Rioting rocks Greece for 4th night

Youth uprising
Amnesty International accused police of heavy-handed tactics against protesters. The human-rights watchdog said its members in Greece reported that riot police "engaged in punitive violence against peaceful demonstrators" instead of focusing on rioters.

On Tuesday night, rioters hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails at police stations in the western city of Patras, as well as on the island of Corfu and the northern town of Veria.

"We find ourselves before a social uprising of youth," said Alekos Alavanos of the Coalition of the Left party, which has often been accused of being too soft on rioting youths.

Tension between security forces and leftist groups is deeply rooted in Greece, dating back to the uprising against the country's 1967-1974 junta.

Joining the anarchists
The groups have now evolved into various factions that claim to fight trends ranging from globalization to the growth of police surveillance cameras. Their impact is usually limited to graffiti and late-night firebomb attacks on targets such as stores and cash machines.

But the latest riots have moved far beyond the small anti-establishment groups to become a siege on Karamanlis' government. Teenagers and university students have joined self-styled anarchists in much of the rioting and destruction.

"This was an emotional reaction after public opinion was outraged by the unfortunate event of the teenager's killing," said Livanios. "Clearly, during very negative economic conditions people with very low incomes and jobless people who can see no future for themselves became part of this social reaction."

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