“Like a military zone” – clashes over police violence raise question of measures in Greece – World

Clashes after a march over allegations of police violence in Greece erupted again last night after tensions escalated in a suburb of the capital, Athens, Reuters reported.

More than 5,000 people took part in a rally in the Nea Smyrni neighborhood, and some chanted “Cops – out of our neighborhoods.” Meanwhile, according to Greek media, about 200 masked men headed to the Nea Smyrni police station and pelted the front forces with stones. At least three police officers were injured, one of them seriously.

The reason for the tension was a video distributed over the weekend, which shows police officers beating a man in the area. According to Greek media, the incident was followed by an argument with the police of a person who was asked about the reason for leaving. The government explained that what happened was “not what it looks like” on the recording.

During last night’s clashes, police used tear gas against masked protesters who set fire to garbage cans, Reuters reports. A photographer for the agency saw a group of protesters attack a police officer and knock him to the ground. Most of the participants in the clashes are young people.

“In a few hours, the center of the Nea Smyrni district in Athens was turned into a military zone in a few hours,” write Kathimerini.

© Reuters

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A Greek ombudsman said complaints of police brutality had increased during the pandemic, while some of the toughest restrictions had been in place since mid-autumn. The dissatisfaction of some Greeks, as well as human rights organizations, has been growing since July, when protests were banned by a new law, which can be a threat to public security, in a country known for its culture of demonstrations. Meanwhile, with strict quarantine, Greece is preparing for start of the tourist season, key for the country’s economy.

The incident has fueled the debate over whether measures that do not work and reduce the number of new infections are working or only severely injuring the economy. The number of newly diagnosed cases in 24 hours reached 3215 according to the latest data, another 46 people died. Infected are a record number for this year, the value is close to the peak of the previous wave. The opposition claims that the government “has completely lost control” over the pandemic.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for an end to the violence. “I turn to the young, whose destiny is to create, not to destroy. Blind anger leads nowhere.” He also accused the opposition Syriza of contributing to the riots by calling for protests. The debate over whether the outbreak is a result of police violence is being carried over to parliament, where Mitsotakis will answer questions from Syriza leader and former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

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