Parliament appealed to ELAS twice before anarchist attack, documents show

Two classified documents sent by Parliament's security service to the leadership of the Greek Police (ELAS) last week, and seen by Kathimerini, appealed for improved policing outside the House, which was targeted by anarchist vandals who threw bottles of red paint at its facade on Tuesday.

The first letter was sent to ELAS chief Aristides Andrikopoulos and copied to Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis on May 13, in the wake of firebomb attacks by anarchists on the headquarters of leftist SYRIZA in central Athens and a police precinct in Kaisariani. It underlined the risk of a possible attack on the House by self-styled anarchists following the spike in acts of violence by members of anti-establishment groups and appealed for additional police support.

Specifically, it asked for the police contingent stationed outside Parliament to be bolstered around the clock to avert a...