Shame! This is what we felt all passers-by who witnessed yesterdays battle scene at the centre of Athens. Riots that have broken out after police shot dead a 15-year-old boy who tried to throw a firebomb (!) at a patrol car in Exarchia district. At least that seemed to be the motive-reason which I doubt facing myself the extent of the damages, the fires and the vandalism at the central streets, shops, banks and about 20 cars. Police responded by firing tear gas, evacuating some restaurants in the area, and closing several streets to all traffic. But what I don’t understand is the Government apology. Several hours after the incident, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the interior minister, apologized for the incident and expressed his sorrow for the death of the young boy. "There will be an exemplary punishment and measures will be taken so that such a thing will not be repeated", he said! But why there were no arrests? Why they leave those people hurling Molotov cocktails and vandalizing undisturbed businesses in central Athens? Who controls and organize those rioters? These are the concerns of the simple citizens like me, like the cab driver who took me home last night, of the terrified passers-by, forced to find their way out of the centre whispering “ok! Once again we are going to pay for all that” or the small business owners of the destroyed and burned shops and cars. Shame to the "professional" rioters, they loose the right –if they have any- over the public opinion who witnessed speechless such damages, such chaos and proving for once again how easy is to destroy than create and contribute to the society

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Sunday, December 7 2008 By Elina - Special : Athens on fire

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