Galery

4

3

2

1

Anastasia Balezdrova

Three years after the death of the student Alexis Grigoropoulos, a protest march was once again organized in Athens, which grew into direct clashes with the police. Alexis Grigoropoulos died at the age of 16 from a police bullet, and each year, on the date of his death, December 6, protest marches against police brutality are organized. They always end with stone-throwing, tear gas and unrest mainly in the major cities of Greece - Athens and Thessaloniki.

This year’s procession involving pupil and student organisations began in front of the University of Athens. Around 400 people gathered there, holding banners with angry content, the main one bearing the slogan, "Money for the banks but bullets for the youth. Three years after the state murder, the young people are out on the street for their rights and needs." The young people and 15-year-olds were shouting slogans, not only for their killed peer, but also those that are heard during all other processions and strikes.

From the outset, many of them covered their faces with black scarves and bandanas, ready for the new episode of urban wars. The protest march started at 2.00 pm from the University of Athens, passed through Omonia Square and headed to Stadiou Street that leads to the building of the Greek Parliament on Syntagma Square. In the middle of Stadiou Street, some of the pupils started beating against the windows of a bank without breaking them though. Some of them began to shake wild orange trees on the sidewalk, and their friends rushed to collect their fruits in order to obtain "ammunition" for the upcoming battle with the police on Syntagma. Their adrenaline was rising; explosions from dynamite bombs were heard. While going up the street, pupils were throwing oranges at shop windows and their owners were rushing to protect them by lowering the blinds. Other groups of participants were sneaking along side streets to reach the police units deployed there. Many of the slogans were directed against the police, some of which were very cynical.

When the procession reached the square, the young people began throwing oranges at the hotels around Syntagma. Then, they ran up and started an open war with stones and pieces of marble; the first aim of the furious crowd was to break the metal wall separating the Parliament building from Amalias and Vassilias Sofias avenues. The police had stretched the iron wall to protect the entrance to the Parliament, but the "military" operations took place in front of the building near the monument of the Unknown Soldier. The protesters dispersed in groups. Some of them started breaking the marble slabs of King George Hotel and the Grande Bretagne Hotel. Others attacked the riot forces cordons. The third group tore iron bars from the drainage system to break marble pieces to facilitate the war with paving stones.

The battle continued for at least 20 minutes. The marble at the entrance to the subway station was almost completely destroyed. Pupils gathered free press iron stands and wooden beams from benches in front of Syntagma. One brought a broom from somewhere and threw it against the police. The police repeatedly fired tear gas against the furious students, who were throwing Molotov cocktails and stones, to calm their spirits and managed to push them from central Syntagma to the area around the University. Groups of pupils awaiting the procession of the anarchists in the late afternoon remained on and around the square.

Despite the preliminary plan for closing the subway stations at Syntagma and the University at 5.00 pm, the police ordered their closure earlier at 3.00 pm. Hundreds of members of the riot forces were deployed in the central area of ​Athens, who captured 15 young people, 9 of whom were arrested. There were injured among the participants in the excesses and among the police.

Shortly after 6.00 pm, members of anarchist organizations began to gather before the University for the procession. The far-left parliamentary coalition SYRIZA took part in its organization. Some 2,000 anarchists set off shortly after 7.00 pm, a group of young men with covered faces being in the middle of the procession. Half an hour later, they attacked the Evzones of the presidential guard, who withdrew. Then the anarchists dispersed into small groups and began throwing dozens of Molotov bombs and the police fired tear gas against them. "The elder" broke the marbles that their minor followers had failed to break during the first procession. A little later, the police received orders to empty the square and pushed the protesters to the area around the University of Athens. The atmosphere above Syntagma was heavy with tear gas. At 8.00 pm, the furious demonstrators had left the area and dispersed, most of them heading to the "nest" of anarchists - Exarchia Square.