Flowers, fire bomb at Greek teenager's shrine
ATHENS (Reuters) -Tearful Athenians flocked to the street corner where a teen-ager was killed by police to leave notes, flowers and candles, many still shocked at the shooting that sparked Greece's worst riots in decades.
Since a policeman shot 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos late Saturday, hundreds have filed past the spot in the volatile neighborhood of Exarchia to pay their respects and leave offerings.
A fire bomb stood next to the pile of flowers by the makeshift shrine at the corner of Tzavela and Mesolongiou streets in a central Athens area long favored by intellectuals and anarchists.
"I've lived in this neighborhood for 23 years and I never imagined anything like this was possible," said 48-year-old Adriana.
"I felt the need to come here because he could have been my child. What kind of society are we leaving to our kids when things like this happen?" she said as she scribbled a note for the dead teenager: 'They can take our lives but they can never take our freedom'.
The killing unleashed a wave of violence, fueled by anger over political scandals and a slowing economy made worse by the world economic crisis. Thousands rioted in Athens and other cities across Greece, burning, looting and clashing with police.
Fresh clashes broke out between students and police outside parliament Tuesday, when the boy's funeral will take place.
"Our brother Alexi, words are too poor to describe our grief and rage. The riots are a small sample of the pain and hate we feel for those murderers, Christina and Maria, 17 years old," read a note among dozens lining a nearby wall.
The killing shocked people from all walks of Greek society. A crowd of teenagers, businessmen with briefcases and homeless people left messages for the boy.
"Congratulations for finding all that courage at such a young age. I hope I'll meet you one day, Nikolas," read one.
Another said: "A stone against them for every one of your dreams."
Exarchia was strewn with burned garbage cans and wrecked cars. Tear gas lingered in the air and some shops remained closed. The area's trademark graffiti slogans now also reflected anger at that killing.
"Instigation is not accidental. The state is the murderer," read one and another said, "He was only 15! Bring back the death penalty!"
