Greece

Violence continues as police officers charged

Article published on the 2008-12-11 Latest update 2008-12-11 11:54 TU

A protester holds a fire extinguisher in front of burning barricades during riots outside the Athens Polytechnic on Wednesday
(Photo: Reuters)

On Thursday violence continued between protesters and police in Athens. At Greece's largest prison in the west of the city police attempted to break up a protest involving several hundred people while at an agricultural college police used tear gas in response to firebombs.

Police said they were attacked at the prison by rocks and other missiles but a prison guard said that, inside, the prison itself was "calm". Stores and post offices were vandalised in the capital's usually calm Nea Smyrni neighbourhood.

This follows a standoff outside the Greek parliament on Wednesday as a hundred police guarded the building against thousands of demonstrators who chanted "Sack Karamanlis" in reference to Greek Prime Minister.

On Wednesday the 37-year-old police officer Epaminondas Korkoneas was charged with "voluntary homicide" and "illegal use" of his weapon. He was detained in custody by a magistrate. A fellow police officer who was his partner was charged with being an accomplice.

Protests continue outside of the country as 11 demonstrators were arrested in Spain after clashes with police in Madrid and Barcelona. In Denmark 32 people were arrested after what police described as "violent protest".

In France two cars were set alight outside a Greek consulate in Bordeaux in support of the riots in Athens. Nobody was hurt, but police discovered graffiti on a wall opposite proclaiming, "Support for the fires in Greece".

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is due to attend a European Union summit in Brussels Thursday.