2008 Greek riots

Riots in the streets of Athens.

The 2008 Greek riots started on December 6 when a Greek Police special guard, Epaminondas Korkoneas (Greek: Επαμεινώνδας Κορκονέας), shot and killed 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Γρηγορόπουλος) in the Exarcheia district of Athens, following an altercation between police and anarchist youth. The confrontation resulted in widespread rioting across the city, with hundreds of demonstrators engaging riot police with Molotov cocktails and damaging property. Rioting later spread to several other cities, including Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city.

Outside Greece, riots and clashes also took place in Cyprus, in the capital Nicosia and the western city of Paphos on December 8.

Newspaper Kathimerini called the rioting, "the worst Greece has seen since the restoration of democracy in 1974".

Background

According to bystanders interviewed by the Greek media, the teenager was attending a friend's name day party, and the killing was carried out without provocation. An amateur video showed no clash between the youths and the police officers. A police statement stated that the teenager was killed while trying to throw a bomb at a police vehicle which was under siege by approximately 30 youths. The rioting spread to other Greek cities such as Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Komotini, Patras, Tripoli, Volos, Trikala, Mytilene, Agrinio, Kavala, Corfu, Piraeus, Chania, Heraklion, Rhodes, Karditsa, Lamia, Stylida, Drama, Xanthi, Lagkadas, Kozani, Alexandroupoli, Larisa, subsiding for a few hours then resuming after 22:00 (GMT) in Athens. The Saturday riots left 24 police officers injured, one seriously, and 31 shops, nine banks and 25 cars damaged or burned. By Sunday 7th, 38 vehicles were damaged, 13 police officers have been injured, while 7 rioters were arrested and another 15 were brought forward.

Rioting

After a lull in the rioting in the morning of December 7, rioters left the National Technical University of Athens to march to the police headquarters on Alexandras Avenue. The march quickly turned violent with protesters throwing Molotov cocktails at riot police and the police responding with tear gas in an effort to disperse them. Several banks and shops were attacked, while a supermarket and at least one car dealership were set alight, according to police and witnesses. Clashes also broke out near the Parliament. Meanwhile, rioting continued in the cities of Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Komotini, Patras, Volos, Mytilene, Agrinio, Kavala, Corfu, Chania, and Heraklion; rioters in Thessaloniki had previously attempted to storm a police precinct. Protesters then took refuge on the grounds of a university, due to the police being barred from entering the premises.

In Thessaloniki, a march of more than 1,000 people on two police stations also turned violent when protesters threw petrol bombs at police and attacked nearby shops and banks. Vehicles belonging to Greek television stations were also damaged. An apartment building had to be evacuated as fires consumed the first floor.

Aftermath

Students throwing rocks and smoke bombs at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

On December 8, police assessed damage as daily schedules resumed and rioting subsided. All over Greece several thousands of high school students marched against local police stations, throwing eggs, colour bombs and bottles of water. Protesters still occupied university campuses around the nation, while organizations such as the Communist Party of Greece announced plans for protests later that day. The massive demonstrations of that evening were confronted by a lot of tear gas canisters. Some 11 public buildings around the central plaza of Athens, Syntagmatos Square, were set on fire. The two counsels for the defence of the two police officers resigned and declined to defend them in court. Students around Greece in protest have proceeded to occupy their school buildings. Scores of schools have been occupied by their students in Serres, Imathia, Chalkidiki, Pieria, Thessaloniki. Under occupation remain the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki as well as the Athens University of Economics and Business.

Reactions

The Greek government condemned the shooting, charging 37-year-old officer Epaminondas Korkoneas, subsequently suspended and arrested, with homicide by intent. His partner, 31-year-old Vassilis Saraliotis, was suspended and charged with complicity to homicide.

Prime Minister of Greece Kostas Karamanlis wrote a letter to the student's family, stating that "In these difficult moments please accept my condolences for the unfair loss of your son. Like all Greeks I am deeply saddened. I know that nothing can relieve your pain." He continued on to write that "the state will see to it that such a tragedy does not happen again." On a nationally broadcast statement, he also vowed to end the "dangerous" extremist-inspired riots that have hit the country: "The unacceptable and dangerous events cannot and will not be tolerated, the extremist elements who exploited the tragedy...by showing that their only goal was to spread violence. The state will protect its citizens and society...It is the least of the tributes we owe Alexis." he said, adding that he had ordered the finance ministry to offer "quick and full compensation" to Greek people whose buildings have been damaged in the riots.

President of Greece Karolos Papoulias sent condolences in a telegram, while Interior minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos expressed "deep sorrow". The police, who claimed that an investigation was underway into the "isolated" incident, also apologized.

Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis has expressed his condolences for the death of the 15-year-old boy, adding that festive events for Christmas in Syntagma Square will be suspended until further notice. Moreover, he assured the owners of damaged shops that they will be aided in restoring their damages, adding that he will propose the Municipal Committee be acquitted of municipal duties for 2009.

The Communist Party of Greece held the government responsible, while Coalition of the Radical Left spoke of a cruel murder. The Panhellenic Socialist Movement issued an announcement holding responsible the police for the incident and stated that people "must answer the government's policies en masse and peacefully," while the Hellenic Federation of University Teachers' Associations (POSDEP) called a three-day strike, condemning the killing of the teenager.

Kostas Karamanlis is expected to meet with Karolos Papoulias, on Tuesday morning.

International reactions

On the night of 7 December 2008, spontaneous demonstrations of solidarity took place in several German cities such as Berlin and Hamburg. In Hamburg, about 200 people gathered on a march to protest the killing.

Britain and Australia warned tourists of possibly violent demonstrations.

On 8 December 2008, a group of demonstrators occupied the Greek consulate in Berlin: 30 people pushed their way into the lobby of the consulate at Wittenbergplatz in western Berlin at around 9:40 a.m. local time. One of the demonstrators told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the demonstration was in protest against a Greek state that was responsible for the death of the teenager, identified as Alexandros Andreas Grigoropoulos. The Greek embassy in Berlin, located in the east of the city, has not been occupied.

On 8 December 2008 in London, up to a hundred protesters clashed with police after trying to storm the Greek embassy in London. Demonstrators tore down the Greek flag from the building in Holland Park and set it on fire. The police have been called to deal with "about 30" young protesters that seem to be mostly students. Later the embassy is again working normally and the situation is calm.

Apart from Greece, riots and clashes took place also in Cyprus, in the capital Nicosia and the western city of Paphos on midday Monday 8.