Police on alert as clashes with Roma continue

Police were on standby on Friday evening, fearing that the outbreak of riots and incidents over Monday’s shooting and injury of 16-year-old Kostas Frangoulis by an officer will continue near Roma camps in Attica and Thessaloniki in the coming days.

Tension escalated on Friday afternoon on Pontos Street in Thessaloniki, with barricades and stone throwing on the part of the demonstrators and the use of chemicals by the riot police. There were also reports of guns being fired. 

Sources said that the Attica and Thessaloniki police forces have been reinforced and that raids on Roma settlements will continue.

On Thursday morning, Attica police officers carried out raids in Aspropyrgos, Menidi, Zefiri and Ano Liosia, while a new operation was also carried out in the afternoon.

During the operations, six people were arrested on charges including drug possession and theft.