/ 17 December 2008

Greek rioters target Acropolis

Greek demonstrators on Wednesday put up two banners around the base of the Acropolis — the country’s best known monument — ahead of new protests over the police killing of a teenager.

One banner — spread over the rock on which the Parthenon was built — declares ”Resistance” and a second called for a day of protests on Thursday.

Students carried out new protest action around Greece to show their anger over the death of Alexis Grigoropoulos on December 6, which sparked nationwide riots.

At Ionnina in north-west Greece, about 50 youths took over the town hall while 20 others entered the premises of the main local radio station, cutting off their own programmes.

On Tuesday about 20 youths entered the national NET television channel headquarters in Athens and burst into the broadcasting area of the main news programme brandishing a banner saying: ”Stop watching, get out in the streets”.

The channel, which had been screening a speech by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, switched to an advert break.

About 600 schools and universities across the country are being occupied, according to the student protest leaders. The authorities say about 100 institutions are occupied.

New attacks are also reported each night. Youths occupying the Athens Polytechnic set fire to a newspaper kiosk early Wednesday, police said.

In Thessaloniki, three gas bottles exploded outside a bank causing minor damage but no injuries.

A similar attack was staged at a public administration building. — AFP

 

AFP