Golden Dawn clashes with police over migrants
EGYPT - The Associated Press
AP photo
Police in the western Greek port of Patras on May 22 fired tear gas against protesters seeking to attack migrants over the fatal stabbing of a Greek man, the state-controlled Athens News Agency said.The protesters, which reportedly included members of the far-right group Golden Dawn, gathered outside an abandoned factory where homeless migrants have taken refuge, the agency said. They threw stones at riot police and set fires to garbage bins.
A 30-year-old Patras resident was fatally stabbed outside his home on May 19 following a dispute with three men, believed to be Afghan nationals. A 17-year-old Afghan has been arrested over the case.
Tension in Greece over immigration and a perceived surge in crime has spiked in recent months, fueled by the country’s economic woes. Golden Dawn on May 6 picked up over 440,000 votes in general elections and entered Parliament for the first time in Greece’s political history. The group has pledged to “scrub the country clean” of illegal immigrants.
Patras is a gathering point for thousands of migrants and refugees hoping to sneak onto Italy-bound ferries. One of Golden Dawn’s newly-elected deputies was assaulted outside a Patras television station on May 22 after giving an interview. One of the station’s journalists was also hurt in the incident, ANA said.
