Athens is calming down, police are on the edge

The situation in the centre of Athens was calming down towards the evening as MAT teams, accompanied by a FD vehicle that put out fires at several spots in Syntagma square, managed to remove the remaining protesters outside the parliament.

All roads were unblocked and a group of about 30 protesters was the last to be removed from Syntagma around 8pm and dispersed in surrounding streets. Under the fear of new episodes police presence was still strong.

At the time when municipal crews were coming to the streets to clean the city the center was reminiscent  of a bomb site, in which extensive episodes had taken place earlier between protesters and cops, barricades had been erected, street fights and destructions had occurred.

The situation was explosive, with riot police forces making extensive use of tear gas and throwing stun grenades and the demonstrators responding with Molotov bombs. One protester tried to burn the EU flag outside the parliament building, but was prevented by police.

Melee battles and stone throwing occurred in Propylaea, and one person was arrested who was carrying a bow and two arrows, an axe and a wooden beam. There were also incidents between young protesters and police, both at the intersection of Panepistimiou and Patision and the intersection of Stadiou and Emm. Benaki.

The police proceeded to more than 26 adductions and 9 arrests, while 15 policemen were injured and two police motorcycles were burnt. An unknown number of demonstrators have also been injured, while a reporter from zougla.gr was injured in the head by Molotov bombs. He was transported to the Athens Polyclinic, where he received first aid for his burns, and then was discharged.