Riots in Greece Spark Protests Across Europe

Wall Street Journal ^ | DECEMBER 11, 2008

[Lorianne]

Student protesters pelted police stations with rocks and bottles, overturned cars and blocked streets in central Athens on Thursday, and police responded with tear gas, as sporadic violence persisted amid Greece's worst rioting in decades.

There were signs the unrest was spreading as violence erupted in several other European countries. In small but violent protests in Spain and Denmark, youths smashed shop windows, attacked banks and hurled bottles at police, while cars were set alight outside a consulate in France.

[Bellflower]

The thing is I have heard on the news of 3 different youth riots just since the election. This amount in that short of a time seems like maybe the election of someone like to Obama to the US Presidency may have already of had it's influence. I don't follow the news super closely and wonder if 3 are all that there have been since November.

[apro]

"The thing is I have heard on the news of 3 different youth riots just since the election. This amount in that short of a time seems like maybe the election of someone like to Obama to the US Presidency may have already of had it's influence. I don't follow the news super closely and wonder if 3 are all that there have been since November."

They were more then 3 riots that took place in this year alone, believe it or not they very common in Greece and they don't have anything to do with this year's US elections. Karamalis administration wanted to make changes in the economic sections and enforce new changes into academics that many Greeks are against...especially students as far as the academic changes are concerned, students were striking and rioting since last year when the administration said they would be making changes to academics. This is what these riots are about. Two days prior to these current riots the nurses were on strike, the nurses strike led to small riots breaking out across Athens on Saturday night, it was in these Saturday riots sparked by the nurses strike that led to the kid's death on Saturday. Last Wednesday a few days after the Saturday shooting a scheduled airline crews strike was suppose to take place...this strike was scheduled long before the current riots took place and the death of the kid on Saturday. Even with the rioting going on and the government asking the airlines unions to postpone their strike, the airline crews still went along with their strike. Politics of the Balkans, so typical and screwed up. LOL!