Tension and violence broke out on Thursday evening when left-wing demonstrators protested the severe injury of a demonstrator during an anti-austerity rally a day earlier. Angry protesters gathered at Athens University while some of them took down the Greek flag, replaced it with the flag for anarchy and rolled down a banner reading “Murderers”.
The protest “Against Violence and Violent Crackdown of Social Struggle” turned …. violent with hooded youths hurling fire bombs and stones against riot policemen who answered with teargas and stun grenades. Later the furious protesters set garbage bins on fire and one Greek flag.
Yesterday, the peaceful anti-austerity protest rally organized by labor unions ended in chaos with riot police firing teargas and making an exessive use of force for reasons nobody could really explain.
Protester Yannis Kafkas, 31, was heavily injured in the head by the police and was transported to the hospital in a “pre-death condition” as the doctors declared in a statement. He underwent surgery and his condition remains critical.
Another protester underwent spleen removal surgery due to injuries. Some 12 protesters had to be treated in the hospitals due to fractures in the head caused most likely py police clubs.
The pictures of Greek protesters with blood running down their face went through the world media.
Already during previous violent crackdowns of demonstrations hospital doctors had warned the Ministry of Citizens’ Protection – what a paradox name – to advice riot police not to make such excessive use of violence and not to beat protesters in the head in order to bring them to standstill.
Under the pressure of heavy criticism and public opinion anger about beating the protesters of Wednesday’s rally, Greek Police placed three officers on suspension. They were shown in video footage uploaded on the internet using excessive force, and in particular mercilessly beating a fallen protester in the street. (video footage will be uploaded here tomorrow).
