Popular Unity has condemned what it describes as "illegal acts of terrorism and violence" carried out by police during demonstrations marking the 16th anniversary of the murder of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos by special guard Epaminondas Korkoneas.

In a statement, the group detailed incidents of police actions in Athens and Thessaloniki, alleging mass preventive arrests, beatings, and the targeting of demonstrators based on political and union affiliations.

Allegations of police misconduct

According to Popular Unity, police in Athens and Thessaloniki engaged in indiscriminate arrests, including detaining people outside their homes and blocking citizens from attending pre-demonstration gatherings. The group accused police of using violence against those protesting against police practices.

They highlighted the case of lawyer Annie Paparoussou, who was allegedly beaten and detained for hours after protesting against what she described as police abductions of citizens from the streets.

In Thessaloniki, authorities reportedly carried out 126 arrests, converting 112 of them into formal charges under what Popular Unity described as the arbitrary accusation of “disturbing the peace.”

Broader concerns about repression

The group claimed that the Greek government and the leadership of the police have shown hostility towards demonstrators, targeting citizens protesting against police violence and authoritarianism. They argued that the intensification of police repression is part of a broader strategy to shield the government from growing public anger over policies of poverty and the erosion of social rights.

A call to resist

“Terrorism will not pass,” Popular Unity declared, urging a “persistent and united struggle” to expose and confront state repression. The statement concluded with a call for the social movement to defend democratic freedoms and resist the government’s escalating use of police violence.

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