Tens of injured police and citizens at the centre of Athens

The situation was reignited in Syntagma on Tuesday afternoon, though the intensity seemed to momentarily abate.

Since then, police have arrested five people and led 17 more to Police Headquarters, while 21 policemen have been injured. On the other hand, a total of six people have been hospitalized after receiving injuries during the rioting around Syntagma square.

Two men, who were taken to KAT hospital, were beaten on the head, a woman who blacked out was taken to “Alexandra” and three more, two of whom were suffering form respiratory problems and one from burns, were transported to “Sotiria” hospital.

Three out of the six injured are not at risk while the rest, hospitalized in “Sotiria”, are being treated by doctors and nurses.

Information exists which points to police throwing chemicals in the metro station.

Some of the protesters had covered their faces with scarves and gas masks and moved against police forces positioned at the side entrance of Parliament.

Incidents between rioters and police forces ensued. Protesters tried to dissuade the masked perpetrators from causing riots and asked them to leave the square, so that they - in turn - could continue the peaceful protest against the Memorandum and the Medium Term Plan.

The bulk of the demonstrators had come back to Syntagma Square, shouting “the Square has been liberated” and yelling slogans against the Memorandum and the govenrnment’s policies, while many people were standing near the subway entrances, waiting for the atmosphere to clear up.

The police have entered the square, pursuing the masked rioters up and down Ermou street, who in turn are trying to repel them with the use of stones and Molotov cocktails.

At the bottom of Filellinon, anarchists are throwing stones against riot police, while the Indignants are trying to form a human chain to prevent the invasion of riot police and rioters into the square.

Masked men are smashing whatever they can find on their path along Stadiou street, and have damaged many shops along the way. Riot police is using chemical teargas, causing the atmosphere to be stuffy and unbreathable.

The clashes moved to Ermou, Karageorgi Servias, Voukourestioy and Stadiou streets, while police also made use of flashbangs to repel the rioters.

Riot poice then proceeded to surround the square and even assaulted the elderly amidst the general chaos. The picture of the square is dismal, with broken tiles, glass and stones making up the setting.

Ambulances were summoned, but could not approach the area. Information from police refers to two to three individuals injured by stones, while unconfirmed reports speak of another, wounded by a knife.

Tensions prevailed earlier in Othonos street, between right-wing elements and hooded rioters.

The crowd has gathered in front of Parliament since early morning , where the critical vote on the Medium Term Plan will take place on Wednesday. The Indignants have put out a Greece-wide call to surround the Parliament building for 2 days.

Earlier on, on the side of the indignants, PAME as well as GSEE- ADEDY members who were protesting passed Omonoia and reached Syntagma through Pedion tou Areos.

Shortly before 10am, however, authorities blocked Amalias boulevard, Panemistimiou and Vasilissis Sophias, where they erected the iron railings once more.