Six people have been arrested in the Greek capital after a group of anarchists started throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails following an anti-capitalism protest, Athens police told CNN.
The trouble came as Barack Obama visits Athens on his final state tour as President of the United States. He gave a speech Wednesday after touring the Acropolis, the complex of monuments known as the “cradle of democracy,” in which he said democracy was “complicated” and “messy” but designed to correct mistakes.
Protesters stand in front of graffiti that reads “No Hope” on Tuesday in Athens.
The arrests occurred Tuesday after a peaceful demonstration, organized by the Communist Party and permitted by police, in Omonia Square near central Athens.
About 5,000 people attended the anti-establishment protest, police said. After it was over, a group of some 100 to 150 anarchists became violent, police said.
Unrest broke out as the group tried to break through a police cordon to march to the US Embassy and Presidential Mansion, where Obama was attending an official state dinner.
Protesters threw Molotov cocktails, and police responded with stun grenades and tear gas, dispersing the crowds who eventually retreated into the side streets.
Three officers suffered minor injuries, police said.
