Police officer injured during protest against police violence in Athens

·

Greek police said an officer was seriously injured in the head as clashes broke out Tuesday evening at a protest of some 5,000 people in Athens against police violence.

The demonstration follows an uproar over viral video footage showing an officer beating a man with a baton during a patrol to check that people were following Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday.

An AFP photographer at the scene of Tuesday’s protest said clashes broke out after a group of around 200 masked protesters headed towards the police station in Nea Smyrni, the calm Athens suburb where Sunday’s beating had taken place.

The demonstrators threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at a police station and police responded with tear gas and water cannon, AFP reported. Around a dozen dustbins were set on fire, prompting firefighters to intervene.

Police said the injured officer had been rushed to hospital, while some protesters had been arrested even before the clashes broke out for possession of Molotov cocktails and iron bars.

Mitsotakis, Tsipras trade barbs over protest rallies

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused the main opposition of undermining the measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus by calling for protests, amid hightened tensions following an apparent incident of police brutality in a residential Athens suburb over the weekend.

“SYRIZA’s official call for participation in citizen protest rallies in the midst of the pandemic is an act of great irresponsibility,” Mitsotakis said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mitsotakis said the call “is an affront to our healthcare workers struggling day and night.”

On its side, SYRIZA responded that the prime minister is “in panic due to the incompetence of his government.”

“We inform him that the only one who has the power to motivate citizens – regardless of party affiliation – to mobilize in the middle of a lockdown, is his policy and himself,” it added. 

*With information from Kathimerini, AP

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Justice for Cyprus: Sydney prepares to mark 51 years since Turkish invasion

Sydney prepares to mark the 51st anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on Sunday, 27 July 2025. Find out more here.

‘Genocide to Regeneration’: Book presentation highlights Treloar’s humanitarian work in Greece

The achievements of a great Australian with even greater service to Hellenism were remembered on Monday, July 21 at a presentation.

Tzannes’ dynamic addition to Sydney’s Martin Place in running for national Architecture Award

Architecture and urban design practice Tzannes has been shortlisted for the Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards.

Fannie Bay Supermarket owners Manuel and Nitsa Kotis retire after 40 years

After nearly four decades behind the counter, Manuel and Nitsa Kotis are retiring from Fannie Bay Supermarket, marking the end of an era.

Remembering Aliki Vougiouklaki: Greece’s beloved national star

Born on July 20, 1934, in Maroussi, Aliki-Stamatina Vougiouklaki overcame a difficult childhood marked by poverty and the loss of her father.

You May Also Like

Greeks abroad can now begin to register in online electoral list

Greeks who reside outside Greece can now register in a special online electoral list if they want to vote in the next national elections.

Greek Parliament set to pass bill for Greek National Tourism Office in Melbourne

Greek Parliament is set to pass a bill for the establishment of a Greek National Tourism Office in Melbourne, Victoria.

NSW Pontian Association Clubs ‘stand united’ with Artsakah and Armenia

The Hellenic Pontian Genocide Commemorative Committee of NSW have released a joint-statement standing by Artsakh and Armenia as they struggle against the aggression of Azerbaijan.