Greece gears for more protests

AFP Global Edition | 2009-12-07 19:10:26

<div><p>Greece on Monday geared for a second day of demonstrations after weekend protests to mark the death of a teenager shot by a policeman a year ago turned violent, leaving at least 30 injured.</p><p>The rector of Athens University, Christos Kittas, was among those injured on Sunday as dozens of hooded youths broke into the university's offices on the sidelines of a large demonstration in the city centre.</p><p>Fighting between riot police and groups of protesters left the streets around central Syntagma Square littered with chunks of broken masonry and burning piles of garbage, left uncleared due to a strike by refuse collectors.</p><p>The police department said 26 officers and three protesters were hurt in the clashes but the number of injured is likely to be higher.</p><p>Police detained hundreds of protesters for questioning and eventually arrested 26 people in Athens and another 14 after similar protests in the cities of Thessaloniki, Rhodes and Heraklion, a police source said.</p><p>Over two dozens stores and banks in the capital and Thessaloniki had their windows smashed, and several cars were damaged.</p><p>Another 76 people including five Italians were arrested on Saturday. Some of the suspects were caught inside an anarchist club which police said was used to manufacture explosives.</p><p>The demonstrations in Athens and other cities were called by left-wing parties, student organisations and trade unions in the memory of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos who was shot by a policeman last year.</p><p>Another demonstration by students and school pupils will be held in the capital later Monday with over 6,000 officers on standby to prevent further trouble.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=64965942&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>


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