Galery

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Emanuela Karastoyanova

Hundreds of young people dressed in black gathered at the place where one year  ago a fatal police shooting killed the 15 years old Alexis Grigoropoulos. A peaceful protest against police violence was held at the corner of “Mesolongi” and “Tsavela” Streets, in the central neighborhood Ekzacrhia. This is the first event marking the one-year anniversary of Alexis. The requiem service will take place this morning at the Paleo Faliro cemetery where the boy was buried. At noon, there will be a meeting in front of the former building of the University of Athens, and later tonight another wake is organized at the location of the boy’s violent death.  The biggest event is planned for Monday, when students from all around Greece will participate in a manifestation.

Solid security measures are employed during the protest. There were 10 000 policemen patrolling last night in order to avert the vandalism and violence of last year’s rioting. Anarchists from all around Europe are expected to arrive and take place in the demonstrations marking Alexis’s death. “December’s Ghost” is how the police is calling today’s demonstrations, prepared to prevent the demolition of the center of Athens.

“Cops, pigs, murderers!” This was the slogan raised by close to hundred youngsters protesting in Ekzarchia, appealing to put police violence and arbitrariness to end.  Alexis Grigoropoulos’s mother spoke in public for the first time in a year. In an interview for Thanasis Lalas from “Veto” newspaper Djina Tsalikian shared that she is not in favor of the demonstrations and she cannot relate her grief to neither of them.