Athens riots plunge Brit hols favourite into petrol bomb mayhem

A favourite holiday spot for Brits has been set on fire after rioters threw petrol bombs and clashed with police in ugly scenes. Shocking footage from showed riots breaking out just after midnight as mobs clashed with cops. Around 50 people launched petrol bombs and fireworks at officers outside a police station in Exarchia and 21 cars were tourched. Houses and shops were also set on fire as horrified residents watched on. 72 peope were arrested and the fighting lasted for a couple of hours, according to police.

“Incidents occurred on Saturday night in Exarchia where unknown persons attacked police forces,” Greek authorities said. “According to ELAS, the incidents began shortly before midnight when groups of unknown persons attacked police forces at the intersection of Kallidromiou and E. Benaki streets with Molotov cocktails and stones, with the police responding by using chemical weapons.”

The riots come after a bomb planted near the offices of Hellenic Train, ’s main railway company, exploded Friday night in a busy district of central Athens. There were no reports of injuries. The explosion happened amid widespread public anger over a 2023 railway disaster, Greece’s worst, in which 57 people were killed and dozens more injured when a freight train and a passenger train heading in opposite directions were accidentally put on the same track.

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In a statement, Hellenic Train said the explosion had occurred “very close to its central offices” and said the blast had caused limited damage and no injuries to any employees or passers-by.

Police cordoned off the site along a major avenue in the Greek capital, keeping residents and tourists away from the building in an area with several bars and restaurants. Officers at the scene said a bag containing an explosive device had been placed near the Hellenic Train building on Syngrou Avenue.