Tensions peak in city ‘ghetto’
Riot police were on deployed in the central Athens district of Aghios Panteleimonas yesterday as members of an extreme-right group and leftists took sides in a protest by residents against the burgeoning local immigrant population. There were no reports of trouble but officers remained in the area until late. A local residents’ group is asking for health and safety inspections on blocks where immigrants live, fearing that some may have untreated ailments. «The migrants should receive medical treatment,» Matina Papadopoulou, a local resident and mother of two, told Kathimerini. The installation of portable chemical toilets in the area is one of a raft of measures being proposed by local residents. Many also want authorities to relocate «a sizable proportion» of migrants. «Our efforts have paid off – a building where 400 Afghans had been staying has been closed,» one resident said.
