Twenty three people were detained in central Athens on Wednesday evening during violent but more-or-less contained street protests commemorating the anniversary of a 16-year-old’s fatal shoring by a police officer in 2008.
As with similar such incidents in the past, the street violence was centered around the Exarchia district, known as Athens’ unofficial “hub” and mustering point for self-styled anarchists and “antifa-like” groups.
Wednesday’s street violence was again mostly carried out by masked youths throwing rocks and firebombs at nearby riot police units, with the focal point being the corner of Stournari and Patission streets, where the Athens Polytechnic is located. Trash bins were also set alight, another ubiquitous sight at such protests.
Police responded by firing tear gas.
An earlier street rally wound up at the point where Alexandros Grigoropoulos was fatally shot.
Street violence and vandalism, mostly the shattering of store fronts, was reported in march in the early afternoon
