Greek Police arrest volleyball fans in possession of firebombs and axes

Greek police arrested some 57 Panathinaikos (PAO) volleyball fans on Wednesday following an incident before the game between PAO's women's team and visiting Czech team Ostrava.

According to police, the arrests followed an incident before the game with many of those arrested found to be in possession of several weapons ranging from firebombs to axes.

The incidents they were involved in occurred at train stops of Victorias Square and Nerantziotissa as PAO's women's volley team game faced visiting Czech team Ostrava at the indoor gym of Agios Thomas in the northern suburb of Maroussi.

Police said in a report on Thursday that the 57 PAO fans - 30 adults and 27 minors - were led from the police station to a prosecutor after police confiscated firebombs, knives, pocketknives, fire extinguishers, hammers, axes, pickaxes, shovels, iron rods, and screwdrivers, among other objects.

Describing the incidents, the Attica Headquarters of the Hellenic Police (GADA) said that a large group of people boarded the electric train (ISAP) at Petralona station on Wednesday, heading to Kifissia. Some of them disembarked at Victoria Station and met others there with whom they attacked a Greek man and injured him lightly, while removing fire extinguishers from the station.

They then boarded another train to Kifissia, got off at Nerantziotissa Station where they met the rest of their group, and headed to the indoor gym where the volleyball game was being held.

At the gym they were rounded up by DIAS motorcycle police and taken to the police station, where they were placed under arrest. A case file was drawn against them for several charges including disturbing the peace, manufacturing and possessing explosives, theft, dangerous interruptions to transportation, and violations of the laws against arms, flashbangs, and amateur and professional games.