Protest over rail disaster turns violent in central Athens

A demonstration in central Athens on Sunday, related to last Tuesday’s rail disaster in north-central Greece, turned violent, with a portion of the protestors breaking away from the main bloc and hurling firebombs at riot police stationed nearby.

The ubiquitous protest scene on Greek streets was followed by riot police using tear gas and flash grenades to disperse the violent protestors.

Vandals set fire to machinery along an adjacent boulevard and damaged bus stops and other street infrastructure, another fallout usually caused by self-styled anarchists and anti-state rioters.

A silent non-violent protest of roughly 300 peopled continued in front of Parliament in the early afternoon.