Digital News Report- A killing of a 15-year-old boy by police in Athens, Greece on Saturday sparked protests and riots across the country. Police said six protesters pelted a police patrol car with stones, and the teen was shot as he tried to throw a fuel-filled bomb at the officers. Demonstrators have torched government buildings and set cars and trash containers on fire across central Athens.
On Tuesday the boy was buried and another riot occurred as 10,000 protesters gathered at parliament. Though thousands gathered peacefully for a candlelit vigil, several grew violent near the end of the service. Numerous shops have had their windows broken and fires continue to be started at numerous places across town.
Opposition leader George Papandreou of the left-wing PASOK party said: “The country does not have a government that can protect its citizens, their rights, or their safety… Our citizens are experiencing… an economic crisis, a social crisis, an institutional crisis, and a crisis of values. And the government is unable to address these crises; they have lost the confidence of the Greek people.”
Many people are calling for Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to resign. His already unpopular administration has suffered as a result of the riots. Karamanlis has said that, “those who cause violence and vandalism are enemies of democracy.”
Amnesty International has accused police of heavy-handed tactics against protesters. They have reported that police have, “engaged in punitive violence against peaceful demonstrators,” and have ignored violent rioters.
More riots are expected on Wednesday.
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