Photo: Vassilis Vifidis
Forty-five burned buildings, including bank offices, cinemas and shops, sixty-seven detained and many questions about the behaviour of the police have remained after Sunday night. The major damage from burning the buildings, breaking the stores and the excessive use of tear gas grenades was reminiscent of the riots in Athens in December 2008. Athens Mayor George Kaminis said that private shops, but also public property on Stadiou, Panepistimiou and Akadimias avenues were damaged and the damage will be listed today.
Many politicians and citizens have demanded the resignation of Minister of Citizen Protection Christos Papoutsis, because the police failed to protect the buildings from vandalism. The official statement by the police says that anarchist groups, mixed with ordinary demonstrators, initially had attacked very aggressively representatives of the riot forces on Syntagma Square, and then in neighbouring streets and avenues. The anarchists had black hoods and face masks and used Molotov cocktails, stones, sticks and various other items.
Many of the fires caused – forty-five buildings in downtown Athens alone, broke out simultaneously. Protesters openly impeded the movement of fire engines, which led to delay in their arrival at the fire. The demonstrators robbed the broken shops and took goods. The police arrested sixty-seven people in the centre of Athens alone, seventy-five of whom are still being questioned about incidents in other parts of Athens.