Officer injured in clashes with protesters in Athenian suburb

One police officer was seriously injured during clashes with protesters on the sidelines of a rally against police violence in an Athenian suburb on Tuesday afternoon.

The officer is said to have been hit in the neck with a flare or a stone, according to initial information. Some of his colleagues formed a circle around him to protect him until the ambulance arrived to transfer him to hospital.

As the clashes continued through the evening, at least three officers were hurt and 10 arrests were made, police said.

According to state-run broadcaster ERT, some hooded individuals hurled petrol bombs against the police forces which responded with tear gas. Officers also found a backpack with petrol bombs and fire crackers in the neighbouring district of Neos Kosmos.

Several parked cars were damaged while footage posted on social media showed trash bins burning.

Earlier, about 5,000 people gathered in the main square of Nea Smyrna in a rally that followed an apparent incident of police brutality in the district over the weekend.