Over 6000 people marched on the streets of Thessaloniki as some carried banners that read “They shot them because they were Roma”
Several violent protests broke out in Greece after a 16-year-old boy from the Roma minority was shot in the head by a police officer after a car chase. According to a report by the Associated Press on Tuesday, December 6, clashes broke out at a police station outside the city of Thessaloniki.
The report said, protesters were from a nearby Roma settlement and protested regarding the shooting of a teenager after he was chased over an unpaid petrol bill. The protesters set tires on fire and smashed a riot police bus also, asides from burning an excavator vehicle. The report also said, gun shots were heard as the police claimed protestor were firing shotguns.
On Monday, similar protests broke out after over 1500 people took part in a march organized by the leftwing and anarchist groups in central Thessaloniki, the report said. Protesters smashed shops and also threw molotov cocktails at the police. The police responded by firing stun grenades and tear gas on the protestors to disperse them.
The report also said, before the incident protests were already planned as Tuesday, December 6, marks the anniversary of a fatal shooting by the police that killed a teenager in 2008.
Meanwhile, the police officer who shot the boy faces charges of attempted manslaughter as well as possible intent and a misdemeanor count of illegally firing his weapon.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check out the EuroNews247 website for all your up-to-date European news stories.
