Riots Erupt Again in Athens

Rioting broke out overnight in the Greek capital for an eighth day Sunday. The unrest sparked by the police shooting of a teenage boy shows no sign of subsiding. As night fell, hundreds of hooded youths fought running battles with police who fought back using pepper spray and tear gas. STORY: An eighth night of rioting in the Greek capital as anger over the police shooting of a teenage boy shows no sign of abating. Violent clashes broke out after dark following a day of peaceful vigils for Alex Grigoropoulos - one week after the 15-year-old was shot dead by police. Hooded youths threw rocks and petrol bombs at police; green laser beams stabbed the darkness, searching out police officers' eyes. Clouds of smoke quickly filled the narrow streets as officers responded with tear gas. Small bands of rioters attacked shops and banks, smashing windows and hurling firebombs; a branch of the environment ministry fell prey to the mob's rage. A few streets away, and another confrontation was brewing - this time outside the country's national parliament, where hundreds of protesters were camped. After midnight, police moved in to disperse the demonstrators, unleashing pepper spray and tear gas. Dozens of people have been injured in the unrest, which has spread throughout Greece since the shooting, sparking the country's worst civil strife in decades. The teenager's death has tapped into a deep wellspring of public anger over corruption and economic crisis in Greece which the country's conservative government is now struggling to cap. Prime Minster Costas Karamanlis has appealed for an end to the violence, but more protests are planned. The unrest has left observers wondering how long his government will remain in power.

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YouTube | December 15, 2008

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