and a new rally was held on 7 May 2014. People from Ierapetra went to Heraklion, where they met with Antonios Grigorakis, the Head of the Prefecture in charge of Health, who committed to installing a permanent pathologist in the General Hospital (coming from another hospital in the Prefecture of Lasithi). Three people were injured before the meeting following clashes with the police. Demographics The municipality of Ierapetra was formed under the 2011 local government reform through the merger of 2 former municipalities Makry Gialos and Ierapetra, which became municipal units. The new municipality of Ierapetra has an area of . The municipal unit of Ierapetra has an area of . The municipal unit has a population of 23,708 (2011) and consists of the town of Ierapetra (population 16,139 in 2011), several villages, and the island of Chrissi. These settlements include: Agia Fotia Agios Ioannis Anatoli Amoudares Ano Simi Christos Drakalevri Episkopi Ferma Gdochia Gra Lygia Kaimenos Kalamafka Kalogeri Kamara Kato Chorio Kavousi Kentri Koutsounari Males Mathokotsana Melises Meseleri Monastiraki Minos Mythi Mournies Myrtos Nea Anatoli Nea Myrtos Pachia Ammos Panagia Pano Chorio Psathi, Riza Selakano Stavros Stomio Sykia Thrypti Vainia Vasiliki Vatos Xerambela Xerokambos The municipal unit of Makry Gialos was established as a municipality in 1998. In 2011, it had an area of and a population of 3,894. It consists of the communities: Schinokapsala with the settlements of Achlia, Galini, and Mavros Kolimbos Oreino with the settlements of Agios Panteleimon, Andrianos and Kalyvitis Stavrochori with the settlements of Koutsouras, Lapithos and Tsikalaria Chrysopigi