Officials Vow Crackdown as Rioters Trash Athens

Greek officials vowed to crack down on rioters battling police and tearing up Athens and other major cities in the worst street violence in three decades, the Guardian reports. The rioting was sparked Saturday after police shot to death a teenage boy, and intensified violence is expected today as the boy’s funeral takes place. Officials have been criticized for failing to bring the rioters under control, but promised after an emergency meeting yesterday to get tough.

"What is happening both for the economy of our country and our democracy is unacceptable. We will not tolerate these events. We will do what we must," warned the interior minister. Rioters have trashed most of downtown Athens, burning down more than 130 shops and the four-story Olympic Airways building. Minor incidents have also been reported at the Greek embassies in Berlin and London.
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