Sat, Feb 11 2012

Greece rocked by more clashes over teenager's shooting

Sun, Dec 14 2008 12:13 CET

byGabriel Hershman

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Fresh riots were reported in Greece on Saturday December 13 2008 in protest at the killing by police of a 15-year-old boy, Alexandros Grigoropoulos, eight days ago. The disturbances have ben described as the most serious in Greece since student protests that preceded the fall of the military junta in 1974.

Violent clashes broke out in the capital, Athens, following a day of demonstrations. The protests in memory of the teenager had been initially peaceful. Students of the school attended by Grigoropoulos held a silent vigil during the day in Syntagma Square. Hours later, hundreds of others brought candles to the site, while others gathered at the site of the shooting.

But later, about 100 youths hurled volleys of petrol bombs and rocks at a police station in the Exarchia district, where the officer, who shot him and has now been charged with murder, was based. The protesters chanted "murderers out".

Later, hooded and masked protesters targeted a commercial area near the National Technical University of Athens, known as the Polytechnic, overturning cars and setting fire to three banks. Several shops and an office of the environment ministry were also attacked. Riot police positioned at street corners in the area responded by firing tear gas at the protesters.

Unrest has now spread throughout the country, prompting calls for Greece's conservative Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his government to stand down.

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