Police fired teargas at rioters who threw rocks and firecrackers in central Athens as thousands gathered to mark the first anniversary of the police shooting of a teenager.Clashes broke out as about 3,000 people, mostly students, anarchists and leftists, began a march to parliament. More protests were expected tomorrow. An evening memorial service was planned in the Exarchia district, where 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos was shot dead.Violence also broke out in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, where demonstrators threw petrol bombs at police and smashed the front of a Starbucks cafe.More than 6,000 police were deployed across greater Athens amid fears that the demonstrations under way in the capital and other Greek cities would turn increasingly violent. Concern was heightened by reports that far-left groups and anarchists from other European countries have travelled to Greece for the protests.Grigoropoulos was shot by a policeman on the evening of 6 December 2008, in Exarchia, a central Athens neighbourhood of bars and cafes popular with anarchist groups. Within a few hours of his death, riots spread from the capital to several cities, taking the government by surprise. An embattled police force took a passive approach as rioters looted and burned shops in violence that lasted two weeks.The new socialist government, which has faced a spate of attacks by far-left and anarchist groups, since coming to power in October, has vowed not to tolerate any violence during today's anniversary.
Police fired teargas at rioters who threw rocks and firecrackers in central Athens as thousands gathered to mark the first anniversary of the police shooting of a teenager.
Clashes broke out as about 3,000 people, mostly students, anarchists and leftists, began a march to parliament. More protests were expected tomorrow. An evening memorial service was planned in the Exarchia district, where 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos was shot dead.
Violence also broke out in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, where demonstrators threw petrol bombs at police and smashed the front of a Starbucks cafe.
More than 6,000 police were deployed across greater Athens amid fears that the demonstrations under way in the capital and other Greek cities would turn increasingly violent. Concern was heightened by reports that far-left groups and anarchists from other European countries have travelled to Greece for the protests.
Grigoropoulos was shot by a policeman on the evening of 6 December 2008, in Exarchia, a central Athens neighbourhood of bars and cafes popular with anarchist groups. Within a few hours of his death, riots spread from the capital to several cities, taking the government by surprise. An embattled police force took a passive approach as rioters looted and burned shops in violence that lasted two weeks.
The new socialist government, which has faced a spate of attacks by far-left and anarchist groups, since coming to power in October, has vowed not to tolerate any violence during today's anniversary.
Protesters in the Greek capital Athens have clashed with police during marches commemorating the first anniversary of the fatal shooting of a teenager. Athens police on Sunday used tear gas to disperse crowds damaging store fronts and setting fire to trash cans. Hundreds of hooded youths broke from the anniversary march commemorating the death of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos who was shot dead by a policeman last year. Four police officers and two demonstrators were injured in Sunday's clashes, and 80 people were detained, police said. Violence also erupted in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where youths threw petrol bombs at police, set several cars on fire and smashed store windows. At least 20 people were detained in Greece's second largest city.
Athens police on Sunday used tear gas to disperse crowds damaging store fronts and setting fire to trash cans.
Hundreds of hooded youths broke from the anniversary march commemorating the death of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos who was shot dead by a policeman last year.
Four police officers and two demonstrators were injured in Sunday's clashes, and 80 people were detained, police said.
Violence also erupted in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where youths threw petrol bombs at police, set several cars on fire and smashed store windows. At least 20 people were detained in Greece's second largest city.
The global political class seems broken. Completely and totally.
