On Saturday 6th of December at around 10pm, two Greek policemen were in patrol in a central street by Exarchia square, in the center of Athens. They had a verbal argument with some young people who were there. During the argument, one of the cops pulled his gun and shot a 16-year-old guy twice. The victim was moved to Evangelismos Hospital to be found dead. According to eye-witnesses, the cop had been swearing against the young man, showing his genitals, before shooting him.
Source: Indymedia article dated December 7th.
According to a Sky news report broadcast in NZ on 3 news, riots broke out after “police shot dead a 16 year old boy when a patrol car came under attack early yesterday evening”. He then goes on to talk about details surrounding the riots.
3 News video here.
This is important as it gives the first impression to viewers that these kids were attacking Police. There are however a number of eye witness accounts that outline only a verbal exchange took place before the shooting. There is also an eye witness cell phone video that shows no signs of the Police coming under attack.
Officer who shot teenager was a special guard; defense attorneys decline the case
Epaminondas Korkoneas, the 37-year-old police officer who is alleged to have shot the teenager Alexis Grigoropoulos is a special guard, a force that was created in 1999 but fully inducted into the police only this year.
Special guards were intended to take on more menial tasks, such as guarding buildings, so that regular police officers would be able to take up other duties.
Speaking to Kathimerini, the legal counsel of the Attica Police Officers’ Union, Vaios Skambardonis, said that police officers are advised that they should only use their revolvers if human life is in danger.
However, footage of Saturday’s shooting, captured by a witness on her mobile phone does not appear to show Korkoneas and his colleague coming under any kind of threat.
The blurred, dark images appear to show the police officer standing at some distance from the 15-year-old and other youths.
There appear to be no signs of the police officers coming under any kind of attack.
Korkoneas has been charged with murder and illegal use of a weapon while his colleague has been charged as an accomplice.
Their next appearance in court is in some doubt as the lawyers assigned to defend them have refused to accept their case. This has been interpreted as an indication that the officers’ argument that they were acting in self-defense was not convincing.
Source: Greek Newspaper Kathimerini (English Edition)
A young woman holds a heart-shaped balloon in front of police officers in riot gear guarding the Greek parliament during a peaceful protest in central Athens, Monday Dec. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
On Monday, about 2,000 youths confronted riot police outside Athens’ main police headquarters.
Students also gathered outside Athens’ main court complex, where four people arrested during last week’s riots were ordered to remain in custody. The policeman accused of killing the teenager, meanwhile, has been charged with murder and is being held pending trial.
Socialist opposition leader George Papandreou renewed calls Monday for early elections.
“The government cannot deal with this crisis,” he said. “It cannot protect people - their rights or property - and it cannot identify with the anxiety felt by the younger generation.”
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, whose party has only a single seat majority in parliament, has repeatedly rejected calls to resign, saying the country needed a steady hand in times of crisis.
AP
The photographer who took the above photo of a Police officer aiming a 9mm Glock (with no safety) at protesters apparently lost his job!
Amnesty International has also issued a statement outlining Greek police “engaged in punitive violence against peaceful demonstrators“. Their statement is a good source of further reading on events surrounding the issue.
