Hundreds of protesting migrants demanding quick registration began blocking the main coastal road in the island’s main town, staging a
A Greek policeman has been suspended after a video was released showing him wielding a knife and slapping a migrant on the island of Kos. The Hellenic Police Headquarters ordered an urgent inquiry into the photographs and video posted on social media on Monday. In the wake of the incident there were fights between migrants on Monday.
The scene filmed by an Associated Press cameraman on the island went viral and received negative publicity. A day after the incident, Kos Mayor Kyritsis called on the government to accept responsibility for the situation as over 7,000 migrants have forced their way onto the island making it difficult to control the situation.
Kyritsis warned that there is danger of bloodshed. He said that the police are few and are finding it hard to maintain control and carry out registration. He called for special forces to be deployed on the island to avoid extreme conditions.
Local web site, Kostoday.com reports that the process of transfering migrants to the Antagora stadium has met with hitches as many of the migrants are refusing to be documented. A degeneration of the situation resulted in roughly 1,500 people gathering in the stadium to start fighting. The few police in the area have been trying to control migrants using fire extinguishers and batons.
Shortly after noon there were scuffles as migrants caused a traffic jam on Vas. Georgiou Street by closing the road to commuters during their staged sit-in. “We want papers! We want to eat!” they chanted.
Fights broke out among migrants on the Greek island of Kos as authorities struggle to accommodate new arrivals https://t.co/8Jx2w6IA9m
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) August 11, 2015
