Athens burns again on riot anniversary

Police firebombed and stoned in protest over shooting of youth last year

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
From the blogs

Roy Hodgson for England: A club of one

To argue against Harry Redknapp for England is akin to arguing in favour of bankers bonuses. While s...

Time for a reality check on the Sri Lankan civil war

Sri Lanka, much like Britain, has side-lined accountability long enough.

Children Of Alcoholics week: One million children may just be the tip of the iceberg

Children Of Alcoholics week starts today. So, what are the aims for Nacoa during this important week...

Review of Being Human: ‘Being Human 1955’

Following on from an episode tinged with tragedy, this week lifted the mood with something lighter.

Suggested Topics

Masked youths hurled firebombs and chunks of marble at police during a march in Athens yesterday, the first anniversary of the police shooting of a teenager whose death sparked massive riots.



Officers fired volleys of tear gas as youths broke from a march of more than 3,000 people to smash the windows of shops and banks and set rubbish bins alight. The protesters were commemorating the death of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos. The teenager's death sent youths rampaging through cities for two weeks in December last year.

The anniversary rioters hurled rocks and firecrackers at police. Authorities said 160 people were detained for public-order offences in Athens alone yesterday, a total of 270 over the weekend. Another 130 were detained throughout Greece, including 88 in the northern city of Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece, where a similar demonstration also degenerated into violence. Youths threw petrol bombs at police, set fire to several cars and smashed 10 storefronts, including a Starbucks cafe. At least five protesters were injured. Sixteen officers were reported hurt.

In the capital's main Syntagma Square, police on motorcycles chased rioters amid scenes of chaos, with youths punching and kicking officers pushed off their bikes. One policeman who lost control of his motorbike struck and injured a woman on foot, who was taken to hospital in an ambulance. At least 6,000 officers were deployed across the city in an effort to contain the violence.

At Athens University, masked protesters broke into the building and pulled down a Greek flag, replacing it with a black-and-red anarchist banner. The dean was injured when the youths broke in and is now in intensive care, authorities said. A government official said: "We have about 600 to 1,000 people playing hide-and-seek with police in university buildings but we are determined to stop them."

A football match at Athens Olympic stadium between local clubs Panathinaikos and Atromitos was suspended for 30 minutes because of drifting clouds of teargas used by police against rioters outside the ground.

The new Socialist government, which came to power in October and has been confronted with a surge in armed attacks by far-left and anarchist groups, had warned of a zero-tolerance approach to violence at yesterday's commemorations. Reports say police formed snatch squads to capture breakaway groups intent on causing violence. At least 150 people were detained in a wave of police raids across the city all day on Saturday.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus

Day In a Page

Apple admits it has a human rights problem

Apple admits it has a human rights problem

After years of complaints and workers' suicides in China the technology giant faces up to the human cost of its gadgets
Peter Moore: 'I feel guilty I'm the only one alive'

Peter Moore interview

'I feel guilty I'm the only one alive'
Sellafield faces nuclear option as overspending threatens plant's future

Sellafield faces nuclear option

Overspending threatens plant's future
Israel blames Iran for embassy bomb attacks

Israel blames Iran for embassy bomb attacks

Tehran rejects Netanyahu's 'lies' after diplomats in India and Georgia targeted
Former manager enjoying Apoel crack at the big time

Tommy Cassidy interview

Former manager enjoying Apoel crack at the big time
James Lawton: Patience may not be a virtue this time, Roman – Andre Villas-Boas looks all at sea

James Lawton: AVB looks all at sea

Abramovich's visits to training reinforce the idea of a coach feeling pressure from above and below
The 10 Best sledges

The 10 Best sledges

Not all of them require snow...
Procrastination: Not now – I'm busy

Procrastination: Not now – I'm busy

Confronting the real reasons for puttting things off can help us beat it
Fun in the sunset years

Fun in the sunset years

A new movie follows retirees moving to India for low-cost care and a culture of respect for the elderly. For many Britons, it's already a reality
Picture preview: Lucian Freud drawings

Lucian Freud drawings

Picture preview
Silent revolution at the Baftas as the French take top awards

Silent revolution at the Baftas

The Artist wins in seven categories, with Meryl Streep the other big success story
Whitney Houston: The diva who had – and lost – it all

The diva who had – and lost – it all

Nick Hasted charts the highs and lows of Whitney Houston's life
How Picasso won over (some of) the British

How Picasso won over (some of) the British

Winston Churchill and Evelyn Waugh hated his work, but Picasso provided inspiration for a whole generation of UK artists
Topshop: A Decade Of Design

Topshop: A Decade Of Design

When London Fashion Week starts on Friday, Topshop will celebrate 10 years backing its brightest young stars
John Prescott: 'My wife thought I'd just retire, but I'm not a slippers man'

'My wife thought I'd just retire, but I'm not a slippers man'

At 73, John Prescott isn't mellowing. In fact he's taking a shot at becoming a police commissioner