La democrazia di Bruxelles si mangia i figli

 

Greece in flames: Police deploy tear gas and stun grenades as protesters hurl petrol bombs

POLICE and protestors have clashed in Greece after student demonstrations erupted in violence.

By Simon Osborne

PUBLISHED: 13:53, Thu, Apr 15, 2021 | UPDATED: 18:46, Thu, Apr 15, 2021

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Greece: Student protestors clash with police in Thessaloniki

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Riot officers used tear gas and stun grenades as protesters throw petrol bombs near the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Thousands of students have taken to the streets across the country to demonstrate against education reforms proposed by prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

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 Video footage posted on social media showed police and students engaged in running battles around universtity buildings in Thessaloniki city centre.

The air was thick with smoke and teargas and the streets rang out to the loud bangs of stun grenades being fired by police.

Protest organisers said at least 33 students had been arrested during the clashes and accused the police of using extreme violence.

Student protests have erupted in violence in Greece (Image: TWITTER)

Student leaders have accused Mr Mitsotakis and his right-wing government of trying to transform universities into places of fear, surveillance and repression after it passed new laws creating a police force for university campuses.

Greek police had been forbidden from entering university campuses  since 1973 when an uprising against the country's then military dictatorship began at Athens Polytechnic.

The New Democracy government has also passed laws demanding protest organisers first get permission from local authorities which and can block demonstrations they believe would disrupt businesses.

READ MORE: EU crisis: Merkel's eurozone row sparked 'riots and political unrest'

Protesters hurled petrol bombs at riot police (Image: TWITTER)

The air was heavy with smoke and teargas as riot police moved in (Image: TWITTER)

Student unions and opposition parties have warned the new laws over-rules their democratic rights on campus.

Nikos Filis, education spokesman for the Syriza party, said the entire academic community and even the police were against the proposals.