Clashes Erupt During Greek Memorial Protest

The news in Greek

1. διαδήλωση (f.)
   Συγκέντρωση ατόμων για να εκφράσουν δημοσίως τα αιτήματά τους. ↩︎
2. ειρηνικός
   Με τρόπο που δεν περιλαμβάνει βία ή συγκρούσεις. ↩︎
3. ξεσπώ
   Αρχίζει κάτι ξαφνικά και έντονα, συνήθως με αρνητική σημασία. ↩︎
4. βίαιος
   Με τρόπο που περιέχει δύναμη ή επιθετικότητα. ↩︎
5. χημικός (n.)
   Ουσίες που χρησιμοποιούνται από τις αρχές για την καταστολή, όπως τα δακρυγόνα. ↩︎
6. σύλληψη (f.)
   Πράξη της σύλληψης κάποιου από την αστυνομία. ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: Who were the protests in Athens for?

Question: What did the police use to deal with the violent incidents?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
διαδήλωση (f.)	demonstration
ειρηνικός	peacefully
ξεσπώ	break out
βίαιος	violently
χημικός (n.)	chemicals
σύλληψη (f.)	arrests

Read the full story

Approximately 4,000 protestors took to the streets with banners reading “The uprisings of the past illuminate today’s struggles” and “We have not yet said our last word; these days belong to Alexis.” These words resonated as groups gathered at Propylaia and marched towards Exarchia, where Grigoropoulos was fatally shot by a police officer.

However, what began as a peaceful show of remembrance quickly descended into chaos. As demonstrators approached the intersection of Tzavella and Mesolongiou Streets, clashes with police ensued. Groups of masked individuals set fire to rubbish bins and hurled Molotov cocktails and stones at law enforcement officers, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowds.

The atmosphere in Exarchia turned tense and suffocating due to the heavy use of chemicals. The police reported numerous preemptive arrests throughout the day, totaling approximately 90, with further detentions following the outbreak of violence. Some apprehended individuals were found with illegal items, including knives and flares, leading to four arrests.

To maintain order, Athens witnessed a heavy police presence, with around 5,000 officers deployed across the city. Law enforcement used drones and a helicopter for aerial monitoring, while specialised water cannon vehicles, known as “Aiantes,” stood ready at key locations to control any further disruptions.

Protests extended beyond Athens, with reports of similar events in Thessaloniki and other cities, underscoring the national reverberations of Grigoropoulos’ death. The night concluded with the reopening of public transport hubs, which had been disrupted by the protests, and a memorial vigil held at the exact time of the incident 16 years ago.

This memorial day, marked every 6th of December, continues to evoke strong emotions and debates over police conduct and societal justice in Greece, reflecting broader issues of youth unrest and political dissatisfaction.

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