Greek police, including a riot squad, raided a student dormitory belonging to the National and Kapodistrian University in the east Athens district of Zografou in the early morning hours on Saturday.
The operation was part of an investigation at the site in the wake of a serious incident this past week, whereby several masked perpetrators exited the university grounds and torched nearly a dozen vehicles parked nearby, including three school buses belonging to a private primary school. Similar raids have occurred over the past few years to combat crime and delinquency from individuals taking shelter in the dormitories, often under the guise of “anti-state” activism or as part of self-styled “anarchist cooperatives”.
Similarly, the past week’s incident has been repeated on several occasions in the past, with masked suspects exiting the university premises to burn vehicle and throw firebombs at a nearby police precinct before fleeing back towards the dormitories.
Three people were detained, two foreign nationals and a local man. Authorities said none of the three had any affiliation with the university.
Police said they found 27 empty beer bottles (used to make firebombs), 11 bats adorned with small red-and-black banners, four flash-bang grenades, two tear gas cannisters, five helmets, a gas mask, full-face hoodies, computer equipment, a defaced Greek flag and leaflets with anarchist content.
