Clashes in Athens Prior to Anniversary of Anti-Junta Uprising

Southeast Europe | November 14, 2014, Friday // 11:48|  views

Greek university students shout slogans as they march during a rally in central Athens, Greece, on 13 November 2014. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Students and police forces clashed on Thursday evening following demonstrations against the decision to close down all higher educational institutions in the Greek capital.

The riots come four days before the anniversary of November 17 Athens Polytechnic Uprising against the Military Junta in 1973.

The skirmish occurred towards the end of the demonstrations, when students tried to enter the historic building of the Athens Polytechnic School, where they were planning to hold a general assembly called by the student unions, Greek English-language outlets report.

The police was forced to use tear gas and stun grenades to prevent the demonstrators from entering the building.

Tensions were running high from the morning, when students attempted to enter the building of the Law School of Athens University, but were similarly denied access.

During the morning clashes, two students suffered severe head injuries as the police dispersed the crowd that had gathered.

This incident led to two evening clashes, the first of them occurring when students threw stones at the police, to which the security forces responded with the use of stun grenades.

The second round of skirmish took place outside the Polytechnic School, when almost 200 students tried to enter the building. Students reported that apart from the use of chemicals, the police took a more violent stance, hitting some of the protesters with batons.

The deanships of the University of Athens, the National Technical University of Athens (the former Polytechnic School) and the Athens University of Economics and Business had asked for the main university buildings in downtown Athens to remain closed down until Monday, in order to avoid sit-ins ahead of November 17 anniversary.

The clashes also stirred up debates in Parliament, where the main opposition party SYRIZA criticised the decision to close universities. Its spokesman Panos Skourletis accused the government of being autocratic and suppressing the Greek youth, anti-dictatorial struggles and democracy.

This caused the response of Costas Markopoulos, member of parliament of the ruling party New Democracy, who accused the opposition of supporting terrorism, sit-ins and lawlessness.

On Friday students, administrative staff, teachers and academia members are calling for a new Paneducational demonstration in Athens, while on Monday's anniversary march more than 7 000 policemen will be mobilised only in the Greek capital.

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Tags: greece, Athens, Polytechnic School, Syriza, universities

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