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6,000 in Athens protest U.S. Iraq policy
(Matthew Schofield, Knight Ridder Newspapers, August 27, 2004)
In the strongest anti-American showing yet during the Olympic games, about 6,000 war protesters Friday night marched through the city center. . . . The protesters, many of whom made a point of saying they dislike American foreign policy, not Americans, gathered, officially, to register their disgust at a planned weekend visit by Secretary of State Colin Powell. . . . "This is not an anti-American protest, it is anti-war," said protest co-organizer Costas Peitas. "We have nothing against the American people." . . . Nicoletta, a 32-year-old Athenian protester who would not give her last name, said during the march, "We protest Bush. We protest Powell. We protest the U.S. policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why would we protest all Americans?" . . . The march began peacefully, protesters carefully avoiding police blockades and snaking through a heavy tourist part of the city. They chanted in favor of a free Palestine, and against leaders of countries involved in the Iraqi occupation. . . . One banner urged the Iraqi insurgents to victory. . . . And many protesters said that the Olympics themselves were a reason for protest: the high costs, the high security, the nationalistic fervor of fans. . . . This protest did degenerate. After being stopped by riot police near the Greek Parliament, protestors launched a barrage of water bottles. Police responded with pepper spray. At that point, the march became a mad dash through the city, with protesters breaking pavestones into pieces and using the rocks to smash store windows as they fled.

posted by Lorenzo 4:56 PM