First of all the event created (as far as I can tell) a bridge between immigrant and non-immigrant school kids. It has acted as a uniting experience for many. Then you have the fact that conservatives on the street can't blame it all on the "anarchists". Their children and grandchildren are participating in the riots too and they know it.

Greek tv showed a video in which passers-by of all ages, shouted-off an attack of the riot police against teen-age protesters swore at them and pushed them away from the students. 70 year-olds among them.

Then there was the incident late last night in which hooded rioters holed up inside the polytechnic came out "armed" with rocks and boards and beat the shit out of two thugs that were looting a nearby shop and returned to the builiding. "This is a political act" they said "we won't tolerate jukies, petty thieves and assholes".

It's quiet relatively speaking in Athens, and the attacks have moved to the suburbs against police stations - with the exception of the Korydallos area near Pireus, where Athens' main prison is, and where students clashed with the police in anticipation of the transfer of the special guard under custody. The Mayor of the municipality stated that the riot police incited the reaction by throwing tear-gas at a peaceful demonstration.

There seems to be developing a great discoursive divide: On the one hand SYRIZA (think Besanceneau + PCF) is saying we don't condone the violence but we understand it - but on the other side (the right) even suggesting that there is something to understand makes you complicit. The right (along with the stalinist CPG for its own purposes) are accusing SYRIZA of "winking towards the anarchists and covering them", so stupidly that I wonder if its a ploy to send voters to SYRIZA so as to weaken the rival Socialists...

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake