DPA - Protesters occupy Greek consulate in Berlin

Deutsche Presse Agentur (dpa)
Mon, 08 Dec 2008

Berlin - Demonstrators angry at the shooting death of a 15- year-old youth by police in Athens occupied the Greek consulate in Berlin for most of Monday before departing peacefully. About 20 protesters wearing ski masks barged their way into the reception area of the building in west

Berlin during the morning while supporters on the street outside chanted, "It was murder."
One of those outside, a man wearing black who described himself as an anarchist, said, "We are
here to defend our dead comrade in Greece. I want to stir up some trouble."

In the end there was no trouble, and the protesters left after eight hours with no arrests.
The Greek embassy, which is located elsewhere in the city, had asked police not to use force at the consulate, a mission that mainly assists Greeks living in Germany.

Police said the consul, the chief of the office, had insisted on a dialogue with the protesters and had refused to lay an official complaint. Occupiers who answered his phone for him said that the consul had been pleasant and had served them coffee.

Some 120 armed police warily watched the protesters from outside through the day.

The teenager died Saturday in the central Athens district of Exarchia after being hit by a bullet fired by a policeman. Police said groups of anarchist youths had earlier attacked a police car with stones and firebombs.

The incident triggered two nights of riots in the capital and the northern city of Thessaloniki, causing widespread damage and injuries to 40 people.

Berlin sympathizers said they wanted Germans to know about the issue.

During the day, they flung leaflets from a balcony of the Greek consulate to Christmas shoppers on the street. The consulate is located on Wittenberg Platz near a major Berlin department store.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/245245,protesters-occupy-greek-consulate-in-berlin--summary.html