Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Athens somewhat calm Thursday

|
|
 
  
Published: Dec. 11, 2008 at 10:41 PM

ATHENS, Greece, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Athens was relatively calm Thursday after days of rioting following the police shooting of a teenager, but protests spread to other cities in Europe.

A major demonstration was being planned for Athens Friday, as any people went to work for the first time this week, CNN reported.

"Of course there are sporadic clashes between students and police officials, but things are a scale or two lower than they were yesterday," police spokesman Panayiotes Stathis said Thursday. "There is a gradual de-escalation and that's how we hope the situation will proceed."

Alexis Grigoropoulos, 15, was killed Saturday night. A police officer who has been charged with manslaughter claimed during a court hearing that he acted in self-defense and that the bullet that struck Grigoropoulos was a ricochet after he fired warning shots in the air, Katherimini reported.

A lawyer for the officer claimed Grigoropoulos had been expelled from a private school but school officials say that is not the case.

Demonstrators gathered Thursday outside Greek embassies in Denmark, Italy, Spain and Turkey. In Copenhagen, police arrested 32 people, while protesters in Rome and Moscow allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at the embassies, The Times of London said.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade The making of the Oscars
The Chicago Auto Show The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Tu Bishvat Migron settlement
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 25
Meryl Streep and Colin Firth attend the "BAFTA" ceremony in London
View Caption
fark
Police say Taylor Burnham, 18, was only wearing cowboy boots as she led police on a Sunday morning...
If you're working as a dog groomer and accidentally chop off a dog's ear, don't try to glue it back,...
After a two-year sting operation, the Feds shut down ... an Amish farm. Another victory in the war...
High school coach retires at 65 after getting arrested nude, "aroused" in car backseat with 17-year-old...
Man arrested for stealing $25k worth of Tide detergent. Witnesses say the suspect appeared quite...
News: Two cars fighting gun battle on Interstate accidentally fire into car of innocent women. Fark:...