Athens: Rightists clash with immigrants

16 January 2011 | 13:34 | Source: Tanjug

ATHENS -- Extreme right groups threw stones at immigrants, unionists and human rights activists in Athens who were protesting against a wall on the Greek-Turkish border. (Beta) The extremists then clashed with police who used tear gas. “At least 100 members of neo-Nazi groups and about 200 residents attacked the participants of the peaceful protest with stones. Police used tear gas and signal flares several times,” an official said. Two people were arrested and 13 were taken for questioning, the Greek media have reported. 500,000 of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers live in Greece and the number of people who pass through Greece in order to reach other EU member states is constantly rising. Therefore, the Greek authorities intend to build a 12-kilometer-long wall on the Greek-Turkish border. The polls show that as many as 73 percent of citizens support the decision.