Protests in Greece on Police Shooting Anniversary
Thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Athens on
Saturday to mark the sixth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of
an unarmed teenager in the Greek capital that led to widespread rioting,
while clashes have broken out between demonstrators and police in the
northern city of Thessaloniki.
Alexandros Grigoropoulos, 15, had been out with friends in a central
Athens neighborhood when he was shot on Dec. 6, 2008 following a verbal
altercation with police. His death led to two weeks of the most violent
rioting Greece had seen in decades.
This year's anniversary marches come at a time when nearly nightly
violent protests are being held by supporters of one of Grigoropoulos'
friends, jailed anarchist and convicted bank robber Nikos Romanos, 21.
He was present when Grigoropoulos was killed, is on a hunger strike,
demanding prison leave to attend lectures after he passed university
entrance exams.
Romanos, currently hospitalised under police guard, has been on the
hunger strike since last month and doctors have said his health is
failing. He was jailed with another three young men following a February
2013 bank robbery in which they took a hostage as they tried to escape.
Police released doctored mugshots of the four at the time to remove
signs of severe facial bruising caused during the arrest, leading to an
outcry at the time.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will meet with Romanos' parents on Monday
morning, following a request made through their lawyer on Saturday, the
government said.
Protesters during Saturday's demonstration chanted slogans in support of
Romanos as well as in memory of Grigoropoulos. Several thousand people,
many wearing motorcycle helmets and gas masks, marched through central
Athens in a demonstration that ended peacefully. More protests were
planned for later in the evening.
In Thessaloniki, groups of youths broke off from a march of about 6,000
people, throwing Molotov cocktails and scuffling with police who
responded with tear gas and stun grenades.
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