Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-03-10

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] 49 youths to testify over protest violence

[01] 49 youths to testify over protest violence

The court ordered the release of 48 of them until then, while for a private employee, the court ordered the extension of his detention until Monday.

The 49 are accused of disrupting public order.

Moreover, 12 suspects were earlier charged by a public prosecutor with a number of misdemeanour offences. Nine of them will testify on Monday, while the remaining three testified on Saturday. The three, two females and a male, were released and must appear at a police station once a month.

Thirteen police officers were injured during Thursday's incidents and one of them was hospitalised.

According to police, the incidents were caused by self-styled anarchist and anti-establishment youths who participated in the rally and are responsible for the petrol bomb attacks on a number of banks, as well as for the violent clashes recorded when they attempted to break the anti-riot police cordon in front of the Parliament building hurling petrol bombs, stones and other objects against the security forces.

The same individuals are responsible for torching a sentry box at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and for the attack on a traffic police officer, forcibly removing his radio set.

The statement issued also clarified that the Evzone Guards, members of the presidential guard, were removed from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by decision of the police for security reasons.

Caption: A sentry box in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in downtown Athens burns on Thursday, March 8, 2007, after self-styled 'anti-state' youths torched the structure during unprecedented violence in the city's centre. ANA-MPA / P. Saitas.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article