Videos shared on social media captured the brutal police response during the protest on 5 March in Syntagma Square. According to the police, 30 people were detained during the event.

In one video, MAT officers are seen charging at protesters with orders to “spray them to make them leave.” Immediately, a squad of officers began firing tear gas and throwing flashbangs at the crowd.

Another video shows police officers from the DELTA unit chasing demonstrators on motorcycles, one of which knocks down a protester.

Photojournalist Savvas Karmaniolas captured images of MAT officers aggressively pursuing a demonstrator, knocking him onto a pile of rubbish, beating him, and then handcuffing him. They continued to taunt him as they escorted him to the police van.

As the crowd raised their hands in surrender, chanting “GO BACK, GO BACK,” MAT officers attacked, pushing protesters with their shields and violently beating them at the spot outside the Parliament where the names of the 57 Tempe victims had been painted in red.

 

While protesters staged a sit-in, chanting “JUSTICE,” MAT responded once again with flashbangs and tear gas, causing panic as demonstrators shouted, “Why?”

In another video, photojournalist Vedat Yeler shows police officers using their shields to aggressively target a protester. In another clip, MAT officers are seen attacking the fleeing crowd, hitting people from behind with their batons.

A video published by Copwatch shows DELTA unit officers literally stepping on a protester on Ermou Street, who cries out, “Help, I’m 15 years old, I haven’t done anything!”

 

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Another widely circulated video shows a protester asking MAT officers, “Do you get paid overtime?” The officers responded with vulgar insults, stating they were happy to earn “100 euros today, just for one hour’s work thanks to you,” as they claimed.

In a video shared by journalist Christos Avramidis, a police officer is seen threatening to detain protesters standing on the sidewalk, citing nonsensical reasons such as “disrupting traffic.”

Dialogue:

–”You can’t stay in group like this.”

–”Why not? It’s a constitutionally protected right.”

–”Either leave, or you’ll be detained.”

–”Why would we be detained?”

A similar scene of police overreach unfolded in Thessaloniki, where 59 demonstrators were detained without any arrests being made.

Minister’s response: “Police ensured protester safety”

Minister for Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis blamed the violence during the Tempe protests on “hooligans and anarchists,” dismissing accusations of police brutality despite extensive video evidence of unprovoked arrests, beatings, and excessive tear gas use. He claimed that “police officers successfully guaranteed the safety of hundreds of thousands of demonstrators.”

Chrysochoidis alleged that “criminal gangs” linked to football hooliganism had infiltrated the protests and instigated attacks against police officers and Parliament. He dismissed opposition claims that undercover officers had incited violence, calling such accusations “shameful.”

He also accused protesters of spreading misinformation, including using old or foreign videos to falsely portray Greek police brutality.

“Why would the police provoke violence? Just to satisfy conspiracy theorists? This kind of fake news spreads through bots and online propaganda,” he said

Eleven protesters prosecuted remain in custody

The public prosecutor has filed misdemeanor charges against 11 individuals arrested at the 5 March Tempe protest. Three minors have been referred to the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office. The accused remain in custody until their trial.

The charges include violence against public officials, disturbing public order, causing bodily harm, property damage, illegal possession of weapons and explosives, and verbal abuse. A separate case has been opened against unidentified individuals on felony charges.

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