Riot police were called in yesterday to quell a violent mob that attacked a television crew after they tried to take cover from a storm in a Thracian mosque.

The incident took place in the town of Echinos near Xanthi in northeastern Greece, which has a large Muslim minority, during the filming of the “Archipelagos” series for Alpha channel. The crew, including two actresses, were caught in a downpour and tried to enter a nearby mosque for cover. Local Muslims objected in their hundreds and began throwing stones at the cameramen and actors, resulting in some minor injuries.

Officers, including riot police, from surrounding areas were called in to restore peace. Ahmed Ilhan, the New Democracy MP for the local Rhodope prefecture claimed the entry of women into any mosque was a criminal offense and asked that the actresses be charged. Deputy government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros commented that the state had “total respect for the sanctity of all religious places of worship.”