New round of incidents in Syntagma

The incidents at the centre of Athens are continuing even late into Wednesday night. Syntagma square has been  emptied once again by police, as riot police teams are clashing with hooded hoodlums.

Dozens of complaints about excessive use of violence and chemicals have been expressed against the police. Scenes of horror took place on Wednesday evening at Syntagma metro station, where a makeshift clinic was set up with only one doctor and help from the station workers, in order to deal with the cases of about 500 people with injuries and respiratory problems.

A lot of people, among them many journalists, sought refuge in the Syntagma station, trying to avoid the chemicals and the unbearable atmosphere. At one point, 2.000 people were gathered at the station, pushed there by riot police who were throwing pieces of marble, stones and teargas.

Finally, after the intervention of metro workers, riot police allowed the entrapped people to leave, while 400 of them with minor injuries left on metro trains. About 100 injured people remained inside the station, for whom there were calls for provisions of medical supplies and ambulances, in order to take them into hospitals.

Hoodlums raided an Agricultural Bank branch on Panepistimiou, destroying offices and computers, while they managed to steal a safe, which they later cracked, only to find it had no money inside.

With the appearance of police and the use of chemicals, the hooded hoodlums dispersed in the surrounding streets and moved towards Omonia square, where the street fights with police continued. In Panepistimiou, Stadiou and surrounding streets, protesters set up roadblocks and set garbage bins on fire.

Police announced they had proceeded with 30 detentions and 11 arrests, while 31 officers were taken to the 401 General Military Hospital of Athens. On the other hand, 21 citizens were taken to Evangelismos, 21 to G. Gennimatas, 3 to Elpis and 2 to the Athens Polyclinic.