ATHENS, Greece — Five days of rioting that saw bands of youths marauding through the streets has shocked a generally tolerant Greek public and led many to question how the situation was allowed to degenerate. The police and government are now under intense scrutiny, despite saying they went out of their way to avoid bloodshed.
The government, which also faced a crippling general strike Wednesday, insists it has acted in the public’s best interests, safeguarding lives over property amid an unprecedented explosion of rage sparked by the shooting death by police of a 15-year-old in one of Athens’ often volatile neighborhoods.
The two officers involved in the shooting were quickly arrested, charged and ordered jailed.
The government sought to show it was trying to act with restraint when it came to dealing with the protesters.
“Human life is top priority. Property comes next,” Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos said during the worst of the rioting Monday, as masked youths overturned cars, erected blazing barricades across city streets and smashed stores at will.
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, whose conservatives are hanging with a single seat majority in the 300-member Parliament, is under threat. Already on the ropes after a series of financial scandals and widespread opposition to unpopular economic, pension and education reforms, the riots could be his undoing.
To try to reassure businesses, Karamanlis pledged financial aid to those who lost property in the riots — cash payments of $12,800, delays in tax payments and three-month guarantees for employee salaries.
It is unclear whether that will satisfy a shocked public.
“Society is frightened, but also angry at the rioters, the looters and the government,” said political science professor Haris Papasotiriou of Athens’ Pantion University. “They demand a more dynamic response (to the riots) and better policing.”
