Riot Police Unit

A riot police unit stationed outside the Turkish Consulate in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, was attacked early Monday by unidentified assailants throwing Molotov cocktails. The incident occurred at approximately 5 a.m. on Agiou Dimitriou Street. No injuries were reported, according to police.

A riot police unit posted outside a building at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki that had been an anarchist squat until it was cleared recently, came under attack on Wednesday morning.

The surprise attack took place at around noon and involved a group of assailants, who had their features covered, lobbing Molotov cocktails at the officers.

Three attacks on police riot units took place within the space of an hour on Monday near the Athens University of Economics and Business.

The first incident occurred at around 3 p.m. when unknown assailants threw rocks at a riot police unit stationed on Derigni Street.

That was soon followed by a similar attack on officers on nearby Mavromataion Street.

An order issued by the Greek Police (ELAS) for the transfer of officers from various departments to boost riot police units in Athens and Thessaloniki has prompted an angry response from the union representing police workers, who complain that all departments are understaffed. 

The union of Thessaloniki police officers staged a demonstration Tuesday outside the city's main courthouse in the wake of Saturday's firebomb attack against a riot unit van which put the lives of some 20 officers at risk.

The van was transferring officers guarding the Turkish Consulate.

A crowd of around 100 youths set upon a riot police unit stationed outside the main campus of Panteion University in Athens Thursday afternoon.

The incident was preceded by some members of the group heckling an on-duty officer dressed in civilian clothes nearby before beating him up and then pelting the unit with plastic chairs taken from a nearby cafeteria.