2008 Greek Riots - The Shooting Incident

The Shooting Incident

The fatal shooting that triggered the riots and protests took place in the evening of 6 December 2008, shortly after 9 pm in the Exarcheia district of central Athens.

According to press reports, two Special Guards (a special category of the Greek police personnel, originally meant for guard duties on public property) had been engaged in a minor verbal clash with a small group of teenagers in a main street of Exarcheia, outside a shop. On driving away in their police car, they were then confronted by another small group at a nearby street crossing. The two guards were ordered by the Greek police center of operations to disengage immediately and withdraw from the confrontation site. However, the two guards did not comply and are therefore accused of insubordination. Instead, the two special guards chose to station the police vehicle outside the PASOK headquarters, left their car and went to Tzavella Street on foot in order to confront the youngsters.

Although the incident remains shrouded in mystery and conflicting reports, the following is an attempt to piece together the saga. Following some exchange of verbal abuse that, according to several witnesses, was initiated by the guards, one of them, Epaminondas Korkoneas, fired his gun. The initial police's report on the incident claims that the special guard shot in response to a renewed attack by the youths that involved throwing stones and bottles. Eyewitnesses speaking to the Greek mass media, however, reported that the special guards were not attacked by the youths nor was their physical safety put in danger at any time. Instead, the special guards approached the group and verbally assaulted them in order to provoke them. The special guard said he fired three rounds, two warning shots in the air and a third aimed on the ground. Several eyewitnesses said they believed the policeman had targeted the youngsters directly.

The victim, Alexandros – Andreas Grigoropoulos (Greek: Αλέξανδρος – Ανδρέας Γρηγορόπουλος) was a 15-year-old student, who lived in the affluent northern Athens suburb of Palaio Psychiko and attended a private school (the Moraitis School). Immediately following the shooting, he was transported to the nearby Evangelismos Hospital where he was pronounced dead.