Galery

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These two groups are in constant conflict. But in recent decades, they had never come to direct confrontation and conflict. I do not know what will happen, but I hope composure will prevail and yesterday's events will not be repeated. They claim from PAME that the group that attacked them involved not only anarchists but also parastatal elements, people from different backgrounds, whose purpose was to disperse the procession and expel the members and supporters of PAME and the Communist Party from Syntagma Square. Rioters accused them of protecting the Parliament. In any case, my experience shows that these groups of hooded youths never move alone. They always appear at the end or in the middle of the protest processions and use demonstrations to attach themselves to the destruction we see after every big protest."

According to a colleague of his from one of the other media, the police, however, could have intervened and restricted the actions of the attackers at the outset.

"What I saw was that even at 09:00 am, and perhaps even earlier, thousands of citizens had gathered on Syntagma Square and were peacefully protesting outside the Parliament. The trade union organization of the Communist Party was the one responsible for the protection of the protest. Its members formed particularly strong chains in front of the Parliament. Suddenly, a group of hooded men –I do not know whether they were provocateurs, civilian police, far-right, far-left, or any other group, attacked the chain of PAME supporters. They tried to break it saying that it was not possible for PAME to "occupy" the upper side of Syntagma Square, and that they wanted to go there to protest and confront the police, throw Molotov bombs, get into the Parliament, etc.

What happened next was unprecedented. I have been doing reports on the street for years, but until yesterday, I had not seen such battles, which reminded me of medieval battles. Rioters were throwing pieces of marble and Molotov bombs among the people. Some had burns, 40 were injured and they were people of different ages. The police did not intervene and the Communist Party confirmed that they had asked them to stay away. I think that they could have intervened to repel the hooded youths and preserve the integrity of the procession. I think squads could have come in the area around the Grande Bretagne Hotel to isolate them, using small amounts of tear gas at the bottom of the square. Thus, the protest up the square would not have been broken. But this did not happen, and when the police finally arrived it was too late. It had been almost 40 minutes, during which the region had become the stage of violent clashes, merciless beatings by both parties."

I think that after so many years the police have information about who gives instructions to the rioters, who at some point must be isolated."