Greek police officers ordered to jail for teen's death

Related article:
Hundreds of youths riot in Greece after police kill teenager

By Menelaos Hadjicostis
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece — A Greek court ordered Wednesday that two policemen be held in jail pending their trial for a teenage boy's fatal shooting - a death that has sparked five days of intensive riots in cities across the country.


Earlier, protesters attacked Athens' main courthouse with firebombs during a hearing for the two officers. Riot police responded by firing tear gas, and at least two people were injured.


Riot police and youths also clashed in downtown Athens during a demonstration by more than 10,000 people against the government's economic policies.

Greece's two largest labor unions organized the protest, along with a national strike Wednesday that shut down schools, public services, hospitals and flights, increasing the pressure on Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis' fragile conservative government.

"This country is not being governed," Socialist party member Evangelos Venizelos said in Parliament. "There is no way Mr. Karamanlis can come back from this."


"Because he fired in the air to save his life, as a result of this accident ... he faces family and personal ruin," Cougias said of the officer.






"The government wanted us to postpone this protest, but they are the ones who have to do something to stop this violence and to improve the quality of our lives," said protester Kalypso Synenoglou, a drama student.

"There is no state, we are the state," said protester Margaritis Korobanidis. "All these people in (Parliament) must leave. The protests will not stop anytime soon."

High-school students chanting "Cops! Pigs! Murderers!" cheered each time a riot policeman was hit by a rock. At least one person was hurt.







The riots also prompted attacks on Greek diplomatic offices abroad.



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