Greek riots costing businesses millions

A sea of students listened to the pulsating beat of punk rock outside the University of Athens as they were preparing, once again, to march on parliament.

The main building of the university is called the Propylea, appropriately, as its architectural style is that of a classical Greek temple. Businesses along University Boulevard, or Panepistimiou, closed the electronic shutters on their upscale boutiques and jewellery shops in anticipation of the demonstration.

Security guards at the Bank of Greece closed themselves inside behind the building’s massive bronze doors, preparing for the latest in a series of assaults on the country’s symbols of capitalism, prosperity and wealth.

On 6 December, a policeman shot and killed 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos, and since that time, there have been daily riots that have cost Athens entrepreneurs – and the country’s tourism industry – more than $1 billion.

In the crowd of students there was an older man who has taken part in every annual march on the US embassy. The ‘career’ demonstrator, Panos Garganas, was distinguishable for his silvery mane of hair and his owlish glasses.

The 17 November march each year on the US embassy marks the day in 1973 when tanks of the Greek military dictatorship smashed through the gates of the Polytechnic University and put an end to the student uprising. The dictatorship was backed by the US government.

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