Attacks against police in Athens in defiance to PM's plea for calm

Libcom.org Dec 4 2009

Attacks against the police marked Friday 4/12 despite the Prime Minister's public plea for calm. The tension in the capital city of greece is high with more than 400 high-schools and 30 universities occupied across the country.

The greek Prime Minister's public plea for calm in the light of the first anniversary of Alexandros Grigoropoulos murder and the subsequent uprising last year was nullified today as the police was attacked three times in a few hours in the city of Athens.

Minutes after 12:00 at noon two police patrols were attacked simultaneously in Exarcheia, the radical enclave of the greek capital. Radicals attacked the police with sticks and caused serious injuries to the officers, two of which have been hospitalised, one in bad condition. Following the attack strong riot police forces surrounded the area and several people have been detained but are being currently released.

Two hours later high-school pupils formed a march in the northern suburb of Chalandri to commemorate the assassination of 15 year old Alexandros by cops last year, the first of its kind two days before the actual anniversary. The pupils marched to the local police station and attacked it with rocks and oranges. During the melee two banks were also attacked. There have been no arrests or detentions.

The anti-police attacks come to add to the electrified climate in greece where at the moment 400 high-schools and more than 30 universities are under occupation. The government has announced a zero tolerance plan, claiming that although the assassination has "scarred the collective memory" of the people, it will not allow Athens to be destroyed again. Friday's session in parliament devolved into a brawl between parties concerning the measures taken and last December's uprising, amidst scaremongering by the extreme-right that "thousands of foreign anarchists" are flooding the country with sinister intentions. On a more calm note, the President of the Republic has declared the state "guilty towards the youth", urging once again for peace and reconciliation.

Forgot to mention that the previous night 50 radicals occupied the TV station of the local channel of Ioannina city during its main news broadcast. The radicals left after the channel broadcasted a 20 minute video on the December Uprising.

Update: Riots broke out on Friday night in the city of Corinth. Around 300 high-school pupils formed a march in memory of Alexandros Grigoropoulos in the centre of the city and attacked the central police station. The main branch of the national bank of greece and one more bank are reported to have been smashed and torched, while riot police men guarding the police headquarters were attacked with molotov cocktails and abandoned their positions. One person is reported arrested.