On Friday, December 6th, thousands of people gathered in Athens for a march to commemorate a teenage boy who was killed by police 16 years ago. Following the march, clashes broke out between police and protesters in Athens. The death of the boy on December 6, 2008, had triggered the most severe riots in Greece in decades.
Approximately 5,000 people participated in the annual march to honor the memory of the then 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos, who was shot and killed during the Greek riots in 2008.
At the end of the march, protesters wearing helmets set fire to garbage bins in the Exarchia district of Athens, where the unarmed boy was shot by a police officer years ago.
Protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at riot police, who responded with tear gas.
As part of the security measures for the Friday march, thousands of police officers were deployed in the city center of Athens.
A police official stated that over 60 people were temporarily detained, and 8 individuals were arrested.
On the evening of December 6, 2008, hours after Grigoropoulos was shot, thousands of people took to the streets of Athens, burning cars, smashing shop windows, and looting. The riots lasted for several weeks.