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Kostas Tsironis / AP
A petrol bomb explodes in front of riot police officers guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Greek parliament during a protest in Athens, Tuesday.
Firebombs, stones and bottles were thrown Tuesday as several hundred anarchists clashed with riot police outside the Greek parliament, where lawmakers were debating the 2012 budget before a vote expected after midnight.
The rioters were part of a march to commemorate the third anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in central Athens, according to The Associated Press.
After anarchists threw stones, bottles and firebombs at the police, the officers responded with tear gas and stun grenades.
Police formed a cordon outside parliament, Reuters reported, and the rioters later moved away from parliament.
In a separate march earlier Tuesday, about 2,0000 students commemorating the teen's shooting hurled rocks and bottles during at police, as well as smashing two nearby store fronts and three bus stops. Other groups of teenagers attacked two suburban police stations with rocks and bottles.
Police dispersed the youths with a small amount of tear gas after the protesters used at least two fire bombs.
Police reported 14 officers were injured; nine people were arrested and six detained.
The shooting death of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos on Dec. 6, 2008 sparked two weeks of the worst rioting the country had seen in decades.
Some 5,000 police were on duty in the capital for Tuesday's rallies.
Violence was also reported in Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, where police detained two people after a crowd of youths threw rocks at a government building.
There were also violent clashes in at least six other cities. In the city of Agrinio in western Greece, a group of students broke into the city hall while the city council was in session and ransacked some offices, throwing office supplies out the windows.
Last year, a court sentenced a police officer to life in prison for Grigoropoulos' death, and a second officer to 10 years.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Anarchists? Or just citizens fed up with their current government? It seems doubtful that anyone actually polled the several hundred to determine whether they were true anarchists. Shouldn't the ace reporters have asked to see their anarchist membership cards?
I suspect they are fed up and I doubt a new government will be the answer. If the EU continues to enable the government workers and pensioners of Greece, they will continue to race it into something comparable to bankruptcy and re-institute the real drag on the economy, the "Drachma".
The EU must make the statement so Italy and Spain, (along with the rest of the world) understand it is no longer a game of political pandering. It's about survival and the EU is gasping for air via lack of clear direction and extreme lack of confidence. Something the US will soon know as we continue on our merry way.
Yes, Rick, that is what these so called journalists present to us. Their opinion and conclusions without facts.
Greeks are just mad that the only solution to their financial crisis is that someone over there might have to get a job and/or pay taxes.
Maybe the Anarchists should text Obama and ask for a bit of drone cover...there seems to be a bit of an inequity...
Bottles< tear gass
firebombs< stun grenades
Having trouble with a bankrupt Government that just stops giving...call 1-800-Pres USA ...not just a drone in the hive.
txmom> I tried that number but a recorded message said the POTUS is preparing for a 17 day vacation in Hawaii. They asked me to be patient......................