Protesters of lockdown restrictions clashed with police in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, on Friday night. police fired teargas and flash grenades and detained five people. Two policemen injured.
Holding Greek flags in their hands a few dozen people gathered near the White Tower following a call on social media. Their aim was to protest the movement restrictions and other lockdown measures imposed in the regional unit of Thessaloniki since last Tuesday due to an alarming increase of coronavirus infections.
Riot police arrived at the protest scene to prevent crowding, media reported.
Soon it came to tension between protesters and police. The first threw bottles and paint at police forces who responded with tear gas and flash grenades.
Police detained five protesters.
At some point protesters moved to another part of the city and set garbage bins on fire.
According to local media thestival, two policemen were injured and transferred to military hospital.
A nationwide lockdown goes in force early Saturday morning and until November 30, 2020, due to a dramatic increase of coronavirus infections, Covid-19 related deaths and patients’ intubations that put the health care system under immense pressure. It is the second lockdown in Greece after last spring.
