Police guards' union calls for harsher charges for Koukaki squatters

The union of Attica police's special guards said Monday that they taking legal action to change the charges brought against twenty people arrested in Saturday's operations to remove people from two squats in central Athens from a misdemeanour to a felony.

The charges include disturbance of the peace, attempt to inflict serious bodily damage, serious damage of property and violence against police.

The union said that it was "very surprised" by what it considered as light charges, adding that the attempt to inflict bodily damage should be changed to attempted homicide.

"The union honors and respects every decision of the Greek judiciary, but cannot remain silent when it logically concludes that criminal acts...against...human life are regarded as mere misdemeanors," it said.

On Sunday, a crowd of about 50 people gathered at Athens' lower courts Sunday in...