Greece: 20 Anti-Establishment Protesters Detained

A group of anti-establishment protesters entered the Greek parliament courtyard briefly Wednesday, calling for the abolition of maximum security prisons in the country and the release of a convicted member of an outlawed organization.



The protesters specifically want authorities to release convict Savvas Xiros, who is a leader of the outlawed organization, "17 November." The group was blamed for a number of terrorist strikes in Greece before it reportedly disbanded in 2002.



According to local media, authorities detained 20 people who participated in the protest.



Conservative New Democracy opposition spokesman Kostas Karagounis slammed the government over the detentions. "Anarchists, with and without a hood, invaded the parliament courtyard. Insecurity tends to become more generalized.



"The government, which said it would open a dialogue with hooded persons, now, cannot even guard the parliament itself. We ask them directly: is there a state or has it been abolished too?" Karagounis said in a statement.



The anti-establishment groups also staged a sit-in at the Northern Greece municipality of Xanthi.



Government spokesman Gavriil Sakellaridis described the protests as provocative, incomprehensible and against efforts of the government to humanize the prison system.



"This invasion operates against the decision of the government to unravel the bars of shame from the forecourt of parliament area," Sakellaridis said.



In Patras, southern Greece, a group of anti-establishment people took over the Prefectural committee offices of the ruling Syriza party.



The office of Syriza MP Giannis Michelogiannakis also came under forced occupation. Parts of Athens University are also reportedly under occupation .



www.aa.com.tr/en - Atina