Greece: Police Clash with Demonstrators Protesting Obama’s Visit

Local Editor

Leftist demonstrators protesting against US President Barack Obama's visit to Athens have clashed with police, who used tear gas to disperse the crowd as people tried to break through cordons.

Some 7,000 people took to the streets of central Athens on Tuesday to protest Obama's visit to the Greek capital, Reuters reported.

The demonstrators initially planned to walk all the way to the US Embassy located in another part of the city, but the procession was disrupted as protesters clashed with police officers.

"We don't need protectors!" one of the banners carried by the demonstrators read. Some could be heard exclaiming: "Yankees go home!"

One protester was seen setting an American flag on fire.

All public gatherings were banned in the central part of Athens due to Obama's two-day visit. Riot police parked buses along Obama's route and erected cordons.

No injuries or arrests have been reported so far, according to AP.

More than 5,000 police officers were deployed in central Athens to maintain order.

Nearly 1,000 people took part in a similar protest in Greece's second biggest city, Thessaloniki.

Obama's visit nearly coincides with Greece's annual anti-American demonstrations carried out to commemorate a pro-democracy student protest that was harshly suppressed by military forces in 1973.

This is the first time that Obama has visited Greece during his eight years in office.

Last time Greece was visited by a US president when Bill Clinton held the office in 1999. His visit also saw extensive street fighting between anarchists and riot police.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team