Clashes between police, anarchists in central Athens
Clashes have broken out in the central Athens neighborhood of Exarchia.
Anarchists barricaded inside the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), also known as the “Polytechnic” are throwing rocks and firebombs at police, while others outside have erected barricades. Police are responding with stun grenades.
These anarchists did not take part in the mostly peaceful march commemorating the 45th anniversary of a student uprising against Greece’s military regime of the time. But others, who did join the march, attacked police forces with rocks, wooden stakes and fire extinguishers at the Ampelokipi metro station, across from Athens Police headquarters. Police officers gave chase and have detained eight people. Two more were detained outside the Polytechnic, police sources say
The march officially ended at the US Embassy, where demonstrators burned a US flag. A block of marchers from the Syriza party had plastic bottles and coffee cups thrown at them by bystanders as they marched past the Embassy.
Clashes around the Polytechnic have continued late into the night. Police have brought a water cannon to disperse some of the rioters outside the school but mostly to put out fires both inside and outside the Polytechnic.
