Rally ends with only minor incidents reported
An anti-austerity protest organized by Greece’s two biggest umbrella unions, GSEE and ADEDY, in central Athens to mark May Day ended on Tuesday afternoon with protesters dispersing peacefully and only a few incidents of vandalism reported by police.
According to official reports, small groups of vandals firebombed campaign kiosks on Syntagma Square and in front of the University of Athens on Panepistimiou Street, without, however, getting involved in altercations with riot police.
Syntagma metro station, which was closed for the duration of the march to Parliament — which saw a lower-than-expected turnout– reopened within a couple of hours.
However, a gathering of communist-affiliated PAME unionists at Hellenic Steel factory in Elefsina caused a major headache for people traveling on the national highway between Athens and Corinth as the road was blocked by protesters, with traffic backing up all the way up Kavalas and Kifissos avenues, which have off-ramps for the highway.