GREECE: Petrol bombs rain on police outside Athens university

Record ID: 353206

  • Title: GREECE: Petrol bombs rain on police outside Athens university
  • Date: 9th December 2008
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (DECEMBER 9, 2008) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS ATTACKING POLICE WITH ROCKS AND STONES, SEVERAL PETROL BOMBS EXPLODING ON STREET NEXT TO POLICE PROTESTERS THROWING ROCKS AT WINDOWS OF BUILDINGS AND RUNNING INTO UNIVERSITY POLICE RETREATING PETROL BOMB IN THE AIR AFTER BEING THROWN BY PROTESTER VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS HURLING NUMEROUS PETROL BOMBS AT POLICE PETROL BOM
  • Embargoed: 24th December 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACQBI5UX37I9A3P0COADU519QP
  • Story Text: Clashes continued in Athens into the early hours of Tuesday morning (December 9) between protesters and riot police.
    Demonstrators gathered at the Athens Polytechnic University, one of many centres of learning throughout the Greek capital, attacking police with fire bombs and rocks. The police responded with volleys of tear gas in an attempt to break up the crowds in front of the university.
    Protesters played cat and mouse with the riot police, attacking them with numerous molotov cocktails, which exploded under the feet of the beleaguered police officers. The rioters then returned to the university campus, where the police cannot enter.
    Athens Polytechnic University is under an asylum law, which forbids police from entering the premises.
    The unprecedented riots that have gripped Athens for four days started after the shooting of a 15 year old boy on Saturday night near the Polytechnic University.
    Streets throughout the centre of the Greek capital showed the scars of the continuing clashes with burnt out cars and looted shops littering the area. Firefighters were stretched to the limit, trying desperately to control the scores of cars and buildings burning freely throughout the centre of Athens.
    More than 50 people have been injured and scores of shops, banks and cars damaged. The riots are expected to continue on Tuesday, when the boy's funeral will be held.
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