The Greek government, defending the growing allegations of police brutality, has called for calm after clashes in the streets of Athens, massive protests and growing anger over the country’s prolonged closure.
The Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, called for restraint after an initially peaceful protest against police aggression turned violent late Tuesday. Three policemen were injured in the street fights that followed when law enforcement officers tried to repel youths who were stoning stones and firebombs with tear gas, water cannons and stun grenades.
The protest was fueled by outrage over video footage showing a police officer brutally beating a man with an iron rod for allegedly breaking locking measures.
“I address young people, who are destined to create and not to destroy,” Mitsotakis said in an impromptu televised speech after it emerged that one of the policemen was seriously injured when he was dragged from a motorcycle and repeatedly kicked. .
“Blind anger leads nowhere. It should serve as a wake-up call to endanger the life of a young policeman. At this point, everyone needs to exercise self-control and composure. ”
On Wednesday, as tensions escalated, thousands of students took to the streets, denouncing the center-right government’s plans to install unarmed police units on university campuses.
“Anger is building up,” said Panagotis Katis, 20, an undergraduate political scientist at the University of the Peloponnese, as he marched on the Athens parliament. ‘It is not just the campus police who are at odds with every idea that universities are places that ensure freedom of expression. People are incensed at the fact that their basic rights are being attacked by the police who are supposed to protect us without abusing the law, which is why so many are here today. ”
Tuesday’s clashes erupted after more than 5,000 people gathered in the southern suburb of Nea Smyrni, an area better known for its aura of law-abiding respect, to protest increasingly harsh police tactics. Some put up banners with the words “Cops out of our neighborhoods”.
The march was organized after anger over video footage showing a police officer beating a 29-year-old student in the central square of Nea Smyrni on Sunday.
The man was sitting on a bench and enjoying the fresh air when a police officer rounded him off, apparently in the belief that he had violated strict curbs which restricted the freedom of movement. “He pushed me and then the other officers kicked me all over my body”, the student then told the left-wing newspaper Efsyn and explained that he tried to reason with the group that imposed fines of € 300 on people who are considered the legislation.
In a rare move, the officer was relieved of his duties on Wednesday following an internal investigation. Aristotelia Peloni, a government spokeswoman, conceded that the video recordings shared on social media were “disturbing to everyone”.
The incident highlighted the often violent tactics of a police force, which was strongly encouraged by the Mitsotakis government in both manpower and material reinforcements. The ruling New Democracy party took office in July 2019 and promised to be tough on law and order after blaming its left-wing predecessor, Syriza, for allowing lawlessness to flourish.
According to the ombudsman, the allegations of police brutality have skyrocketed, especially since the beginning of the pandemic.
Human rights groups and the Athens Bar Association also criticized the excessive use of force, both of which attributed police action to a culture of endemic impunity that allowed the offenses to continue. Among the alleged abuses are reports that people were searched in broad daylight.
Last year, the government was criticized for legislation banning protests that he said were dangerous to public safety. Amnesty International’s Greek branch held it responsible for the increase in violent incidents.
A large part of Greece has been locked up since November, exacerbating frustration and fatigue in a country that had the worst increase in infection rates on Tuesday. “The country has a government that has completely lost control of the pandemic, and the only thing it knows how to do … is to use a heavy hand,” Syriza’s leader and former prime minister said. Alexis Tsipras, said.
The pressure has increased in recent weeks as protesters openly opposed the ban on protests in solidarity with Dimitris Koufondinas, the main killer of the now deceased 17 November, who had been on hunger strike for the past two months. Left-wing supporters of the terrorist, who was convicted of the murders of 11 people, including a former military attaché of the British embassy, were among those who took to the streets of Athens on Wednesday. “We’re all here, including his son there,” said a protester, pointing to a young man wearing a red bandana mask. ‘Koufondinas wanted us on the street. It gets explosive. There is a lot of anger in the air. ”