Greek protesters clash with riot police
THESSALONIKI, Greece — A protest march by 1,500 far-left activists in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki turned violent Saturday near its end, when some protesters threw firebombs and rocks at riot police who responded with stun grenades and tear gas.
Police prevented the marchers from reaching their intended destination, the campus of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Thirty people were detained, and 27 will face charges, police said.
The march was the culmination of a week of protests over the New Year’s Eve eviction of activists who had occupied a room at the university’s biology department for 34 years.
The occupation did not disturb the department’s functioning, but the department decided it needed the space to expand its library. Police broke through a locked door into the room, which was empty at the time.
Activists reoccupied the room on Monday but were evicted in a new police operation the following day. Fifteen people were arrested, and their trial has been scheduled for Friday.