Thread: Police clash with anarchists in Athens

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Police clash with anarchists in Athens
AP

By Paris Ayiomamitis


Riot police fired tear gas at some 200 anarchists who attacked banks, shops and police vehicles Saturday during a large anti-war demonstration in central Athens.

One policeman was injured when his patrol car was set on fire, while 30 suspected rioters were detained, authorities said. Two demonstrators were also lightly injured.

Police said groups of hooded anarchists torched at least four banks, smashed shop windows, and threw petrol bombs at police buses outside the capital's police headquarters, before running off down side streets.

Officers also used tear gas to disperse a small group of anarchists near the U.S. Embassy just north of the city center, and in central Syntagma Square, where rioters threw stones and chairs at a McDonald's restaurant.

The clashes erupted as some 30,000 anti-globalization and anti-war demonstrators marched peacefully through the city center.

"We want jobs not bombs," read one of the many banners carried by marchers, who stopped briefly outside the U.S. and British embassies before heading to Syntagma Square. Demonstrators carried signs reading "World's No. 1 Terrorist" over a picture of U.S. President George W. Bush.

With tensions simmering between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear program, other placards read: "Hands off Iran." Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis was also targeted for Greece's peacekeeping presence in Afghanistan: "Bush, Caramanlis out of Afghanistan."
The march was organized by the European Social Forum, which is holding a four-day meeting at a decommissioned airport on the outskirts of Athens.

More than 8,000 police have been on alert throughout the capital for the fourth European Social Forum, which ends Sunday.

The march, which also included representatives of workers unions, left-wing groups and about 10,000 foreign activists, brought public transport services in central Athens to a halt, while shops shut down.

On Friday, riot police briefly clashed with 30 members of the European Social Forum who tried to enter an Athens police station to protest conditions for illegal immigrants held there.

The protesters included Italian MEP Giusto Catania, who belongs to the European United Left group.

Fears of rioting forced authorities to postpone the Greek soccer cup final on the southern island of Crete from Saturday to Wednesday, so police officers assigned to the match could be in Athens for the weekend.

The first European Social Forum was held in Florence in 2002, followed by Paris and London.

Sorry.......what's an anarchist? Well atleast the politically correct version of one.

I hate to admit I don't know, but people toss names and labels and I'm not sure anymore.

Originally Posted by crazybird

Sorry.......what's an anarchist? Well atleast the politically correct version of one.

I hate to admit I don't know, but people toss names and labels and I'm not sure anymore.

Pronunciation: 'a-n&r-kist, -"när-
Function: noun
1 : one who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power
2 : one who believes in, advocates, or promotes anarchism or anarchy; especially : one who uses violent means to overthrow the established order
- anarchist or an·ar·chis·tic /"a-n&r-'kis-tik, -(")när-/ adjective

Thanks John. That's what I thought.