Athens, December 08, SPA -- Civil unrest over the weekend shooting of ateenager by police continued early Monday across Greece as hoodedyouths clashed with riot police for a second straight day. Two days of rioting left Athens and the northern port city ofThessaloniki resembling war zones as self-styled anarchists torchedcars, banks, police precincts, car dealerships, government buildings,private homes and stores and erected blazing barricades, DPA reported. Despite charges of manslaughter filed against two of the policeofficers allegedly involved in the shooting, the violence continuedunabated. Entire streets and avenues remained blocked by burned andoverturned vehicles, and garbage bins and tear gas filled the airthroughout Athens and Thessaloniki. Hundreds of students taking part in the riots have sought shelterin the Polytechnic and Economic Universities, which is off limits topolice under Greek law, reports said. The Polytechnic university wasthe scene of a major student uprising during the militarydictatorship that ruled Greece from 1967-74. Early Monday, some 150 hooded youths who had sought shelter insidethe Polytechnic University were reportedly still battling riot policeoutside the school gates, throwing stones and fire bombs. Riot police, apparently having run out of tear gas following twodays of protests, were retaliating by throwing stones at the youths. Television reports said that a bookstore near the university wasset ablaze in early Monday, and firefighters rushed to the scene toextinguish the flames. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis promised a fullinvestigation into events leading to the teenager's death. With violence in full force across Greece, he called an emergencymeeting of interior and public order ministers late Sunday in aneffort to find a solution. The rioting and protests began late Saturday in Athens, shortlyafter the shooting in the central district of Exarchia.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/614849
مشاركة :