Fresh clashes in Athens

Athens has seen its seventh day of rioting. Despite a night of relative calm across Greece, fresh violence broke out after a peaceful demonstration turned nasty. Students and security forces clashed outside the parliament building in the capital. Firebombs and stones were thrown at police who responded with teargas.

The violence has shaken the conservative government of prime minister Costas Karamanlis to its core, with increasing calls for it to resign. The rioting has also caused hundreds of millions of euros of damage with many buildings and businesses across Greek cities destroyed in the protests. Sparked by the police shooting of a 15-year-old youth on December 6, much of the anger runs deeper. Many Greeks, particularly the young, are fed up with what they see as the failure of their political masters.