Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Riot police have used tear gas and pepper spray during scuffles with union members protesting austerity measures, during a ban on demonstrations in parts of central Athens due to a visit by German President Joachim Gauck.
Scuffles broke out Thursday when a group of several dozen demonstrators attempted to break through a police cordon on a major avenue in an effort to march to the Finance Ministry.
The demonstrations were unrelated to the visit by Gauck, who was meeting with his Greek counterpart and was due to visit the site of a Nazi massacre in central Greece Friday.
Authorities banned all demonstrations from 8 a.m. to 7p.m. local time in parts of the city, citing security concerns. Several hundred union members, mainly construction workers, had already scheduled demonstrations.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.