Thousands march through Greek capital on anniversary of fatal police shooting
Riot police pass by burnt out cars outside the National Technical University School of Athens early Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Several thousand people marched through the Greek capital on Friday on the anniversary of a fatal police shooting of a teenager in 2008, and minor violence broke out later as youths attacked police.
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No injuries or arrests were reported from clashes after the end of the march in Athens. Rioters threw fuel bombs and stones at riot police, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades in the central Exarcheia district where the 2008 shooting occurred.
Alexandros Grigoropoulos, a 15-year-old high school student, was fatally shot by a police officer, sparking days of rioting. His death remains a rallying point for annual demonstrations by left-wing and student groups that often turn violent.
Despite heavy rainfall in the Greek capital, some 5,000 police officers patrolled the city Friday, focusing on Exarcheia.
Police deployed water cannon vehicles, drones and helicopters to monitor the demonstrations and maintained a strong presence near embassies and ministries.
Road closures and traffic diversions were imposed for the march, while public transportation was disrupted and two central subway stations were closed for much of the day.
A police officer arrested for the shooting of Grigoropoulos was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 but was released in 2019 after his sentence was reduced. That decision was upheld at a retrial three years later. A second officer was also convicted as an accomplice and released on parole after serving three years in prison.