Greek youths have hurled rocks and firebombs at riot police in central
Athens, as unrest continues for a seventh day following the police
shooting of a teenager.
Police Friday fired tear gas and clashed with protesters attempting to march toward parliament.
Police officials say they are urgently seeking more tear gas from Israel and Germany after using more than 4,600 capsules.
Rage
over last Saturday's killing has turned into anger over corruption and
economic hardship. The violence has shaken the conservative government
of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, which has a one-seat majority in
parliament.
Mr. Karamanlis today rejected mounting calls for his
resignation, saying his priority was to provide the country steady
leadership to tackle the financial crisis.
Scores of protesters
and police in Athens and the northern city of Salonika have been
injured since Saturday, when police gunfire in Athens' central Exarchia
district killed the 15-year-old boy.
Protesters continue to
occupy several schools and universities Friday. Others briefly took
over an Athens radio station and read a statement on air.
The
two Athens policemen involved in the shooting have been jailed pending
trial. One faces murder charges, while the other is accused of being
an accomplice.
The officers say they were only firing warning
shots. Their lawyers say initial forensic analysis shows the boy was
hit by a ricochet, and not a direct shot as charged by some witnesses.
Protests
have spread beyond Greece's borders, with demonstrations in other
European cities, including Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, London,
Madrid, Rome and The Hague.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
