ATHENS, Greece – Youths hurled rocks, flares and smashed-up paving stones at police outside the US Embassy in Athens yesterday, during a mass rally to mark the anniversary of a 1973 anti-dictatorship uprising.
Riot police used tear gas and stun grenades during the brief but violent confrontation with dozens of anarchists, and chased groups that dispersed down streets near the embassy building. At least 23 people were arrested, authorities said, while three police officers were lightly injured and one protester was being treated in hospital for burns.
Groups of youths continued running clashes with riot police after the end of the march, while police helicopters with searchlights circled overhead.
More than 6,000 officers were on duty to monitor the annual demonstration, which was generally peaceful, with more than 20,000 people marching through central Athens. Another 12 000 protesters joined a rally in Greece’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki, where anarchists attacked police with stones and petrol bombs after the end of the march. Riot squad officers responded with tear gas and stun grenades, and three suspected troublemakers were arrested.
Police also reported clashes in the southern city of Patras. (AP)
