Violence mars pupils’ rally

A protest rally against the coalition government’s education reforms that was attended by some 2,500 schoolchildren yesterday in central Athens was marred by violence as a group of about 30 hooded youths launched petrol bombs at riot police standing guard outside Parliament.

Riot police were also dispatched to contain a violent rampage by self-styled anarchists outside the Athens Polytechnic building in the district of Exarchia. Traffic on Patission Street was brought to a halt for over an hour.

In a statement yesterday, main opposition New Democracy attacked the administration, saying the riots exposed its “tolerant attitude to violence and lawlessness.”