Riot police try to avoid petrol bombs during heavy clashes with anti-austerity protesters in Athens.
16 July – Two Melbourne police officers, honeymooning in Athens have been tear gassed during a violent protest outside the parliament where rocks and molotov cocktails were thrown at police.
While inside the parliament, Greek MPs debated over the latest round of austerity reforms.
Rebecca Amore and her husband, both police officers, told 3AW radio they got caught up in the violence.
“It was very interesting to say the least, our hotel is literally a minute walk from Syntagma Square,” she said.
“We set out for a nice romantic evening on our last night of our honeymoon.
“We had a perfect spot on a balcony in a beautiful restaurant and then things started to take a turn from there.
“We were on the balcony and all of a sudden we saw the police and they started to put their helmets on.
“All of a sudden we heard bang, bang, bang and it literally shuddered through you, we thought there was fireworks.”
Ms Amore said everyone rushed inside as the tear gas came in.
“All of a sudden I got that tickle in my throat I’ve had a million times before,” she said.
“I looked at my husband, I got up off the table because my eyes started to well.
“Soon enough the whole restaurant ran inside, it was so potent.
“Lucky they had bi-fold doors, otherwise we would have been in serious trouble and people were just running in seeking refuge from everywhere.”
Meanwhile an Australian citizen was arrested during the clashes, allegedly for painting graffiti in Syntagma Metro station. They were arrested along with a number of other foreigners, including four Germans, two French citizens, one Ukrainian, one Dutch and three Poles. There were given charges relating to damage of a metro station.
A protester burns a Greek flag