Greek Minister of Civil Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, addressed the violent incidents that broke out during last Friday’s mass demonstration at Syntagma Square, attributing them to what he called a “criminal front” of hooligans and masked extremists.

Speaking in Parliament, Chrysochoidis claimed that individuals linked to organized football hooliganism—particularly from Gate 13 of Panathinaikos, though not exclusively—joined forces with anti-authoritarian groups to incite violence. “These criminals, who have lost their foothold in stadiums due to recent legislative changes, exploited the demonstration to infiltrate the crowd and launch attacks against police forces and Parliament,” he said.

Responding to opposition accusations that the masked rioters were, in fact, undercover police officers, the minister dismissed the claims as “shameful lies.” He criticized political opponents for spreading misinformation while employing police officers for their own security. “You say these are policemen beating their own colleagues? And what did they do? They attacked the police guarding Parliament, throwing not only Molotov cocktails but also gas canisters that injured and burned 27 officers on Friday alone,” he stated.

Chrysochoidis also defended the police’s handling of the riots, particularly their decision not to immediately intervene when rioters broke marble slabs from the Grand Bretagne Hotel. “Do you understand what it would mean for the police to throw chemicals into a crowd of thousands? There would be a stampede. We would have had deaths,” he warned.

He further urged MPs to stop spreading what he called “fake news,” referencing images circulating online that allegedly depicted police brutality but, according to him, were actually from Canada. “Don’t you understand this is a disaster?” he asked.

Meanwhile, the opposition strongly condemned police actions. Nikos Karathanasopoulos (KKE) denounced what he called “an orgy of repression,” accusing authorities of targeting peaceful demonstrators instead of confronting known provocateurs. He also alleged collusion between “state and parastate elements,” claiming that some of the rioters were affiliated with police units specializing in sports-related violence.

Similarly, Nassos Iliopoulos (New Left) criticized the government’s heavy-handed response. “Videos show peaceful protesters, and a riot police officer giving orders to ‘spray them so they leave.’ You cannot escape through repression. Don’t even think about repeating this tomorrow,” he warned, adding that the government’s “lies have collapsed” and that it had resorted to “brute force.”

The protest, marking one year since the Tempi train disaster, drew tens of thousands demanding accountability and justice. The government maintains that it ensured the safety of the demonstrators, while opposition parties accuse it of fueling police brutality.