Athens Descends into Chaos as Protesters Clash with Police

Athens, the historic heart of democracy, erupted in violence last night as furious protesters battled riot police, setting cars and buildings ablaze. Months of simmering public frustration—over issues ranging from pension reforms to the government’s response to a deadly 2023 train disaster—exploded into chaos, transforming parts of Greece’s capital into a war zone.

Hundreds of demonstrators turned to violence, hurling petrol bombs, stones, and fireworks at police in areas like Kallidromiou, Benaki, Charilaou Trikoupi, Methonis streets, and the Exarchia neighborhood, where a police station came under attack. Flames engulfed streets as riot police retaliated with tear gas and flash grenades, while explosions from burning cars echoed through the city. Onlookers watched in shock from balconies above the chaotic scenes.


Authorities report over 70 arrests, with at least one police officer injured. According to The Sun, more than 20 cars were set alight, five completely destroyed, and a house and shop sustained damage.

The unrest follows a bomb explosion Friday night near the offices of Hellenic Train, Greece’s main railway company, in central Athens. No injuries were reported, but the attack heightened tensions already inflamed by the 2023 rail disaster, which claimed 57 lives when a freight and passenger train collided on the same track. The tragedy exposed critical flaws in Greece’s railway safety systems, sparking widespread outrage and protests led by victims’ families, who accuse the conservative government of dodging accountability.


While only rail officials face charges, public anger persists, with recent protests frequently turning violent. Hellenic Train condemned the violence, stating it fosters a “climate of toxicity” that undermines progress.

Greece has a history of politically driven violence since the 1970s, with small extremist groups carrying out low-casualty bombings. Though older groups have been dismantled, new ones are emerging. Last year, a man died in Athens when a bomb he was assembling detonated, severely injuring a woman nearby. The incident led Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis to warn of a rising threat from a new generation of domestic extremists.

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