Greek students in clashes on shooting anniversary

Riot police try to avoid petrol bombs thrown by youths during clashes in front of the tomb of the unknown soldier outside the Greek Parliament in Athens, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011. Protesting high school students hurled rocks and bottles during clashes with police Tuesday during a rally to mark the third anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in central Athens. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

December 6, 2011

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ATHENS, Greece—Several hundred anarchists clashed with riot police outside Parliament, where Greek lawmakers were debating the 2012 budget before a vote expected after midnight.

The rioters were part of a march to commemorate the third anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in central Athens. Anarchists threw stones, bottles and firebombs at the police, who replied with tear gas and stun grenades. The rioters moved away from Parliament.

In a separate march earlier Tuesday, about 2,0000 students commemorating the teen's shooting hurled rocks and bottles during at police, as well as smashing two nearby store fronts and three bus stops. Other groups of teenagers attacked two suburban police stations with rocks and bottles.

Police dispersed the youths with a small amount of tear gas after the protesters used at least two fire bombs.

Police reported 14 officers were injured; nine people were arrested and six detained.

The shooting death of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos on Dec. 6, 2008 sparked two weeks of the worst rioting the country had seen in decades.

Some 5,000 police were on duty in the capital for Tuesday's rallies.

Violence was also reported in Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, where police detained two people after a crowd of youths threw rocks at a government building.

There were also violent clashes in at least six other cities. In the city of Agrinio in western Greece, a group of students broke into the city hall while the city council was in session and ransacked some offices, throwing office supplies out the windows.

Last year, a court sentenced a police officer to life in prison for Grigoropoulos' death, and a second officer to 10 years.

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