Clashes broke out in Athens on Friday between police and protestors after thousands marched to mark the 16th anniversary of the police killing of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, a 15-year-old boy whose death sparked Greece's worst riots in decades.
Approximately 5,000 people participated in the annual march to commemorate Grigoropoulos’s fatal shooting. As the march concluded, hooded protestors set garbage containers ablaze in the Exarchia district—the very area where the unarmed boy was shot by a policeman.
Protestors threw petrol bombs and stones at riot police, who responded by deploying rounds of teargas. The authorities had deployed thousands of police officers in central Athens as part of the security measures for the march.
More than 60 individuals were temporarily detained, and eight were arrested, according to a police official. This year's commemoration reignited memories of December 6, 2008, when Grigoropoulos was shot, leading to weeks of widespread riots involving torching cars, smashing shop windows, and looting.
Reference(s):
Clashes erupt in Athens after march to mark student killing by police
cgtn.com
