Free Download

Download 'Too Hot', an exclusive Specials track from iTunes

Navigation - link to other main sections from here

From Times Online

December 12, 2008

Greek police run out of tear gas as rioting continues for a seventh day

James Hider in Athens

Thousands of Greek protesters clashed with riot police yet again in Athens today, as police started to run out of tear gas after battling rioters day and night for a whole week.

Police sources said their riot squads had fired 4,600 tear gas canisters this week as rioters torched hundreds of banks and shops and occupied their campuses, where police after forbidden by law from entering.

The police have asked Israel and Germany to send them emergency supplies, while protesters claimed that they had been using old stock from the 1980s in a desperate bid to contain the rioting. They claimed that corroded chemicals were causing some demonstrators to collapse and need medical attention.

“We found tear gas canister dated from 1981,” said one demonstrator, calling himself only GK. “The old chemicals make us sick, people have fainted and have trouble breathing,” he said.

With the running street battles showing no sign of letting up, a march by students, anarchists and youths in masks ran into immediate trouble as rioters hurled rocks, fruit and chairs from street cafes at police trying to contain the latest rally.

Police responded by firing stun grenades and snatching rock-throwers who approached too close, at one point knocking down a Greek journalist with their plastic shields. As the masses approached parliament and challenged the police ranks, officers used remaining supplies of tear gas to drive them from the square before the assembly building.

The demonstrations started a week ago after a police officer shot dead a 15-year-old boy, claiming he had fired a warning shot in the air as youths threatened him and a fellow officer. The two policemen are in detention, with their defence lawyer claiming that an as yet unreleased ballistics report shows the boy was killed by a ricochet rather than by direct fire.

But the anger unleashed by the killing has acted as a lightning rod for smouldering discontent at a variety of social ills, from unemployment to police brutality and government corruption.

Left-wing demonstrators today chanted “Cops are murderers” and carried placards saying “Bullets in the kids, money in the bank” and “Down with the government of property and privatization”. One protester had even trained his pet dog to carry a poster in its mouth with the logo “Down with the state and all masters.”

Left wing oposition parties? These demonstrators are anarchists note: anarchy means without rulers. Not as many believe means chaos so anarchists want no coercion or hierarchy oppressing them and from what I can tell there is a lot oppressing them At the moment

Andy Malroes, redwood,

When will we in the USA start doing the same thing? Before or after all our money is gone?

Robert, Cary, USA

Pray for Greece, it needs it. The democracy deficit is real and it's starting to show up in the streets.
Josh - US free market medicine is more lip service than reality. Prices are set by Medicare and the private insurers pay some delta off of the government rate across the board.

TMLutas, Munster, IN, USA

Events like these are fires that will simply have to burn themselves out, very much like the financial meltdown with banks etc having to plug that calamitous crevice of (toxic) debt. This takes time, and people are impatient. Greece will survive and the world will be back on its feet.

RIck Thomas, Salford, UK

Spray them down with fire truck hoses, and put a dipilatory in the water. Then they will have to go back to their lives and jobs missing hair, eyebrows and eyelashes-marked for who they are-rioters with no respect for other's property.

Todd, Atlanta, USA

Look we just had a fifteen year old boy shot here in Australia, not a mistaken richocet either, six bullets in the chest. A bit of outrage and soul searching for a better way, but no riots. The left are fuelling this with hate and should be held accoutnable.

John Herbert, Hobart, Australia

The fact of the matter is, these 26 year old canisters are dangerous. - Josh

So is throwing molotov cocktails, setting fire to police offiers and damaging over 500 shops and other looting, Josh.

A lot of these "demonstrators" are now "Rioters."

Mitchell, Goose Creek, USA

I have a variety of things to say to all of you who have commented on this tragic event so far.
Mibu, if this is the result of transnational socialism, why is the United States of America caught up in it? Our country is a place where socialism itself is almost a swearword.

Josh, San Francisco, United States of America

Our health care system is obviously not socialized, judging by the fact that there are 47 million people without insurance, we have the highest health care prices in the industrialized world, and 18,000 people are dying each year because they can't get health care. America is not socialized.