The protest follows a series of rallies last week where scuffles broke out between local residents and police in the town of Ierissos, Halkidiki peninsula, as authorities conducted an investigation to find the perpetrators of a recent arson attack on the installations of a gold-mining company in the village of Skouries.
Police authorities said that the unrest broke out when tens of locals blocked the entrance to the village in an effort to obstruct the riot police (or MAT) from entering the village to assist the police forces who were already at the scene investigating the attack.
Unfortunately the decision to do so immediately prompted calls by most of the Leftist parties in Greece who continue to oppose foreign investment and development. The PASOK and main opposition SYRIZA parliamentary parties called for the immediate withdrawal of the MAT forces from Ierissos, while the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) charged an "orgy of authoritarianism against the people and youth of Ierissos on the pretext of the arson attack at Skouries", adding that the government's target is a blatant and mass terrorization of the locals to daunt their struggle.
SYRIZA said that the riot police forces were attempting to terrorize the local society, which is reacting against the installation of a gold-mining unit, while PASOK charged that the Greek police were patrolling the town and intimidating the locals with authoritarian methods, including the use of chemicals in schools.
Briefing parliament later on the incident, environment alternate minister Stavros Kalafatis even said that he had been informed by police officials that a police contingent had gone to this Halkidiki town, accompanied by two judicial functionaries, to investigate the attack and noted that specific residents blocked access to the police and burned rubber tires, creating a stifling atmosphere. The police, Kalafatis added, made limited use of chemicals at the sport where the police were blocked access to the town to carry out their duty.
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