Violence continues in Athens

Violence continued in Greece over the 20-21 December 2008 weekend. Rioters clashed with police officers in Athens on the night of 20 December, when a credit checking agency and at least two cars were attacked with Molotov cocktails. Greece's finance ministry and the city’s Christmas tree were also the target of attacks; damage was reported at the finance ministry, and while the tree escaped significant damage, it took two hours to clear protesters from the square where it stands. Many of the protesting youths in the city gathered at the National Technical University of Athens; from there, they engaged in running street battles with police officers before retreating back onto university grounds, where police are not permitted. Protests also took place in Thessaloniki, where a radio station and a movie theater were occupied.