🔥 Athens was ablaze on Friday night as clashes erupted between protestors and police, marking the 16th anniversary of a tragic event that shook Greece to its core. Thousands took to the streets to honor Alexandros Grigoropoulos, the 15-year-old whose untimely death at the hands of police ignited the nation's worst riots in decades.
🕯️ Approximately 5,000 people marched through the heart of Athens, their footsteps echoing the collective grief and unresolved tensions that still linger. As the march concluded in the Exarchia district—where young Alexandros was fatally shot—tensions escalated. Hooded protestors set garbage bins alight, transforming city streets into scenes reminiscent of a dystopian film.
🧨 The air filled with smoke and shouts as protestors hurled petrol bombs and stones. Riot police responded with volleys of teargas, the acrid clouds adding to the chaos of the night. Despite the heavy police presence, with thousands of officers deployed and over 60 detentions, the spirit of defiance was palpable.
📅 Flashback to that fateful night on December 6, 2008: the news of Grigoropoulos's death spread like wildfire. Athens descended into turmoil as thousands flooded the streets, torching cars, smashing storefronts, and expressing their outrage through widespread civil unrest that lasted for weeks.
🌍 Sixteen years later, the echoes of that unrest serve as a stark reminder of ongoing struggles against police brutality and the fight for justice. For many young Greeks, Grigoropoulos's memory symbolizes a call to action—a push for change in a world that often feels unyielding.
✊ As the night settled, the fires dimmed, but the message was clear: a generation refuses to forget and continues to demand accountability and reform. The streets of Athens may quiet down, but the conversation ignited by a teenager's tragic death burns on.
Reference(s):
Clashes erupt in Athens after march to mark student killing by police
cgtn.com
